Chicken Broth From Wings

Chicken broth made from chicken wings is the perfect base for many other recipes including sauces, rice, paella, and stews—and it’s a treat on its own. Flavored with onions, carrots, celery, and herbs, this broth is much more flavorful and has more body than broth made with chicken breast or other parts of the chicken that have less cartilage. Because wings have many joints, these bits, when cooked, add more texture to the liquid when the generous amounts of collagen seep into the broth, adding a robust chicken flavor and creating the perfect texture. Although you need to invest some time, the hands-on work is minimal and the reward is big. Use the broth in your favorite recipes, or enjoy it with a few slices of bread and a grate of Parmesan cheese.

If you have any saved-up freezer necks and backs from whole chickens, or other odd bits that you don't know how to use, toss them in with the wings. Use fresh or frozen vegetable scraps, like the ends and peels of onions, bits and pieces of celery stalks and leaves, or carrot. Use our recipe to reduce your food waste while making a delicious broth.

Many worry about the fat content of wing-based broth, but in fact, once the broth is chilled, the fat will rise to the surface, solidify, and become easy to remove. By chilling the broth, the flavor in the remaining liquid will also be more concentrated. Also, the longer you cook the ingredients down, the richer and more concentrated the broth will be. Plan on at least a two-hour cook time.