Chicken broth comes from simmering chicken meat, bones, and aromatic vegetables in water. As the mixture heats, water-soluble compounds dissolve out of the meat and bones, creating the savory, golden liquid used as a base for soups, sauces, and countless other dishes. The process is one of the oldest cooking techniques in existence, likely dating back to the Neolithic period when humans first domesticated chickens and were already boiling food.
What Goes Into the Pot
At its simplest, chicken broth requires just chicken and water. Most recipes build on that foundation with a few aromatic vegetables: onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, and bay leaves are common additions. Some cooks expand the flavor base with leeks or fennel, but the core formula has stayed remarkably consistent across centuries and cultures.
The chicken itself can be a whole bird, a leftover carcass, or specific parts. Wings are prized because they’re rich in connective tissue, which breaks down into gelatin and gives the broth body. Chicken feet serve the same purpose. Leg meat and thigh meat contribute deeper flavor than breast meat, though any combination works. The key distinction is that broth uses pieces with actual meat still attached, not just bare bones.
Broth vs. Stock: The Difference
The terms get used interchangeably, but they’re technically different products. Broth is made from meaty bones and meat scraps simmered for a relatively short time, producing a thinner, lighter liquid that stays fluid when cooled. Stock is made primarily from bones and connective tissue cooked for a longer period, yielding a thicker liquid rich in collagen that often sets into a jelly-like consistency in the refrigerator. As food scientist Alton Brown puts it, stock is collagen-rich from bones; broth is flavor-rich from meat.
In practice, most home cooks and many commercial producers land somewhere in between, using a mix of meat and bones. What you find labeled “chicken broth” at the grocery store is typically closer to the traditional broth definition: a lighter, pourable liquid meant to be used as-is or as a soup base.
How Simmering Creates Flavor
The transformation from raw chicken and water into flavorful broth involves several overlapping chemical processes. As the pot heats, water-soluble substances in the meat, including amino acids, minerals, and fats, leach into the surrounding liquid. Prolonged heating triggers the Maillard reaction (the same browning chemistry that makes roasted meat taste rich), along with lipid oxidation and the breakdown of certain vitamins. These reactions convert bland precursor compounds in the chicken into the distinctive savory taste of finished broth.
The longer the simmer, the more flavor compounds transfer from the meat into the liquid, though the meat itself becomes increasingly bland as its water-soluble content depletes. This is why the chicken pieces left behind after making broth taste flat compared to a freshly cooked piece of chicken. The good stuff has moved into the broth.
How Commercial Broth Is Made
The industrial version follows the same basic principle but at a much larger scale with more processing steps. Manufacturers start by grinding meat, bones, and tissue into uniform pieces to ensure consistent extraction during cooking. Large continuous cookers use indirect heating and gentle agitation to simmer the mixture evenly, replacing the traditional batch approach of a stockpot on a stove.
After cooking, the liquid is strained, seasoned, and packaged. Shelf-stable cartons and cans go through a high-heat sterilization process. Some manufacturers take the liquid further, evaporating it down into concentrated pastes or drying it into powders used for bouillon cubes, instant soup mixes, and products like instant ramen. That powdered bouillon in your pantry started as the same simmered liquid you’d make at home, just with the water removed.
Nutritional Profile
Chicken broth is low in calories but not especially nutrient-dense. A standard cup contains about 39 calories, 5 grams of protein, 1.4 grams of fat, and less than 1 gram of carbohydrates. It contains no fiber.
The biggest nutritional consideration is sodium. A typical cup of store-bought chicken broth packs around 747 milligrams of sodium, roughly a third of the recommended daily limit of 2,300 milligrams. If you’re watching your salt intake, look for products labeled “low sodium,” which by FDA rules must contain 140 milligrams or less per serving. Homemade broth gives you full control over how much salt goes in, which is one of its biggest advantages over commercial versions.
Storage and Shelf Life
Homemade chicken broth lasts three to four days in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container. The same timeline applies to store-bought broth once you’ve opened the carton or can. If you’ve made a large batch, freezing is the best way to extend its life. Broth freezes well for several months. Pouring it into ice cube trays or freezer-safe bags in measured portions makes it easy to thaw only what you need for a recipe.
Unopened commercial broth, whether canned or in shelf-stable cartons, keeps for years in the pantry thanks to the sterilization process used during manufacturing. Always check the expiration date, but the product is designed for long storage without refrigeration.