Ever finished a delicious roast chicken dinner only to toss those bones straight into the trash? You’re not alone – I used to do the exact same thing! But let me tell ya, we’ve been missing out on some serious kitchen magic. Those humble chicken bones are packed with nutrients, flavor, and surprising usefulness that extends way beyond the dinner table.
I was honestly embarrassed when my neighbor asked what I do with my chicken bones and I sheepishly admitted, “I throw them out, of course!” She gave me that knowing look that screamed “amateur hour” and proceeded to change my culinary life forever.
So before you chuck those bones from your next rotisserie chicken, check out these incredible uses that’ll make you think twice about wasting such a valuable kitchen resource!
1. Make Nutrient-Rich Chicken Stock (The Obvious One)
Let’s start with the classic use – homemade chicken stock This liquid gold is WAY better than anything you’ll find in a can or box at the grocery store
Basic Chicken Stock Recipe:
- 1 chicken carcass
- 2 onions, quartered (no need to peel!)
- 1 carrot
- 2 ribs of celery
- A few garlic cloves (unpeeled is fine)
- 3-5 quarts cold water
- 1 bay leaf
- Fresh thyme
Directions:
- Toss everything in a stockpot or crockpot
- Cover with cold water
- Simmer on low for at least 1 hour (but up to 24 hours for maximum flavor and nutrients)
- Strain through a mesh sieve
- Cool and store
The magic happens during that long slow simmer as all the collagen minerals, and flavors leach out of the bones. When done right, your broth will be thick and jiggly when cold – that’s the collagen at work!
2. Create a Second Batch of “Remouillage”
Fancy French word alert! “Remouillage” basically means “rewetting” and refers to a second stock made from the same bones. While it won’t be as rich as your first batch, it still makes a decent cooking liquid for rice or as a base for lighter soups.
Just take those already-simmered bones add fresh water and maybe a few new aromatics, and simmer again for a few hours. Waste not want not!
3. Make Bone Meal Tea for Your Garden
Your plants can benefit from chicken bones too! After making stock, those bones still contain calcium and phosphorus that your garden craves.
To make bone meal tea:
- Let the used bones cool completely
- Crush them lightly (a hammer works well)
- Soak in a bucket of water for several days
- Dilute the resulting liquid before watering your plants
This homemade fertilizer promotes strong root growth and healthy foliage. Just be sure to filter out any bone fragments before applying to your garden.
4. Craft Unique Art Projects
If you’re the crafty type, chicken bones can be transformed into some pretty interesting art pieces! Clean and sanitize them thoroughly (boil for 30 minutes, then soak in 1 part bleach to 10 parts water solution), and let your creativity run wild.
Some artists create jewelry, small sculptures, or decorative elements for picture frames. Just make sure to wear gloves when handling bleach solutions – safety first!
5. Bone Broth for Health Benefits
While similar to stock, bone broth is typically simmered even longer (24+ hours) specifically to extract maximum health benefits. Chicken bone broth is packed with:
- Collagen (great for skin, hair, nails)
- Glycine (supports detoxification)
- Proline (promotes skin health when paired with vitamin C)
- Amino acids
- Minerals
No wonder grandma’s chicken soup has always been the go-to remedy for colds! Science backs this up – chicken stock actually inhibits neutrophil migration, which helps mitigate cold and flu symptoms.
6. Add Chicken Feet for Extra Collagen
Want to level up your bone broth game? Add chicken feet! I know, it sounds weird, but chicken feet are LOADED with collagen and will give your broth an amazing texture. Many chefs consider them a secret ingredient for exceptional stock.
The resulting broth will be thicker and even more nourishing. Your joints will thank you!
7. Make Concentrated Stock Cubes
If you’re short on freezer space, reduce your homemade stock down to a concentrate:
- After straining your stock, return it to the pot
- Simmer gently until reduced by about 75%
- Pour into ice cube trays and freeze
- Pop out the concentrated cubes and store in freezer bags
Each cube equals about 1 cup of regular stock when reconstituted with water. Perfect for quick cooking!
8. Create Pet Treats (BUT NEVER COOKED BONES!)
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE: Never, ever give cooked chicken bones to your dogs! They splinter easily and can cause serious injury or death.
However, you can use the meat scraps and strained stock to make homemade pet treats. Just mix some of your stock with a bit of flour to make simple dog biscuits that your pup will love.
9. Use for Clarifying Soups
In fancy French cooking, there’s a technique called “consommé” where you use ground meat and egg whites to clarify broth. Adding crushed chicken bones to this mixture can enhance both the flavor and the clarification process.
The result is a crystal-clear, intensely flavored broth that’s the hallmark of high-end cuisine.
