Are you running out of chicken stock in the middle of making your favorite soup? Or maybe you’re planning ahead for a week of delicious home-cooked meals? Whatever your situation knowing where to buy chicken stock can save you time and elevate your cooking. As someone who cooks almost daily I’ve explored virtually every option for purchasing this pantry staple, and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned!
Why Chicken Stock Matters in Your Kitchen
Before diving into where to buy it let’s quickly talk about why chicken stock is so important. This golden liquid adds depth and richness to countless dishes—from soups and stews to risottos and gravies. While homemade stock is wonderful, store-bought options have improved dramatically over the years offering convenience without sacrificing quality.
Best Places to Buy Chicken Stock
1. Major Grocery Chains
Large supermarkets are usually your most accessible option for chicken stock
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Walmart: Offers an impressive variety of chicken stocks and broths, with options ranging from budget-friendly to premium choices. Their Great Value Chicken Broth sells for just $1.50 for a 32 oz carton (that’s only 4.7¢ per ounce!), making it one of the most affordable options available.
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Target: Carries their Good & Gather brand chicken stock in 32 oz containers. Target’s house brand offers good quality at a reasonable price point with high customer satisfaction (4.7 out of 5 stars with 296 reviews).
2. Specialty Food Stores
For those looking for higher-quality or unique options:
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Specialty Farms: Places like Goffle Road Poultry Farm offer homemade frozen chicken stock ($4.50 per container) made with freshly prepared ingredients. Their stock is simmered for 6-8 hours with diced celery, carrots, and onions, creating a clean, beautiful broth with no added sodium.
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Whole Foods Market: Carries organic and free-range options that might be harder to find elsewhere.
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Local Butcher Shops: Many butchers make their own stocks and broths from their quality meats.
3. Online Retailers
When convenience is key:
- Amazon: Offers everything from basic brands to specialty stocks, often with subscription options.
- Thrive Market: Great for organic and specialty dietary needs.
- Direct from Producers: Many specialty brands sell directly through their websites.
Popular Chicken Stock Brands and Their Prices
I’ve compared some of the most common brands you’ll encounter:
| Brand | Size | Approximate Price | Where to Buy | Special Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swanson | 32 oz | $2.52-$2.98 | Walmart, most grocers | Available in broth, stock, and lower sodium versions |
| Great Value (Walmart) | 32 oz | $1.50 | Walmart | Budget-friendly option |
| Good & Gather (Target) | 32 oz | $3-4 | Target | Target’s premium house brand |
| Kitchen Basics | 32 oz | $2.98 | Walmart, most grocers | Available in original and unsalted versions |
| Pacific Foods Organic | 32 oz | $3.12-$5.48 | Walmart, specialty stores | Organic, free-range options |
| Kettle & Fire | 16.9-32 oz | $3.98-$6.58 | Walmart, specialty stores | Shelf-stable bone broth options |
| Goffle Road Poultry Farm | 28 oz | $4.50 | Direct from farm | Homemade, no added sodium |
| Better Than Bouillon | 8 oz jar | $4.48 | Walmart, most grocers | Concentrated paste form |
What to Look for When Buying Chicken Stock
Not all chicken stocks are created equal! Here’s what to consider:
Ingredients
The best chicken stocks have simple, recognizable ingredients:
- Chicken
- Vegetables (typically onions, celery, carrots)
- Herbs and spices
- Little to no added preservatives
Sodium Content
Many commercial stocks are high in sodium. If you’re watching your salt intake, look for:
- “Low sodium” or “reduced sodium” options
- “No salt added” versions (like Goffle Road Poultry Farm’s stock)
- Unsalted varieties that let you control the seasoning
Packaging Options
Chicken stock comes in several forms:
- Cartons: Most common, shelf-stable until opened
- Cans: Longer shelf life
- Frozen: Often from specialty producers, like Goffle Road Poultry Farm
- Concentrated pastes: Like Better Than Bouillon
- Powders and bouillon cubes: Most shelf-stable but typically contain more additives
Stock vs. Broth: Know What You’re Buying
When shopping, you’ll notice both “stock” and “broth” on shelves. While often used interchangeably, there are differences:
- Stock: Typically made with bones, resulting in a richer, more gelatinous texture. Often has less seasoning.
- Broth: Usually made primarily with meat, tends to be more flavorful on its own.
- Bone Broth: A trendy option that’s simmered even longer than traditional stock, extracting more nutrients from the bones.
