If you’ve ever tried to make your own chicken soup or stew, then the chances are you might have used Chicken Bouillon granules. These are small tablet-sized pieces of dried chicken broth that are used to flavor up your meat or vegetable dish.
Bouillon also contains onion powder, garlic, and other seasonings that will add an extra kick to your dish. You can have many kinds of bouillon, including beef, shrimp, turkey, and other vegetables.
But what if you reach into your kitchen cabinet and find you have no chicken bouillon left?
Well, there are a few substitutes that you can use for this chicken stock. So which are the best chicken bouillon alternatives? How do they differ in flavor?
Can you use them in your recipe? Well, we have compiled a list of some of the best chicken bouillon substitutes, along with some pros and cons.
Best Substitutes For Chicken Bouillon
Canned Chicken Broth (249g)
- Calories: 15
- Total Fat: 0.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
- Sodium: 924mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 1.1g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 1.1g
- Protein: 1.6g
- Substitute ratio: 2:1
Italian Seasoning (5.5g)
- Calories: 15
- Total Fat: 0.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 2.4mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 3.4g
- Dietary Fiber: 2.1g
- Sugars: 0.2g
- Protein: 0.6g
- Substitute ratio: 2:1
Flavored Stock (220g)
- Calories: 13
- Total Fat: 0.2g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 667mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 2.2g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 1.3g
- Protein: 0.5g
- Substitute ratio: 1:1
Chicken Bouillon Cubes (2g)
- Calories: 5.3
- Total Fat: 0.3
- Saturated Fat: 0.1g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g
- Cholesterol: 0.3mg
- Sodium: 478mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 0.4g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 0.4g
- Protein: 0.3g
- Substiution ratio: 1:1
Herbs (2.8g)
- Calories: 4.8
- Total Fat: 0.1g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 3.5mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 0.9g
- Dietary Fiber: 0.4g
- Sugars: 0.1g
- Protein: 0.4g
- Substitution Ratio: 2:1
Chicken Bouillon Granules Nutrition (2g)
- Calories: 5.3
- Total Fat: 0.3g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g
- Cholesterol: 0.3mg
- Sodium: 478mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 0.4g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 0.4g
- Protein: 0.3g
What Do Chicken Bouillon Granules Taste Like?
These are small tubes of dried chicken broth that are mixed with onion, garlic, and other dried seasoning to make cubes of flavor that you can add to your stew, soup, broth, or gravy dish.
These granules are not too strong, as otherwise, they would overpower the flavor of the original dish. They will dissolve into your food quite easily.
You can add chicken bouillon granules to a lot of different dishes, most of which are primarily meats. They are usually sold in packs or jars and are available in most larger supermarkets.
But what if you can’t find any chicken bouillon granules in your local supermarket? Well, we have some of the best alternatives that you can add to your food right away. Here are just a few.
Best Chicken Bouillon Granule Substitutes
1. Canned Chicken Broth
If you are looking for a flavor that is like chicken bouillon granules, then canned chicken broth is one of the better alternatives. It contains the same basic ingredients and will taste almost indistinguishable in your final meal.
This broth comes in a can, which means that it will keep in your cupboard for months, possibly even years. It is available from most supermarkets, so you shouldn’t worry about the canned chicken broth shelves being empty.
2. Italian Seasoning
This seasoning will really give your meal that kick you have been looking for. It is a combination of spicy and aromatic, including herbs like basil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, sage, and garlic powder.
This is the perfect accompaniment to a lot of meat dishes including chicken, beef, shrimp, and pork.
You can also add it to your vegetables so that they taste less bland. Italian seasoning contains a lot of salt, so you might not want to add it to food that is already salty.
3. Flavored Stock
As we mentioned above, there are many types of granules that you can buy for your meal, not just chicken. Beef and vegetable stock is also available and although it will taste different, it does come with the same supplementary seasonings such as garlic and onions.
Experimenting with these granules and different meats will be very important for establishing the flavor profile that you want. If you are making your own stock, you can add more onion or reduce the garlic to get the flavor that you desire.
4. Chicken Bouillon Cubes
Okay, we’re slightly cheating with this one, as they are the same flavor as chicken bouillon granules, except they are shaped like cubes. This does not affect the flavor, but it changes how you add it to the dish.
These are more widely available than granules, so if you want some, then all you have to do is go to your nearest store and pick them up. As we mentioned above, they aren’t radically different from your chicken bouillon stock.
5. Herbs
You can add whatever mix of herbs that you want to your food. In fact, this might be preferable to some people who want to control what they put in their food or want to make sure that their seasoning contains more organic ingredients.
You can also adapt your seasoning depending on what dish you are having. A soup might taste better when rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, and oregano are added, whereas a salad might taste better with some parsley and marjoram.
Popular Recipes That Call For Chicken Bouillon Granules
1. Jollof Rice
This contains a whole plethora of herbs that create a rich and aromatic rice dish. This is popular in Nigeria and is very quick to make. This also features tomato and garlic.
2. Chicken With Bouillon
If you like your chicken flavors, then why not give it a boost with extra chicken granules? This is a simple dish that will only take you a few minutes to prepare and just under 20 minutes to cook.
Conclusion
We hope that our guide to chicken bouillon granule substitutes has given you some idea of what else is on offer. Make sure that you measure out some of these alternatives carefully, as it is very easy to overwhelm your dish.
