Chicken Meatstock Recipe (2 Ways)

I realized that I never really shared how to make a chicken meat stock on here. I always have meat stock on hand, either in the fridge, freezer, or both. I think chicken is the easiest and least expensive to make. I use it for soups, warming leftovers in a pan ( I just add a splash of meat stock to revive the food), cooking grains like rice, quinoa, etc., and for drinking/sipping.

Meat stock and broth (bone broth) are mostly interchangeable when it comes to how it is used in recipes and for sipping. However, their composition is quite different. So depending on your personal needs, this will dictate which one you use. I’ve never seen meat stock for sale either, I’ve only seen bone broth. If you ever see one at a store, you really want one that is full of gelatin and in the freezer section. That goes for bone broth as well. The ones that sit on the regular shelves have been processed in ways that potentially damage the gelatin even if they say bone broth or meat stock.

So bone broth is made using just bones without much meat on them at all, and they cooked for 12-24 hours typically, unless an pressure cooker is used. Even when I’ve used my Instant Pot for bone broth, while I only cook it for 2 hours, I let it sit for 7-9 hours, so it’s still fairly lengthy. Bone broth is rich in protein, which is wonderful. it is also due to the lack of meat and length of cook time, very high in natural histamines. If you are generally healthy, and do not need gut healing, or are not histamine intolerant, then bone broth can be a good fit for you. however, if you have any kind of gut health issues or sensitivities, have histamine intolerance or MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome), then a meat stock is much better for your body.

If you notice that you don’t feel good after eating bone broth, don’t lose hope, meat stock to the rescue. Meat stock is made using any kind of animal bones with much more meat on them. Beyond chicken, you can make beef, vension, lamb, or fish stocks. I’ll share how to make a beef stock in another post. Just know mostly any animal works. Specifically for chicken stock, you can use a whole chicken (my favorite way) or just the legs. I will give instructions here on how to do it both ways. Meat stock cooked for a much shorter time of 2.5-3 hours. The combination of the meat and shorter cooking time allot for less protein, but also much less histamine. This is ideal for anyone in a healing phase. I also really like meat stocks for pregnant women or the postpartum period when digestion may be an issue. The warm rich gelatinous meat stock can really help. Another way to reduce histamine in your stock is to use low histamine meat. White Oak Pastures in GA processes and freezes their meat in a way that allows it to be lower in histamine. They also ship it right to your door. If you spend $249 or more, you get free shipping. It’s great to go in with family or neighbors for an order. Save $10 with White Oak Pastures through this link.

Whole Chicken Meat Stock Recipe

Ingredients:

Whole Chicken (Pastured is ideal)

Optional: Chicken Feet (These really make a beautiful gelatinous stock. If you do not have them, don’t worry. you can still make the stock. Just don’t be afraid to use them, if it’s an option.)

Veggies: 1 Large Onion, 2 Celery Ribs, 2 Carrots (Organic is ideal. You can even omit these veggies, but they do add a nice flavor. Very sensitive individuals may need to omit them for a time.)

Sea Salt ( I love Baja Gold. Use my discount code: KHW)

3-6 White Peppercorns (Black peppercorns are just fine, we just prefer white ones because they are low in oxalic acid.)

Directions:

Cook the chicken in a stainless steel pot on the stove just barely covered with filtered water, add 1.5 Tsp sea salt and 2-3 white peppercorns. Add the feet now too if you have them. Bring to a boil, turn down to low heat. Cook for 2 hours covered, then prepare veggies carrot, onion, and celery, but don’t add yet. Once the 2 hours are up add the veggies, put the lid back on, and cook for another 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, crack the lid, and allow it to cool off a bit unless using the meat stock for a meal right away. Remove the chicken and add to a glass Pyrex dish. Remove the veggies (eat, compost, or give to chickens). Remove the meat from the carcass/bones, but save the bones for more stock later (I put them into the freezer in a bag), and use the meat for meals. I pour the meat stock into mason jars. I use a large half gallon one to keep some in the fridge to use right away. I use smaller jars to keep in the freezer. It really depends on how much I’ve made. I use the traditional canning jar lids for the freezer. I leave a good inch free at the top of the jar to give room for expansion.

Chicken Leg Meat Stock Recipe

If you don’t have a whole chicken, or don’t want that much meat, or you happen to have chicken legs on hand, this is another really inexpensive way to make a nourishing meat stock. This is when I go grab those chicken bones that I froze from my whole chickens out the freezer. I’ll typically use 1-2 bags of frozen bones if I have them, along with 5-6 chicken legs. There’s still so much collagen left in those bones, so it’s great to get as much out of them as you can. If I do not have any frozen bones, then I’ll double the amount of chicken legs. The recipe and cook time are the same otherwise. You can throw chicken feet in with the legs too! I like to take the meat off the legs after the meat stock is cooked and use it for chicken salad or chicken curry.

Instant Pot Instructions

You can also use the Instant Pot or pressure cooker to do this. It’s not my favorite way since some sources say that it’s potentially too hot and may destroy the collagen. It does gel afterwards though like it’s supposed to do though and sometimes I’m pressed for time so I do use this method. The cook time is 45 minutes on the manual setting. You can use the whole chicken or chicken legs. In this case you throw the veggies in at the same time to cook. All of the other instructions are identical.

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