The two terms are used interchangeably for recipes like chicken noodle soup, chicken pot pie, or Golden Chicken Broth with Real Egg Noodles, but chicken stock and chicken broth are not the same thing. Let me repeat myself: stock and broth (whether it be chicken or beef) are not the same thing. OK — but what's the difference between the two? Chicken stock is made with clean chicken bones, plus mirepoix (carrots, celery, and onions), fresh and dried herbs such as bay leaves and sprigs of thyme, and salt and pepper. The key is that the bones are free of any meat or cartilage. The stock gets its rich flavor and fattiness from the residual cartilage in the bones. Chicken broth, on the other hand, is made with chicken meat (such as a whole chicken), as well as the same mirepoix blend, herbs, and spices.
One of Ina Garten's most popular recipes — chicken stock — is made with three 5-pound store-bought rotisserie chickens. The name is inaccurate, as this is actually an example of chicken broth, but it's so delicious (and we love Ina) that we're not going to complain.
