The One Kitchen Scrap I Will Never Throw Away

• Why I Never Throw Away A Rotisserie Chicken
• How To Make Chicken Stock With Rotisserie Chicken Bones
• How To Use Your Homemade Chicken Stock

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and that’s why I NEVER throw away this valuable kitchen scrap!

Most home cooks know how useful of a shortcut rotisserie chickens can be. After taking the meat off the bones, you can use it in sandwiches, enchiladas, burritos, soups, casseroles, and more.

But what some people don’t know is that rotisserie chickens can still be useful after you’ve used up all the meat! You can use the bones and other scraps to save money and possibly a trip to the grocery store by turning them into a delicious homemade chicken stock.

Why I Never Throw Away A Rotisserie Chicken

After removing all the meat from a rotisserie chicken, I never throw out the bones. Instead, I save them in a gallon-size freezer bag and tuck it away in my freezer to use in a future batch of delicious homemade chicken stock!

It couldn’t be easier to make, and it saves me both money and energy because I almost always have some on hand when I need it for a recipe.

Making your own chicken stock used to be an all-day affair, but thanks to the Instant Pot, you can now do it in just a couple of hours! Plus, that’s time you can spend working on other things, because you don’t have to check on it regularly like you do with something you’re cooking on the stovetop.

Here’s how to use rotisserie chicken bones to make chicken stock.

How To Make Chicken Stock With Rotisserie Chicken Bones

Ingredients you can use:

• Rotisserie chicken carcass
• Vegetable scraps
• Herb stems
• Produce you need to use up

Directions:

Place the bones from one or two rotisserie chickens in your Instant Pot, along with whatever vegetables or scraps you have on hand or have stashed in your freezer. (Celery, carrots, onions, leeks, and mushrooms are all classic flavorings for stocks, but you can also branch out depending on what you have on hand.)

Once all your ingredients are in the pot, add enough water to cover them and twist the lid into place. Use the Pressure Cook function to cook the stock for 30 minutes to 2 hours. (The longer you cook it, the richer and more flavorful your stock will turn out.)

After cooking, let the pressure release naturally for about 15 minutes, then turn the handle on the lid to Quick Release the remaining pressure. Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve to remove the solids, and you’re done!

How To Use Your Homemade Chicken Stock

Transfer your homemade stock to an airtight container and store it in your fridge for up to one week. If you won’t use it up before then, you can always freeze it to use later on.

To make frozen stock easier to use, measure it out into 1-cup servings before freezing. You could also pour it into an ice cube tray to make frozen stock cubes! (Just be sure to store them to a ziplock freezer bag once they’re frozen solid.)

Use your homemade stock in any recipe that calls for stock or broth. It will add a fresh homemade flavor that store-bought stocks just can’t replicate! 🙂

Cook Your Stock Down To Save Space

• If you’re worried about your homemade stock taking up too much space in your fridge or freezer, there’s an easy solution!
• Reduce your stock by cooking it down on your stovetop (or in your Instant Pot using the Sauté function).
• You’ll end up with a concentrated stock that takes up less of your precious fridge or freezer space!
• To use your concentrated stock, just add approximately as much water back into the stock as you cooked out when you reduced it.

What’s your favorite way to transform or reuse kitchen scraps?