Best Herbs for Chicken Broth: What to Add and When

The short answer: thyme, bay, rosemary, sage, parsley and cilantro, all added together at the end. That's how we make our broth, and it's the simplest way to get herb flavor that tastes fresh instead of worn out.

Most recipes tell you to stagger herbs, hardy ones early and soft ones late. We skip that. Bones need hours to give up their gelatin and flavor. Herbs don't. Leave them in for the whole simmer and rosemary and sage go bitter, while parsley and cilantro turn dull and grassy. Add them all at the end and each one still tastes like itself.

Quick guide: amounts for a big pot

These amounts are for a home stockpot of roughly 4 quarts of water and a chicken carcass or a few pounds of bones. Our own pots are much bigger and we use far more herbs, so scale up to the size of your pot.

How to add them

1. Finish the long simmer first. Bones, water, a splash of vinegar, and as many hours as you like.
2. Turn the heat down to low (or off).
3. Add all the herbs at once and let them steep, covered, for 30 minutes. For a stronger herb flavor, you can go up to an hour.
4. Taste. If you want more herb, steep longer rather than adding more.
5. Strain well, pressing gently on the herbs.

What each herb does

Thyme. If you only use one herb in chicken broth, make it thyme. Whole sprigs are fine, since the leaves fall off on their own and you'll strain them out.

Bay leaf. Bay is the herb nobody notices until it's missing. It rounds off the richness of the bones with a mild, slightly sweet note. Two leaves is plenty, and they come out when you strain.

Rosemary. Rosemary is strong. One sprig is often enough, and two is the limit for a large pot. It's wonderful when broth is headed for a roasted-vegetable soup or white beans, and less so for a delicate congee.

Sage. Sage and poultry are an old pairing, and a few leaves give the broth a savory, slightly peppery warmth. Add a little and taste. Too much and the broth turns bitter and soapy.

Parsley. Parsley keeps broth tasting fresh rather than heavy. Use the stems too, since they carry plenty of flavor.

Cilantro. Cilantro is in our chicken broth, and it's the herb people don't expect. Be generous with it: a large handful, stems included, goes a long way in a home-sized pot. It gives chicken broth a brighter, almost citrusy edge that works especially well if the broth is headed for congee, rice bowls or anything with ginger and lime. It's also a divisive herb: if you're one of the people who finds it soapy, swap in extra parsley and nothing else changes.

Two more worth trying: ginger and fennel

Neither is a classic for chicken soup, and both are in our broths for a reason. A few slices of fresh ginger add a clean warmth, and a little fennel (a few fronds, or a sliced bulb) adds a faint sweetness that makes chicken taste more like itself. Add them along with the herbs. Both also show up on the traditional list of carminative herbs, the ones people have long reached for after a heavy meal, if you want to know what else belongs in that kitchen drawer.

What about onion and garlic?

Most recipes would tell you to start with an onion and a head of garlic. You don't need them. Between thyme, bay, ginger, fennel and a fresh finish of parsley or cilantro you get plenty of depth, and a broth without them is easier on anyone who reacts to onion or garlic. We've written about how to cook without onion and garlic, including what to use instead. It's how all of our broths are made.

Fresh or dried?

Fresh is better, especially because the herbs go in at the end and don't have hours to bloom. If you only have dried thyme, rosemary, sage or bay, use about a third as much and steep a little longer. Skip dried parsley and dried cilantro altogether, they add almost nothing.

What if I'd rather add hardy herbs early?

Plenty of cooks put thyme, rosemary and bay in at the start, and it works. You get a deeper, more cooked herb flavor. The trade-off is that rosemary and sage can turn bitter over a long simmer, so use less of them. If you try both, the difference is easy to taste.

A word on the health claims

You'll see lists of herbs "packed with antioxidants" and vitamins. Herbs do contain beneficial plant compounds, but in the small amounts that end up in a pot of broth, the main reason to use them is flavor. Treat any nutritional benefit as a bonus. If a broth is worth drinking, it's because it tastes good and you'll actually drink it.

Frequently asked questions

When should I add herbs to chicken broth?
At the end. Finish the long simmer, lower the heat, add all the herbs together and steep for 30 minutes, or up to an hour for a stronger flavor, before straining.

Can I use dried herbs in chicken broth?
Yes, for thyme, rosemary, sage and bay. Use about one third the amount of fresh. Use fresh parsley and cilantro, always.

How many herbs is too many?
If you can pick out each one, you've used too many. Stick to the amounts above and taste before you add more.

What herbs go best with chicken soup?
Thyme, parsley and bay for a classic flavor. Add cilantro for a brighter, fresher soup, or ginger for something warmer.

Do I have to strain the herbs?
Yes. Whole sprigs and leaves get bitter and slimy if they sit in the broth, so strain when it's done.

If you'd rather not make it from scratch

Our Chicken Bone Broth Elixir is simmered for over 24 hours with thyme, cilantro, ginger, fennel and a long list of fresh herbs, without onion or garlic. It's a good base for soups and grains when you don't have a carcass in the freezer, and the 6 Pack lets you try more than one flavor.

Keep reading: Flavor Boosters for Bone Broth · What Are Carminative Herbs? · How to Cook Without Onion and Garlic · Bone Broth vs. Stock vs. Broth · How to Use Bone Broth · How to Make Turkey Bone Broth