Canning Chicken Broth – Simple Tutorial

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Want to make your chicken stock or chicken broth shelf stable? Today I’m sharing the very simple way that we have been canning chicken broth for years!

Want to make your chicken stock or chicken broth shelf stable? Today I'm sharing the very simple way that we have been canning chicken broth for years!

Canning Chicken Broth

Generally, I like to freeze chicken broth in cubes, but as I run out of freezer space, it’s time to come up with another solution! Once you have the broth made, canning chicken stock is very easy.

Shelf-stable products are always a reassurance in case the power goes out or if you are like me and just want to take up less space in the freezer or fridge. Chicken Broth is a pantry staple!

Chicken broth is for pressure canning since it’s a low-acid food and should not be made in the water bath canner. This bone broth recipe can be made with turkey broth as well, or any meat broth you might make.

Chicken broth should be canned in a pressure canner at 11 pounds of pressure for 25 minutes for quarts and 20 minutes for pints.

Canned Foods

Canning time can be a busy time of year. Here’s How to Prepare for Canning Season to read before you get started.

How to Make Chicken Broth

First, you must make your homemade chicken broth if you haven’t already. Above is a video of the same process but using beef bones instead of chicken. My process is very simple:

  • I first take the chicken and cut it apart into pieces.
  • Then I put all the pieces in a roaster pan, add in some vegetables (carrots, celery, and onions, and garlic) and spices (salt and pepper) and a little bit of water in the bottom.
  • This gets roasted in a 400 degree F oven for about 30 minutes.
  • Once it’s done roasting, I place everything from the pan (liquid, chicken carcass, bones, and veggies) into my 8 quart Instant Pot.
  • I add water to the fill line and add more spices or herbs such as bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns, turmeric, and garlic. I also add a splash of apple cider vinegar.
  • I secure the lid and then place it on high pressure for 90 minutes. Once it’s done, the broth is ready to can! If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can cook down your broth in a large stockpot on the stovetop but it will take several hours.

You don’t have to roast your chicken before making the broth, but we’ve found that the flavor and depth it adds are incredible and worth it. I do this every time I make broth now.

Chicken Broth

How to Can Chicken Broth

Ladle the broth into quart jars using a canning funnel, leaving 1-inch headspace. Wipe the rims with a clean cloth or paper towel, and put their lids on. (For step-by-step picture instructions on pressure canning, you can check out this post.)

You can use pint jars if you prefer and only use a smaller amount of broth at a time. Pints should be canned in the same way but for slightly less time.

Pressure can the broth at 11 pounds of pressure for 25 minutes processing time in a dial gauge canner. If you are at a higher elevation, adjust your pressure accordingly. (At 5000 feet in elevation, I always have to use 13lbs of pressure.) Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your specific model of pressure canner.

My trusty Presto Pressure Canner has been going strong for me now for 10 years.

Meat Stock Canning Chart

Here are the pressures and times for meat stock according to the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Once the broth has finished its timing, make sure you don’t touch the canner until the pressure gauge is completely down (several hours).

Canning Jars

Place the jars on a cloth or cutting board on the countertop so they can cool undisturbed until they are all sealed. If some of them do not seal, place them in your fridge and use them right away.

Note that the jars will make really strange noises for a while during the sealing process where they seem to pop and unpop. This is completely normal!

Canned CHicken and Broth

If you’d rather have a complete meal, you will want to read my complete guide on canning chicken!

Roasted Vegetable Soup

What to Use Home Canned Chicken Stock For

We use this stock for any recipe that calls for chicken broth or chicken stock or bone broth. It’s amazing in soups, stews, for drinking plain, or anything else that calls for broth such as my homemade Stir Fry Sauce recipe.

Can Canned Chicken Broth Go Bad?

Canned Chicken Broth can spoil if it hasn’t been properly canned. If you aren’t sure how to check your seals, read my post on Testing Jar Seals.

Can Canned Chicken Broth Be Frozen?

