The Ultimate Guide to Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Bone Broth: Nourishing, Flavorful, and Simple

Imagine a rich, fragrant, and incredibly flavorful chicken bone broth, simmering gently, filling your home with an inviting aroma, all with minimal effort. This isn’t just a culinary dream; it’s the reality of making slow cooker chicken bone broth. In just about 5 minutes of active preparation, you can have everything tucked into your slow cooker, ready to transform forgotten leftovers into a golden, nutrient-packed liquid gold. Whether you let it bubble softly overnight or throughout the day, this recipe promises a delicious base for countless meals, a nourishing sip on its own, and the ultimate way to utilize every bit of a chicken. Because honestly, who could resist the magic of homemade chicken broth?

Essential Ingredients for Your Crockpot Bone Broth

To embark on your journey to create this deeply flavorful slow cooker chicken bone broth, you’ll need a handful of simple, wholesome ingredients. The precise quantities can be found in the comprehensive recipe card located at the bottom of this article. However, let’s delve a bit deeper into what makes each component crucial for the best possible broth:

Step-by-Step Preparation: Making Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Bone Broth

Creating this delicious and easy slow cooker chicken bone broth is incredibly straightforward, making it one of the simplest yet most rewarding recipes you can master. For a printable version with all measurements and a detailed step-by-step description, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.

The core process is wonderfully uncomplicated: simply place your chicken carcass, any remaining meat and bones, chopped vegetables, and aromatic herbs into the slow cooker pot. Pour in enough cold water to fully cover all the ingredients. Once everything is assembled, set your slow cooker to the “low” setting and let it work its magic. The ideal simmering time is at least 8 hours, but for maximum flavor and collagen extraction, allowing it to cook for 10-12 hours, or even overnight, yields the best results. The longer, slower cook ensures that all the beneficial compounds and deep flavors are gently drawn out. Once the cooking time is complete, carefully strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve to remove all solids. What you’re left with is a pristine, flavorful, and incredibly versatile base for an endless array of culinary creations.

• Can you also make a batch of bone broth in the slow cooker on high? – While technically possible, it’s generally not recommended for optimal results. Good chicken stock, especially bone broth, relies on a long, gentle simmer to slowly extract the delicious flavors, collagen, and minerals from the bones, meat, and vegetables. High heat can cause the broth to boil vigorously, which can lead to a cloudy broth and may not allow for the full extraction of beneficial compounds. The “quick way” often compromises on depth of flavor and gelatinous texture. For the richest, most nourishing bone broth, low and slow is always the way to go.
• Should you add salt to your own bone broth? – My strong advice is to keep your basic bone broth unsalted (or with minimal salt) during the initial cooking phase. The reason for this is versatility. The desired salt content will vary significantly depending on how you plan to use the broth – whether it’s for homemade soups (like a hearty chicken noodle soup), delicate sauces, a rich ragout, or simply sipping. By keeping the base broth unsalted, you have complete control over the final seasoning of your dish, preventing it from becoming too salty. You can always add salt later, but you can’t take it away!
• I have a layer of fat on my stock – It’s completely normal and often desirable to have a layer of fat on top of your cooled bone broth. This fat layer actually acts as a natural seal, helping to preserve the broth and keep it fresh if stored in the refrigerator. When the stock cools, the fat will solidify and float to the top, making it incredibly easy to skim off with a slotted spoon. You can discard the fat, or, if you wish, save it for cooking – chicken fat (schmaltz) is a delicious and traditional cooking fat.
• My broth is gelatinous or thicker – Congratulations! A gelatinous broth is a hallmark of a well-made, nutrient-rich bone broth. This jelly-like consistency when cooled is precisely what you want. It indicates that ample collagen has been extracted from the animal bones during the long cooking process. Collagen is a powerhouse for gut health, skin elasticity, and joint support. Don’t be alarmed; this is a sign of high quality! When you gently reheat the stock, it will return to its liquid form, ready to be enjoyed.
• My broth is not clear – It’s quite common for homemade bone broth, especially from a slow cooker, not to be perfectly crystal clear. This is perfectly normal and does not affect the taste, quality, or shelf life of your broth. While there are advanced techniques to achieve a perfectly clear consommé (like stirring in egg whites after straining and then simmering to coagulate impurities), these are often more about aesthetics for professional presentation than practical home cooking. For everyday use, a slightly cloudy broth is perfectly fine. If you have a lot of fine solid particles, they will usually settle at the bottom once cooled, and you can carefully pour off the clear broth from the top.
• I don’t have enough leftovers – If you find yourself without a full chicken carcass, remember that you can supplement your broth with other chicken parts rich in connective tissue, such as chicken feet, necks, or wings. These are often inexpensive and contribute significantly to the gelatin content. Additionally, this recipe encourages the use of various vegetables and herbs. I often employ “veggie scraps” – onion skins, carrot tops, celery ends, mushroom stems – that I collect and freeze until I have enough for a batch of broth. This “waste not, want not” approach is not only economical but also infuses your broth with a wider spectrum of flavors. By cleaning and coarsely chopping these vegetable scraps and freezing them, they stay good for up to 3 months and are ready to be added directly from the freezer to your slow cooker when you’re ready to make your next nourishing batch of bone broth.

