The Best Chicken Stock to Stock Up On

The best chicken stock isn’t just the best chicken broth with a different name. That’s right, it’s a different thing. So, before we get into the best chicken stock to buy, let’s answer the question: What is chicken stock? Basically, chicken broth is what you get when you boil meat, but chicken stock is what you get when you boil bones. Chicken stock usually takes longer to make and is a bit more concentrated in flavor than chicken broth. That said, if you are wondering when to use one versus the other, the consensus across the internet seems to be broth for when you want other flavors to come through and shine, and stock when you either want more chicken flavor, or a richer, deeper, more umami broth. 

Now, what separates good chicken stock from the best store bought chicken stock? There are many factors.

What we looked for in the best chicken stock: 

• Rich chicken flavor. We want rich chicken flavor. Plain and simple. Some of the stocks we tasted had a distinct cat food flavor. No one wants that—except the cat. 
• Silky texture. No grit please! Just lovely, collagen-infused liquid. 
• Extra oomph. While the best chicken stock should primarily taste of chicken, we welcomed a bit of flavor from a classic mirepoix (a mix of onion, carrot, and celery, pronounced meer-pwah) or a hint of herbs. 

Whip out your soup-sippin’ spoons, and let’s talk about the best tasting chicken stock, including the best organic chicken stock and the best low sodium chicken stock.

Best Chicken Stock to Buy, Ranked

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Best Chicken Stock for Soup

Swanson Chicken Stock

Walmart

Okay, let me start by saying that Swanson Chicken Stock is not bad, but it also isn’t exceedingly tasty on its own. It tastes like salt, chicken, and not much else—but hey, that’s what some people are looking for in the best chicken stock. If you are making a stock-based soup with flavors that will clash with things like celery, onion, thyme, and sage, this is the best store bought chicken stock for you. It is pure salt and umami and nothing else, and that makes it a great blank slate for whatever magic you want to cook up. — Jessica Block

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Best Organic Chicken Stock

Swanson Organic Chicken stock

Target

I know you may be skeptical, but Swanson organic chicken stock and regular Swanson chicken stock do not taste the same. Why? Because their ingredient lists are actually quite different! The result is that while this stock is still salty and umami, it also has a bit more depth of flavor than its non-organic counterpart. It even has a hint of black pepperiness, celery, and onion flavor to it (there’s that mirepoix again). All told, this is the best chicken stock if you want something with that Cup Noodles, bouillon-esque chicken ramen flavor. — Jessica Block

Credit: Liv Averett / Target

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Unsalted Chicken Stock

Kitchen Basics Unsalted Chicken Stock

Walmart

A lot of the unsalted chicken stocks we tested tasted more like dirty dishwater than chicken. This one from Kitchen Basics does not. It has a really nice, clean, pure chicken flavor. And it’s shockingly flavorful for being unsalted. Plus, it’s not fatty or greasy like some of the other stocks we tried. If you’re making something that calls for a lot of extra salt or seasonings—like a risotto—this is the best store bought chicken stock around. — Justine Sterling

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Most Unique Chicken Stock

Kitchen Basics Original Chicken Stock For Cooking

Target

This one threw me at first. It has a sweeter, fruitier aroma than the other stocks, and it’s also the most sweet and sour tasting of them all. And while it is very acidic and very flavorful, it doesn’t taste super strongly of chicken, unlike some of the others on this list. I checked the label and it actually contains honey and bay leaves, which makes a whole lot of sense given the fresher, fruitier, sweeter taste. It has plenty of umami flavor as well, with an aftertaste I would describe as grilled onion-y. At first I couldn’t decide if I liked it, and then after a whole Kombucha Girl-style deliberation, I decided it is, in fact, among the best store bought chicken stock. — Jessica Block

Credit: Liv Averett / Target

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best to Buy in Bulk

Kirkland Chicken Stock

Costco

Costco’s Kirkland brand chicken stock is extremely chickeny. There’s just enough salt to enhance the chickeny flavor without actually making the stock salty. And there’s a hint of rosemary, too, which rounds out the flavor. You’ll get a deep chicken essence infused into whatever you’re cooking with this stock. But, as with so many Costco products, you can’t buy just one carton. You have to buy a stack of them. As long as you’ve got the pantry space, this is definitely the best chicken stock to buy. — Justine Sterling

Credit: Liv Averett / Costco

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

Signature Select Chicken Stock

Vons

Signature Select’s chicken stock actually made me say “wow!” out loud. Was I prepared to say “wow!” out loud while sipping cold, plain chicken stock? Not in the slightest. It tastes like it is already most of the way to chicken noodle soup. It has a huge kick of onion flavor and a punch of roasty-toasty chicken flavor. Trust us when we say it is an umami bomb. Use this if you want strong chicken and onion flavors in your soup or sauce or what have you. This tastes like a Safeway rotisserie chicken in the best possible way. This tastes like a Thanksgiving gravy. I could (and have, literally for this article) drink this straight. It’s the best chicken stock we taste tested—and it’s certainly the best store bought chicken stock if you shop at an Albertsons-owned grocery store. — Jessica Block

Credit: Liv Averett / Vons

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Other chicken stocks we tried:

Kitchen Basics Unsalted Chicken Stock, Signature Select Unsalted Chicken Stock, Kroger, Stock Options Roasted Chicken Stock, Simply Organic, Pacific Foods Organic Chicken Stock, Swanson Unsalted