Have you ever finished making a gorgeous batch of homemade chicken stock and then stared at the pile of bones and bits wondering “Now what?” You’re not alone! At Bradley’s Fine Diner, we’re always looking for ways to stretch our grocery dollars and be more sustainable in the kitchen. And let me tell you that chicken carcass has WAY more life in it than you might think!
I’ve been experimenting with chicken carcass uses for years and I’m excited to share my favorite methods with you. These ideas will help you get every last bit of value from your whole chicken while reducing kitchen waste. Win-win!
Why Reuse Your Chicken Carcass?
Before we dive into the specific uses, let’s talk about why you’d want to reuse that pile of bones and bits:
- Reduces food waste – Less trash means happier planet
- Saves money – Getting multiple uses from one chicken is economical
- Maximizes nutrition – There’s still goodness in them bones!
- Feels satisfying – Using everything just feels right, doesn’t it?
Now. let’s explore all the clever ways you can use that chicken carcass after making your stock!
1. Make a Delicious Chicken Salad or Spread
After straining your stock, don’t throw away those little bits of meat still clinging to the bones! While some cooks argue the meat will be flavorless after long simmering, I’ve found that if you don’t overboil your initial stock, there’s often tasty meat left.
Quick Chicken Salad Recipe:
- Pick off remaining chicken pieces and chop or shred them
- Mix with mayonnaise, salt, pepper
- Add celery, onion, or relish to taste
- Serve on bread or in lettuce wraps
Alternatively, blend the shredded chicken with cream cheese, lemon juice, herbs, and seasonings for a flavorful chicken spread perfect for crackers or veggies.
2. Enhance the Flavor of Rice
This is one of my favorite tricks! Chicken bones can add amazing flavor, nutrients, and collagen to rice while it’s cooking.
How to do it:
- After straining your stock, add the carcass back to the pot
- Add rice, broth or water, and any spices you want
- Cook as normal – the bones will infuse the rice with extra chicken goodness
- Remember to remove all the bones before serving!
My family goes crazy for this richly flavored rice. It’s perfect as a side dish or as the base for a hearty chicken and rice soup.
3. Make Bone Broth Dog Food
Got a furry friend? Your dog will love you even more when you share the chicken bones after you’ve extracted all the goodness for your stock.
Important safety note: NEVER give your dog raw or cooked whole bones that could splinter. Instead:
- Lightly boil or bake the bones to make them safer
- Grind the bones or blend them into homemade dog food
- Always supervise your pet while eating
The bones still contain healthy fats, protein, and minerals that are great for your canine companion. My pup Rusty literally does a happy dance when he smells this treat cooking!
4. Fertilize Your Garden
Did you know chicken bones make excellent fertilizer? They’re packed with calcium, phosphorous, and other nutrients plants need.
Garden bone fertilizer methods:
- Bury whole carcasses or crushed bones a few inches below the soil
- Place around vegetable plants, flowers, or trees
- As the bones break down, they enrich the surrounding earth
Just be careful when applying bones directly to plant bases to avoid damaging roots or attracting unwanted scavengers. My tomato plants have never been happier since I started using this method!
5. Make a Second Batch of Bone Broth
Even after using the carcass to make your first stock, you can extract more flavor by simmering the bones again. This technique is sometimes called “remouillage” or “rewetting” in professional kitchens.
Second batch broth recipe:
- Add vegetables, herbs, and spices to the used bones
- Try adding onion, carrots, celery, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf, parsley
- Add a splash of apple cider vinegar to help extract minerals
- Simmer for at least 2 hours and strain
The resulting broth might be lighter than your first batch but is still packed with vitamins and minerals. I like to use this second batch as the base for soups or to cook grains.
6. Create Flavorful Sauces or Gravy
Don’t toss those bones after straining your stock! They can be used to make richly flavored sauces and gravies.
Simple sauce method:
- Place the carcass in a pan with water or cooking juices
- While cooking, scrape off any browned bits stuck to the bones
- Mix the liquid with cornstarch, herbs, or wine reductions
- Result: tasty gravies for meats or vegetables
These deeply flavored sauces add a professional touch to home-cooked meals. I made the most amazing mushroom gravy last week using this method!
