How to make chicken broth with boneless chicken breast

Oh so easy and oh so yummy! 

How to make chicken broth with boneless chicken breast

Tuesday I shared one of the easiest and BEST Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup recipes around. In my opinion, the key to making it the best soup around starts with the broth. I know the idea of making your own homemade chicken broth might be scary, but trust me, it’s not!

The best part, you can make a big batch now, use the leftover chicken meat in the soup recipe, and then freeze the rest for later.  I even saw this great idea on The Kitchn for using ice cube trays to freeze individuals portions.

Ok, back to the broth!

  • 3-4 pound chicken (organic preferred)
  • 3-4 carrots, peeled and cut in half
  • 2 turnips, quartered
  • 2 celery stalks, cut in half
  • 2 onions, quartered
  • 1 head of garlic, halved
  • 1 tsp. pepper corns (or cracked black pepper)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
  1.  Place the chicken in a large pot, remove giblets.
    How to make chicken broth with boneless chicken breast
  2. Put the rest of the stock ingredients in the pot along with the chicken.
    How to make chicken broth with boneless chicken breast
  3. Put enough water in the pot to cover the chicken- approx. 12 cups. Cover, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1-1 ½ hours or longer, until chicken is cooked.
    How to make chicken broth with boneless chicken breast
  4. Remove chicken from stock and let cool.
  5. Finely strain the vegetables and herbs out of your stock. Discard skin and bones and hand shred chicken meat from chicken and set aside. Use stock immediately for The Best Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, or refrigerate up to one week or freeze for up to 3 months. 
    How to make chicken broth with boneless chicken breast

Here are some more soup recipes we love!

  • Sausage Tortellini Soup
  • Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
  • The Best Crockpot Minestrone Soup
  • The Best Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup
  • Crockpot Lasagna Soup

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Serves:12

Hover over "serves" value to reveal recipe scaler

  • 3-4 pound chicken organic preferred
  • 3-4 carrots peeled and cut in half
  • 2 turnips quartered
  • 2 celery stalks cut in half
  • 2 onions quartered
  • 1 head of garlic halved
  • 1 tsp. pepper corns or cracked black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme

  • Place the chicken in a large pot, remove giblets.

  • Put the rest of the stock ingredients in the pot along with the chicken.

  • Put enough water in the pot to cover the chicken- approx. 12 cups. Cover, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1-1 ½ hours or longer, until chicken is cooked.

  • Remove chicken from stock and let cool.

  • Finely strain the vegetables and herbs out of your stock. Discard skin and bones and hand shred chicken meat from chicken and set aside. Use stock immediately, refrigerate up to one week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Save this recipe for later! Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your recipe box!

Calories: 22kcal (1%)Carbohydrates: 5g (2%)Protein: 1g (2%)Fat: 1g (2%)Saturated Fat: 1g (5%)Sodium: 30mg (1%)Potassium: 137mg (4%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 2g (2%)Vitamin A: 2586IU (52%)Vitamin C: 7mg (8%)Calcium: 20mg (2%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

Course:Soup

Cuisine:American, chicken

Keyword:broth, homemade, stock

Post updated September 2020

Reader Interactions

Can you get chicken broth from boneless chicken breast?

Chicken broth is made by cooking chicken in water with seasonings, spices, herbs and aromatics. If you use boneless chicken, it's chicken broth. If you use bone-in chicken, it's chicken stock. You can use either.

Can you make stock without bones?

In a large stock pot, add chicken breasts, chopped veggies & garlic, and water. Add peppercorns, salt, rosemary, thyme, parsley & bay leaves. Bring contents to a boil, then turn down heat to a simmer. Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Can I use the broth from boiling chicken breast?

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are low in calories and high in nutrition. They come out moist and juicy every time! The broth or cooking liquid is perfect for soups or cooking rice or pasta. Boiled chicken freezes beautifully, so stock up for quick and easy future meals.

Do you cook chicken before adding to broth?

To guarantee that your chicken soup remains safe as well as healthy, Miss Vickie advises searing or browning the chicken in a separate pan first, then adding it to your broth. This not only improves safety, but also improves the taste and color of the soup, adding richness and an extra umami element to the flavor.