Best Chicken Bones for Bone Broth: A Buyer's Guide

The best chicken bones for bone broth are feet, backs, necks, and wings. Anchor the pot in feet for the gel. They're nearly pure cartilage. Fill the rest with backs, necks, and wings for fat, meat, and flavor. Simmer 6-12 hours and the broth gels firm when cold. No feet? Anchor in backs and necks instead.

We don't sell chicken bones. We simmer a lot of them, though, so this is what we ask for.

The Four Cuts Worth Asking For

Four cuts do most of the work in a chicken broth. The other parts you'll see (whole carcasses, rotisserie remains) are fine but redundant.

Feet

Almost pure cartilage, skin, and small bones. The collagen workhorse. They look weird. That's the point. Chicken feet are the difference between a broth that sets in the fridge like jelly and one that pours like soup. If you've never made broth with feet before, your first batch will surprise you. Yes, they're feet. They're also the entire game. What makes chicken demi-glace different starts here, with the cuts that release the most collagen.

Chicken feet are the difference between a broth that sets in the fridge like jelly and one that pours like soup.

Backs

The structural cut: spine, ribs, and attached meat and skin. Real flavor base plus moderate collagen. Backs are the default cut for most stockmakers. Cheap, plentiful, and full of meat, fat, and joint material in a single piece. If you can't get feet, backs are where you anchor the pot.

Necks

Vertebrae with attached meat and skin. Cheap, high in joint material per ounce, contribute meaty depth. The budget version of backs. Often the cut that's easiest to find at conventional grocery (sometimes labeled "chicken necks for soup" or shelved with the stewing parts).

Wings

Mostly fat and skin with a small bone-and-joint contribution. Bring richness and the golden fat layer that rises when the broth cools. Don't lead with wings; they're a finisher cut, not a base.

How to Mix Them: Anchor in Feet, or Backs If You Can't

The buyer's actual decision is how many of each. Anchor in feet, fill the rest. If you can't get feet, the math shifts.

With feet (the gold standard):

• Anchor: feet, about 30-40% by weight. Almost pure cartilage. Without enough feet, the broth doesn't set firm in the fridge.
• Backs: about 30-40%. The structural cut. Meat, fat, and moderate collagen.
• Necks and wings: about 20-30%. Necks for meatiness, wings for the golden fat layer.

Without feet (the realistic default for most cooks):

• Anchor: necks, about 50%. Vertebrae carry the most joint material per ounce of any chicken cut after feet. When feet aren't on the table, necks become the workhorse.
• Backs: about 30%. Ribcage and spine, mostly. Lower collagen density than necks, but they bring the flavor base.
• Wings: about 20%. Same finishing role.
• Bump the total weight 20-30%. Necks and backs have lower collagen density per pound than feet, so to get a comparable body you need more raw material. If your with-feet recipe calls for 5 lbs total bones, the no-feet version needs 6-6.5 lbs.

For an 8-quart pot with feet, that's roughly 1.5 lbs feet plus 2 lbs backs plus 1 lb mix of necks and wings (5 lbs total). Without feet, bump to roughly 3.5 lbs necks plus 2 lbs backs plus 1 lb wings (6.5 lbs total).

Even with the weight bump, a no-feet broth gels softer or not at all. And that's fine. Your broth will still be excellent. Just don't expect it to set up like jelly in the fridge.

And yes, chicken feet are weird-looking. Get over it! They're the ingredient that makes the broth jiggle, and they cost about $2-3/lb at most Asian markets. Worth every dollar and every double-take.

The Buyer's Checklist: 5 Things to Check Before You Hand Over the Money

1. Source. Pasture-raised or air-chilled (not water-chilled, which is cheaper but waterlogged). Air-chilling preserves natural skin texture and flavor. Pasture-raised birds carry more developed fat and richer skin. Air-chilled is the floor; pasture-raised is the upgrade. (Note: chicken doesn't have a "100% grass-fed" equivalent because chickens are omnivores by nature.)
2. Cut visibility. You want to see clean, intact cartilage on feet, attached meat and skin on backs and necks, and full wing pieces (not just tips). Bare-stripped bones have less to extract.
3. Color and freshness. Fresh chicken bones are pale pink to creamy white, not gray, yellow-tinged, or sticky. Skin should be intact and dry-feeling, not slimy. Smell test before purchase: should smell clean and faintly chicken-y, not sour or off. For chicken feet specifically: check for black spots on the skin or under the nails. Those are ammonia burns from the litter the bird stood in. Skip any pack with multiple feet showing black spots.
4. Frozen is fine. Unlike beef, chicken bones often sell frozen, especially feet from Asian markets. Frozen is fine and often the only option for feet outside of a butcher with regular pasture-raised supply. Thaw overnight in the fridge before simmering.
5. Ratio in the pack. Pre-portioned "chicken bone broth packs" exist online but are rarer than beef. If you find one, check the mix. Some are all backs (cheap, gel-light). Some are all wings (fat-heavy, gel-light). Make sure feet or a mix of necks and backs are present.