7. Get Crafty: Decorations and Art Projects
Feeling creative? Chicken bones can be used for some pretty cool crafts and home decor. This one’s a bit unusual but very rewarding!
Craft ideas:
- Clean and bleach bones for carved figurines, wind chimes, or candle holders
- Set small bones in clear resin for unique jewelry or coasters
- Paint larger bones bright colors and glue together for sculptures
I made a wind chime for our porch last summer, and it’s always a conversation starter when guests come over!
8. Compost It
Like most food scraps, chicken bones can be added to your compost pile or bin after making stock.
Composting tips:
- Crush or break bones into smaller pieces (they’ll break down faster)
- Bury bones under plant matter instead of leaving them exposed
- The calcium from the bones will enrich your compost
Even whole bones will eventually decompose, though it takes longer than other kitchen scraps. My garden compost has been much richer since I started adding bone material.
9. Create Natural Dyes for Fabrics or Easter Eggs
Here’s a surprisingly creative use: the cartilage and marrow in bones contain natural dyes that can color fabrics, yarn, and Easter eggs!
Natural dye method:
- Simmer bones in water with a little vinegar for about an hour
- Strain and allow the liquid to cool
- Soak fabric, yarn, or hard-boiled eggs in the broth overnight
- For brighter colors, try adding carrot, beet, or spinach scraps
The results are beautiful, subtle pastel colors that are 100% natural. We dyed Easter eggs this way last spring and they were gorgeous!
10. Create Bone Meal Fertilizer
For a more concentrated nutritional boost for your plants, try making bone meal powder.
Bone meal process:
- Bake the bones until very dry
- Grind them into a fine powder
- Spread around plants or till into soil
- The calcium and phosphorus will encourage blooming and fruiting
This homemade bone meal is amazing for flowering plants especially. My roses have never looked better since I started using this!
11. Donate to Science or Education
Many local schools, universities, and nature centers accept donated bones for educational purposes.
Donation tips:
- Call around to find organizations that take clean, dried bones
- Students can study bone structure
- Nature centers use them for lessons on food chains and ecosystems
Always call ahead before donating, since some places may only accept bones from licensed suppliers. Our local middle school science teacher was thrilled when I dropped off a collection of cleaned bones last year!
12. Puree for Soups and Sauces
If you don’t mind a bit of experimentation, try pureeing the leftover vegetables from your stock making. While many cooks agree these vegetables lose flavor during long simmering, they still contain fiber and can add body to other dishes.
Veggie puree ideas:
- Blend strained vegetables into a smooth puree
- Add to potato soup for extra body
- Mix into tomato sauce for hidden nutrition
- Season well to compensate for flavor loss
I recently made a creamy potato soup with pureed stock vegetables as the base, and nobody could tell the difference!
When All Else Fails: Trash It Responsibly
As a last resort, you can simply discard picked-clean bones and carcasses in the trash. However, this wastes an opportunity to repurpose nutritional components and misses a chance to reduce kitchen waste. If you absolutely must throw the bones away, at least try to compost what you can first.
FAQ: Common Questions About Used Chicken Carcasses
Q: Is there any flavor left in the meat after making stock?
A: If you’ve simmered your stock for hours, most of the flavor will have leached into the broth. However, if you’ve only simmered briefly, there may still be usable meat.
Q: Can I feed cooked chicken bones to my pets?
A: Never feed whole cooked bones to pets as they can splinter. However, ground or pureed bones mixed into homemade pet food can be nutritious when prepared properly.
Q: How many times can I reuse bones for stock?
A: Typically, you can get two good batches of stock from one set of bones. The second batch will be weaker but still nutritious.
Conclusion: Be Resourceful in the Kitchen!
Cooking an entire chicken and transforming the carcass into stock makes your meat stretch for multiple nutritious meals. Following up your stock-making by using the carcass in one of these creative ways helps you reduce waste, save money, and feel good about using every part of the bird.
