Homemade Chicken Bouillon Powder is your one-stop kitchen solution for punching up the chicken flavor in stocks, soups, stews, gravies and casseroles. Add it to rice, lentils or pasta for instant umami flavor. Or, simply dissolve it in water to make chicken broth. Plus, it’s vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free and dairy-free!
I’ve been working on this chicken bouillon powder recipe for quite a while now. My goal has been to come up with a gluten-free bouillon powder blend that is true to chicken flavor but also gluten-free and sugar-free. I wanted it to dissolve in water to create flavorful chicken broth.
Mostly, I wanted our favorite recipes to be safe for gluten intolerant family members. But, it was important to retain the great chicken flavor in those original recipes. Because those are the dishes my family loves.
I knew that nutritional yeast would be the base of my bouillon recipe. I’ve used it to develop rich flavor in gluten-free and Whole30 recipes, in the past. It had to work in any recipe that called for chicken broth or bouillon. This scrumptious Zuppa Toscana is a family favorite example.
The trick was discovering just the right herbs and seasonings and combining them in the correct proportions. I’m so pleased with this final version of chicken bouillon powder! I feel like it really does have the chicken flavor and aroma I was hoping for. It makes an excellent chicken broth for cooking, too. I can’t wait for you to try it!
This easy chicken bouillon powder is going to become a familiar ingredient in my new recipes, and I hope to go back and edit old recipes to include it over time.
The Ingredients
- Nutritional Yeast (see below)
- Good Quality, Fine-Grain Sea Salt (I used red. Use whatever fine-grain sea salt you normally have on hand.)
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Dried Parsley
- Rubbed Sage / Dried Sage
- Dried Rosemary
- Dried Thyme
- Turmeric Powder
- Black Pepper
What Is Nutritional Yeast?
Nutritional yeast is a completely natural food loaded with vitamins, minerals and proteins. It is NOT the same as baker’s yeast, which is used to make bread or brewer’s yeast, so please don’t try to use either of those as a substitute.
Nutritional yeast grows on sugar cane and beet molasses. After it’s harvested, producers heat the yeast to deactivate it.
It’s a good source of B vitamins, folate and niacin. It contains 18 amino acids, 9 of which make it a complete protein. Fiber and glutathione are more beneficial components of nutritional yeast. Plus, it’s dairy-free, soy-free and gluten-free.
I use nutritional yeast in many of my recipes, including Homemade Taco Seasoning. This wholesome ingredient is always on my pantry shelves. I also use it to flavor soups, stews, and chicken broth.
I’ve recently seen that you can buy it at Walmart now. And I’m guessing many local markets also carry nutritional yeast. I use it quite a lot, so I typically buy it in bulk on Amazon [affiliate link].
Nutritional yeast is a big contributor to the chicken flavor and adds to the savoriness of the recipe so you can produce the best-tasting chicken broth possible. It has that satisfying savory flavor that we often associate with meat or cheese.
Why Make Your Own Bouillon Powder?
- Flavor: There is simply no comparison. Homemade bouillon has a deeper flavor and uses all the herbs and seasoning you would use to roast a chicken. Your recipes will take on those familiar flavors and aromas and your brain will think chicken even where there is none.
- Salt: You can control the salt in this recipe. You can adjust the levels to your own tastes. But don’t eliminate it. Read the FAQs below for why.
- MSG: Many commercial brands rely on MSG to get any flavor into their product. Unfortunately, my husband gets terrible headaches from MSG. So, having a chicken bouillon substitute that doesn’t make him ill is a HUGE bonus.
- Aroma: The homey, comforting aroma of the roast chicken herbs wafts out of the jar every time I open it. And all the delicious flavor those aromatic herbs bring gets cooked into my dishes. Heavenly!
- Fillers, Preservatives, Chicken Fat Powder: If you read the label of commercial bouillon, you might notice fillers, preservatives, anti-clumping agents, sugar and even powdered chicken fat. I don’t need those in my chicken broth, and I don’t add any to the bouillon I use to make it.
FAQs About Homemade Bouillon Powder
The Short Answer? No. Don’t leave out the salt. Here’s why.
The Long Answer: Honestly, all recipes (even sweet ones) need a little salt. Savory recipes, especially, need an adequate amount. The goal isn’t to taste salt but to taste deeper tones of the flavors you’re cooking into your dish. Salt, in the appropriate amount, can do that.
While I agree that commercial bouillon brands can be pretty heavy-handed with salt, I have tested and retested this recipe to find a good balance. There’s enough to enhance flavor without overwhelming the food with saltiness. Remember, it will be super diluted when added to recipes.
Salt is a natural flavor enhancer. When you use small amounts, it decreases bitter flavors while boosting sweet, sour and umami. In larger quantities, salt actually diminishes sweetness but enhances savoriness. Which is fantastic in your favorite comfort food recipes.
Salt also enhances the texture of foods, works as a natural preservative and includes essential minerals.
Of course, you should always determine the right amount of salt for you and your family. And definitely adjust the recipe to your own needs. However, I would encourage you to try the recipe as written before adjusting salt levels.
You can expect chicken bouillon powder (or cubes) to last 12 to 18 months. The flavor may weaken if you go much past 12 months, though. I use it often, so I’ve never had a batch last that long.
How to Make Chicken Bouillon Powder
- Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender or smoothie blender pitcher.
- Cover the blender jar tightly with a lid and then blend to create a powder of even consistency and to incorporate and distribute all the ingredients thoroughly.
