Chicken Broth From Wings

Written by
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone is a writer who develops approachable recipes for home cooks. Her recipes range from Grandma’s favorites to the latest food trends.
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Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Updated 11/12/20
Clear chicken soup in bowl with spoon
Foodcollection / Getty Images
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 2 hrs 15 mins
Total: 2 hrs 35 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Yields: 3 quarts
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
332 Calories
19g Fat
3g Carbs
35g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 332
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 24%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 111mg 37%
Sodium 121mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 3g 1%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Protein 35g
Calcium 42mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Rich chicken broth made from chicken wings is flavored with onion, carrots, celery, and thyme. It is much more flavorful than the broth made with a whole chicken because of the collagen in the wings. The collagen adds robust chicken flavor and gives the broth body.

We save up necks and backs from whole chickens, freeze, and toss them in with the wings. You can also use fresh or frozen vegetable scraps, like the ends and peels of onions and bits and pieces of celery and carrot. It's a great way to reduce your food waste while making a delicious broth.

Do not worry about the fat from the skin. If you chill the broth, the fat will rise to the surface, solidify, and become easy to remove. The longer you cook it down, the richer and more concentrated the broth will be. Plan on at least a two-hour (mostly hands-off) cook time.

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 pounds chicken wings (chopped at the joints)
  • 1 medium onion (chopped)
  • 1 medium carrot (chopped)
  • 1 rib celery (chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 4 sprigs parsley (fresh)
  • 3 sprigs thyme (fresh, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns (whole)
  • 2 bay leaves

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Add the oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken wings, onion, carrot, and celery in the oil, stirring often, just until the vegetables soften (the chicken should not brown), about 10 minutes.

  3. Add enough cold water to the pot to cover the ingredients by 2 inches.

  4. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.

  5. Add the parsley, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the broth is full-flavored, at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours.

  6. Strain the broth through a colander set over a large bowl. Discard the solids. Let stand for 5 minutes.

  7. Skim off the clear yellow fat that rises to the surface. Cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Tips

  • The broth can be prepared up to 3 days ahead, covered, and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 3 months.
  • If freezing, add to freezer-safe jars or containers and leave an inch of headspace since the broth will expand when it freezes. Defrost completely in the refrigerator before use.
  • If you'd like to remove more of the fat from the broth, chill for several hours. The fat should rise to the surface and solidify, allowing you to easily remove it.
  • Alternatively, you can use a fat separator, which allows the fat to rise to the top and out of the spout, making for easy removal.

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