When you're making soups, sauces, and stews, as well as other preparations that involve liquids (like cooking rice or legumes), it's always a good idea to start with something more flavorful than plain water. Your usual options are either broth or stock.
And since chicken stock and chicken broth are mildly flavored and light enough in color that they will work in all kinds of dishes without overpowering, they're common choices.
But what is the difference between chicken stock and chicken broth, and when should you use one or the other? Let's start by looking at the difference between stock and broth generally, and then look at the particulars as it relates to chicken.
What Is Stock?
Stock is a flavorful liquid made by simmering bones, along with aromatic vegetables like carrots, celery, and onions, plus seasonings and spices like black pepper and fresh herbs.
The main ingredient is bones and the goal of simmering them is to extract the collagen, which is a protein in connective tissues and cartilage, and break them down into gelatin.
Gelatin is a key characteristic of a good stock and you'll know it by the fact that it will jell when you cool it. A gelatin-rich stock will add richness and body to sauces and soups that are made from it.
The key here is that stock is generally an ingredient in some other dish, as opposed to something that is served on its own. This is why the seasonings named above do not include salt. Salt is not typically added to a stock, but rather, it's added to whatever the final dish is.
What Is Broth?
Broth, on the other hand, is a flavorful liquid prepared by simmering meat and vegetables, but no bones. (The term "bone broth" might lead to some confusion here, but bone broth is just a fancy name for stock.)
Indeed, the term vegetable stock is really a misnomer, since vegetables don't have bones. Anything called vegetable stock is really just vegetable broth.
Again, the distinction is more than just about a name. The key difference is that a stock will be rich with gelatin, whereas a broth will not. And because there's no collagen to extract, simmering broth takes far less time than stock—usually no more than 30 minutes.
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How Chicken Stock Is Made
Chicken stock is prepared by simmering chicken bones, along with aromatics and seasonings. Typically the bones are first blanched, then transferred to a fresh pot of cold water which is gradually heated to a simmer.
While there will almost always be at least some meat still on the bones, the main ingredient is the bones. You can make chicken stock by simmering a whole chicken carcass leftover from roasting a chicken. While you'll obtain more gelatin from a carcass that hasn't been cooked once already, chickens are so rich in collagen that even simmering a cooked carcass will yield plenty of gelatin.
Note that commercial products labeled "chicken stock" don't usually jell, which means that even if some bones are used in their preparation, they are essentially chicken broth.
How Chicken Broth Is Made
Chicken broth is a flavorful liquid made by simmering chicken meat along with aromatics and seasonings. One consideration with making chicken broth is the fact that the cook must balance the desire to extract flavor from the chicken with the fact that extended simmering causes the chicken itself to become tough and grainy.
This effect might not be important if the meat is going to be strained out, although this is an extravagant use of chicken meat. If the meat is to be left in the broth, simmering it gently and for a short time is best.
When to Use Each One
Whether to use chicken broth or chicken stock depends on what recipe you're preparing. If you're making a simple soup like chicken noodle soup and the liquid is going to be consumed as is, then you can use chicken broth.
If you're performing additional steps to your liquid, like thickening it because you're using it as the starting point for making a velouté sauce, then you'll want the extra body that comes from the gelatin, and thus chicken stock is the way to go.
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FAQs
Stock is generally made from bones, and broth is generally made from flesh. In both cases, they are often supported with aromatic vegetables, but in the case of stock, left unseasoned for maximum flexibility in recipes, whereas broth will usually contain at least salt and pepper.
Which is better, chicken stock or broth? ›
Stock has a richer, deeper flavor and mouthfeel, making it better at adding body to a dish, whereas broth might be a better choice when you want to let other flavors to shine.
Can I substitute chicken broth for stock? ›
Stock and Broth Substitutes
In most cases, stock and broth are interchangeable. If you're in the soup aisle and can't remember whether the recipe called for stock or broth, either will do for making soup, gravy, or a flavorful pot of rice or grains. Keep in mind that stock is unseasoned, and broth is seasoned.
Can you drink chicken stock as broth? ›
Stock is thicker than broth due to the viscosity from collagen, it also contains more calories, fat, protein, vitamins and minerals than you will find in broth. Over the past few years, stock has gained popularity as a sipping drink, commonly known as bone broth, due to the rise of the Paleo, Whole30 and keto diets.