There’s no need for canned chicken broth to be frozen after it’s been properly canned since it will be shelf stable. You can freeze chicken broth but I would not recommend freezing it in jars. Read my post here on Freezing Chicken Broth.

How Do You Make Canned Chicken Broth Taste Better?

Make sure that you follow the steps for roasting when you are making your broth and also add in plenty of your favorite herbs, spices, and veggies to help flavor the broth.

Canned Goods

More Canning Recipes

Found this blog post helpful? Be sure and share it with friends on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and through Email using the sharing buttons below!

Make sure you check out all the free Canning and Preserving Recipes we have on Little House Living! I recommend a Presto Pressure Canner and the book Putting Food By for all your canning projects! Please check with your local extension office for any changes on times/temps/high altitude.


Me and KadyMerissa has been blogging about and living the simple life since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to the 100-acre farm and ministry on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from the Contact Page.


 

This blog post on Canning Chicken Broth was originally posted on Little House Living in August 2012. It has been updated as of March 2023.

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41 Comments

  1. I’d go nuts if I didn’t make my own chicken broth. When we raise chickens for slaughter, then on the Day of the Deed, we make cans and cans of broth from the carcasses. When we don’t, I save all the chicken carcasses from our meals in a freezer baggie, then when I have enough I make a huge stock pot full and sometimes we can or freeze it, or just use it, depending. I prefer the canning, but when we aren’t doing chickens in large numbers, it doesn’t feel worth it for me. 🙂

  2. I have to freeze mine in cubes at the moment. I don’t have a pressure canner. Once we move it will be a top priority to get one.

  3. When using the broth after you’ve cooked the chicken in the crockpot, how do you get all the little bits and pieces out fall off the chicken? Do you strain it before freezing?

  4. I hate to sound really dumb, but I am thinking of canning some broth. Do you dilute it down when you use it, and if so, how much water do you add to it? Or are you diluting it down when you can it?

  5. I can chicken and beef broth, too, but I roast the bones first for a little extra “richness” to the broth.

  6. I would love to do this, but I don’t have a pressure canner. Any idea how long would you do it in a water bath on the stove-top?

      1. Merissa,

        Just to experiment with water bath canning, I decided I would can some chicken stock in a water bath…However, then read, that it has to be done in a pressure cooker. So, anyway, I processed it for about an hour in that water bath, it all sealed and then, once cooled, I immediately put it into the fridge…with full intention of getting it to the freezer, it’s now been 6 days, the broth is still in fridge, still sealed, do you think it is still good? Or, have I just wasted $25 worth of organic chicken broth…UGH! Thanks for your input!!

        1. It’s probably still ok. I’ve left broth in the fridge (not canned but that I intended to use) for several days before use. If you want to make sure just give it a sniff.

          1. Ok! I’ll do it! I put it in the freezer last night, so I’ll give it the old sniff test when it comes out! Thank You!

  7. dude – i LOVE homemade chicken broth. i usually make a stock and then freeze it in ice cube trays. yum yum yum! so much better tasting than the store bought stuff and it lacks the scary things that processed stock does.

    p.s. it’s The Wednesday Fresh Foods Blog Hop today and i adore your post. it’s exactly what we’re looking for! you’re welcome to stop by and link up if you like! we’d love to have you!

  8. I make my own organic chicken broth in the slow-cooker, too 🙂 :It’s awesome, tasty good stuff and really magical for the tummy, too 🙂 🙂 Mine gets eaten up so fast, that I don’t have to can it…but it’s nice to know that I “can” do that 🙂 🙂 (no pun intended 🙂 🙂 Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 🙂

  9. Too bad I don’t have a pressure canner. I am curious what else you have on your site, whenever I read Little House I feel inspired to make things. I found you on Frugally Sustainable.

  10. The All American Pressure Canner instruction and recipe book lists processing times for hot packed soup stock as 20 minutes for pints, 25 minutes for quarts (at sea level). I think due to the homegeneity of the broth, and the fact that it’s almost completely water and has excellent heat transfer, the longer processing time you indicate above is not necessary. Process at 10-15 lbs. depending on your altitude.

