The Bouillon Cubes That Changed My Cooking

Learn how to make homemade chicken bouillon cubes from scratch with deep, slow-roasted flavor. In this video, I take you step by step through my Portuguese-inspired method for creating rich, umami-packed stock that you can freeze and use for months. This is not your average chicken broth—it’s concentrated, aromatic, and filled with layers of flavor you won’t get from store-bought cubes.
We start by roasting chicken bones with onion, garlic, and carrot to unlock their golden, caramelized depth. Then we simmer the stock for hours with fish sauce, soy, bay leaves, and a hint of orange peel. The final touch? A bit of xanthan gum to thicken it into perfect freezer-friendly bouillon cubes.

🧂 Ingredients (Makes 12 cubes)
For the Stock:
• 1 Kg Chicken bones and skins or carcass
• 1 large onion, quartered (no need to peel)
• 1 large carrot (or 2 small), cut into chunks
• 1 Garlic head
• 2–3 wide strips of orange peel (no white pith)
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2–3 bay leaves
• Salt
• 2 L cold water
To Finish:
• ½–1 tsp xanthan gum