Easy Slow-Cooker Overnight Chicken Stock

I love buying Costco’s rotisserie chicken whenever I shop there. The price per pound often beats frozen, unseasoned chicken breasts, and it makes for one of the easiest, tastiest dinners I could possibly ask for. But whenever we finished eating our meal, I always feel a bit guilty throwing away the bones and skin. For some reason it seems so wasteful to let something so tasty go into the trash.

If you struggle with the same guilt I do, then struggle no more. Your leftover chicken can still contribute to some amazing meals if you use it to make slow-cooker overnight chicken stock.

The Possibilities Are Endless

Overnight chicken stock is incredibly easy to make. Just dump your leftover chicken bones, skin, fat, and meat into the pot, add a few veggies and some water, and let it simmer over night. By the following morning, you have a rich, flavorful broth that can serve as a base for a variety of soups, including my favorite Zuppa Toscana.

If you’re not ready to make soup with your chicken stock right away, you can pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze it. You can then add those chicken stock ice cubes into just about any recipes that require chicken bouillon, such as black beans and rice, risotto, gravy, and even mashed potatoes. The frozen cubes will last in your freezer for up to 3 months, so you have plenty of time to decide how to use them.

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Easy Slow-Cooker Overnight Chicken Stock

Don't waste your leftover chicken scraps! Instead, pop them in your slow-cooker along with a few veggies to create a delicious chicken stock.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword Slow Cooker Chicken, Slow Cooker Chicken Stock

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 hours hours

Servings 6 Cups

Calories 86kcal

Ingredients

• 475 Grams Chicken Carcass – Bones, Skin, Cartilage, Fat (1 Leftover Carcass)
• 150 Grams Onion, Peeled and Loosely Chopped (1 Medium Onion)
• 120 Grams Carrot, Peeled and Loosely Chopped (1 Large Carrot)
• 50 Grams Celery (1 Rib)
• 8 Grams Garlic, Minced (1 Tablespoon)
• 1 Grams Rosemary (1 Teaspoon Dried or 1 Sprig Fresh)
• 1 Grams Thyme (1 Teaspoon Dried or 1 Sprig Fresh)
• 1 Grams Parsley (1 Teaspoon Dried or 1 Tablespoon Fresh)
• 1 Grams Pepper (1/2 Teaspoon)
• 6 Grams Salt (1 1/2 Teaspoons)
• 1888 Grams Water (8 Cups)

Instructions

• Place the chicken carcass into the slow cooker pot.
• Cover with vegetables and seasonings.
• Pour water over the mix.
• Set slow cooker to low for 10 to 12 hours.
• Strain through a fine mesh sieve.
• Allow stock to cool and scrape away any fat that rises to the top.
• Use, refrigerate, or freeze as needed.

Notes

Chicken stock doesn’t need to be an exact science – I only put the estimated grams in my recipe for this reason. How much chicken you have still left on the carcass varies a great deal on how you carve your chicken. Just enjoy your chicken and whatever is leftover will go into the pot. 

I season according to personal taste, so feel free to adjust seasonings to your preferences. Depending on how your chicken was cooked, you may need more or less salt for flavor. Similarly, you can use whatever dried or fresh seasonings you have on hand to your heart’s content. 

The more your chicken stock cooks, the richer and more concentrated the flavor. If you prefer a paler, milder stock, cook for less time.

Homemade chicken stock will have a gel-like texture when refrigerated thanks to the gelatin that’s released from the bones during cooking. This is normal. It will revert to a nice liquid consistency when heated. 

Fat will rise to the top and congeal in a layer on top of your broth. You can scrape this off with a spoon. I like to pass my broth through a fat separator before storing in the fridge for better results. 

Chicken stock stays fresh for 5 days in the fridge or for 3 months in the freezer.

Did You Try It?

I love making chicken stock with my leftover Costco rotisserie chicken. Not only do I minimize waste with this recipe, but the stock adds a whole new level of flavor to my favorite soups that I just can’t get with store-bought stocks or simple bouillon cubes.

I am always open to suggestions, however. As much as I love my recipes, I’m excited to hear what you added (or subtracted) to my recipe to make it even better. Give your feedback in the comment section below, and don’t forget to leave a star rating.