📖 Recipe

RECIPE CARD

Slow Cooker Chicken Bone Broth

Andréa

A deliciously fragrant slow cooker chicken bone broth that has a delicious taste and is super easy to make. Within 5 minutes, everything is in the slow cooker, and it can start. You can even let it simmer overnight without looking back. An easy recipe for leftovers, a delicious base for soup, and many other recipes. Because who doesn’t like homemade chicken broth?

5 of 43 votes

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Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Slow Cooker Time 10 hours hrs

Total Time 10 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Course Basic Recipes, Soup

Cuisine Other

Servings 4 cups

Calories 50 kcal

Equipment

• Chef’s knife
• slow cooker

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 chicken carcass, leftover chicken bones, and meat
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic, without skin
• ▢ 1 onion, without skin, quartered
• ▢ 5 carrots , cleaned, sliced coarsely
• ▢ 2 stalks celery, cleaned, cut in three
• ▢ 5 twigs parsley
• ▢ 3 twigs dried thyme
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 5 cups water, or as much water as needed to cover the ingredients

All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

• ▢
  Place the chicken scraps in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  1 chicken carcass
• ▢
  Spread the garlic, onion, carrot, and celery on top.
  3 cloves garlic, 1 onion, 5 carrots, 2 stalks celery
• ▢
  Finish with the herbs: parsley, thyme, and bay leaf.
  5 twigs parsley, 3 twigs dried thyme, 2 bay leaves
• ▢
  Pour the water into the slow cooker and turn on low heat. Make sure there is enough water to cover the ingredients.
  5 cups water
• ▢
  Leave this on for 8 to 10 hours. Or turn on the slow cooker overnight (the stock will be ready the following day).
• ▢
  Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve. The stock is now ready for freezing or processing.

Notes

1. Leftover Chicken – All leftovers, skin, bones, and meat can simply be put in the slow cooker to prepare this homemade chicken stock. You strain the stock at the end through a fine mesh strainer so all the pieces are out. And do you feel like you want to prepare the broth but haven’t got a tasty whole chicken recipe yet: roasted chicken with potatoes or whole rotisserie chicken from the slow cooker are super delicious!

2. Herbs – Thyme, bay leaf, and parsley are used in this recipe. But rosemary, foil, or oregano also tastes delicious in chicken stock. You can add peppercorns or chopped red pepper for a bit of spice.

3. Vegetables – Carrot, garlic, celery, and onion are usually the basis of (chicken) stock because they give off so much flavor. But also think of leeks, tomatoes, or mushrooms. Delicious as a seasoning!

