8 Basic Stock Recipes

Have you made your own stock before? You should give it a try! Using homemade stock takes any simple soup from mediocre to exquisite because of its thick, velvety texture and its full-bodied flavor. Plus, there is nothing more satisfying than using simple, humble ingredients to create top-notch stocks that can be used in so many different ways.

Stock is made by gently simmering bones, seafood shells, or vegetables until their flavors are extracted. One key to making excellent stock: Avoid boiling it. Boiling agitates and breaks up the food pieces, resulting in a cloudy stock. (It'll taste fine, if you insist on a hard boil, but it's not what we are going for!)

Instead, keep the stock at a gentle simmer and refrain from stirring it. Use a ladle or large spoon to skim the surface (you’ll see the gunk float to the top) as needed.

Then, you’ll have to strain and cool the stock. Once cooled, refrigerate or freeze for later. Stock can be used in so many recipes such as in soups, grains, and sauces.

Here are some of my favorite recipes that call for stock:

What's the difference between stock and broth? Glad you asked! We made a guide for you!

Turkey Stock

Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

Save your holiday turkey carcass, neck, wing tips, and gizzards and use them to make a simple stock that can be frozen for up to a year (ONE YEAR!). I love it in Chipotle Turkey Pozole for an easy weeknight dinner.

Get Recipe
How to Make Chicken Stock

Elise Bauer

Choose your own adventure and make chicken stock to fit your schedule using ingredients you have on hand. The first option is to use the carcass from a roast chicken. This method takes 4 hours. The second option is to use raw bone-in chicken. This requires browning the chicken before adding water and the aromatics. It takes 4 to 6 hours. The third option is to use a combination of cooked and raw chicken to make a super delicious stock in about 1 hour.

Get Recipe
How to Make Stock from Chicken Feet

Elise Bauer

Making stock with chicken feet is a time-honored tradition from generations past. I can see why! It’s flavorful, inexpensive, and makes a whopping two quarts of deeply flavorful stock. Ready in about 6 hours.

Get Recipe
How to Make Vegetable Stock

Elise Bauer

Vegetable stock is a relatively easy stock to make. No bones or carcasses to contend with, just crisper staples like carrots, onions, and celery. Add dehydrated mushrooms for extra umami. This stock is ready in 2 hours.

Get Recipe

Continue to 5 of 8 below.
How to Make Beef Stock

Simply Recipes / Lori Rice

Beef stock is made by using both beef bones, meat, and vegetables. They are roasted first for extra flavor and then set to a gentle simmer for 3 to 6 hours. Add veal bones to increase the amount of gelatin (texture and flavor!) in the stock.

Get Recipe
How to Make Shellfish Stock

Elise Bauer

One of the benefits of eating seafood at home is the shells and scraps you'll have left to make seafood stock. It'll lead to mouth-watering bisques and stews all winter long. Gather 4 to 6 cups of shellfish shells, from shrimp, lobster, and crab; any combination will work so use whatever you have. It comes together relatively quickly—takes less than 2 hours from start to finish.

Get Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Stock

Nick Evans

The pressure cooker is an excellent tool for making chicken stock quickly. It prevents evaporation and cuts out hours of simmering time. Use 1 to 5 pounds of bones and make sure to only fill the pressure cooker up to two thirds full.

Get Recipe
Slow Cooker Chicken Stock

Alison Bickle

The magic of a slow cooker is its ability to maintain a consistent, low temperature for hours, which is exactly what stock requires. It allows for more flexibility and less hovering over a pot. The bones and aromatics can simmer in the slow cooker from 8 to 24 hours. For a full-bodied stock, break the bones to release as much collagen as possible.

Get Recipe