What Kind of Chicken Makes the Best Broth?

According to a study published on ResearchGate in 2025, chicken broth made from native chickens showed the best physicochemical and organoleptic properties. So, what kind of chicken makes the best broth for home cooks seeking that rich, savory flavor? The answer often lies in the age and parts of the bird used.

Quick Summary

An exceptional chicken broth depends on the chicken's age and the specific parts utilized. Older stewing hens and collagen-rich parts like feet, backs, and wings produce a superior flavor and gelatinous texture, ideal for rich, healing broths. Proper preparation and simmering techniques are also key to maximizing extraction.

Key Points

• Older Stewing Hens: Produce richer, more flavorful broth with superior body due to more developed meat and higher collagen content than younger broiler chickens.

• Collagen-Rich Parts: The best broth comes from bony, connective tissue-heavy parts like backs, necks, feet, and wings.

• Start with Cold Water: Maximizes flavor extraction and ensures a clearer, cleaner-tasting broth.

• Low and Slow Simmer: Crucial for breaking down collagen into gelatin and preventing a cloudy broth.

• Roast Bones for Depth: Roasting chicken parts before simmering adds a deeper, more complex flavor and golden color to the finished product.

• Vinegar Boosts Minerals: Adding a splash of apple cider vinegar helps to leach minerals from the bones into the broth.

• Whole Carcass or Scraps: Using leftover bones from a roasted chicken is a free and effective way to make flavorful stock.

Stewing Hens: The Unsung Hero of Broth

While younger, tender broiler chickens are perfect for roasting and quick-cooking, an older stewing hen is the secret to a rich, deeply flavored broth. These are mature female chickens, often retired from egg production, with tougher, more developed meat and bones. This maturity means a higher concentration of flavor and more connective tissue.

During the long, slow simmering process required for a stewing hen, the collagen and connective tissues break down into gelatin. This is what gives your finished broth a desirable, silky mouthfeel and a beautiful body that gels when chilled. If you’ve ever wondered why homemade stock from scratch has a superior texture, this is it. While they are becoming less common in mainstream supermarkets, specialty butchers and farmers' markets often carry them.

The Role of Chicken Parts: A Breakdown

Beyond the choice of hen, the specific chicken parts you use are crucial for a good broth. Not all parts are created equal when it comes to flavor and collagen content. A combination of different parts is often the best approach to achieve a balanced, full-bodied result.

Bony Parts for Collagen and Gelatin

• Chicken Feet: Often overlooked, chicken feet are arguably the best source of collagen for a gelatinous broth. A single pair added to your stockpot can significantly enhance the body and texture, turning your broth into 'liquid gold.'
• Backs and Necks: These inexpensive, bony parts contain a great deal of connective tissue and cartilage, making them ideal for long-simmered stocks.
• Wings: Full of cartilage and bones, wings are another excellent source of collagen. They also contribute some fat and meatiness to the flavor profile.

Meaty Parts for Savory Flavor

• Wings, Thighs, and Drumsticks: Using bone-in, skin-on wings, thighs, and drumsticks offers a great balance of both bone and meat. These parts deliver a rich, savory flavor alongside valuable collagen.
• Carcass: If you've roasted a whole chicken, the leftover carcass is a free and flavorful base for your next batch of stock. The bones, skin, and cartilage all contribute to a complex taste.

Broiler vs. Stewing Hen: A Comparison

To highlight the fundamental differences, consider this comparison table. It's clear that the desired outcome dictates the best choice of chicken.

Feature	Broiler Chicken	Stewing Hen
Age	Young (3-5 months)	Mature (1+ years)
Meat Texture	Tender and soft	Tougher, more muscular
Flavor Profile	Milder, more neutral	Richer, more intense chicken flavor
Collagen Content	Lower	Significantly higher
Ideal Cooking Time	Short (roasting, frying)	Long (simmering, stewing)
Best For	Fast meals, meat focus	Rich, gelatinous broths

Techniques for Maximizing Flavor

Choosing the right chicken is only half the battle. Your cooking technique can significantly impact the quality of your broth. Here are a few tips to ensure maximum flavor extraction.

1. Start with Cold Water: Always add your chicken and vegetables to cold water. This helps to slowly draw out impurities and fat, which you can skim off as the pot heats up, resulting in a clearer broth.
2. Roast the Bones: For a deeper, more robust flavor and color, roast the chicken parts (especially if using backs and necks) in the oven before adding them to your stockpot.
3. Use Apple Cider Vinegar: A small amount of raw apple cider vinegar added to the pot helps pull more minerals from the bones.
4. Simmer, Don't Boil: A gentle simmer is essential. A rolling boil can agitate the contents, leading to a cloudy broth.
5. Long, Slow Cook Time: A quality broth requires patience. While some broths can be done in a couple of hours, a deeper, richer stock benefits from a long simmer, sometimes up to 24 hours in a slow cooker.

Conclusion

Ultimately, what kind of chicken makes the best broth depends on your desired outcome, but for the richest, most deeply flavored and gelatinous result, a combination of older stewing hen parts is ideal. Prioritize collagen-rich components like backs, necks, and especially feet, and pair them with a gentle, slow-simmering process. By understanding the specific contributions of different chicken types and parts, you can elevate your homemade broth from good to truly exceptional.

This authoritative article on broth-making provides a foundational understanding for home cooks aiming for high-quality, flavorful results. Learn more about the science behind flavor extraction at Wikipedia's entry on Chicken stock.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between chicken broth and chicken stock?

Broth is typically made with meaty chicken parts and simmered for a shorter time, resulting in a lighter flavor. Stock, on the other hand, is made primarily with bones and connective tissues, simmered for a longer duration, and contains more gelatin for a richer body.

Why is my homemade chicken broth cloudy?

Cloudy broth is usually caused by simmering too vigorously, which agitates the contents and emulsifies the fat and particles. To prevent this, always maintain a gentle simmer and avoid a hard boil.

Can I use leftover roasted chicken bones for broth?

Yes, leftover roasted chicken bones and carcass are excellent for making broth. The roasting process adds a rich, deep flavor that translates beautifully into the stock.

Should I add vegetables to the broth?

Yes, classic aromatics like onions, carrots, and celery add depth and complexity to the broth's flavor profile. Add them at the beginning of the simmer for a richer flavor.

Is it better to use raw or roasted chicken for stock?

Both can produce a great stock. Raw chicken tends to make a cleaner-tasting, lighter broth, while roasted bones create a darker, more deeply flavored stock with more bass notes.

How long should I simmer chicken broth?

For stock, a long simmer of at least 6-8 hours is recommended to extract maximum flavor and nutrients from the bones. For a simpler broth, 1-2 hours may suffice, but longer is generally better.

Why is a gelatinous broth desirable?

A gelatinous broth indicates that a significant amount of collagen has been extracted and converted into gelatin. This gives the broth a silky mouthfeel and is believed to have numerous health benefits for joints and gut health.