Meal Prep Chicken and Chicken Broth

F&W Editor in Chief Hunter Lewis uses this simple and versatile base recipe to get the most out of a whole chicken, transforming it into tender shredded chicken and a nourishing broth. Both are versatile foundations for pho, chicken noodle soup, chicken chili, tinga, chicken and rice soup, and many other recipes. You’ll appreciate having broth and chicken meat in your fridge and freezer for easy weeknight meals.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes this chicken broth and not chicken stock? What’s the difference?

Broth and stock are not the same thing. Broth is made by simmering chicken meat, skin (and some bones) with water, aromatics, herbs, and vegetables. It has a shorter cooking time and is thinner and lighter in flavor than stock. Stock is made by simmering herbs and aromatics along with chicken carcasses and bones that are sometimes roasted first to deepen the flavor. The bones release collagen into the stock to give it a richer flavor, deeper color, and more viscosity.

What’s the best way to store cooked chicken and chicken broth?

Freezing in individual portions, such as in ziplock bags or Souper Cubes, allows you to only defrost what you’ll use. Vacuum sealing shredded chicken in dated and weighted portions is also an easy way to be able to see how much you have and only take out of the freezer what you need for a recipe.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Buy the best-quality poultry you can find so you have flavorful, clear broth and the best-tasting chicken. You can start with a whole bird and break it into smaller parts yourself (cut it into wings, legs, thighs, back, and breasts). You can also ask your butcher to break it down for you. Or, use the equivalent weight in chicken legs and thighs for ease, although the wings and backbone add unparalleled flavor and body in the broth.

Take care to maintain just a bare simmer when making broth — boiling it will make it cloudy.