How To Make Chinese Chicken and Meat Stock

This recipe is part of our collection of Everyday Chinese Meals. Sign up for our newsletter to receive family-friendly activity, recipe and craft ideas throughout the year!

When I am asked for tips that make it easier to cook delicious Chinese food at home, I usually start by recommending a well-seasoned wok and a pantry stocked with essential sauces and seasonings. Third on my list is having homemade Chinese chicken and meat stock on hand — it’s a secret ingredient that will improve every dish you add it to.

Good stock provides a hearty foundation for soups and adds an extra dimension to any sauce. To see what I mean, try using homemade stock in Chicken and Mushroom Soup, Kung Pao Chicken or Lion’s Head Meatballs, for instance. You’ll taste the difference in the dish itself, as well as in your rice bowl as the different sauces soak in.

You can actually make a really good chicken stock in the course of cooking a Whole White Cut Chicken, but for more depth you’ll want to use this recipe, which adds pork and Shaoxing rice wine. The result is a richer, more complex flavor with heartiness from the meat bones and lighter contributions from the ginger, green onions and rice wine. Frankly, it’s so good, I can just drink a bowl of it plain.

The only real roadblock to making stock regularly is the time involved. It’s a solid 4 hours. However, especially during the winter months, there always seem to be afternoons spent at home preparing holiday decorations, watching the football game or cleaning up the house. You can easily babysit a gently simmering stock pot for a few hours while any of these activities are going on. Do it! The reward is outstanding.

Here’s how to make Chinese chicken and meat stock, step-by-step. The detailed tutorial with pictures and directions is at the bottom of the page.

Your turn! What tips can you share from your family’s recipe? Want to ask a question before you start cooking? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!

Chinese Chicken and Meat Stock Recipe

Makes: 12 Cups | Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Cook Time: 4 Hours

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds chicken bones
1 1/2 pounds pork bones
4 green onions, cut into 4″ lengths
12 slices ginger, smashed
1/3 cup Shaoxing rice wine
2 teaspoons salt
16 cups water

Directions

1. Break the meat bones into large pieces, then combine in a stock pot with the green onions, ginger, rice wine, salt and water.

2. Bring to a boil and skim the surface of any fat and bubbles.

3. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 4 hours, stirring and skimming the surface periodically.

4. Remove the meat bones and other solids, then strain the stock.

5. Jar and store in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze in smaller portions for later use.

Step-By-Step Tutorial

Great stock is only a few steps away! Chinese stock combines the heartiness of chicken and pork bones and the freshness of ginger and green onions, married together with Shaoxing rice wine.

Break the meat bones into large pieces, then combine in a stock pot with the green onions, ginger, rice wine, salt and water.

Bring to a boil and skim the surface of any fat and bubbles.

Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 4 hours, stirring and skimming the surface periodically.

Here’s what the stock looks like after 4 hours of simmering on the stove.

Remove the meat bones and other solids, then strain the stock.

Jar and store in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze in smaller portions for later use.