Homemade Chicken Bouillon Powder
When you are in a pinch or just want a healthy chicken broth substitute this homemade Chicken Bouillon Powder is the ideal staple to keep in the pantry! It is easy to make, keeps for months, and has more flavor than store-bought stock. This easy vegan chicken bouillon recipe is also low carb, keto-friendly, gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, low fat, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.
Need a Chicken Broth Substitute? Make Easy Bouillon Powder
The first time I tried nutritional yeast I couldn’t believe how much flavor it had and how much it tasted like chicken broth. It was uncanny! If you haven’t tried it before you’ll be pleasantly surprised with this homemade chicken bouillon substitute.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been testing this natural chicken broth substitute in all the recipes I’d normally use bouillon paste or chicken broth. It works amazingly well!
Last night was one of those nights I was in the kitchen at 5 wondering what on earth I was going to cook for dinner. All of the meat in the house was frozen and my husband was stopping home to pick up a few of the kids for dental check-ups so he wouldn’t be around to help. Thank God for the invention of the electric pressure cooker! I pulled out the Instant Pot, filled it with frozen chicken thighs, and turned to manual high for 15 minutes.
Then I sat down to nurse the toddler who promptly fell asleep on my lap. I heard the Instant Pot beep in the other room at some point but just stayed with my little one enjoying the time with my feet up while I did a little early Christmas shopping via Amazon.
When the baby woke up I took the chicken out of the Instant Pot, added some of this chicken broth powder to the cooking liquid, threw in some baby spinach, and then add back half the chicken (now shredded). The family had the choice between chicken soup and using the rest of the shredded chicken for tacos.
Considering all the soup had in it was cooked chicken, spinach, and this bouillon powder it was delicious. My husband raved about it.
For a heartier chicken soup than the one I threw together you must try this Whole30 Chicken Soup shown below.
Ingredients
Nutritional Yeast – This is absolutely the most important ingredient. Once you try it you will agree that it really tastes like chicken while being completely vegan.
Garlic Powder – Garlic powder or dried minced garlic work well in dry rubs and powdered pantry recipes.
Onion Powder – Onion powder or dried minced onion gives a nice onion flavor.
Dried Basil – Basil is my favorite herb and gives this a mildly sweet flavor.
Dried Oregano – Oregano is another good herb choice for chicken broth because it works well in many recipes.
Dried Rosemary – My family also enjoys rosemary so that is another of my herb choices. But you can change this up and use whichever dried herbs you enjoy. Other options are using a poultry blend, herbes de Provence, parsley, thyme, sage, or even tarragon.
Salt – Any type of salt with work. Kosher salt, pink salt, Himalayan salt, etc.
Black Pepper – Black pepper enhances the other flavors in the same way that salt does.
How to make Chicken Bouillon Powder from Scratch
Step One: To make bouillon powder you just need some herbs and seasonings, salt, and nutritional yeast. You add all of these to a food processor and blender and blend until you have a fine powder.
Step Two: Use in recipes that call for bouillon or hydrate with hot water and use in place of chicken broth.
Variations
Spice – For a spicy flavor add some cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes.
Salt-free – You can use this to make a sodium-free bouillon. Just omit the salt.
Common Questions
How to make chicken broth with bouillon powder
Once you’ve made bouillon powder it just takes a few seconds to turn it into a broth. Simple stir some into hot water. The amount you will want will vary on how you are going to use the broth and your own taste buds. My first few tries at figuring out the ratio of powder to water made a broth that was way too salty. I cut back on the bouillon powder and it was perfect. This can replace bouillon cubes in all your recipes.
What is Nutritional Yeast?
Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast, often a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is sold commercially as a food product. It is sold in the form of flakes or as a yellow powder and can be found in the bulk aisle of most natural food stores. Wikipedia
Nutritional yeast is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and protein. My mom is a vegetarian and can have trouble getting enough protein in. This is an easy way she can add a little non-animal protein to her foods. It is widely used in vegan cooking because of it’s cheesy, chicken like flavor.
What herbs for Chicken Soup and Chicken Broth?
There are dozens of common herbs that taste nice in a chicken broth. You’ll find Rosemary Chicken Soup, Tarragon Chicken Soup, Chicken Soup with Thyme, and dozens of other recipes if you search for them. I used three of my family’s favorite herbs in this chicken broth substitute: rosemary, oregano, and basil. These are all found easily in any grocery store and are generally inexpensive. They give a nice herby taste to the broth when you make it.
How Can I Use Chicken Broth Powder?
