Chicken broth is cooking liquid leftover after simmering chicken skin, carcass, and meat in water. The chicken components stew with vegetables, herbs, and spices, which give the broth its light, but tasty flavors.
Chicken broth is often used to make soups and sauces, like chicken noodle soup and chicken velouté sauce. It also helps add flavor to main dishes, like ramen or chicken stir-fries.
Despite its usefulness, there may be times when you have run out of chicken broth, or are unable to find it in the store.
If you’re out of chicken broth, the best substitutes are chicken stock, bone broth, white wine, salted butter and water, dashi, aquafaba, vegetable broth, coconut milk, and beef broth.
Many of these substitutes can be found in regular grocery stores and will give your dishes similar chicken-broth flavors.
Let’s find out more about these chicken broth substitutes!
Chicken Broth Substitutes: Cooking Ratio & Nutritional Value
| Calories | Fat | Carbs | Protein | Ratio | |
| Chicken Stock (1 cup) | 86 | 2.9 g | 8.5 g | 6 g | 1:1 |
| Bone Broth(1 cup) | 41 | 0.3 g | 0.6 g | 9.4 g | 1:1 |
| White Wine(5 fl oz) | 121 | 0 g | 3.8 g | 0.1 g | Splash for ½ cup broth |
| Salted Butter and Water(one tbsp in one cup) | 102 | 12 g | 0 g | 0.1 g | 1 tbsp butter & 1 cup water for 1 cup broth |
| Aquafaba(1 cup) | 43 | 0.5 g | 7 g | 2.4 g | 1:1 |
| Dashi | 37 | 1.9 g | 0 g | 5.3 g | To taste |
| Vegetable Broth | 13 | 0.2 g | 2.2 g | 0.5 g | 1:1 |
| Coconut Milk | 445 | 48 g | 6.4 g | 4.6 g | 1:1 |
| Beef Broth | 17 | 0.5 g | 0.1 g | 2.7 g | 1:1 |
What Does Chicken Broth Taste Like?
A point to keep in mind is that regular chicken broth is different from chicken stock.
Though both products are simmered with herbs and spices, the stock is made by simmering connective tissue, ligaments, and bones, which gives the liquid a stronger flavor. Broth, on the other hand, is made from simmering meat scraps.
Chicken bone broth has a mild, savory taste. It doesn’t taste as strong as real chicken meat, but the broth does have a noticeable chicken flavor. It’s thinner and lighter compared to stock, so it’s ideal for use in recipes where you don’t want the broth to overpower the dish.
Chicken broth can be salty, though others find it has gentle sweet notes, depending on the vegetables and herbs used to make it.
Store-bought chicken broth bottles normally contain more sodium, which gives it its salty flavor. If you make the broth at home or opt for low-sodium brands, the broth may taste less salty, taking on flavors from other ingredients instead.
Chicken Broth Nutritional Value
One cup of chicken broth contains:
- 38 calories
- 1.4 g fat
- 2.9 g carbs
- 4.8 g protein
Chicken Broth Substitutes
- Chicken stock
- Bone broth
- White wine
- Salted butter & water
- Dashi
- Aquafaba
- Vegetable broth
- Coconut milk
- Beef broth
Chicken Stock
Chicken stock is different from chicken broth as it’s made with more ingredients, like bones, herbs, and vegetables. The two ingredients taste similar, which is why the stock works well as a chicken broth substitute.
Chicken stock needs more cooking time, which gives it its stronger, robust flavors. It’s also thicker compared to the broth as it contains collagen from chicken bones.
Whether you make it at home or opt for store-bought versions, you can use the chicken stock in place of chicken broth in a 1:1 ratio.
Bone Broth
Bone broth is similar to stock, as it involves simmering bones over the stove. The difference is that bone broth stews for longer on a lower heat. This technique releases more collagen, gelatin, vitamins, and calcium compared to stock.
Chicken bone broth has a thicker consistency and stronger flavor compared to regular chicken broth. It will work as a substitute in a 1:1 ratio, but keep in mind that your dish may have more noticeable chicken flavors.
If you want lighter, more subtle chicken flavors, you can dilute the broth with some water before you use it.
White Wine
White wine is a great ingredient to have in your kitchen. It’s often used to season sauces and deglaze skillets, but its interesting notes can help emphasize different ingredients in a recipe.
We’d recommend using dry white wine in place of chicken broth, as this has a light acidity that works well in several recipes.
Remember that wine flavors change when you cook with them. Don’t go for expensive bottles, as they will taste like bottom-shelf options after a couple of minutes on the stove.
By the same token, don’t go for the cheapest bottle, as you may not like the flavors or acidity it gives your recipes. Aim to find a wine brand that you like that is both affordable and readily available.
Use a splash of dry white wine for every ½ a cup of chicken broth.
Salted Butter and Water
Butter elevates a variety of recipes and works surprisingly well as a chicken broth substitute! Salted butter has warm, rich, and mild savory flavors, just like chicken broth!
