The Best Substitute for Homemade Chicken Stock Is Free (2024)

FAQs

The Best Substitute for Homemade Chicken Stock Is Free? ›

Fortunately, we're here to let you in on a game-changing secret: Water makes a more than acceptable replacement for chicken stock in most soups, stews, sauces, and braises. And in many cases, water actually produces a better-tasting result.

Chicken Broth Substitute: Salted Butter + Water

If you don't have broth on hand and want a little more flavor than just plain water, try subbing in 1 cup of water plus 1 tablespoon of butter for every cup of chicken broth in your recipe. The butter will help create a richer flavor than just water alone.

Boullion cubes

Per our sister publication, Better Homes & Gardens, you can use one bouillon cube or one teaspoon instant bouillon granules in one cup of water as a swap for every one cup of chicken broth for which a recipe calls.

If you don't have stock, just use water. I actually prefer my vegetable-based soups and stews with water instead of stock. Adding meat stock muddies the flavor of the produce and makes the soup less vegetarian or vegan friendly dish.

Line a freezeproof plastic container with a freezer bag and pour cold stock into bag. Cover tightly and freeze. Once stock is frozen, remove bag from container to make it easier to store. Freeze for up to 3 months.

You can substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. If you have homemade chicken broth use it because it takes the taste of the soup to the next level. Olive oil-Is used to saute the onions but you can use canola oil or any oil of your choice.

Fortunately, we're here to let you in on a game-changing secret: Water makes a more than acceptable replacement for chicken stock in most soups, stews, sauces, and braises. And in many cases, water actually produces a better-tasting result.

And though even a stock left out for days at a time might not technically be toxic after a thorough boiling, its flavor will certainly be compromised: A reboiled three-day-old stock may be safe to eat, but it is now seasoned with millions to billions of dead bacteria and their inactivated toxins.

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Is chicken broth the same as chicken stock? ›

Stock is generally made from bones, and broth is generally made from flesh. In both cases, they are often supported with aromatic vegetables, but in the case of stock, left unseasoned for maximum flexibility in recipes, whereas broth will usually contain at least salt and pepper.

If you are going to sub water for stock, McKinnon suggests adding salt and herbs (like thyme, bay leaves, and rosemary) to your water to compensate for the lost flavor.

Richer mouthfeel – Homemade chicken stock has abundant gelatin from the chicken bones and tissues, which gives it a full-bodied richness and mouthfeel when used in soups and stews. Store-bought stock lacks this quality. More versatile because it's unsalted – Store-bought stock is almost always salted.

Chicken stock is what you get when you simmer the carcass of the chicken and most importantly, the bones. It's really all about the bones.

The simple answer is yes, it's usually okay to substitute vegetable stock with water. In most recipes that call for vegetable stock, its main advantage over water is that it provides flavor, which is especially important if you're making vegetarian or vegan food that's missing the richness from meat.

It's so simple to turn chicken soup base into a substitute for chicken stock or broth – Just add water! Simply mix ½ teaspoon of chicken base with 8 ounces of water. One pound of chicken base converts to 5 ½ gallons of soup stock or broth – that's twenty-two 32-oz. boxes!

Vegetable stock, or you could steep dried mushrooms (shiitakes are a good one) in water and use that water. Or chicken/vegetable base and water. All stocks are interchangeable.

Stock is generally made from bones, and broth is generally made from flesh. In both cases, they are often supported with aromatic vegetables, but in the case of stock, left unseasoned for maximum flexibility in recipes, whereas broth will usually contain at least salt and pepper.