How to Make Instant Pot Bone Broth (or Chicken Stock)
How to make Instant Pot Bone Broth or Chicken Stock. With just a few simple ingredients you can make homemade chicken bone broth in your pressure cooker. Use your homemade bone broth in soups or sip it as a nourishing beverage.
We often cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot. I don’t like to let the leftover chicken bones and carcass from the whole chicken go to waste. I use them to make the best homemade Instant Pot bone broth and you can too with this easy bone broth recipe!
Homemade bone broth is so much better and more flavorful than store bought. Plus, a good store bought bone broth can be expensive – it’s much cheaper to make your own using scraps in your kitchen! Save little bits of celery, carrot peels, extra herbs, and chicken bones in a freezer bag and you will have the makings for nourishing homemade chicken bone broth.
You can drink warm bone broth from a mug, or use it in any recipe where you would normally use chicken stock or broth. Try it in my Instant Pot brown rice recipe or quinoa recipes. Or use your bone broth in homemade soups, such as crockpot chicken noodle soup or chicken and rice soup.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot and are interested in getting one, read my helpful guide to learn which Instant Pot is best for you. Then check out my beginner’s guide to learn how to use an Instant Pot.
Benefits of Bone Broth
- Bone broth is a nourishing warm beverage that you can sip or use in recipes to add more nutrients. When you’re sick the healing properties of bone broth may make you feel better.
- Bone broth is rich in gelatin, collagen, vitamins and minerals. Bone broth may have gut-healing properties and may fight inflammation and boost immunity.
- This bone broth recipe doesn’t make bone broth that gels, but it is still full of nutrition. To make bone broth that gels, you can add marrow bones and chicken feet (because they are rich in collagen). You can get these at many International markets. Also be sure to use bones from an organic chicken and use just enough water to cover the bones.
Chicken Bone Broth vs. Chicken Stock
In this recipe I give you the cook times needed to make chicken bone broth or chicken stock. If you’re wondering what the difference is between bone broth, chicken stock and chicken broth, the main difference is in how long they cook. Bone broth has the longest cook time, which extracts the most nutrients from the bones.
- Bone broth is made with bones and sometimes meat, vegetables and aromatics. It is cooked for a long time to extract more nutrients from the bones, and has the highest gelatin content. Bone broth is often thicker than stock.
- Chicken stock is made with bones, vegetables and aromatics. The cook time is shorter than the cook time for bone broth. Chicken stock has a richer flavor than chicken broth.
- Chicken broth is made from meat, vegetables and aromatics. It has a shorter cook time than both stock and bone broth.
How to Make Instant Pot Bone Broth
To make Instant Pot bone broth, you will combine the ingredients in your Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 2 hours.
Bone Broth Ingredients:
- Bones and carcass from one whole chicken: You can make your bone broth right away after cooking your whole chicken, or save the bones and carcass in your freezer for later.
- Onion and garlic: These aromatic ingredients add flavor.
- Celery and carrots: These add flavor and nutrients. You can use whole carrots and celery ribs, or vegetable scraps that you have saved in your freezer.
- Fresh herbs and a bay leaf: I love the flavor that rosemary and thyme give to the broth.
- Whole black peppercorns: These are for flavor, and they will get strained out after cooking, along with the other solids.
- Salt: I like to start with less salt and then add more as needed, to taste. I recommend starting with 1 teaspoon Kosher salt and adding up to 1 more teaspoon, if needed for flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is an important bone broth ingredient. The acidity of apple cider vinegar helps to break down the bones, extracting their nutrients.
- Water: For the thickest, richest bone broth, fill the Instant Pot with water just until the ingredients are covered. Do not fill any higher than 1 inch below the max fill line on your Instant Pot.
After the cook time ends, you will let the pot naturally release for at least 30 minutes. Then very carefully quick release the remaining pressure.
Once the pressure has been released from the Instant Pot and the pin drops down, it is safe to open the lid. I use a slotted spoon to remove any large bones and vegetables from the pot and then pour the broth through a strainer to remove the remaining solids.
How to make Instant Pot Chicken Stock
To make chicken stock in your pressure cooker, you will add the same bone broth ingredients and cook for less time. Cook chicken stock for 45 minutes at high pressure, plus a 30 minute natural release. Strain out the solids and let the chicken stock cool before storing.
How to store Homemade Instant Pot Bone Broth
Homemade bone broth or chicken stock will last for up to 5 days in your refrigerator. You can also freeze your bone broth for longer storage. I like to freeze 1 cup portions for future use.
Store your bone broth in freezer-safe wide mouth mason jars. Or freeze in ice cube trays and then transfer to another storage container. Be sure to let the broth or stock cool completely before putting it into the refrigerator or freezer.