Is bouillon the same as stock? ›
Chicken bouillon is a concentrated flavor enhancer available in both powdered and cube form. Think of it as chicken stock condensed into a convenient package. Chicken bouillon is made by dehydrating chicken stock. It gives you a concentrated product that can be easily stored and used when needed.
Should I use chicken broth or stock for chicken noodle soup? ›
Chicken stock: I highly recommend homemade chicken stock or chicken broth, but store-bought works! When shopping for stock, darker broth or bouillon usually means more flavor. I also love boxed bone broths (or you can make your own).
What do you use chicken stock for? ›
Use it in soups like Pastina, Avgolemono, White Bean and Kale Soup, Ratatouille, Chicken Gnocchi Soup, or Italian Wedding Soup. Sip on a cup of warm stock when you're feeling under the weather or freeze it in an ice cube tray to use in pan sauces like in this Skillet Onion Chicken recipe.
Does chicken broth go bad? ›
Information. Chicken broth can be refrigerated for 3-4 days and frozen (for best quality) for 2-3 months.
Do you dilute chicken stock? ›
One of the keys to good stock is simply to not dilute it too much. When I started my tests, I was limited by pot size and dimension, and had to use one pound of chicken per two quarts of water (any more, and I'd overflow my smaller pots). But that produced stocks that were a little too weak.
What to use if you don't have stock? ›
Water. This simple swap should suffice in most recipes that call for broth. To give H2O more depth, you may want to compensate by adding more spices like salt, pepper and bay leaves to your recipe and a tablespoon or two of olive oil to mimic the richness of broth.
Either pour into jars at this point, or if you want, what we like to do is to boil the stock on high heat for 1 hour, to reduce it by about half. This way you are storing concentrated stock, which takes less room in the freezer or refrigerator.
Does chicken broth need to be refrigerated? ›
Once the box of broth is opened, it should be stored in the refrigerator. Make sure the seal or cap is replaced correctly, creating an airtight container to keep it fresh for the next use. An opened box of chicken broth has a limited amount of time when it is considered to be fresh and ready-to-use.
Is chicken stock good for weight loss? ›
Weight loss: A cup of chicken stock contains more protein than a cup of chicken broth. This extra protein could help people feel fuller for longer, helping to promote weight loss.
Which is healthier, stock or broth? ›
And the Winner Is..
Stock! Whether homemade or store-bought it has more protein and usually less sodium per serving as compared to broth. Plus, the flavor is just better which means you'll start with something tastier and will hopefully use less salt to taste at the end.
Which has more flavor, stock or broth? ›
As a result, stock is usually a healthier product, delivering a richer mouth feel and deeper flavor than broth. Stock is a versatile culinary tool that can deliver taste to any number of dishes. Darker in color and more concentrated in flavor than broth, it's ideal for use in soups, rice, sauces and more.
Can I use chicken broth instead of chicken stock? ›
“In general, stock and broth can be used interchangeably. However, there are times when it is more advantageous to choose one over the other,” Hill admits. Because stock is made from bones, it will infuse any recipe with stronger chicken flavor than broth.
What is the best stock for soup? ›
The most useful stocks to make are chicken, beef, fish and vegetable stock. It's also a good idea to make it in large batches—it freezes beautifully and then you always have it on hand. Your stock should consist of 100 percent water, 50 percent bones and 10 percent vegetables.
Which is more flavorful stock or bone broth? ›
Bone broth simmers for a much longer time than regular broth or stock, and has a higher ratio of meat and bones to liquid, producing a richer, more flavorful liquid. Bone broth is like liquid gold: rich in protein, collagen, electrolytes, vitamins and minerals, and sooo flavorful.
Is drinking chicken stock the same as bone broth? ›
Bone broth (despite the higher price tags) is basically another name for stock. It is thick and contains collagen. Some chefs say that to make really good bone broth the bones need to have been cooked for a long period of time for more collagen and flavor.
Is water or chicken stock better for soup? ›
Stock adds flavor, color, and richness to your cooking. But it's also time-consuming to make and expensive (well, more expensive than water, anyway). Water, on the other hand is free and readily available—but it doesn't do anything in the flavor department.
