Slow Cooker Chicken Broth is an easy way to use a rotisserie chicken to make a super flavorful broth. The chicken's seasonings help infuse flavor into the water creating a delicious broth. I love to use it as a base for homemade soup, gravy, and more.
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I like to add onions, carrots, and celery to add depth to the broth. Herbs like parsley add freshness as well. Using a rotisserie chicken adds flavor from the browned skin as well as the seasoning used and the bones. Everything comes together to make a rich broth that’s even better than store-bought.
If you like recipes that use leftovers and simple ingredients, you will love this Leftover Turkey Carcass Soup and Leftover Roast Beef Wraps.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- It’s a great way to reduce waste: Use the bones and extra skin of a rotisserie chicken to create a flavorful broth. It’s also a fantastic way to use celery and carrot tops or onion skins to infuse flavor.
- It has a long shelf-life: It stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and then in the freezer for 3 months or longer, depending on your freezer. You can have homemade broth ready to go any time you need it.
- It’s inexpensive: This is a budget-friendly recipe that is worth the effort! It has deep and complex flavors developed from the chicken carcass.
Ingredients
Everything you need to make rotisserie chicken broth in the slow cooker is listed below. Adjust the spices, herbs, and even veggies to your liking to create a delicious broth every time.
- Rotisserie chicken: This simple hack infuses the broth with plenty of spices to create a rich and savory flavor.
- Water: This is essential as the base for the broth. It will soak up all the flavor from the chicken, veggies, and seasonings.
- Aromatics: I use onions, carrots, celery, and garlic for this. You don’t need to chop them up finely because they are just going to add flavor and be strained out later.
- Apple cider vinegar: Not only does this add a little acidity to brighten the flavor, but it also helps to extract minerals and collagen from the chicken bones to enhance the broth.
- Herbs and spices: I chose bay leaf, peppercorns, fresh parsley, and salt. Of course, you may add other herbs and spices if you choose, but I like to keep it simple so I can use the slow cooker broth in a variety of dishes.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Asian-style: Include lemongrass, fresh ginger, and a little soy sauce to give this broth Asian flair.
- Lemon rosemary: Add fresh lemons and a few sprigs of rosemary for a tart, woody version.
- Mushroom: Use a combination of fresh portobellos and dried shiitake or porcini mushrooms for earthy flavor.
How to Make Chicken Broth in the Crock Pot
Here are the steps needed to make overnight chicken stock from rotisserie chicken in the slow cooker. There’s minimal prep needed before you get it started, like coarsely chopping the veggies.
Step 1: Add the ingredients. Place the rotisserie chicken into the bottom of the slow cooker and scatter the veggies and herbs all around it. Pour the water and vinegar over the top and give it all a light stir.
Step 2: Cook. Add the lid and cook it on low for about 12 hours.
Step 3: Strain. Remove the big pieces and pour the broth through a fine mesh strainer to get all the smaller pieces.
Step 4: Store. Pour the broth into a mason jar and pop it into the refrigerator or use it in another recipe!
Recipe Tips
- Use cold water: Starting with cold water helps to extract more collagen to make the chicken broth even more nutritious.
- Keep the heat low: I don’t recommend cooking the broth on high. This allows the broth to develop a deeper flavor.
- Use a big enough crockpot: You shouldn’t fill the crockpot to the top. There should still be some room to ensure that everything is heated evenly. I recommend a 6-8 qt minimum.
If you love recipes using rotisserie chicken like this easy homemade broth, you may also enjoy these other Rotisserie Chicken Recipes.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store it in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Put it into a small freezer-safe container for 3-6 months.
- Reheating: Heat it in a saucepan over low heat or use it in place of store-bought chicken broth in any recipe.
- Make Ahead: This recipe takes hours, so it’s easy to set it up in advance, so it’s ready to use within a few days!
Serving Suggestions
- Make homemade creamy chicken noodle soup using this crockpot chicken broth instead of store-bought.
- Use it in this recipe for slow cooker pork chops and potatoes for a fresher taste.
- This slow cooker 15 Bean Soup also calls for chicken broth so it’s a great way to use this homemade recipe.
- You may use this crock pot chicken broth in any soup base, gravy, or to cook veggies or meats!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Keep it on a low simmer for the same amount of time to get enough flavor into the broth.
Absolutely! I recommend a minimum of 12 hours for best results, but you may leave it on for a few extra hours. The longer it cooks, the more robust it will be. Many people like to set it to cook overnight!
The rotisserie chicken is already seasoning, so start with a small amount of salt. Add more if needed but use it sparingly in the beginning to ensure it’s not salty.
More Delicious Slow Cooker Chicken Dishes
Do you like chicken? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section, I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Rotisserie Chicken Broth (Slow Cooker)
Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken skin on
- 10 cups water
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 3 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- Fresh parsley or herbs
Instructions
- Prepare the slow cooker by placing the rotisserie chicken carcass, with skin on, into the pot.
- Add the chopped carrots, celery, smashed garlic, bay leaf, black peppercorns, salt and a few sprigs of parsley to the slow cooker.
- Pour in the water and stir in the apple cider vinegar.
- Cover and cook on low for 12 hours, allowing the flavors to develop.
- Remove the large solids using tongs or a slotted spoon, then strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl.
- Transfer to storage jars and allow to cool 30 minutes before storing
Notes
- Feel free to cook the chicken broth longer than 12 hours to develop even more flavor. You may set it to cook overnight if you wish.
- Store the homemade broth in a tightly closed jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Ensure your crockpot is at least 6-8 quarts to allow plenty of room for the broth to cook evenly to get plenty of flavor.
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