Instant Pot Bone Broth (or Chicken Stock)
Ingredients
- carcass and bones from 1 whole chicken, organic preferred
- 1 onion, cut in half, skin on
- 1 head garlic, cut in half, skin on
- 2 ribs celery
- 2 carrots
- fresh rosemary and thyme, a few sprigs of each
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- water
Instructions
- Place all ingredients except water in Instant Pot.
- Fill with water to cover the bones and vegetables. Do not fill higher than 1 inch below the max fill line.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position.
- For bone broth, pressure cook using the Pressure Cook/Manual button for 2 hours on high pressure or 3 hours on low pressure.
- For chicken stock, use the Pressure Cook/Manual function and set the time to 45 minutes at high pressure.
- After you set the cook time, the Instant Pot will take about 30 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will begin counting down.
- When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 30 minutes by leaving the Instant Pot alone.
- Then CAREFULLY quick release any remaining pressure by using the handle of a long spoon to slowly turn the steam release valve to the venting position. Wait for any steam to escape. Once the pin drops down carefully open the Instant Pot lid.
- Place a strainer over a large bowl, pot or other container. Use a slotted spoon to remove and discard any large solids from the Instant Pot. Pour the broth into the strainer and allow all of the liquid to drain through. Discard the solids.
- Allow to cool completely.
- Store broth/stock for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 3-6 months in the freezer, in an airtight container. Use in your favorite recipes or enjoy as a nourishing beverage.
Notes
- You can use vegetable scraps and herbs that you have saved in the freezer instead of the whole carrots, celery, etc.
Thank you for the really good explanation of the 2 ways for bone or stock recipes! Plus the storage explanation! Good for beginners also!
is love to know how to fit all that in my I. pot. plus with 1 inch below max line 🙂
I made this in my 6 quart instant pot. You can adjust the amount of water as needed to fit in your pot.
Help – I used too much Apple cider vinegar – should I just water down the mixture?
It will probably be ok, unless you put in way too much. I hope it turns out ok.
I just made this with the carcass of two rotisserie chickens. It is the best chicken bone broth I have ever tasted! I didn’t follow the recipe to the letter. Since there was two of them, I used two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. And I could not find a whole clove of garlic so I got a jar of chopped garlic. I used a parsnip instead of carrots cuz I could not find whole carrots. I did not want to buy a whole stock of celery so I bought celery root. I am a server in Salt Lake City. My workplace has been shut down due to the current situation. I am hoping that I get unemployment benefits this coming week so I can pay rent. I hope to be back at work before I run out of food. I just wish I would have thought to budget for the ingredients for noodle soup when I was spending the last of my cash on food. So for now, bone broth will just have to do. Thanks Kristin for a great recipe.
I’m glad this recipe worked well for you. I hope everything works out for you in these tough times.
This is an awesome recipe. Easy and delicious! After straining the bone broth, I made soup, added veggies and diced chicken, noodles. I low pressure cooked for 30 min. on soup setting, QR and done. I added some seasoning after, probably should have added prior to 30 min. low pressure.
I want to make this but I don’t have apple cider vinegar. Will it turn out ok if I don’t have this, or is t by an ingredient I can substitute?
You can leave it out or substitute lemon juice.
Use a steamer basket for all of the solids. When the broth is cooked, simply remove the basket and discard the solids. Wonderful, clear broth.
Good tip! Thanks.
I just pulled a bag of frozen chicken bones out of the freezer. Do I have to wait for them to thaw out before I add them to the pot!
You can add them to the pot frozen.
Hi Kristine,
Thank you for posting this recipe. I’m definitely going to try it out. Quick question can you also use chicken skin?
Just wanted to know ?
Hi Bilkis,
I do not use the chicken skin but you could try it. My concern would be if a piece of chicken skin stuck to the bottom of the pot you might get a burn warning for your Instant Pot.
I include the chicken skin all the time. It will result in a bit more fat in your finished stock/broth, but I tend to think that fat = flavour. If there’s more fat than you prefer, just chill the broth and remove some of the hardened fat.
I forgot to put the vinegar in. Can I add it afterwards? Why do you need to put it in?
The acidity of apple cider vinegar helps to break down the bones, extracting their nutrients. Adding it afterwards won’t have the same effect. It should be fine without it.
I made this from 2 rotisserie chicken carcasses and a bunch of vegetables I had from making 2 batches of keto chicken soup. It turned out great! Thanks for the explanation of the values of bone broth and the way to do it with either an InstaPot or a slow cooker. My husband came home sick from work and I made 2 kinds of keto chicken soup and added this to them. Thank you so much! After two days, he’s already feeling better.
My pressure cooker is only programmable to 99 minutes. Is that enough time or do I need to do two “runs”?