Budget-Friendly Options
If you’re cooking on a budget:
- Walmart’s Great Value chicken broth at $1.50 for 32 oz is hard to beat
- Buy in bulk when on sale
- Consider bouillon cubes or paste for the most economical option (though they typically have more additives)
Premium and Specialty Options
For special occasions or specific dietary needs:
- Organic: Pacific Foods offers organic free-range chicken broth
- Bone Broth: Kettle & Fire specializes in bone broths with various flavor profiles
- Homemade Style: Goffle Road Poultry Farm’s chicken stock is made the traditional way with no additives
- Special Diets: Look for low-sodium, gluten-free, or Keto-friendly options
My Personal Experience
I’ve tried tons of chicken stocks over the years, and honestly, I keep different types on hand for different purposes. For everyday cooking, I usually grab Swanson or whatever’s on sale. But when I’m making something special—like my grandmother’s chicken soup recipe—I’ll splurge on something like Goffle Road’s homemade stock or make my own.
The difference in quality is definitely noticeable, but not every dish needs the premium stuff!
Making the Most of Store-Bought Chicken Stock
Here are some tips to elevate even basic store-bought stock:
- Simmer with aromatics: Add a bay leaf, some fresh herbs, or garlic to enhance flavor
- Add vegetables: Simmer with carrot, onion, and celery for 20 minutes
- Reduce it: Simmer uncovered to concentrate flavors
- Customize the seasoning: Add salt, pepper, herbs, or spices to taste
When to Make Your Own Instead
Sometimes making your own stock is worth the effort:
- When you have leftover chicken bones
- When you need to control ingredients precisely
- For special dietary restrictions
- When you want that homemade flavor that can’t be matched
Final Thoughts
Whether you grab a carton from Walmart, order specialty stock online, or pick up homemade frozen stock from a local farm, chicken stock is one ingredient that’s worth paying attention to. The right stock can transform an ordinary dish into something spectacular!
Next time you’re shopping, take a moment to compare options—you might discover a new favorite that takes your cooking to the next level. And remember, different dishes might call for different quality levels of stock, so don’t be afraid to keep a variety in your pantry.
What’s your go-to chicken stock? Do you stick with the budget options or splurge on the premium stuff? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments!
Happy cooking!
Other good chicken broths
If you want a lighter bone broth with greater ingredients transparency: Pacific Foods Organic Bone Broth Chicken Unsalted (about $5.50 per quart) is a respectable runner-up to the Good & Gather bone broth. Compared with that one, this bone broth is lighter in body and chicken flavor, and it’s more rounded out with vegetables, herbs, and spices. The Pacific Foods bone broth also stands apart from the competition in that the label fully spells out the ingredients, listing water, organic chicken, organic vegetables (onions, carrots, celery), and so on. On most of the broths and stocks we tasted, the labels listed only “chicken broth” or “chicken stock” as the first ingredient. The Pacific Foods bone broth is a good all-purpose choice for most recipes, and it would even make a fine soup base with additional carrots, onions, and fresh herbs.
For a decent and economical supermarket option: The College Inn Unsalted Chicken Stock (about $2.60 per quart) is a solid choice. It got different grades from the testers: I thought it was okay, and Winnie ranked it as her number-two pick. In her notes, Winnie wrote that this stock had “decent chicken flavor” that was “pleasant and clean.” She also found it “surprisingly rich” given the “fairly clear straw color.” I put the College Inn Unsalted Chicken Stock squarely in the middle.
For a supermarket brand with more intense, chicken-y flavor: Swanson Unsalted Chicken Cooking Stock (about $3.20 per quart) is inoffensive and was available at most of the supermarkets I shopped at while researching this guide. Winnie and I were split on the flavors we picked up in this one—she detected a charred onion flavor, whereas I thought it had a pleasant bit of gaminess, like a stock made from a more mature chicken. We think it’s one of the better-tasting big-brand chicken stocks that most folks can find at their local supermarket.
This is not a comprehensive list of everything we tested in previous iterations of this guide, just what’s still available.
Swanson Organic Low-Sodium Free-Range Chicken Broth (about $4 per quart) doesn’t taste terrible so much as it doesn’t taste like much of anything. Even though this broth had a “cleaner” flavor than most of the others we dismissed, it was insipid, thin, and described as “weaksauce” by our blind-taster.
The Pacific Foods Organic Free Range Chicken Broth Low Sodium (about $3.30 per quart) was too weak on chicken flavor and aroma for the price. An onion-powder flavor, while not overtly offensive, dominated and lingered on the palate.
