The Best Chicken Broths, According to Our Taste Test

Store-bought chicken broth is the Wild West of pantry staples. The flavors run the gamut from aromatic and full of umami to weak and watery, and it’s hard to judge the overall quality based on the ingredients listed on a carton, can, or jar because most ready-made chicken broths have the same basic ingredients. And while it may seem like chicken broth only serves only as a supporting character in a dish, a top-tier broth can make a break or dish. Finding a quality broth is integral to adding depth and dimension to the flavor of what you are cooking, whether it’s a soup, stew, or sauce.

Though the flavor and feel of homemade chicken broth is unparalleled, making it is time-consuming, so we set out to find which ready-made broths can best recreate that signature savoriness.

How we tested

For our taste test, we selected 12 different chicken broth brands from grocery stores and online retailers based on their popularity and availability. We limited our test to chicken broths and did not include stocks or bone broths. We also stuck to the low sodium or reduced sodium versions of each brand. Why? Because many original chicken broths contain extremely high salt levels, making it difficult to adjust seasoning while cooking. Like all our taste tests, we masked the brands for our testers so they wouldn’t know what brand they were tasting. We tried each broth plain and at room temperature.

So, what makes a good chicken broth? First and foremost, it needs to taste like actual chicken. It should also feel full-bodied without feeling greasy or heavy on your palate.  The schmaltzy chicken flavor you taste in homemade broth comes from slowly simmering a whole chicken with aromatics, allowing the flavor and fat to infuse into the liquid.

But most commercial chicken broths follow the opposite process. They begin with a highly concentrated stock made by simmering chicken bones — without meat or skin — along with vegetables and herbs. This stock is then diluted with water and seasoned before packaging.

We looked for a store-bought broth that tastes like homemade.  Of the 12 brands we tasted, a few stood out for their exceptional flavor. Others were so diluted and flat that describing them as “beyond disappointing” was about as polite as we could be. The brands below are ones we’d gladly stash in our pantries.

Best overall: College Inn 40% Less Sodium Chicken Broth

We set out to find a good quality, accessible, chicken broth that tasted like real chicken and this delivered. It had a full-bodied Sunday roast chicken flavor, was well-seasoned without being overpowering, and had a pleasant chicken-y aroma. One tester described the flavor similar to a concentrated homemade bone broth. This broth also has roots in the restaurant industry (the College Inn brand started from the College Inn Restaurant in Chicago in the 1920’s) and their secret chicken stock recipe was the base of their signature Chicken à la King dish. $4 for one 32-ounce carton at walmart.com

Most balanced: Good & Gather Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth

Target’s house brand narrowly missed winning our best overall category. This broth offers a harmonious balance of savory chicken notes with a subtle sweetness from carrot juice concentrate that rounds out its flavor. Think of it as a Swiss army knife in your pantry — perfect for supporting more the robust ingredients in a gratin or casserole, yet flavorful and roasty enough to take center stage in a chicken and dumplings. It’s also thoroughly enjoyable sipped straight from a mug. $2 for one 32-ounce carton at target.com

Best classic: Swanson Natural Goodness 35% Less Sodium Chicken Broth

It’s no secret that when it comes to broths and stocks, Swanson is a household name.  The broth is so well-seasoned that we’d gladly warm it up in the microwave and drop in some instant-ramen noodles for a quick meal. One tester described it as “unexpectedly savory, very well-seasoned with a pronounced chicken taste.” However, all of our testers noted how salty the broth tastes. We won’t lie: Even with 35% less sodium than the regular version, this was one of the saltier broths we tried. It was unclear whether or not the bold, in-your-face chicken flavor was simply amplified by the heavy seasoning. Regardless, it was still delicious, but we’d advise tasting before adding additional salt to your dish if using this or their original flavored broth. $3 for one 32-ounce carton at amazon.com

Best value: Chef’s Cupboard Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth

When you need a tried-and-true broth on a budget, you can count on Chef’s Cupboard (one of Aldi’s private labels). This broth had an enticing aroma and tasty roasted vegetable notes that didn’t overshadow the poultry flavor. Plus, at less than roughly five cents per ounce (beating other budget-friendly brand Good & Gather by a hair at roughly six cents per ounce), it’s a total steal. $2 for one 32-ounce carton at Aldi stores