- Leave the lid on the blender jar for a minute or two. This will allow the powder to settle. And you won’t get a big puff of bouillon out into your kitchen.
- Seal the chicken bouillon powder in an airtight container. Store it in a cool dark cupboard with other herbs, spices and seasoning blends.
- To create broth with the bouillon, dissolve one teaspoon in 1 cup of hot water. Substitute in recipes calling for bouillon in a 1 to 1 ratio.
Recipes to Use Chicken Bouillon Powder In
You will be able to create broth/stock for recipes or add the bouillon to the recipe as an ingredient. Here are some recipes that it will work beautifully in:
I hope you’ll make this recipe and enjoy it in your own favorite family dishes. Have a wonderfully blessed weekend, Friend!!
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Homemade Chicken Bouillon Powder – Vegan
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 1/3 cups powder 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Easy Homemade Chicken Bouillon Powder adds delicious roast chicken flavor and aroma to your recipes. It’s vegan, gluten free, dairy free and sugar free. The balance of salt to herbs to nutritional yeast creates a rich and flavorful broth to use in your favorite dishes. Healthy and tasty!
UPDATE: This recipe was updated on 5/18/2024 to include a bay leaf and to switch to a 2:1 ratio with commercial brands. If you prefer the old version, omit the bay leaf and use 1 teaspoon of homemade to replace 1 teaspoon of commercial.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Nutritional Yeast
- 1/4 cup sea salt
- 1/4 cup onion powder
- 1/4 cup garlic powder
- 1/4 cup dried parsley leaves
- 1 Tablespoon rubbed sage
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 bay leaf (or 1/4 teaspoon ground bay leaf)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender or smoothie blender pitcher.
- Cover the blender jar tightly with a lid and then blend to create a powder of even consistency and to fully incorporate and distribute all the ingredients.
- Leave the lid on the blender jar for a minute or two. This will allow the powder to settle. And, you won’t get a big puff of bouillon out into your kitchen.
- Seal the chicken bouillon powder into an airtight container. Store it in a cool dark cupboard with other herbs, spices and seasoning blends.
- To create chicken broth with the bouillon, dissolve 2 teaspoon in 1 cup of hot water. Substitute in recipes calling for bouillon in a 2 to 1 ratio. Two teaspoons of homemade bouillon for 1 teaspoon of commercial bouillon.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Category: seasoning, spice blend, soup
- Method: cold prep
- Cuisine: American
About Glenda
I believe cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated and that YOU can do it. My simple recipes, tutorials, and cooking tips will help you get weeknight dinners on the table with less stress. Forget takeout or the drive-thru. Let me show you how to make homemade easy. Read more...
Thank you for wonderful, much shorter version explaining how the recipe works. It is far better then other web pages that has the “chef” giving us her life story and touchy feely crap that a reader does not need to know.
I have been cooking for 5o plus years learning from a young age from my mom and grandma who were both raised on the farm. I do food preservation by canning, dehydrating, smoking, pickling and make country wines from fruits and veggies. I have vegetable gardens, hunted and prepared wild game and beekeeper. Kids these days have no idea that farm to table was not invented 20 years ago, it has been around since man started farming thousands of years ago.
Gary, thank you for your kind words. And yes, I agree. Trends that are so popular in cooking now are the methods that I grew up on. They are new to the last couple generations, though. So I’m glad they are learning them and passing them forward to new generations.
So why is this called chicken bouillon powder, where sides the chicken part come in? I’m honestly curious
Hi Birgit! Good question. As I state in the post the flavors in this bouillon are those we most associate with cooking chicken. It comes as close to the flavor of commercial brands of dried chicken bouillon as I have been able to create. Though I would wager that mine is more herbaceous with layers of flavor other than salt and sugar. Most commercial bouillon, if you read the ingredients, is mostly salt and sugar. Further down the list you will find a small amount of chicken fat and some even include a minuscule amount of dehydrated chicken meat. Neither that fat or the meat are included in large enough quantities to affect the flavor in any significant way. My goal was to give the flavor of chicken bouillon without any sugar, MSG, chemical fillers or preservatives. And it turned out to be vegan. And thus the name.
What a great idea – never occurred to me to make my own bullion powder but this is a wonderful recipe. Easy and tastes amazing plus you know there are no nasties.
Thank you, Jo! It was a labor of love, but I am so happy with the end results.
Used this homemade chicken bouillon powder on our favorite white chicken chili, it was sooo good! Everyone was filled and satisfied. I’m glad that it is also gluten-free!
Sharina, I’m so happy to hear that. Gluten-free has become pretty important for one of our granddaughters, so this is the only bouillon I use now.
This seasoning blend was perfect for a soup I made! It is incredibly flavorful and super easy too.
I’m so glad you are enjoying the bouillon, Addison! Thanks for stopping by, today.
This is fantastic! I’m never going to use the store-bought stuff again. Thank you!!
Susie, you’re so welcome! I’m so glad it’s a better alternative for you.
What a great idea! I never thought of making homemade chicken bouillon powder from herbs and spices! that is a game changer for me. Thanks for easy to follow recipe.
Vladka, you’re welcome! It has been a game-changer for our family, too.
can we make chicken broth and just use this for all recipes that call for it or is it just for certain recipes??
Absolutely! That’s what I do. Whisk in an amount that suits you and your family’s personal tastes. I usually start with 2 teaspoons per cup of water.