Target’s Good & Gather Organic No Salt Added Chicken Broth (about $2 per quart) is very affordable for an organic product, and we think we know why: In our tests it was watery and barely tasted like anything, chicken or otherwise. If buying organic is a priority, you’re better off spending slightly more for a quart of the Imagine organic low-sodium broth.
“Milky white” and “bland” best describe Whole Foods 365 Organic Chicken Broth Low Sodium (about $2.50 per quart).This broth stood out for its lack of both flavor and color. We detected a faint chicken aroma, and that’s about it.
To paraphrase Winnie, our blind-taster, the Progresso Chicken Broth Unsalted (about $2.70 per quart) tasted like the plastic from the carton more than anything else. I also thought this one was plasticky, with a strong onion-powder and yeast aftertaste.
Intense onion flavor dominated Swanson Unsalted Chicken Broth (about $2.50 per quart). The chicken flavor was there, but the yeast extract in the ingredients took over and lingered on the palate for a while. If Swanson broths and stocks are the best option at your local supermarket, skip this one and grab either the Unsalted Chicken Cooking Stock or the Organic Low-Sodium Free Range Chicken Broth.
I don’t like to drag subpar products through the mud, but the Rachael Ray Stock-in-a-Box Low-Sodium Chicken Stock (about $3.00 per quart) was one of the worst we tasted. It had no discernible chicken flavor or aroma. Instead, it was watery and plasticky tasting, with an unidentifiable off-flavor that lingered way too long on the palate. The Rachael Ray stock is the only one we tested that’s made from watered-down chicken stock concentrate, not chicken stock or broth. And the difference was glaringly obvious.
We don’t know which ingredient made Kitchen Basics Unsalted Chicken Stock (about $3.30 per quart) taste so sour. The only clue we could gather from the ingredient list was “natural flavor.” In our tasting notes, we agreed that the strong acidic flavor was the most memorable characteristic. Winnie called it “thin” and mused that it “might be worse” than the Rachael Ray stock.
The Best Supermarket Broth
FAQ
What is chicken stock made of?
Chicken stock is a chicken-flavored liquid made from chicken bones, meat, vegetables, herbs, and water, slow-cooked for 4-6 hours. It’s then drained and reserved for any cooking occasion. This is often the base for most soups and many sauces. Roasting the bones and vegetables to make a “brown stock” can further enhance the flavor of a basic stock.
What is chicken stock?
Chicken stock is a liquid made with chicken bones, meat, vegetables and water. It is cooked slowly for a number of hours and is used as a basis for a tasty soup or as the liquid component in dishes such as stews, curries, sauces and risotto. Making your own allows you to control ingredients to suit your family’s age/stage and dietary requirements.
What can I use chicken stock for?
Use as a base for a casserole or add noodles, chicken and veg to the stock to make a delicious. Chicken Ramen soup. Concentrated chicken stock. Store in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight. BD3 7DL.
Can you make homemade chicken stock?
Homemade chicken stock can appear but the fat contained in the stock provides great flavour and enriches soups, gravy and sauces. If you wish to r, cool the stock quickly and it will be easy to remove from the surface before use. When you simmer a chicken carcass for long enough, you extract the collagen from the bones.
What should be included in a chicken stock?
Chicken – This can be an assortment of chicken parts, including feet, skin, necks, carcasses, bones, breasts, thighs, drums, or wings. For this to be a correct stock, chicken bones, in some way, need to be included. I find it best to use carcasses. Vegetables – The most common vegetables are onions, celery, carrots, and garlic.
How much chicken stock do I Need?
This chicken stock is made with real chicken for an authentic flavor and aroma. With an easy to squeeze bottle and resealable flip cap, use exactly the amount you need for each meal. 33 cups of stock per container. Shelf stable, so no refrigeration needed.
Can you buy chicken stock in the supermarket?
Tesco Finest Chicken Stock 450Ml – Tesco Groceries.
Is chicken broth and chicken stock the same thing?
No, chicken broth and chicken stock are not the same; stock is made primarily from bones and has a richer, gelatinous texture, while broth is made from meat and vegetables, resulting in a thinner liquid with a more pronounced flavor. While often used interchangeably, their different compositions mean stock provides more body for sauces and richer soups, whereas broth offers a cleaner chicken flavor suitable for standalone consumption or lighter dishes.
Can you buy chicken stock in a grocery store?
You can purchase Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock online or in most nationwide grocery stores.
Is chicken oxo the same as chicken stock?
If you live outside of North America, you might be confused now. And it’s not surprising – because in many countries, these concentrated cubes or powders are also known as chicken stock or stock cubes. But Oxo cubes are what is also known as chicken bouillon.