I’d love to hear which of these methods you try, or if you have other creative uses for chicken carcasses that I haven’t mentioned! Drop a comment below and let’s keep the conversation going.
At Bradley’s Fine Diner, we believe in nose-to-tail cooking and minimizing waste in the kitchen. These simple practices not only stretch your food budget but also connect us to traditional cooking methods that our grandparents would recognize and approve of. So next time you make stock, remember that the journey of your chicken is far from over!
What’s your favorite way to use up chicken carcasses after making stock? I’d love to know!
Rotisserie Chicken Stock Ingredient List
Here is the list of ingredients you’ll need to make rotisserie chicken stock:
- 12 cups water (or more)
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 carrots, washed and cut in half
- 2 celery stalks, washed and cut in half
- 1 rotisserie chicken carcass, including skin, bones and juices
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Looking to switch things up or try a different twist? Here are some flavorful alternatives that work just as well:
- Rotisserie chicken carcass: Swap in a regular roasted chicken carcass. To achieve that same dark color, roast the bones in the oven at 375°F for 10-15 minutes before using.
- Onion: You can substitute 2-3 shallots for the onion. Just slice them in half, remove the root, and add them to the pot.
- Carrots: For a full-bodied stock, carrots are ideal, but you can use parsnips if needed. Just note that the flavor will be slightly different.
- Celery: If you’re out of celery, try using some celery root (celeriac) to mirror its unique flavor. Find more substitution ideas for celery.
- Garlic cloves: Shallots make a great stand-in for garlic. Use one shallot, sliced in half with the root cut off.
- Bay leaf: Substitute with 1 teaspoon of dried thyme if you don’t have a bay leaf on hand.
- Whole black peppercorns: You can use whole white peppercorns or roughly ground black pepper (about ¼ teaspoon). Avoid pink peppercorns since they’re actually berries, not true peppercorns.
- Apple cider vinegar: Freshly squeezed lemon juice, red wine vinegar, or even vermouth can be used instead. The acid helps extract nutrients from the bones for a richer stock.
Want to add some extra layers of flavor to your rotisserie chicken stock? Here are a few delicious options that pair perfectly with the main ingredients:
- Veggies: If you’re in the mood for more vegetables, add turnips, parsnips, zucchini, leeks, mushrooms, fennel, or cabbage. Remember that sometimes less is more when it comes to flavor, but it’s all about personal preference!
- Herbs: Aromatics can add a lovely depth to your stock. Toss in fresh or dried rosemary, dried parsley or fresh parsley stalks (avoid the leaves to keep your stock from turning green), fresh or dried thyme, and dried sage. These will be strained out, leaving behind a clear, rich broth.
- Scraps: It might sound unusual, but using scraps like carrot peels, potato skins, onion skins, and the leafy parts of celery can be a great way to boost flavor while reducing kitchen waste. Just make sure your produce is thoroughly washed before using.
- Roasted vegetables: For an extra rich and flavorful broth, roast your veggies in a 400°F oven for about 20 minutes until they start to brown. The caramelized sugars will bring a deeper richness to your stock.
- Sauteed vegetables: Some folks like to sauté their vegetables before adding them to the stock. While it adds flavor, it also requires extra chopping, cooking, and cleanup. It’s an option, but you might find the flavor difference is minimal compared to the effort involved.
NOTE: These ingredients are not part of the original recipe- use them to enhance or customize the recipe to your liking.
Here is the list of cooking tools you need to make rotisserie chicken stock:
8 Reasons To Love This Recipe
This rotisserie chicken stock recipe is a kitchen staple you’ll find yourself making again and again. Here’s why it stands out:
- Simple and easy to make!
- Rich, flavorful stock that’s even better than traditional!
- Deep, concentrated flavor perfect for all your favorite dishes!
- Fewer ingredients, making it budget-friendly!
- Easy to store and freeze for later use!
- A great way to make the most of your entire rotisserie chicken!
- A low carb chicken stock recipe with incredible taste!
- Beautiful brown color without the need for roasting bones!