I turned leftover Costco Rotisserie Chicken into a ridiculously rich stock that makes soups, risottos, and pan sauces taste like they belong in a proper restaurant.
I’m obsessed with the deep, messy flavor you squeeze out of bones and skin from a leftover rotisserie chicken. I love how a crazily simple pile of scraps from a Costco Rotisserie Chicken turns into real, savory liquid that makes everything better.
I adore that smell when onion and garlic meet browned bones. It’s not delicate.
It’s honest and full of punch. I use it instead of plain water when I want a meal to actually matter.
Homemade Chicken Stock that’s cheap, stubborn, and endlessly useful. Makes a bowl of soup sing.
And it makes weeknight dinners feel less lazy.
Ingredients
- Bones and skin: Basically the backbone — collagen, body, and that cozy chicken richness.
- Water: It’s the canvas that pulls out flavor and makes broth, simple but essential.
- Onion (unpeeled): Adds savory sweetness and a warm color, plus a little depth.
- Carrots: Sweetness and natural sugars, keeps the stock rounded and not flat.
- Celery: Fresh green notes and subtle bitter edge, gives stock some balance.
- Garlic: Adds punch and warmth, it’s home-cooked comfort in every sip.
- Apple cider vinegar: Basically helps pull collagen from bones, makes the stock silky.
- Bay leaves: Subtle herbal background, almost invisible but totally important.
- Peppercorns: Little heat bursts and aclean spiciness, you’ll notice it.
- Parsley stems: Fresh grassy lift and brightness, don’t toss them.
- Thyme: Earthy, slightly lemony herb note that keeps things grounded.
- Kosher salt: Brings out flavors, start light and finish to taste.
Ingredient Quantities
- Bones and skin from 1 leftover rotisserie chicken (about 2 to 3 pounds of carcass pieces)
- 10 to 12 cups cold water (enough to just cover the bones)
- 1 large yellow onion, unpeeled and quartered (peel left on adds color)
- 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped (no need to peel)
- 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped (include leaves if you have them)
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, smashed (no need to peel perfectly)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (helps pull collagen from the bones)
- 2 bay leaves
- 10 to 12 whole black peppercorns
- A handful of parsley stems (about 1/2 cup packed)
- 2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste (optional while simmering)
How to Make this
1. Break the rotisserie carcass into smaller pieces and put the bones and skin into a large stockpot or slow cooker. Add the onion (unpeeled and quartered), carrots, celery, smashed garlic, parsley stems, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns.
2. Pour in 10 to 12 cups cold water, just enough to cover the bones. Add 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar to help draw out collagen from the bones.
3. Bring the pot up to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then lower to maintain a very low simmer. Avoid a rolling boil or the broth will turn cloudy.
4. Skim off any foam or scum that rises to the surface in the first 20 to 30 minutes with a fine mesh skimmer or ladle. Do this a few times until it’s mostly clear.
5. Add 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt if you want to season while it cooks, but you can wait to salt at the end so the stock stays versatile.
6. Simmer gently for 4 to 6 hours on the stove, or 6 to 8 hours in a slow cooker on low. The longer it simmers the more flavor and gelatin you’ll get, but dont overdo it if you’re short on time.
7. Once done, remove from heat and strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a large bowl or another pot. Press the solids lightly to extract as much liquid as you can, then discard the bones and vegetables.
8. Cool the strained stock quickly by placing the container in an ice bath or dividing into smaller containers. Refrigerate until the fat rises and solidifies on top, usually a few hours or overnight.
9. Skim off the fat if you prefer a leaner stock, or leave some for extra mouthfeel. Taste and adjust seasoning with more kosher salt if needed.
10. Store in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days, or freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Label and date your containers so you know what’s what.
Equipment Needed
1. Large stockpot or slow cooker (to simmer the carcass and veggies)
2. Cutting board and a chefs knife for breaking up the carcass and chopping veggies
3. Ladle and/or slotted spoon for skimming foam and moving bones
4. Fine mesh skimmer or slotted spoon to remove scum in the first 20 to 30 minutes
5. Fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth and a large bowl or second pot for straining
6. Heatproof tongs or a slotted spoon to lift out bones and solids
7. Ice bath pan or shallow container to cool the stock quickly
8. Airtight storage containers or jars plus labels for refrigerating or freezing portions
FAQ
Rotisserie Chicken Stock Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Apple cider vinegar: you can use plain white vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice if that’s what you have, both help draw collagen from the bones though lemon gives a brighter flavor.
