How to Freeze Chicken Broth

Learn How to Make Homemade Chicken Broth with this easy recipe and tips on How to Freeze Chicken Broth for later use.  There are  two methods that that I use for freezing broth so thawing is quick and easy. My favorite method is by making chicken broth cubes and the other is by freezing chicken broth in freezer bags 

So after you know how easy it is to make homemade chicken broth, you can easily freeze leftover broth (which is liquid gold) for later use is so many recipes.

Easy Homemade Chicken Broth Recipe

• 3-4 pounds chicken (bone-in with skin either a whole chicken, breasts, thighs or a combination of breasts and thighs)
•  1 onion, peeled and quartered
•  2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
•  2 large carrots, cut in quarters
•  3 stalks of celery with leaves, cut in quarters
•  2-3 sprigs thyme
•  3-4 sprigs parsley
•  2 bay leaves
•  3-4 mushrooms
•  1 teaspoon black peppercorns
•  12 cups water

How to Make Homemade Chicken Broth

1. Combine the chicken, vegetables and herbs and spices in a large stockpot. Pour in water which should cover the ingredients by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 45-60 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink inside.
2. Remove chicken from broth and cool for 10-15 minutes. Cut the meat from the bones then return the bones to the broth and simmer another 40-45 minutes.
3. Allow the chicken to cool completely before removing from pot.
4. Strain broth before freezing.
5. Freeze broth.

How to Make Chicken Broth Cubes

To make chicken broth cubes, I measure 1 cup of broth into the ice cube molds. Each standard individual ice cube mould will hold about 2 tablespoons each. So if you need a cup of broth, you’ll use 8 frozen chicken broth cubes. And then when I transfer the cubes to Ziploc freezer bags, I’ll label the bag with the measurements – whether it’s 1 cup or two of broth. I typically like to freeze broth in one-cup measurements, because the smaller measurements are quicker to thaw. It’s also the measurement I’m most likely to use when making quinoa, rice or lentils.

• Using a Sharpie marker, label freezer bags with the date, content and measurement. 
• Measure 1 cup broth and pour in ice cube moulds (you can use a funnel to help minimize spillage) and place the ice cube tray in the freezer for 4-6 hours or until completely frozen solid.
• Transfer the chicken broth cubes from the ice cube trays to freezer bags and store in the freezer.

Freezing Chicken Broth in Freezer Bags

• Using a Sharpie marker, label freezer bags with the date, content and measurement.
• Measure 1 cup broth and pour in freezer bag. You can use a funnel to minimize spillage.
• Carefully seal bag so there’s no excess air trapped inside.
• Lay sealed freezer bags flat on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for 3-4 hours, or until frozen solid.

Thawing Frozen Broth

When it comes time to thaw the broth, place the chicken broth cubes in a pot and turn the flame on low to slowly melt the cubes. If you’ve frozen your broth in a freezer bag, the best way to thaw it is to set the freezer bag in a bowl or slip it inside a larger freezer bag and place it in the refrigerator or on the counter, depending on how quickly you need it to thaw. When it starts to melt, you can break it apart into pieces, then place the pieces in a pot over a low flame to finish the thawing process. 

How Long Does Chicken Broth Last?

Chicken broth can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and in the freezer for 2-3 months.

Making Chicken Broth From Scratch

• Chicken.  When making chicken broth, I typically use 3-4 pounds of bone-in chicken with skin (either a whole chicken, breasts, thighs or a combo of breasts and thighs). 
• Vegetables. 1 onion, peeled and quartered, 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed, 2 large carrots, cut in quarters, 3 stalks of celery with leaves, cut in quarters and 3-4 mushrooms.
• Herbs and Spices. 2-3 sprigs thyme, 3-4 sprigs parsley, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns. Fresh sage and rosemary are other herbs you can use.
• Simmer. Combine the chicken, vegetables and herbs and spices in a large stockpot. Pour in water which should cover the ingredients by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 45-60 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink inside.
• Remove Chicken from Broth. Remove chicken from broth and cool for 10-15 minutes. Cut the meat from the bones then return the bones to the broth and simmer another 40-45 minutes.
• Strain. Strain the broth before freezing. 

