This chicken yakhni recipe is immune-boosting, nutrient-dense, and perfect for meal prep. It is super easy to make, you can cook it on the stovetop or use a slow cooker and let it simmer away while you go about your day.
Table of Contents
- What is yakhni?
- What you will need to make chicken yakhni
- How to make chicken yakhni
- Tips to make the best yakhni
- Storage
- More cozy soups to try
What is yakhni?
Yakhni or broth is a soup achieved after simmering animal bones, vegetables, and aromatics in water. With collagen from the bones and powerful compounds like Gingerol from ginger and Allicin from garlic, you can’t find a more potent and nutrient-dense beverage!
Yakhni was a staple at my grandparents’ home in Pakistan and growing up I remember my grandfather (nana) insisting we drink it daily. Little did we know how great this magic concoction is for our gut! Today, yakhni/broth is the talk of wellness circles and is prescribed by functional doctors as a gut-repairing superfood.
Is bone broth the same as yakhni?
In a word, no. Yakhni is the Urdu word for broth. The broth is the liquid you get when you boil bone-in meat with vegetables and aromatics. However, bone broth is made by simmering bones in water for a much longer period (12-48 hours). So although chicken broth and yakhni are synonymous, bone broth is slightly more nutritious and can be made with just bones and water.
Stock vs. broth
Both broth and stock are used interchangeably but the main difference is that while broth is made with meat, stock is made solely with bones.
What you will need to make chicken yakhni
Chicken This recipe calls for boiling a whole chicken, either the full bird or thighs, legs, back, and neck of the chicken. The chicken available at my local butcher comes preweighed, and cut up into 12-16 pieces in trays and I switch between using the thighs and legs and the whole chicken. These usually weigh between 1.5-2 pounds.
Alternatively, you can make yakhni with beef, mutton, or goat bones. This is the base for popular Pakistani dishes like Nihari (beef stew) and Paya or goat trotters.
Vegetables I like to use onions, carrots, and tomatoes but you can add celery too.
Aromatics Ginger and garlic. Can be minced or whole but not powdered.
Spices Salt, peppercorn, and cinnamon stick.
Coconut aminos For that umami flavor. You can use soy sauce or tamari as well.
How to make chicken yakhni
In this particular recipe, I am killing two birds with one stone and getting a head start on meal prep for sandwiches throughout the week.
Boil the chicken. In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, boil the chicken with all the ingredients on medium-high heat and let it come to a rolling boil.
Remove the scum. Remove the white foam that rises to the top aka “scum” and then lower the heat to a simmer, partially cover the pot, and let it simmer for at least 4 hours. To make the yakhni/broth even more nutrient-dense, boil it for 6 or more hours. Some even leave it overnight on a slow simmer.
Tips to make the best yakhni
- I have found that adding coconut aminos elevates the flavor of this broth and makes it more enjoyable. If you don’t have trouble with gluten, you can use soy sauce instead. Be aware though, that the sodium level will go up if you use coconut aminos.
- When straining the broth, I mash the veggies against the sieve with the back of a wooden spoon or stainless steel soup ladle. This adds to the flavor and structure of the broth.
- Adjust the salt and pepper to taste as different salt types vary in intensity. I cook with Himalayan pink salt and a little goes a long way!
- I like to prep a few mason jars at a time when I make a batch like this and refrigerate or freeze them for later. Half-pint jars work best for a single serving. You can even freeze them in silicone molds for use as a base for my Butternut Squash Soup Recipe.
Storage
- You can store the yakhni/broth in the fridge for up to 5 days and in the freezer for several months. When ready to eat, simply defrost overnight in the fridge or on the countertop by thawing the jar in a bowl of lukewarm water.
More cozy soups to try
This recipe was originally published in November 2020 but has been republished with minor tweaks to the recipe and additional step-by-step photographs.
Chicken Yakhni – Chicken Broth
Equipment
- 1 fine mesh sieve
Ingredients
- 2 pound chicken legs and thighs
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger root
- 3 carrots roughly chopped
- 2 small tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- 8 peppercorns
- 1 inch cinnamon stick I use Ceylon Cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 5-6 cups water or enough to fully submerge all ingredients
- 2 tsp coconut aminos or soy sauce optional
Instructions
- Put everything in a stock pot and let come to a boil on medium high heat. Once the yakhni comes to a rolling boil, lower the heat to medium low and remove any scum (white foam) that has risen to the top.
- Next, cover the pot and let the yakhni cook for at least 4 hours.
- Once ready, remove the chicken pieces and set aside for use later. Strain everything through a fine mesh sieve mashing the vegetables along the sieve to maximize the flavor of the broth.
- To store, pour the yakhni into mason jars and refrigerate for upto 5 days or freeze for longer.
Notes
- For a clear soup don’t mash the vegetables and just strain everything together. If you do mash the veggies, note that there will be some residue that settles in the soup. Simply stir or shake before consuming.
- Use soy sauce or coconut aminos (gluten free) for an extra kick. This is completely optional but I find it adds an umami flavor to the yakhni that my family and friends really enjoy.
- I use Himalayan pink salt and find that if using table salt, you usually need to add more so adjust accordingly.
Nutrition
Leave a Reply