Not all of us have time to make broth from scratch. Simmering water with meat, vegetables, and alliums — waiting for the ingredients to gently impart their flavors — can take hours. And while it might be a hands-off process, a pot on the stove still can’t be left alone.
Store-bought broth is an excellent, time-saving alternative, but it’s unlikely to have the same level of complexity and depth as homemade. That is, of course, when it comes straight from the carton or can. With a few small tweaks and adjustments, it can be even more delicious than what you could make from scratch.
Here are five tips for upgrading store-bought broth that even professional chefs rely on.
Add more chicken
You can easily make a more intensely flavored soup base by simmering raw or cooked chicken in store-bought broth instead of water. 2013 F&W Best New Chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman add the same ingredients they’d use for a homemade recipe — a whole chicken, yellow onion, carrot, celery, garlic cloves, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, and Parmesan — to chicken broth and let it cook until it’s deeply savory.
This is also a great way to make use of leftover chicken meat, scraps, and bones. “If I’m deboning some chicken thighs, I’ll add the bones to store-bought broth,” says 2016 F&W Best New Chef Ravi Kapur. He throws in any allium or vegetables he has on hand, and cooks them together in a small pot to allow the broth to take on the ingredients’ flavors faster.
Similarly, when 2014 F&W Best New Chef Matthew Accarrino roasts a chicken, he separates the meat and simmers the bones in store-bought broth. “You will vastly improve the broth and be absolutely dialed for making any kind of chicken soup,” he says.
Lean on bouillon
For a shortcut, Ticer and Hudman swap the chicken for two tablespoons of Better Than Bouillon. The concentrated roasted chicken paste will have a similar impact on the broth as real chicken — but it will make that impact much, much faster.
2011 F&W Best New Chef Jason Franey suggests using Knorr Premium Roasted Chicken Base, which is extra savory thanks to the addition of MSG. “It’s cheating, but you won’t have to spend hours on your stock,” he says.
Punch up the umami
For 1988 F&W Best New Chef Rick Bayless, the key to a better store-bought stock is an extra dash of umami. “Add some soy sauce, a splash of fish sauce, good onion powder, or mushroom salt.” Bayless specifically recommends the Toasted Onion Powder from Burlap & Barrel or Trader Joe’s Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend, made with dried white button and porcini mushrooms.
Reduce it
“It sounds almost too simple, but taking the time to reduce a store-bought broth on the stove makes all the difference,” says 2002 F&W Best New Chef Suzanne Tracht. Simmering the broth until it cooks down and slightly thickens concentrates its flavor, making it a stronger base for stews, soups, and gravies.
Don’t forget the final touch
Even if you don’t make any major changes or adjustments to store-bought broth, 2025 F&W Best New Chef Jordan Rubin swears by one final touch. “A drizzle of good-quality olive oil goes a long way,” he says. It’s the small things — a little olive oil, a shaving of Parmesan, or a crack of black pepper — that can elevate it to restaurant-quality.