I would recommend doing two pressure cooking cycles. You should be able to set the second cycle as soon as the first one ends, without waiting for the pressure to release.
My pressure cooker only goes in 59min intervals ….so…..as soon as it beeps I reset for another 59 min…the second time it will immediately start pressure cooking (already at the pressure stage ) it is delish !
Having not made bone broth in the pressure cooker before I made a mistake. I put it on slow cooker, which is how I normally make it. For 48 hours. I didn’t put it under steam…I used the Instant Pot the same way I would the Slow Cooker, but it is a high volume. Not sure if it will gel, if it doesn’t it doesn’t help arthritis, etc. I need to reduce the amount of water like the Slow Cooker normally does after 2 days. Help! <3
Really great explanation and recipe. I’m excited to try! I hope I didn’t miss the answer to this question but… Is 2 hours long enough to get all the nutrients? Other recipes say 10-12 hours. Does the instant pot make the bones break down faster? thanks!
Yes, the pressure cooking process in the Instant Pot makes everything break down faster. 🙂
My first instapot attempt, followed your recipe, turn out great. I did use two carcasses and a little extra apple cider vinegar, but awesome results, thanks for your info.
Hi I made this tonight for the first time. Question though, I was expecting to see the bones broken down and the marrow exposed. They got soft but didn’t break during the cook time. Did I do something wrong? It’s absolutely delicious, even though I didn’t have celery.
Thanks!
Great recipes!
Hi Kristine,
We have a new Insta Pot, and I was nervous about using it since I never had before. I read through your directions and they were SOOO clear that I didn’t even have to use the manual to figure out anything. I’m currently waiting for the pressure to rise, so I can’t yet rate the taste, but absolutely rate your clear and concise directions a 5 star. Thanks so much for making this easy.
Instant pot bone broth is a game changer! I’ve done side by side comparisons of stovetop vs instant pot, and IP wins all around. I sauté my bones and veggies first for additional flavor, then refrigerate to remove the excess fat. So delicious!!
I found this recipe as I was looking to reference time and amount of apple cider vinegar to use making bone broth. I thought I remembered using more in the past and ending up with a broth that was too acidic. I think the previous reference I used advised a greater amount. Anyway, compared with the written recipe, I had twice the bones, some of the chicken skin, and instead of fresh herbs, I used dried and went a bit light on them. The result was amazing, and the broth did gel in the refrigerator. I used most of the broth to make Matzo ball soup (even though my mother cries foul, because I make it so differently than she did back when they lived in Brooklyn and she would go to the little grocery store under the rail tracks and ask for some “soup greens.”) My husband absolutely loved it, I declaired it the best broth I’ve made, even though it was not significantly different from what I have done before, and my 4 year old asked for more broth the night we used the leftovers. I am thinking that this winter we will be roasting more chickens so that I can make more bone broth!
First time broth maker and I would say it’s fine but not to add as much water as advised. I wish there was more flavor but can always add more later. Others may have been right to use 2 carcasses, I only used 1.
So much easier and faster than doing it in a stock pot on the stove. I work all week and this was a timesaver! Came out perfectly. I plan to freeze some and dehydrate the rest. Thank you!
For the garlic, Do you mean one head or one clove?
I can’t wait to try this broth because it looks absolutely delicious going by the recipe.
A whole head of garlic, cut in half. (You can see it in the photos in the post.) Enjoy!
Wonderful recipe and very customizable to use up what you have. Thank you!
Could I can this to make it shelf stable?
Using the instant Pot has been a game changer for making broth! This is the only way I make it now. The only thing I do differently is sauté the bones and veggies prior to adding everything else, just for an added depth of flavor. Comes out rich and delicious every time-thank you!
What would you say is the equivalent in pounds for a chicken carcass if I’m buying frozen bones/feet from the store!??
I have the turkey carcus and vegetables, etc. in my 8 qt. Instspot now. Thank you for the recipe.
I am making chicken bone broth right now! Can’t wait to sip it later tonight!
Very good price, so flavorful
I’ve made chicken stock many times using this recipe. Always turns out great!
Followed recipe exactly and when I opened the pot it had burned on the bottom with no broth 😭
Hi Kristy,
Did you add the water to cover the bones and vegetables as directed in step 2 of the recipe? (You can see a visual of how much water in the post photos.) Was the steam release valve set to the sealing position? If you did both of those things it’s not possible that that much water could evaporate/disappear while pressure cooking.
I’m curious if you find it necessary to blanch or roast the bones prior to putting them in the instant pot. Other recipes say to absolutely not skip that step, but your way seems so much easier!
Interesting! I have never found it necessary to do either of those steps. You could try it both ways and see if you notice a difference.