Mixing the butter with water creates a tasty, broth-like liquid. You won’t need a lot of butter either. A little goes a long way to give your dishes a tasty flavor.
It’s best to find a less expensive butter option to cook with. Save the high-priced options for your bread rolls, but don’t opt for the cheapest option, as these may not have the flavors you’re looking for. Look for a butter product that is relatively affordable, but of decent quality.
For every cup of chicken broth, use a tablespoon of salted butter mixed with one cup of water.
Dashi
Dashi is a type of Japanese broth that’s made with kelp, dried fish flakes, and water. Dashi has a strong umami flavor, which is why it’s used to make a lot of Asian fish soups.
If you’re using dashi, it’s best to gradually add the mix to a bowl and taste test as you go. Its fishy and salty flavors can easily overpower broths and soups, so you’ll need to take care when using it as a chicken broth substitute.
There’s no one ratio to use dashi in place of chicken broth. It’s best to dilute dashi with water until it reaches your desired taste. Add the solution to your dish bit by bit until you’re happy with the flavor.
Aquafaba
Aquafaba is the liquid you find in chickpea cans. Instead of throwing the liquid away, save the liquid for use later. Aquafaba has a distinct flavor that works well in place of chicken broth. It’s also low in calories and contains small amounts of protein, just like broth.
Chickpea juice can be starchy, so it’s best to dilute the liquid with a little water before you use it in your recipes. However, if you need a substitute that has a stronger chicken flavor, it’s best to opt for one of the other options on this list.
You can substitute aquafaba for chicken broth in a 1:1 ratio.
Vegetable Broth
You can make vegetable broth with leftovers in your fridge, or find store-bought options in the grocery store. This has a similar savory taste and color to chicken broth, so it works relatively well in its place.
It’s easy to make vegetable broth, as you simply stew vegetables and aromatic ingredients on the stove with some water. Use fragrant products, like onion and garlic, as this will help the broth taste more like chicken broth.
Vegetable broth is good to have in the fridge (or frozen) for kitchen emergencies, but keep in mind that it won’t be as thick as regular chicken broth.
Use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth in a 1:1 ratio.
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk contains more fat than the other chicken broth substitute options in this post. This is why it’s better for sauces and curries, as it gives these recipes a creamy, satisfying texture.
Coconut milk’s fatty qualities go well with other ingredients, like garlic, onion, butter, and cheese. However, remember that its fat content will affect other textures and flavors in a recipe. Clear soup recipes, for instance, will turn cloudy, like Pho or chicken noodle soup.
Coconut milk has a nutty flavor, so make sure that these notes work well with your recipe’s flavor profile.
You can substitute coconut milk for chicken broth in a 1:1 ratio.
Beef Broth
The beef broth has a deeper color and flavor compared to chicken broth, but they’re made using similar techniques.
Other than the meat, these two broths may be made with similar herbs, like thyme, parsley, or bay leaves. This is why beef broth may work well as a chicken broth substitute.
You can use beef broth and chicken broth interchangeably with a 1:1 ratio, but it’s best to save this substitute for dishes where chicken isn’t one of the primary flavors.
If you’re making a recipe where chicken notes are needed, like chicken noodle soup, it’s best to opt for another substitute, like chicken stock.
Popular Recipes That Call For Chicken Broth
Chicken broth is often used to make soups and sauces, but it can also be used to add flavor to main dishes. Here are some tasty recipes that are made with chicken broth.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken noodle soup is an incredibly comforting meal!
It’s perfect for warming you up on a cold night, when you need a simple dinner option, or lifting your spirits when you’re sick. The noodles absorb the chicken broth’s flavors, creating a dish that’s packed with flavor.
Chicken soup recipes can take a long time to cook on the stove, but this one can be made in just half an hour!
Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken & Potatoes
Chicken broth is perfect for adding flavor to sauces, like the Parmesan sauce in this recipe. This chicken and potato recipe looks incredible, but it’s very easy to put together.
Whether you make it for a weeknight dinner or make a large portion to serve at a get-together, this creamy chicken dish will always go down a treat!
Chicken Pho
This East Asian dish looks complex, but is deceptively simple. Traditional pho takes a few hours to stew, but you can have this version on the table in just 20 minutes!
Chicken and pho noodles stew with chicken broth, ginger, fish sauce, red chilies, and a touch of sugar. The result is a savory, sour, and spicy dish with a mild sweetness running through it – just delicious!
Conclusion
If you’ve run out of chicken broth and are unable to purchase a new bottle, there are several ingredients you can use in its place!
The best chicken broth alternative is chicken stock. This is made with many of the same chicken broth ingredients. It tastes slightly stronger compared to chicken broth, but it will give your dish the same savory flavors.
If you don’t have any chicken stock, you can opt for household ingredients, like white wine, or butter and water. These will give your dishes a similar hearty, slightly savory feel.
We hope that you find a chicken broth alternative that works for you!