10. Teach Kids About Anatomy
Got curious kiddos? Clean chicken bones make for a surprisingly educational science lesson about skeletal systems. My nephews were fascinated when I showed them how the different bones connected and compared them to the human skeleton diagrams in their science books.
Storage Tips for Your Chicken Stock
Once you’ve made your amazing homemade stock, proper storage is key:
- Refrigerator: 3-4 days max
- Freezer: Up to 6 months in airtight containers
- Ice cube trays: Freeze stock in cubes, then transfer to freezer bags
- Leave headspace: If freezing in jars, leave about an inch at the top to allow for expansion
Pro tip: After your stock has cooled in the fridge, a layer of fat will form on top. You can easily skim this off with a spoon for a clearer, healthier stock – or keep it for extra flavor!
FAQs About Using Chicken Bones
Can I use rotisserie chicken bones?
Absolutely! In fact, they’re perfect because they’re already roasted, which adds deeper flavor to your stock.
Do I need to remove all the meat first?
Remove most of the meat for eating, but small bits clinging to the bones are fine and add flavor. No need to be super thorough!
What vegetables work best in stock?
The classic trio is onions, carrots, and celery (called “mirepoix”). Avoid cruciferous veggies like broccoli or cabbage, which can make your stock bitter.
Can I compost chicken bones?
Most home composting systems can’t break down chicken bones effectively. They decompose very slowly and might attract pests, so it’s best to avoid composting them.
Final Thoughts
I’ll be honest – I felt pretty silly when I realized I’d been throwing away such a versatile kitchen resource all these years! Now I make it a point to save every chicken carcass, whether from a homemade roast or a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
Not only has my cooking improved with homemade stock always on hand, but I love knowing I’m being less wasteful and getting the absolute most out of every chicken we eat.
So next time you finish that chicken dinner, remember – those bones ain’t trash! They’re the beginning of your next culinary adventure. What will you make with yours?
How to Make Homemade Stock
- 1 Add the chicken and vegetables to a pot. In a deep pot, add the onion, celery, carrots, tied herbs, apple cider vinegar, salt & peppercorns.
- 2 Add water and simmer. Fill the water 12 cups of water. Cover the pot and let it cook on a gentle simmer for 4 hours.
- 3 Cool and strain. Once the broth is done, uncover it and let it cool. Then carefully strain it and distribute into jars or storage containers for freezing. Allow the broth to reach room temperature before freezing or refrigerating.
Tips for homemade chicken stock
Keep it at a gentle simmer. When making stock, it shouldn’t be boiling away. The flavors will develop with a gentle simmer over several hours. The more time, the more flavor is developed!
Keep it covered. Covering stock or broth is essential if it’s simmering for a while. Covering it traps the moisture and prevents it from evaporating. Leaving it uncovered will result in the liquids significantly reducing.
The more bones, the more chicken flavor. If you want an intensely flavored chicken stock, add more chicken bones. Sometimes, I’ll use two chicken carcasses to develop deeper flavors.
Add veggie scraps. Add any scraps from cutting vegetables that you would typically throw away (such as celery leaves, carrot heads, and ends of celery) to this soup. It’s a great way to eliminate waste!
If you want to add different flavors to your broth, see our notes below for how to adapt this recipe!
Use turkey bones instead of chicken. This recipe can easily be made with turkey instead of chicken. Leftover Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey is the perfect time to make homemade stock!
Best herbs for stock. Almost any herb works for stock or broth, but our favorites are fresh rosemary, parsley, thyme, sage, bay leaves, or celery leaves. When making broth, it’s best to use fresh herbs because they have full flavor, and you can leave them whole for easy straining when it’s done.
Add dried or fresh mushrooms. There aren’t a ton of vegetables I recommend for stock other than what’s already included in the recipe. But mushrooms (fresh or dried) are popular in many broths and can be added to this recipe for an added umami flavor!
What’s the difference between stock and broth? Stock is made from the bones of a chicken or turkey, while the broth is made from meat. Stock is typically cooked low and slow to draw out as much flavor from the bones, while broth takes less than an hour because it’s only absorbing flavor from the meat.
Why is my chicken stock gelatinous? When stock is made correctly, the consistency is gel-like or thick when refrigerated. And it’s not because of fat but the collagen released from the bones! Which makes it even more nutritious.
Can I freeze homemade stock? Yes! This stock is almost always in my freezer. Completely cool it before transferring it to a freezer-friendly bag (air removed and laid flat) or in a container. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. Then thaw in cold water and use in your favorite recipes!
Slow Cooker: add all the ingredients and cook on LOW for 8 hours to make this in a slow cooker. Or cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
Pressure cooker: to make stock in a pressure cooker, add all the ingredients and cook for 1 1/2 hours.
