How to Make Chicken Soup With Drumsticks

This chicken soup with drumsticks recipe is easy to make and so easy to customize to include whatever you have on hand.

This is the perfect healthy recipe for those following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, a low-carb diet, or anyone who enjoys a delicious bowl of homemade soup.

This recipe uses chicken drumsticks to create a flavorful broth that the whole family will love.

This recipe for chicken drumstick soup contains affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase after clicking a link, I will receive a small portion of the sale at no additional cost to you.

Once you learn how to make your own homemade chicken broth, you’ll never use store-bought chicken stock or a bouillon cube again!

Chicken Drumstick Soup Ingredients

To make this easy chicken soup with drumsticks, you’ll need the following simple and flavorful ingredients:

• 6-8 chicken drumsticks (bone-in for a rich broth)
• 3 quarts of water (equivalent to 12 cups)
• 2 teaspoons of salt (adjust to taste)
• 1 ½ teaspoons of black pepper
• 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of onion powder
• 1 teaspoon of fresh parsley (or use dried parsley if needed)
• 1-2 bay leaves (for added depth)
• 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning

This combination creates a flavorful, healthy broth perfect for customizing with your favorite vegetables or noodles!

How to Make this Chicken Soup with Drumsticks Recipe

This section shares step by step instructions on how to make chicken drumstick soup. To get all of the ingredients, measurements, and instructions in one printable place, head to the bottom of this post to see the recipe card.

Step 1: Prepare the chicken

Rinse the chicken drumsticks under cold water, pat dry with a paper towel and then place them in a stock pot or Dutch oven.

Step 2: Begin Making the Soup Broth

Add 3 Quarts of water or about 12 cups of water and the seasonings, set your stove to high heat, then bring to a boil.

Once the water has reached a boil, switch to medium-low heat and let simmer until meat begins to fall off the bone.

This may take about 3 – 4 hours, be patient because the slow cooking is a great way to get all of the flavors into this delicious food.

Step 3: Separate Chicken Meat from Bones

Once the meat starts to fall off the bone, remove the chicken from the pot being careful to not leave any bones behind.

Separate the bones from the meat then add the small pieces of meat back to the pot.

Leave the broth on the stove and remove the bay leaf from the top of the soup.

Step 4: Cook the Chicken & Add Ins

The longer the chicken cooks, the better the chance you will end up with shredded chicken instead of 1-2 inch pieces. Both are great for a cold day and make a delicious bowl of soup that is great served fresh or as leftover soup.

If you are adding vegetables such as zucchini noodles, add them now and cook for another 30 minutes or until they are soft.

Step 5: Storage Tips

Store the leftover soup in an airtight container for up to one week or freeze it for up to one month.

If you are freezing the soup it is easier to freeze it in containers that are perfectly sized for the portions you will consume when reheating.

Take the frozen soup out to thaw in the refrigerator the night before serving and heat in a saucepan or in a large bowl in the microwave.

If you’re looking for a hearty and flavorful chicken soup recipe, this version with chicken drumsticks is perfect for a cozy meal. Drumsticks add richness to the broth, making it both comforting and nutritious.

Are Drumsticks Good for Broth?

Drumsticks are great for broth! The cooking process is very similar to using any other kind of chicken meat.

Dark meat can create a more robust, deeper flavor than white meat which helps to create the perfect soup.

You could use other chicken pieces if that is what you have on hand.

Chicken wings, a whole chicken, bone-in chicken breast, or chicken thighs also make a delicious pot of soup but I prefer using drumsticks because they are cheaper and always easy to find at the grocery store.

I noticed that during the pandemic, when all of the packaged chicken breasts were missing from my local store’s shelves, the drumsticks were still available.

This inspired me to get creative with this chicken part and one of my favorite creations is this homemade chicken soup.

Incorporating chicken drumsticks into your soup not only enhances the flavor but also creates a satisfying, protein-packed dish. This recipe is versatile, allowing you to use chicken legs, thighs, or even a combination to suit your taste.

Should I Put Chicken Skin in Broth?

This is optional, the chicken skin will not change the flavor of the soup but it can change the texture.

The skin tends to be chewier than the chicken meat so if this is a texture that you don’t enjoy in your soup, leave it out because it will not impact the end result too much.

You will just have a little bit less chicken in the bottom of the pot but it will still have the same great flavor.

To increase the flavor of the chicken skin you can brown the sides over medium heat using olive oil to prevent sticking.

The flavor resembles a chicken bouillon cube when browned this way.

It isn’t necessary but if you want an extra bust of flavor you may want to give it a shot.

Chicken Soup with Drumsticks Recipe Variations

Once you learn how to make the easy broth for this drumstick soup, you can get creative. There is no end to the possibilities of what you can make with this basic chicken soup recipe.

Chicken Noodle Soup

For a cup of hot soup that rivals any canned versions of this classic recipe, add in cooked angel hair pasta or egg noodles.

Cook according to the package instructions and add in right before serving or you can cook the pasta al dente (about 3-4 min less than the directions call for) and allow it to finish cooking in the soup pot about a half hour before serving.

This will help the pasta absorb more of the flavors from the soup.

Chicken Veggie Soup

Get out the cutting board and chop your favorite veggies to add to this chicken soup with drumsticks.

Add broccoli florets, slice carrots, chopped onions, bell pepper, and green onion to the soup for an extra hearty and healthy chicken soup.

Be sure to use a large pot to make room for extra ingredients.

Mexican Style Chicken Soup (Caldo De Pollo Recipe)

Add onion, celery stalks, large carrots, garlic cloves, fresh cilantro, tomatoes, jalapeño, cumin, and coriander to create a Mexican chicken soup.

You can add hot sauce and minced garlic for an extra burst of flavor.

Cut up warm corn tortillas into strips and add to the pot before serving for a delicious Mexican soup.

You can serve this with lime wedges, fresh lemon juice, parmesan cheese, or sour cream.

FAQs about Chicken Drumstick Soup

More Easy Recipes You’ll Love

If you are looking for a good pressure cooker recipe, this Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Salad makes a great lunch.

If you love slow cooker recipes as much as I do, you are sure to love this Crock Pot Vegetable Beef Stew Recipe.

Looking for a crock pot dump meal?

It doesn’t get any easier than this Keto Chicken & Rice Soup, it’s one of my favorite low carb crockpot recipes.

You may also enjoy these Easy Slow Cooker Recipes for the Whole Family.

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