lbs chicken bones
Rich in collagen and gelatin when cooked, which support joint and gut health; provide minerals including calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium, though bioavailability varies with cooking duration and acidity.
About
Chicken bones are the skeletal framework of domesticated chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus), composed primarily of collagen, minerals (calcium, phosphorus), and marrow. These bones vary in size and density depending on their anatomical origin—long bones from legs and wings, flat bones from the back, and smaller bones from the ribcage and spine. When cooked, particularly through prolonged simmering, the collagen breaks down into gelatin, enriching broths and stocks with body and mouthfeel. Raw chicken bones are cream-colored to pale yellow; roasted bones develop a deeper color that contributes complexity to stocks through the Maillard reaction.
Culinary Uses
Chicken bones are fundamental to stock-making across virtually all culinary traditions. Long simmered in water with aromatics (onion, carrot, celery, herbs), they yield flavorful chicken stock or bone broth used as a foundation for soups, sauces, risottos, and braised dishes. Roasted chicken bones produce darker, more robust stocks suitable for pan sauces and reductions. Chicken bones may also be used in making aspic, added to pet food preparations, or composted. They are typically simmered for 4-8 hours for standard stock, or 12-24 hours for deep bone broths.