How to Use Homemade Chicken Broth?

• Soups.  Whenever I make this Poached Chicken, I freeze the delicious broth for a later use. Having frozen chicken cubes is great for making a small batch of simple soup, or use it for richer soups like this Immune Boosting Chicken Soup and Italian Lentil Soup
• Rice and Quinoa. It’s perfect to useW when making rice and quinoa.
• Legumes. Use it instead of water when cooking lentils, chickpeas, black beans and pinto beans from scratch.
• Stews, Skillets and Casseroles. Broth adds so much flavor to stew and skillet dishes.
• Mashed potatoes.  Use a little broth instead of milk or cream when making mashed potatoes for a low-cal side dish.

More Cooking Resources

• How to Freeze Grapes
• How to Freeze Tomatoes
• How Many Tablespoons in a Cup
• How to Poach Chicken
• How to Freeze Bananas
• How to Zest a Lemon
• How to Freeze Spinach
• How to Freeze Pesto

Continue to Content

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Yield: 6 servings

How to Freeze Chicken Broth

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Here's a couple of easy tips on How to Freeze Chicken Broth. These two methods for freezing chicken broth are the best way to freeze broth so thawing is quick and easy. One way to freeze chicken broth is by making chicken broth cubes and the other is by freezing chicken broth in Ziploc freezer bags (I typically use Ziploc quart freezer bags).

Ingredients

Chicken Broth Recipe

• 3-4 pounds chicken (bone-in with skin either a whole chicken, breasts, thighs or a combination of breasts and thighs)
• 1 onion, peeled and quartered
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 2 large carrots, cut in quarters
• 3 stalks of celery with leaves, cut in quarters
• 2-3 sprigs thyme
• 3-4 sprigs parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 3-4 mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 12 cups water

Tools for Freezing Chicken Broth

• Ziploc quart freezer bags
• 1 cup glass measuring cup
• canning funnel
• ice cube trays

Instructions

1. Combine the chicken, vegetables and herbs and spices in a large stockpot. Pour in water which should cover the ingredients by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 45-60 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink inside.
2. Remove chicken from broth and cool for 10-15 minutes. Cut the meat from the bones then return the bones to the broth and simmer another 40-45 minutes.
3. Allow the chicken to cool completely before removing from pot.
4. Strain broth before freezing.
5. Freeze broth.

How to Freeze Freeze Chicken Broth

Chicken Broth Cubes

1. Using a Sharpie marker, label freezer bags with the date, content and measurement.
2. Measure one-cup of chicken broth and pour into ice cube trays and place in the freezer for 4-6 hours or until completely frozen solid.
3. Transfer the frozen chicken cubes from the trays to freezer bags and store in the freezer.

Freezer Bag

1. Using a Sharpie marker, label freezer bags with the date, content and measurement.
2. Measure 1 cup broth and pour in freezer bag. You can use a funnel to minimize spillage.
3. Carefully seal bag so there's no excess air trapped inside.
4. Lay sealed freezer bags flat on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for 3-4 hours, or until frozen solid.

Notes

Thawing Frozen Broth

When it comes time to thaw the broth, place the chicken broth cubes in a pot and turn the flame on low to slowly melt the cubes. If you've frozen your broth in a freezer bag, the best way to thaw it is to set the freezer bag in a bowl or slip it inside a larger freezer bag and place it in the refrigerator or on the counter, depending on how quickly you need it to thaw. When it starts to melt, you can break it apart into pieces then place the pieces in a pot over a low flame to finish the thawing process. 

How Long Does Chicken Broth Last in the Refrigerator

Chicken broth can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

How Long Does Chicken Broth Last in the Freezer

Chicken broth can be stored in the freezer for 2-3 months.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 687Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 284mgSodium: 261mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 73g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations.