8 Best Chicken Broth Substitutes You May Already Have in Your Kitchen
Just look in your pantry!
There's nothing more comforting than a delicious soup when you're sick or the weather is freezing, and so many of them start with the same simple ingredient: chicken broth. It's one of the best pantry staples, which is exactly why Ree Drummond always tries to keep a few cartons or cans on hand. Still, it's easy to run out at the worst possible moment—like when your veggies are already chopped and the pot is on the stove, but you find your stash on the shelf has vanished. If you're wondering what to use instead of chicken broth, don't stress! There are some easy chicken broth substitutes that will keep your favorite soups and stews on track.
Chicken broth isn't just for making soup either! You can splash it into a hot skillet to deglaze and make a quick pan sauce, or use it as a flavorful braising liquid for meats (like Ree's garlicky pan-roasted chicken thighs). You can always make your own broth, but it takes a couple of hours (and a little planning)—which is not exactly helpful when dinner needs to happen tonight. Enter: these chicken broth substitutes.
Before you head to the grocery store, read on to find a chicken broth swap you may already have in your kitchen. Of course, chicken stock is an easy switch and is often considered interchangeable with chicken broth. But the other options might surprise you! A few just need a tiny seasoning tweak (some are saltier, some are lighter), but you'll still get the moisture and flavor your recipe needs. Just remember to add broth to your shopping list for next time!
More helpful tips on pantry staple substitutes:
Vegetable Broth
This one is a no-brainer: Just use another kind of broth! Vegetable broth is an easy substitute for chicken broth—it has a very similar flavor and color and can be used as a one-to-one substitute. It typically has most of the same aromatics like the mirepoix trifecta of carrots, celery, and onions, plus salt, pepper, and herbs, so the flavor will be quite similar in the end. You can also substitute in turkey broth or stock if you have that on hand for extra poultry savoriness.
Miso Paste
If you keep miso in the fridge, you've got an easy (and super savory) chicken broth stand-in. Whisk 1 to 2 teaspoons white or yellow miso into 1 cup hot water (start small, because you can always add more). This won't taste exactly like chicken broth, but it does bring that cozy, savory depth that makes soups and sauces need. One tip: add the miso mixture toward the end of cooking and avoid a hard boil, since boiling can dull the flavor. It's especially good in brothy noodle soups, quick veggie soups, and pan sauces—just remember it can make the liquid a little cloudy and it already brings some salt, so taste before adding more seasoning.
Chicken Bouillon
Check the back of your pantry: If you’re lucky, you might already have some chicken bouillon cubes that you can use as a chicken broth substitute. These little powdered wonders will dissolve in hot water and provide a very similar flavor to chicken broth. Just remember that they're likely saltier than your usual chicken broth, so start by adding less seasoning up front. Then try a half cube or packet first and then add more to your liking. Make sure to taste for seasonings as you go along.
White Wine
If your recipe calls for ½ cup chicken broth or less, dry white wine is an easy and flavorful substitute. It will add a slightly acidic flavor and it's great for when you need to deglaze a pan or thin out a sauce. Don't worry, at high heat, most of the alcohol will evaporate. But if a recipe calls for more liquid, using wine is not suggested. In larger quantities, it will just taste, well, like wine not broth.
Chicken Base
Chicken base usually comes in a small jar and chicken broth concentrate often comes in a single-serve packet—both can be dissolved in hot water. They both add a similar depth of flavor to your recipes. Much like bouillon cubes, start with less seasoning up front and half a serving size of the base. Then work your way up to more to the desired saltiness and flavor profile you want. The great thing about a jar of chicken base is that it's so much easier to add more without trying to break off a hunk of bouillon or waste extra.
Salted Butter and Water
If you don’t have broth on hand and want a little more flavor than just plain water, try subbing in a cup of water plus a tablespoon of butter for every cup of chicken broth. The butter will help create a richer flavor than just water alone, though you will probably have to adjust for salt, pepper, and other seasonings to compensate. This swap isn't recommended in recipes where chicken broth is the main ingredient since it lacks the full savory flavor profile. You can add the water and butter together or use the water to deglaze and add the butter at the end to finish the dish to give it richness.
Water
You're sure to have this on hand! If your recipe calls for a small amount of broth for deglazing a pan or thinning out a soup, stew or sauce, try water instead in the same one-to-one ratio. You may want to add a few more seasonings like salt, pepper, or dried herbs to get the full flavor that broth would provide. If you're making a brothy soup like chicken noodle soup or a similar recipe where broth is one of the major components, water is not the best substitute.
Instant Ramen Flavor Packet
If you happen to have instant ramen in your pantry for those lazy days, you also have a good substitute for chicken broth in that flavor packet. Much like chicken base and bouillon, start with a little bit mixed with the amount of water you need and work up to the level of flavor and saltiness. Remember, that little packet packs quite a punch! Then elevate the ramen noodles for another meal so nothing gets wasted. You can also consider other flavor packets like soup mix in a pinch, too!
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