Smoked chicken parts for stock?

[Jessterr]

When I smoke whole chickens (usually done on the PBC, but on other grills and smokers as well) I typically halve them first, largely in order to freeze the raw backbone to later make stock. I generally stockpile a number of them in a freezer bag, then make a pot of chicken stock for soup once there are enough. If I preferred to smoke a chicken whole, would it then still be OK to use the cooked backbone (and maybe other parts) for stock, or is that just a no go? I’ve never been sure about this so have never done it. And if cooked/smoked chicken bones do make good stock, is it preferable to segregate the raw parts from the cooked parts to make different stocks, i.e., a “smoked” stock suitable for certain preparations and an “unsmoked” stock suitable for others? Thanks very much for your help with this existential question!

[RonB]

I have never used a smoked carcass for stock. The reason is that I don't like smoked gravy. If you have ever made gravy from smoked drippings, did ya like it? That should answer your question.

You could also make a small amount of stock using smoked parts and see if you like it. And you could vary the amount of smoked parts in the stock from say 10% up to 100% and find a level you find pleasing.

If you are looking for a delicate flavor, smoke might not be advisable, but this is up to you.

[bmillin]

I have given up on using smoked / BBQ chicken carcasses for stock. The smoke flavor is overwhelming.

[Oak Smoke]

I can’t say for chicken but it is the only way I go for beef stock. I throw all the bones and such in a large CI Dutch oven then stick it in the smoker without a lid at 250 F for 4 hours with what ever smoking chunks sound good at the time, usually pecan.

[Grillin Dad]

I use smoked chicken bones for stock, family loves it. I do think, though, that you have to be careful not to over smoke the chicken. Otherwise, the stock will be over smokey as well. I usually use pecan wood for poultry, seems to be a nice balance.

You could mix smoked and unsmoked parts if you want, but I never pay that much attention. I just throw it all in the crockpot and let 'er rip!

[Livermoron]

I prefer my stock to be a bit more neutral. I may roast the bones for brown stock, but usually I'm looking to get my flavor notes from the other ingredients...

[Troutman]

As long as you keep any skin or over smoked pieces of meat out of the picture, bones from a smoked chicken aren’t necessarily smoked. Smoke doesn’t mysteriously penetrate a chicken and affect the bones. Maybe the surface ones like a wing tip but carcass bones are fine in my estimation.

[TripleB]

We always make turkey noodle soup after Thanksgiving, using the carcass to make the stock. One year I smoked the turkey and then decided to make a stock from the smoked carcass. It came out, as bmillin said, overwelming. Never made it and stock from smoked carcasses again.....FWIW.

[SheilaAnn]

Personally, not my jams. I like my stock clean….then it’s a blank slate for whatever dish I am making. Or just plain sipping.

[Bob K]

I'm with SheilaAnn - if I'm going to make stock, I'd rather it be more neutral so I can use it in anything. But I've definitely made stock with smoked turkey carcasses I couldn't bring myself to just throw out.

Troutman is right too, if you take a minute to clean it up a bit to remove most of the "smoke-exposed" bits, the only one that's going to notice it in the finished stock is you.

[Jessterr]

Thanks folks, great info! Looks like the overwhelming response is to “keep it clean”, so I’ll stick with my current practice of just using unsmoked chicken bones for stock.

[58limited]

I will roast parts for stock in the oven or grill them on a hot grill but I rarely use smoked parts for stock unless I'm making a dish like beans or chili that may benefit from the smoke flavor.

[fzxdoc]

I make both smoked and unsmoked chicken stocks, and label them accordingly before freezing in bags.

Smoked stocks are great for many Rancho Gordo bean dishes especially, of which I make a lot.

I've not found the flavor of smoked chicken stock overly smokey, but then perhaps it's because I like smokey.🤷🏻♀️

I also use smoked chicken stock in dishes using up leftover smoked chicken, for example, or in posole made with pulled pork.

The majority of my smoked chickens are cooked, as you do, Jessterr , on the PBC, split. So I have the raw backbone and a lot of the raw bones (keel bone, wishbone, rib bones) and parts that I remove when splitting and trimming the birds before smoking. When I make stock, from a couple of these carcasses, I throw in some raw wings and maybe a couple of drumsticks.

For rotisserie chicken in the gasser or roasted chicken in the oven, I use those bones and add some raw chicken parts, usually gizzard, neck, heart, wings, drumsticks and/or thighs to the mix to make an unsmoked broth.

Most of my stocks get made in a 10 quart pressure cooker, so the flavor is extracted nicely, I feel.

So I'm with RonB , give it a try and see if you like it. If you don't, there's not much lost.

Kathryn

[Starsky]

I prefer using smoked parts for stock but have to admit that I never used the backbone in a raw form