- Parsley stems: swap for cilantro stems or extra celery leaves, they’ll still add that fresh herb backbone to the stock.
- Fresh thyme: dried thyme works fine at about 1 teaspoon, or use a small sprig of rosemary for a bolder, earthier note (use less rosemary, it can be strong).
- Garlic cloves: roasted garlic or a teaspoon of garlic powder can stand in when fresh isn’t available, but roasted gives a sweeter, richer depth.
Pro Tips
1) Roast the bones or use the rotisserie skin in a hot oven for 20 minutes first if you can. It adds deep, roasted flavor and makes the stock taste way richer. Don’t burn them though, just get some color.
2) Use cold water at the start and keep the simmer very gentle. If it boils hard the broth gets cloudy and greasy. Slow and low = clearer, more flavorful stock. Skim any foam in the first half hour, it helps keep it clean.
3) Add the vinegar and give it plenty of time to extract gelatin. If you’re short on time use a pressure cooker for 1.5 to 2 hours instead of a long simmer. The collagen will make the stock gel in the fridge and that is how you know it’s good.
4) Cool and separate fat quickly. Put the strained stock in an ice bath or chill in the fridge overnight so the fat solidifies on top. You can scoop that off for a leaner broth, or save some for extra mouthfeel. Freeze portions in small containers or ice cube trays so you can grab small amounts without thawing a whole batch.
Rotisserie Chicken Stock Recipe
I turned leftover Costco Rotisserie Chicken into a ridiculously rich stock that makes soups, risottos, and pan sauces taste like they belong in a proper restaurant.
8
servings
40
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large stockpot or slow cooker (to simmer the carcass and veggies)
2. Cutting board and a chefs knife for breaking up the carcass and chopping veggies
3. Ladle and/or slotted spoon for skimming foam and moving bones
4. Fine mesh skimmer or slotted spoon to remove scum in the first 20 to 30 minutes
5. Fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth and a large bowl or second pot for straining
6. Heatproof tongs or a slotted spoon to lift out bones and solids
7. Ice bath pan or shallow container to cool the stock quickly
8. Airtight storage containers or jars plus labels for refrigerating or freezing portions
Ingredients
Bones and skin from 1 leftover rotisserie chicken (about 2 to 3 pounds of carcass pieces)
10 to 12 cups cold water (enough to just cover the bones)
1 large yellow onion, unpeeled and quartered (peel left on adds color)
2 medium carrots, roughly chopped (no need to peel)
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped (include leaves if you have them)
3 to 4 garlic cloves, smashed (no need to peel perfectly)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (helps pull collagen from the bones)
2 bay leaves
10 to 12 whole black peppercorns
A handful of parsley stems (about 1/2 cup packed)
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste (optional while simmering)
Directions
- Break the rotisserie carcass into smaller pieces and put the bones and skin into a large stockpot or slow cooker. Add the onion (unpeeled and quartered), carrots, celery, smashed garlic, parsley stems, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns.
- Pour in 10 to 12 cups cold water, just enough to cover the bones. Add 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar to help draw out collagen from the bones.
- Bring the pot up to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then lower to maintain a very low simmer. Avoid a rolling boil or the broth will turn cloudy.
- Skim off any foam or scum that rises to the surface in the first 20 to 30 minutes with a fine mesh skimmer or ladle. Do this a few times until it’s mostly clear.
- Add 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt if you want to season while it cooks, but you can wait to salt at the end so the stock stays versatile.
- Simmer gently for 4 to 6 hours on the stove, or 6 to 8 hours in a slow cooker on low. The longer it simmers the more flavor and gelatin you’ll get, but dont overdo it if you’re short on time.
- Once done, remove from heat and strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a large bowl or another pot. Press the solids lightly to extract as much liquid as you can, then discard the bones and vegetables.
- Cool the strained stock quickly by placing the container in an ice bath or dividing into smaller containers. Refrigerate until the fat rises and solidifies on top, usually a few hours or overnight.
- Skim off the fat if you prefer a leaner stock, or leave some for extra mouthfeel. Taste and adjust seasoning with more kosher salt if needed.
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days, or freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Label and date your containers so you know what’s what.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 240g
- Total number of serves: 8
- Calories: 40kcal
- Fat: 1.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0.4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Polyunsaturated: 0.2g
- Monounsaturated: 0.6g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
- Sodium: 400mg
- Potassium: 150mg
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Sugar: 1g
- Protein: 6g
- Vitamin A: 800IU
- Vitamin C: 3mg
- Calcium: 30mg
- Iron: 0.5mg
