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Chinese chicken stock served in a soup bowl

Chinese Chicken Stock

By Maggie Zhu
4.86 from 7 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Inactive Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 6 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 8 cups
A Chinese chicken stock recipe that creates an aromatic broth that is golden in color with a buttery texture. Make this stock to enhance your wonton soup, noodle bowls and stir fries.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Chicken Feet (Footnote 1)
  • 3 lbs Chicken bone-in pieces (*Footnote 2)
  • 2 oz prosciutto (or other cured ham) (optional)
  • 6 green onions
  • 1 ” ginger , large sliced
  • 10 cups cold tap water
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Use a pair of poultry shears to clip off the nails from the chicken feet. Add the chicken feet into a big pot and add enough cold water to cover. Heat over medium-high heat until brought to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Then drain and discard the boiling water. Wash the chicken with running tap water thoroughly, then transfer to a large pot or dutch oven (5 1/2 qt or bigger).
  • In the same pot, add the chicken pieces, prosciutto if using, green onion and ginger. Pour in the water.
  • Heat over medium-high heat until boiling. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes while using a colander to remove the brown foam from the top, until the broth is clear. Turn to medium-low heat and cover. Simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours.
  • Remove the chicken pieces and all the aromatics. If using the stock immediately, use a strainer to remove the chicken fat from the top. Alternatively, you can store the stock in the fridge. Once the soup is chilled, you can easily remove the chicken fat that’s coagulated on top.
  • Now you can enjoy the stock by itself, use it in cooking, or store it for later use. Store it in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. (*Footnote 4)

Notes

  1. The gelatin from the chicken feet will melt into the soup, creating a nice jelly texture once the chicken stock is cooked and chilled. The feet are also quite cheap to obtain.
  2. I used skin-on bone-in chicken thighs. You can use other bone-in chicken cuts such as wings. It’s possible to use cheaper bone parts such as chicken back and neck. Bone-in cuts will create a nicer stock.
  3. Chinese restaurants use cured ham (金华火腿, Jin Hua Huo Tui) in the chicken broth to add another dimension of flavor. The closest cured ham outside of China is jamon iberico or prosciutto, which can be quite pricey. Sometimes you might be able to purchase prosciutto ends or prosciutto scraps, which are much cheaper. I highly recommend adding a small amount of it to further boost your chicken stock.
  4. I like to use a Zwilling vacuum sealer and container, which prolongs the stock’s shelf life in the fridge up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze the stock using an ice tray, so you can easily take out a small portion at a time for stir fries.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 80kcal, Protein: 14.5g, Fat: 2.1g, Saturated Fat: 0.6g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 34mg, Potassium: 101mg, Calcium: 7mg