The Best Instant Pot Bone Broth

Instant PotLearn how to make the best bone broth in the instant pot with this simple tutorial. Bone broth is nourishing, gut healing and the perfect liquid, in which to simmer away vegetables and meat into a delicious homemade soup. 

It is known to be an effective immune booster, which is the reason mom reached for the chicken noodle soup when you were sick as a kid.

Real Bone Broth is Solid When Refrigerated

Homemade bone broth is not liquid when made properly.

Unfortunately, the liquid chicken broth you find in boxes on grocery store shelves, doesn’t have the same healing properties as bone broth.

When bones are simmered for long periods of time, gelatin is pulled from them, causing the jello like consistency.

The stuff you find in the grocery store simply isn’t made with the health benefits in mind.

Bone broth has a special place in the meal rotation here at the farmhouse. I love the simplicity of a homemade soup.

From cheeseburger soup, to pumpkin, roasted red pepper and tomato soup and more. It is a staple, no matter the season.

Packing so many vegetables an broth into a cozy, nourishing one-pot meal is a no-brainer for me. Less dishes. More nutrition. I’m all there.

Plus, I love being able to use every part of the chicken. I pay good money for organic, pasture raised chickens.

The last thing I want to do is throw away the leftovers bits of meat and bones, when they are still packed with nutrition.

Instant Pot Bone Broth

I have been making chicken broth on the stovetop for years now. The process is simple. Simmer bones in water for at least 24 hours.

The problem is I always need all my stovetop space.

As a family of 8, it isn’t practical to have one large stock pot and burner constantly occupied with simmering broth.

Also, I didn’t really like leaving the burner on at all times. It was on while we left the house and overnight. It felt like the fire hazard.

Recently, I started making my go-to recipe in the Instant Pot, and I don’t think I will be going back to my old way. It gets it done in way less time and I get my burner back.

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What you will need:

Chicken or Beef Bones

Filtered Water – I use my Berkey Water Filter

Optional: Apple cider vinegar

Optional: vegetable scraps, like celery leaves and carrot peels

Instant Pot

Half gallon jars for storage

Watch The Video

How To Make The Best Instant Pot Bone Broth

Add Veggies, Bones, And Water

1. Fill the Instant Pot with your bones of choice. I fill the stainless steel pot about 3/4 of the way up with bones. A good example of bones used in this scenario is approximately two chicken carcasses.
   • You can also use bones from legs only, thighs only, etc. If you made barbecue chicken legs, when you are done eating, throw the bones in a ziplock bag and into the freezer. Any bones you can add to the pot will work great.
   • It is also ok to mix bones from different animals in the same pot. No harm, no foul.
2. Cover the bones with water. Make sure the water isn’t too high above the bones. For the broth to gel, it is important to have a water to bone ratio that isn’t too high.
   • Watch the video to see how many bones and water I add for bone broth that effectively gels.
3. Add a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. The acidic vinegar pulls nutrients from the bones into the broth water.

Set The Instant Pot

1. Press the soup button on the Instant Pot. Set it to low pressure and the maximum cooking time of 120 minutes.
   • The first time I made bone broth in the Instant Pot it didn’t gel. I was disappointed. Turns out it just needs more time. Repeat the low pressure soup button two more times. Run it through the cycle a total of three times.
   • If a cycle happens to finish while you are sleeping or out and about, no worries. It will just go to warm. Sometimes I get through the whole process in six hours.
2. Sometimes I let it sit on warm between cycles and the process is stretched out for 24 hours.

   Straining it off

1. Take the lid off the Instant Pot and press the cancel button to turn it off. Allow it to cool slightly before straining it off. Just be sure to put it in a place on your counter where you won’t forget about it. Not that I’ve done that….twice.
2. Once the broth is cool enough to work with, place a stainless steel strainer over a large bowl. Strain off the bones.
   • If you have chickens, they love to eat whats left. Little cannibals.
3. Pour the broth into half gallon jars. I find a funnel is helpful for this.
4. Store them in the refrigerator for up to one week.
5. I usually make one gallon at a time.

Which bones are best for homemade bone broth?

I like the taste of chicken broth best. Any bones will work.

Beef soup bones usually have more fat. There will be a thick layer of tallow at the top of the jar, after it is refrigerated.

How to get bones for bone broth

• Always eat meat with bones. Don’t buy boneless skinless chicken breasts. They are all white meat and pretty flavorless. Plus, they won’t give you any bones for broth. I make a whole chicken a couple times a week. That provides most the bones I need.
• Find a local farmer who you can purchase meat from. My sister and I usually split a whole cow a couple times per year. The meat processor charges a very small amount to throw in the bones.
• Ask local farmers what they do with the extra bones that people don’t want.
• I hear Whole Foods sells bones in the freezer section. I’d be willing to bet they will cost you an arm and a leg.

Can you freeze broth?

Yes. After it has been cooked and cooled you can freeze it. I will usually freeze it in a quart size mason jar leaving a few inches of headroom to allow for expansion (a ziplock freezer bag will also work. If you don’t leave any space at the top, your mason jar will likely break.

You can also freeze it in table spoon portions in a silicon mold. That way if you only need a little bit to flavor a dish you have already portioned out cubes.

Bone Broth Uses

Adding broth to dishes helps boost flavor and nutritional value. Some of my favorite ways to use it in cooking include:

• Soup
• Stews
• Cook rice, couscous, risotto, quinoa, etc. in broth for added flavor.
• Baste a chicken or turkey in it.
• Use it in place of water in savory Instant Pot or Crock-Pot dishes.
• Make our families’ favorite Sourdough Stuffing or Chicken Pot Pie.

Find More Recipes Straight From The Farmhouse:

• Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato
• Hearty Potato
• Easy Einkorn Sandwich Bread – No-Knead
• White Chicken Chili from Dried Beans
• Easy Sourdough Dinner Rolls

If you try this recipe, I would love if you rated it and tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone

Best Bone Broth

Yield: 1/2 gallon

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes

Delicious bone broth is nourishing, gut healing food perfect to turn into delicious soup.

Print

Ingredients

• 1/2 gallon of water
• Chicken bones
• Veggie scraps -onions, celery, carrots, etc.

Instructions

Fill the Instant Pot with your bones of choice. I fill the stainless steel pot about 3/4 of the way up with bones. A good example of bones used in this scenario is approximately two chicken carcasses.

Cover the bones with water. Make sure the water isn’t too high above the bones. For the broth to gel, it is important to have a water to bone ratio that isn’t too high.

Add a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. The acidic vinegar pulls nutrients from the bones into the broth water.

Press the soup button on the Instant Pot. Set it to low pressure and the maximum cooking time of 120 minutes.

Repeat the low pressure soup button two more times. Run it through the cycle a total of three times.

Take the lid off the Instant Pot and press the cancel button to turn it off. Allow it to cool slightly before straining it off.

Once the broth is cool enough to work with, place a stainless steel strainer over a large bowl. Strain off the bones.

Pour the broth into half gallon jars.

Store them in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Notes

This will store for up to a week in the refrigerator. Or you can freeze for up to 6 months.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 37Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 30mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 3g

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