I often use leftovers, vegetables, and herbs that I still have lying around. But if I don’t make soup at once, and I still have too many vegetables in my fridge, I clean them, chop them coarsely and freeze them. This way, vegetables will stay good for up to 3 months. And when the stock goes into the slow cooker, the vegetables are added from the freezer.

4. Salt – This recipe has added no salt to the basic chicken bone broth. I advise only adding it when you use the broth in a recipe. The desired salt content for a soup, sauce, or ragout will differ. Adding afterward prevents a dish that is too salty.

5. Fat layer – When a chicken fat layer appears on the chicken stock, you can remove it with a slotted spoon or let the soup cool. The fat will float to the top and form a layer that you can easily scoop off with a spoon.

6. Gel-like consistency – When the broth is warm, it is liquid. But it becomes thicker and more jelly-like as it cools. This is entirely normal for a bone broth recipe. Because gelatin is released from the bones when cooking in the slow cooker, you get this gelling. When you then heat the stock, it becomes liquid again.

7. – Storage
Let the stock cool quickly to room temperature before storing it.

• Refrigerator – Keep the slow cooker chicken broth covered in the fridge for up to two days.
• Freezer – Pour the stock into a freezer box, airtight container, or bag. Make sure you leave enough space because the stock expands when frozen. This way, the chicken stock can be kept for up to three months. After that, let the chicken stock thaw in the refrigerator. TIP: freeze some slow cooker bone broth into ice cube trays, then you’ve got portion-sized stock to add to sauces for even more flavor.
• Reheating – Heat the stock over medium heat until it is warm (but not boiling).

8. The nutritional values shown are per serving of crockpot bone broth.

Nutrition

Calories: 50kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 1gFat: 0.3gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.02gSodium: 86mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 12973IUVitamin C: 11mgIron: 1mg

Keyword a basic recipe, a slow cooker recipe with chicken

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Using and Storing Your Homemade Bone Broth

Once you’ve made a batch of this fantastic slow cooker chicken bone broth, the culinary possibilities are endless! It’s an incredibly versatile ingredient that can elevate almost any savory dish. Use it as a rich base for your favorite soups, like a classic chicken noodle soup, a hearty vegetable soup, or a comforting French onion soup. It’s also perfect for making delicious sauces, gravies, or rich ragouts, adding a depth of flavor that store-bought broths simply cannot match.

Beyond the obvious, try using your bone broth to cook grains like rice, quinoa, or couscous for a more flavorful side dish. It can be used for braising meats or deglazing pans to capture all those delicious browned bits. Many people also enjoy simply sipping warm bone broth on its own, especially during colder months or when feeling under the weather, for its comforting and nourishing qualities. It’s a fundamental building block for healthy and delicious home cooking.

Storage Tips for Optimal Freshness

Proper storage is key to making the most of your homemade slow cooker chicken bone broth. Always ensure the broth cools down quickly to room temperature before transferring it to storage containers. This helps prevent bacterial growth and ensures food safety.

• Refrigerator: Once cooled, pour the chicken broth into airtight containers or jars. It will keep beautifully in the refrigerator for up to two days.
• Freezer: For longer storage, the freezer is your best friend. Pour the stock into freezer-safe containers, sturdy freezer bags, or even ice cube trays. Remember to leave a little headspace in containers, as liquids expand when frozen. This way, your chicken stock can be kept for up to three months without any loss of quality. When you’re ready to use it, simply thaw the chicken stock in the refrigerator overnight or use a gentle defrost setting on your microwave.
• Pro Tip for Portioning: Freezing some of your slow cooker bone broth into ice cube trays is a brilliant hack! Once frozen, pop the cubes out and store them in a large freezer bag. Then, you’ll have convenient, portion-sized amounts of flavorful stock ready to be added to sauces, stir-fries, or whenever you need a quick burst of savory goodness without thawing a large batch.
• Reheating: To reheat, gently warm the desired amount of stock over medium heat on the stovetop until it is thoroughly warm. Avoid boiling, as this can sometimes diminish delicate flavors.