Three more things worth knowing before you go:

• What this should cost. At a real butcher counter, expect $2-4/lb for backs and necks, and $2-5/lb for feet (Asian markets often run $1.50-3/lb for feet specifically). Pasture-raised DTC runs $5-8/lb across the board. Chicken parts are dramatically cheaper than beef bones, and a full broth-pack often runs under $20.
• Check the pet/treat freezer. Some natural-foods grocers shelve chicken feet and necks in the pet section or freezer (they're popular dehydrated pet treats). The product is the same. The price is sometimes lower. Worth a check before assuming the store doesn't carry them.
• Avoid the rotisserie-carcass shortcut alone. A leftover rotisserie chicken carcass IS usable, but the meat is already cooked-out and the seasoning (salt, garlic powder, MSG, paprika) leaches into the broth. Acceptable for a quick weeknight stock, not a substitute for a real broth-pack.

Where to Buy Them: Four Honest Paths

Chicken sourcing has more options than beef, mostly because Asian markets are the chicken-feet supply chain in most US cities.

Asian Markets (Best for Feet)

If you aren't shopping for feet at H Mart or 99 Ranch, you're missing the best chicken supply chain in the country! Large Asian grocery chains (H Mart, 99 Ranch, Mitsuwa, plus most independent Asian groceries) almost always carry chicken feet, often frozen in 1-2 lb bags. Necks and backs sometimes too.

Your Local Butcher (Best for Quality)

Same play as beef bones, with one twist: the cuts you're after are easier to get and a lot cheaper. Real butcher counters often have chicken backs and necks as a side product of breaking down whole birds. Feet are less common but worth asking, and some butchers will save them for you if you call ahead. The conversation starter: "Do you have any chicken backs, necks, or feet for stock?" Most won't list them in the case but will pull from the back.

Online (Pasture-Raised DTC Farms)

For pasture-raised quality where local options fall short, this is your move. Brands worth knowing: White Oak Pastures, Crowd Cow, US Wellness Meats, Wild Harmony Farm. Most sell chicken backs and necks in 2-5 lb packs. Feet are less commonly stocked online; a few farms offer them (worth searching for "pastured chicken feet" on the farm's site).

Grocery Store (Limited Selection)

Most grocery stores don't carry the right cuts. Whole Foods sometimes carries chicken backs in the meat case. Conventional grocery occasionally has chicken necks, often marketed for soup. Feet are very rare. Acceptable for a one-off pot if other options aren't available. For anyone making broth as a habit, the cooking-with-bone-broth guide walks through what to do with the gallon you'll end up with.

How Much Bone for How Much Broth?

A compact reference for the cook checking the post mid-shop. Numbers below assume a 6-12 hour bare simmer (180-190°F) with the lid partially open so reduction happens.

One note on reduction: with the lid partially open, chicken broth loses about 20-30% of starting water volume over 6-12 hours, depending on lid gap and heat. That reduction is what concentrates the body. Don't constantly top off the pot, or you'll dilute the broth you're trying to build. Start with water about 2 inches above the bones, partial-cover the lid (leave roughly a third of the opening uncovered), and accept the reduction.

Common Questions

Are chicken feet really the best for bone broth?

For collagen, yes. Chicken feet are nearly pure cartilage, skin, and small bones. They release more gelatin per pound than any other chicken part. A pot anchored in feet sets firm in the fridge; a pot without them often stays loose, no matter how long you simmer.

What's the difference between chicken backs and chicken necks for broth?

Backs are the spine and ribcage with attached meat and skin: more structural meat, more flavor base. Necks are vertebrae with attached meat: cheaper, more joint material per pound, less overall flavor. Both are workhorse cuts. Mix them, or pick whichever your butcher has.

Can I just use a leftover rotisserie chicken carcass for broth?

Yes, but the rotisserie seasoning (salt, garlic powder, paprika) leaches into the broth and locks you into compatible flavors. Fine for Tuesday's chicken soup, not great for a versatile base. Start with raw parts when you want broth that works in anything.

Do I need to roast chicken bones before simmering?

No, and most cooks don't. Both methods are legitimate styles in the classical canon. Raw bones produce a clean, clear, golden broth (white chicken stock in pro kitchens). Roasting first (450°F for 30 minutes) builds a deeper, browner profile (brown chicken stock), useful when you want depth that competes with beef. We default to raw because we like the cleaner color and the lighter flavor that lets the chicken speak for itself. Roast when the dish calls for it.

How long should I simmer chicken bone broth?

6-12 hours is the sweet spot. Under 4 hours, the gel doesn't develop fully. Past 12 hours, the broth can turn bitter as proteins over-extract. Hold the temperature at a bare simmer (180-190°F, where the surface barely smiles, no rolling bubbles). Boiling emulsifies the fat and turns the broth cloudy. Partial-cover the lid and skim foam in the first hour.

The Cook's Take

Four cuts, anchored in feet, four places to find them. That's the whole post.

Good chicken bones make broth you'll reach for all week. The base for Sunday's risotto. The pour-over for Monday's grain bowl. The reason Wednesday's chicken soup tastes like restaurant chicken soup.

We start with the same logic. Pasture-raised chicken bones from New York farms. Simmered low and slow until the broth gels. Then reduced down to demi-glace. If you want to skip the simmer, that's where we live. Chicken demi works where beef demi would be too heavy: pasta, seafood, weeknight risotto, vegetable braises.