  11. I found the site intriguing < lol sp/ none the less in the case of broths and soups, the older gauges have both temps and pressures in the glass .. 240 degrees roughly 12-13 lbs for 20 minutes will kill the most virulent bacterial contaminants. if you feel the need for more then by all means hop to, you wont hurt a thing and clean is the key to success………..

  12. I canned broth in a water bath because that’s what I was told to do from a family member who has been doing it for years. The jars are sealed. Now that I am reading about the spores and such, can I take the lids off the jars, use new lids and use a pressure canner on the same batch of broth? I hate to let it go to waste!

    1. Has it been long since they’ve been canned? If it’s been more than 24 hours than the jars are no longer safe. Otherwise if it’s just something you recently did you should still be able to re-process in a pressure canner.

  13. Good Morning Marissa, first I would like to say that although I am new to your site (found through search menu), I am really enjoying the articles and all the comments from other readers (I always find reader comments very helpful). So here is my reason for writing to you… I am in the process of making my husbands favorite dish of almost made from scratch Chicken Enchiladas (the tortillas are store bought). This time I thought since I am learning how to can all over again (used to help stepmom as a young girl), that I would can my chicken stock. I do not want to lose all the yummy vegetables in my stock after I remove the chicken. After reading one of your reader comments I am planning to reboil the carcasses again to get more flavor and more gelatin in the stock, but as stated above I still don’t want to lose all the yummy celery, carrots, garlic, onions & herbs that I cooked my chicken in once I strain the stock. Is it possible to process or emulsify the vegetables and add them back into the stock for canning. Also, I am at an elevation of 5,159 ft. do I need to add more than 10 minutes for every 1000 ft to my canning time. Thanks for any advice you or your readers can give me… Thanks again 😀 ~Suzy-in-Colorado~

  14. Hi! I like your blog and jumped at the chance to give you a tip! You really need to try making the stock in your pressure canner! Throw all your ingredients in the canner, cover with water and bring up to 15 pounds for about 15 minutes. Strain it, transfer to jars, clean your canner and process the jars as you mention above – or freeze it. This makes the best stock ive ever had – and you really barely need to chop anything. You will not be sorry!

  15. Just curious. I clicked on this because it mentioned water bath canning of chicken broth. Can I use a water bath canner or do I need a pressure canner? The intro in the search enginge was misleading.

  16. I recently started preserving food and do not have a pressure cooker. I also just cooked up some chicken in the crock pot for hours with some lemon juice included. I put the broth in jars and did a water bath. As I read things though it says to do pressure cooker for meats. Even though I have lemon juice in mine, should i not count on water bath?

  17. Two questions:
    1.) you have a picture of canned chicken broth with chicken meat, can we put chicken in with the chicken broth for this recipe?
    2.) Does roasting the chicken first require a “cover” anytime during the roasting?

    Thanks, Lenora

    1. If you want to add chicken to the jar, you’ll need to follow this tutorial: Canning Chicken.
      I do not cover the roasting chicken with anything since I don’t roast for a very long time but if you find that yours is burning you may need to cover or move to a lower rack in the oven to roast.

  18. Just out of curiosity, you said you put the liquid, veggies, bones and carcass in your cooker, but what do you usually do with the roasted chicken itself?

    1. The entire thing goes in the Instant Pot. After I have pressure cooked it, then I remove the meat from the bones and use for another meal. The broth gets canned 🙂

  19. I would like a recipe for a good dill pickle maybe with garlic flavor. Every recipe that I have tried my pickles come out soggy or limp. I want a crispy pickle like you buy in the stores. Please help as I have tried probably 20 different recipes, what am I doing wrong.

    1. I can share my recipe this summer! It’s quite tart but you could tone it down a little if needed. I always add garlic and we think the pickles are pretty crispy 🙂