You can use it to add a flavor similar to cream of chicken soup to casseroles. When I make casseroles such as my Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole and Keto Green Bean Casserole I use a combination of cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, and/or Greek yogurt for a creamy texture. Adding this powdered bouillon to that combo will mimic a canned cream-of-type soup without the need of a bouillon cube.
Obviously, you can also add this to water and make broth. Then you can use it in your favorite soups such as:
Can I make vegetable bouillon powder with this recipe?
Sure. For a vegetable flavor just sub in dehydrated vegetables for the nutritional yeast.
Can I make beef bouillon powder with this recipe?
I’ve tested this with dried mushrooms to try to replicate a beef flavor but was not successful. If you find a way to make this taste like beef please let me know!
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Video
Chicken Bouillon Powder
Ingredients
- 2 cups nutritional yeast
- 1/3 cup salt ***
- 1/4 cup garlic powder
- 1/4 cup onion powder
- 1/4 cup dried basil
- 1/4 cup dried oregano
- 1/4 cup dried rosemary
- 1-2 tbsp pepper
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until it is a fine powder.
- To make broth: use 1 tbsp bouillon powder per 8 oz hot water
Notes
Nutrition
Originally Published November 26, 2018. Revised and Republished May 19, 2023.
I made this when I was out of chicken broth and didn’t have any bouillon. I will never buy either of those again. I will keep this made up and only use it.
I used this mix as a broth with zucchini noodles, chopped red pepper, onions, carrots and celery. On the side I had roasted chicken dummies. I will be adding this broth to all of my veggies dishes from now on. It was smooth and comforting. I love that it’s also low in sodium.
How would you sub this as a “chicken bullion cube”? Making fried rice and they use a cube..I have this on hand but not sure the equvalence? Should I add water and make it like a paste and add 1 TBSP as a paste??
That’s a good idea. I normally just add it as powder. Up to you, I think both ways work.
Excellent chicken bouillon.
I would definitely cut the pepper in half the next batch though.
OMG. I never leave comments on recipes, this is my first time. But I felt I had to say how amazing this recipe is! I’m not vegan, but I will definitely be using this as a healthy replacement for my regular chicken bouillon! Thank you!
How long will it keep? Trying to figure out how much to make. Thanks!
As long as your ingredients are fresh and you use an airtight container it keeps for 6 months to a year.
Recipe sounds great…was wondering if there is a shelf life. If so, do you recommend freezing a portion of the recipe?
I’ve kept it for 6 months to a year in a mason jar in my pantry with no issues. Just make sure you use fresh ingredients.
This is very good chicken bouillon. I have a severe corn allergy which is in everything. So it’s very hard to eat most things. My mom found this. I just made it and it taste just like chicken soup. Thank you So much. It’s nice to be able to eat without my skin burning from the corn.
My son also has a severe corn allergy and I am so excited to try this!
Delicious! I made chicken noodle soup today and used this for the broth. I think it might be the first time my husband has had seconds of chicken noodle soup! It’s pretty spicy so I might cut the pepper just a little next time.
What is nutritional yeast and where can I buy it?
Here is info on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutritional_yeast
I’ve seen it in most grocery stores including Walmart but it’s cheaper from amazon.
I’ve been searching high and low for bouillon that doesn’t have sugar. I stumbled across this recipe and I am AMAZED!!! I followed the recipe almost exactly, the only thing I changed was that I cut the black pepper in half as I didn’t want it to be spicy. I made myself a cup of this to try as soon as I was done and it tastes amazing!! I’m drinking it as I write this. 2 other family members also tried it and like it. We all agreed that we would cut the pepper completely and cut the garlic down a bit as well. That’s the great thing about this recipe is that you can adjust it to your own taste!! This will be a staple in our house going forward!
I made the chicken bouillon powder this morning! Delicious! I will decrease the garlic powder just a hair next time. But, great recipe. Easy to make- I already had the ingredients in my pantry! Score! Lol
Thank you so much for taking on the enormous task of sharing your knowledge with others!
I loved nutritional yeast and always had it in my pantry. Then I read in numerous places that it’s not recommended for those of us dealing with Crohn’s Disease. This is just a heads up for anyone else in the same situation.
My son is gluten free and I was told the a lot of yeast is feed gluten to help it grow/mature, but not all. Watch the brands and check if they label it Gluten free, if so the had to go through safety procedures that make it safe for people like you and my son.
Can this be used for keto chicken pot pie?
Sure! I use it in my pot pie recipe.
I’ve been trying to use up the brewer’s yeast I have in the pantry–do you think that would be okay to sub in here?
No, sorry, the flavor is very different.