Can You Freeze Chicken Stock? Here's How You Can Do This Right

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When you have some chicken stock on hand, you can make so many dishes a lot tastier. Freezing chicken stock can be a godsend especially since using this for a longer time will be a lot healthier than using various concentrated chicken stock brands.

So, we’re curious about freezing chicken stock, whether we can make lots of it ahead of time and freezing it up so we can enjoy it later on.

Can You Freeze Chicken Stock?

One of our readers sent us a question about freezing chicken stock too, so let’s see what the message says:

A friend of mine was recently telling me that he makes his own chicken stock. I thought the idea sounded great, and he gave me his recipe. I’ve been having trouble digesting certain additives in commercial stocks, and I think making my own will be healthier for me and save me some money too.

Only, I didn’t realize how long it takes to make chicken stock, nor how big a batch one recipe makes. I know I won’t be able to eat all the stock before it goes bad, but I also don’t want to have to make stock every time I need to use some.

My friend freezes his and swears it’s safe, but I’m not sure. Can you freeze chicken stock?

Your friend is correct, you can safely freeze chicken stock! It’s a simple, easy way to always have fresh stock on hand for soups, stews, and even gravies. There’s no problem making a large batch of chicken stock and freezing most of it for later. The trick is to store it properly to maintain flavor and freshness, and to make it easy to use.

How to Freeze Chicken Stock?

Before you freeze your chicken stock, you have to go through a few steps:

First, start with fresh stock.
Don’t freeze chicken broth that has been in the fridge too long or that has been sitting at room temperature for an extended period of time.
Cook your broth, and then allow it to cool completely. Freezing broth that is still hot can result in condensation forming, and lead to freezer burn.
Once the broth is cool, freeze it in the portion sizes you need for regular cooking.
This way you only need to thaw the amount of broth that you will use at one time.
Freezing broth in freezer bags is a great way to minimize the amount of space the broth takes up in the freezer.
Choose the freezer bag that best corresponds to the amount of broth you wish to freeze.
Stand the freezer bag up in a bowl, folding the edge of the bag over the rim of the bowl to hold it upright.
Pour or ladle in the amount of broth you wish to freeze, then seal the bag tightly.
Label and date the bag, then store it in the freezer laying flat so that it can be stacked.

How to Keep Chicken Stock for Longer?

Keeping the chicken stock for longer in the freezer can work great if you use a vacuum sealer. Vacuum sealers work by taking out the air from the bags or containers and sealing them perfectly so no oxigen gets in.

We tested out a lot of cool vacuum sealers, but we really enjoyed using the FoodSaver V4840 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealer Machine. This one works with freezer bags and containers too, so you can freeze up single servings or whole dishes.

How to Thaw Chicken Stock?

Whenever you’re making the next dish that requires chicken stock, it’s time to dig through the freezer.

To use, remove the stock from the freezer and place it in the fridge to thaw.
It can also be thawed under running water.
Then, use it as you would fresh stock in your favorite recipes.

Here are a few great recipes in which you can use your chicken stock:

Chicken Stock Recipe

Chicken stock is super tasty and will give so much flavor to anything you use it in. Making chicken stock, however, takes a long time.

Ingredients

chicken carcass
vegetables – celery, onion, carrot, parsley
salt
pepper

Method

Put the ingredients in a pot, add in water, and bring to a boil.
Once the soup is boiling, reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid.
Let it cook for 6 hours.
Remove the bones and vegetables with a slotted spoon and then strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve.

Can You Freeze Chicken Stock? Here’s How You Can Do This Right