How to Make the Easiest Chicken Broth Cubes

I love the health benefits and warming taste of a good homemade chicken broth recipe, but it can be too time consuming. I like to batch cook it to use in meals like my hearty sausage kale soup, but I also don’t have a lot of freezer space for storage. Thankfully I’ve found a solution that saves time, costs almost nothing to make, and doesn’t take up much room.

Chicken Broth Homemade

Homemade chicken broth tastes so much better, but it can have its setbacks. I have a frozen container of chicken broth sitting on my counter right now. I only need about half of it, but of course I have to defrost the whole thing. The question is, what to do with the extra??

Then there’s the issue of whether to use glass or plastic to freeze chicken broth. Glass can break and needs to be defrosted for hours before the broth slips out. Plastic has chemicals I’d rather avoid, but at least I can run the container under warm water.

Concentrated Chicken Broth Cubes

I’ve had this problem so many times, but I’ve finally found a solution! I’ve been freezing concentrated chicken broth in ice cube trays. Once frozen they easily pop out for storage in a freezer safe, plastic bag. You could even use a glass container to store them if you wanted.

When I need broth I can just drop a cube or two into hot water, soup or whatever. Because this is concentrated, I don’t need 2-4 frozen quarts of broth. There an easy and fast way to make a comforting bowl of cold and flu busting chicken soup when sickness hits.

Chicken Broth Ingredients

I save my vegetable peels when I cook in a container in the freezer, then when it’s time to make broth, I just dump them all in. This gives it flavor without wasting anything. This typically includes carrots, celery, garlic, onion, and even radish and beet tops. If you aren’t using scraps, don’t worry about peeling the veggies.

Almost every week I purchase a whole chicken since it’s cheaper, and I’ll use it in several recipes. I get the most bang for my buck this way. When we’ve picked the chicken clean, I use what’s left (gristle, fat, bones) to make a nutritious broth.

Easy Chicken Broth Recipe

Chicken Broth

Ingredients

• 1 Chicken carcass
• Vegetable scraps (onion, carrot and garlic peels, celery ends, etc.)
• Free range eggshells (optional but add calcium)
• 2 tsps each thyme, rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• Sea salt to taste (about 1 tbsp)
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (pulls more nutrition from the chicken bones)

If not using vegetable scraps then instead use:

• 4 large carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 4 stalks celery, roughly chopped
• 6 cloves garlic

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients into a large slow cooker and cover with filtered water. I used 3-4 quarts.
2. Set it to low and let this cook overnight. This can also be made in the instant pot for a fast version. See the instructions below.
3. Strain the broth so there are no solid pieces. I use a large colander over a bowl, then strain a second time with a fine mesh sieve.

© 2024 Recipe from The Herbal Spoon

How to Make Chicken Broth in the Instant Pot

This method only takes 1 hour and is perfect for busy days!

1. Add all of the ingredients, except veggie scraps, to the instant pot.
2. Add enough veggies or veggie scraps until the instant pot is halfway full. Pour water over the ingredients to 1 inch below the maximum fill line.
3. Secure the lid and set the timer to 60 minutes on high pressure.
4. Strain the broth so there are no solid pieces. I use a large colander over a bowl, then strain a second time with a fine mesh sieve.

How to Make Concentrated Chicken Broth Cubes

You will need:

• Large pot
• Ice cube tray (silicone trays work best) – what I use
• Measuring cup (preferably glass) – what I use
• Freezer safe container or plastic bag

1. Place the broth in a pot on the stove and boil uncovered until it has reduced to 2 cups.
2. Let the broth cool, then pour into ice cube trays and freeze.
3. Pop the broth cubes out once solid and store in a container in the freezer, I prefer to use a plastic bag.
4. Each ice cube is equivalent to about 1 cup or 8 ounces of chicken broth.

Tip: I needed to use a butter knife to get the cubes out of my plastic ice tray.

What are the Health Benefits of Chicken Broth?

Sure it tastes yummy, and it’s soothing when sickness hit, but there’s so much more to humble chicken broth. When cooked down the bones yield beneficial collagen and gelatin. This helps to strengthen hair, skin and nails and also improves digestion. Gelatin is also good for joint health and repair. The chicken gives the broth essential amino acids and the vegetables add vitamins and cancer fighting anti-oxidants.

Can You Use Water Instead of Chicken Broth in Recipes?

A lot of recipes, especially soups, call for chicken broth. While you don’t have to add it in most cases, it really ups the flavor and nutritional value. Since I always have broth cubes in my freezer now, it’s so easy to just throw a few into a recipe.

Is Chicken Broth and Chicken Stock the Same?

You say potato I say potato, or err broth. The terms chicken broth and chicken stock are often used interchangeably, but there is a slight difference. Chicken broth is usually made with meat and vegetables, while chicken stock is made from the bones. This recipe mostly uses the bones, but the cartilage and meat scraps are thrown in with it too for even more nutrition.

How do you use chicken broth in recipes? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to share this post!