Can I use water in place of the bone broth or stock?

Absolutely! The roasted chicken bones are so flavorful, even simmering them with water and the aromatic vegetables and herbs will create a lovely sauce. If you use water, you may want to increase the ratio of bones to liquid to make up for the flavor you'll miss from not using broth.

How long does chicken broth or chicken jus last in the refrigerator?

Chicken jus can last up to a week (seven days) in the refrigerator (a professional, food safety standard). But it also freezes great and thaws quickly. So don't hesitate to freeze any leftovers. I like to cool chicken jus, seal it in a large zipper bag, and lay it flat in the freezer so it hardens in a thin layer. It takes up much less space that way. And then breaking off pieces of it for heating and serving is quick and easy.

Is chicken broth the same as chicken stock?

Chicken broth and chicken stock are made in similar ways, but the ingredients differ. Chicken stock is made by simmering roasted bones in water with aromatic vegetables and herbs. While chicken broth is classically made by simmering mostly meat and perhaps bones in stock, also with added herbs and aromatics for more flavor. Any kind of broth can be served as a finished dish. But stock is typically used as a base for sauces and soups. Although a carefully-made bone broth is wonderful enjoyed as is.

The Secret to Amazing Roast Chicken Jus

Ingredients

Scale

1 32-ounce box of unsalted chicken bone broth or stock (or 1 quart of water)
½ of a pound or 8 ounces of chicken bones and/or rotisserie chicken carcasses
½ of a yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
3 to 4 garlic cloves, smashed
2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
1 tablespoon of whole peppercorns, any cole
½ bundle of fresh Italian parsley
5 fresh thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, optional
¼ of a teaspoon of kosher salt (if even necessary, taste the finished jus before adding salt)

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 450° F. Allow frozen or chilled bones to come to room temperature.
Remove as much leftover meat as possible from the roast chicken carcasses. Wings and necks don't need any special preparation.
Place the bones on a baking pan and drizzle with a high-heat oil like avocado, sunflower, or canola. Then roast the bones until they are a beautiful, deep golden brown, about twenty minutes for previously-roasted carcasses, or about forty minutes for wings and necks.
While the bones roast, chop the celery and onions into inch-sized pieces. Peel and chop the carrots the same. Smash the garlic cloves but leave the skin on. Cut the stems off the bottom of the parsley and chop and reserve the leaves for garnish.
Place the caramelized bones in a large pot, dutch oven, or even Instant Pot, and add your broth, stock, or water and the apple cider vinegar. Bring the ingredients to a strong simmer, then turn the heat down to medium. I like to place the pot slightly off the center of the burner. This creates a small amount of convection (heat movement) in the pot.
Once the broth comes to a steady simmer with bubbles breaking the surface consistently, add the vegetables, herbs, and any whole spices like peppercorns. Simmer for an hour, or until the volume reduces down to a quarter of what you started with (about a cup of liquid for every quart of broth).
Once the vegetables are soft and the broth has reduced to a quarter of its original volume, strain the chicken jus through a fine mesh sieve into a heat-proof bowl or container. You can also strain the jus into a smaller pot to keep it warm for serving. If you don't have a mesh strainer, you can line a colander with cheesecloth to catch all the bits of vegetables, bones, and herbs (or in a pinch paper towels, but it may take a bit of trial and error). I like to strain any liquid over the sink for safety.
Stir in any fresh chopped herbs you are using and taste the chicken jus to see if it needs salt. If you simmered rotisserie or roast chicken carcasses, you may not need to add any salt since they were seasoned previously. If the sauce does need salt, add a few granules and stir to dissolve it. Then taste and repeat until you reach the right level of saltiness for you.
Store any leftover chicken jus in the refrigerator for up to a week. Or cool it, seal it in an airtight food storage bag, and freeze it. I like to lay bags of sauce flat in the freezer so they harden in a thin layer. It makes them easier to store once frozen solid and saves space.

Notes

The Technique of Roasting the Vegetables

If you'd like to roast and caramelize the celery, onion, and carrots along with the bones you can. It's a classical technique and will add more flavor. I don't call for it specifically in this recipe for the sake of keeping it simple. The bones and vegetables will roast at different speeds and require more attention. I also like the fresh, light flavor of simmering the raw vegetables in the broth. But your kitchen, you're the boss.

Dietary Accommodations

The recipe is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and of course nut-free. It's safe for nearly all meat-eating diets including those following a paleo-style or ketogenic diet. But of course, read the ingredient list on any rotisserie chicken you buy.

GAPS Diet Protocol. For a chicken jus safe for the GAPS Diet protocol, begin with your own homemade roasted chicken carcasses, or fresh chicken necks and wings. Then simmer the roasted bones in your GAPS broth with the added vegetables and herbs.

Vegan or Vegetarian. For anyone who follows a vegan or vegetarian diet, a rich, delicious vegetable jus can be made with the same method. Simply roast your root vegetables to a deep golden brown in place of the chicken bones. Then simmer them in vegetable stock or broth with smashed garlic, peppercorns, and plenty of fresh herbs.

On the Nutrition Information

The counts below are based on the recipe as written using water, not stock or broth. Depending on which brand of broth you choose and what type of bones, the protein, nutrient, and salt amounts will differ.

Author: Christina
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: French
Diet: Gluten Free

Nutrition

Serving Size:
Calories: 327
Sugar: 20.1 g
Sodium: 4028.9 mg
Fat: 1.8 g
Carbohydrates: 55.5 g
Protein: 23 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: roast chicken jus, Bouchon chicken jus recipe, substitute for demi-glace