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This Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth recipe is full of flavour, nourishing and a great staple to have on hand. It is also super easy to make thanks to the Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker) which cuts down the cook time significantly over traditional methods.
I love having a supply of homemade chicken bone broth or stock stored in my freezer. It is so versatile, nutrient rich, delicious and the perfect way to make use of the bones from leftover roast chicken. Not to mention that it also happens to be cheaper and taste so much better than store bought stock.
Traditionally, bone broth is cooked on the stovetop for hours on end. This is why I make all my bone broths in the Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker) since it is so easy and hands off. Who has time to constantly monitor a pot on the stove for hours and hours? Not me!
So where do you get the chicken bones from? There are lots of options. You can use the leftover carcass from roast chicken or purchase bones from a local farm or butcher (many sell chicken backs, carcasses, etc.). Cook up a batch of chicken bone broth immediately after eating a whole chicken or simply collect the bones in the freezer until you are ready. I tend to use a mixture of saved bones from roast chicken with a few wings or chicken backs tossed in. So the next time you have chicken bones from a roasted chicken, save them to make this easy, flavourful bone broth/stock.
What Is Chicken Bone Broth?
Chicken bone broth is made by simmering chicken bones in water usually along with some vegetables, aromatics and a touch of apple cider vinegar (helps to extract minerals and collagen from the bones and connective tissue). It is normally simmered for MANY hours on the stovetop in order to extract all the nutrients and flavour. The Instant Pot makes this so much easier and faster which is why it is the only method I use now.
So what’s the difference between chicken broth, stock and bone broth?
It definitely can get confusing since a lot of these terms are used interchangeably. Hopefully this helps…
- Chicken Broth: Made from simmering meat for a short amount of time. Typically more clear in colour.
- Chicken Stock: Made from simmering bones that have a small amount of meat attached to them for a longer period of time. Typically rich in colour.
- Chicken Bone Broth: Made from simmering bones that have a small amount of meat attached to them for a long time. Bone broth is slightly different from stock, in that it is cooked longer with a little acidity to help extract trace minerals and collagen from the bones and connective tissue.
Why To Make Your Own
Not only does the Instant Pot make homemade bone broth and stock easier and quicker than traditional methods but there are also lots of other reasons why you should make your own…
- More Flavourful: Most store bought broths and stocks tend to really lack in the flavour department. This homemade version tastes so much better and you can season as you like.
- Economical: It can be quite pricey to purchase quality broths and stocks. Making it at home is low cost or essentially free if you are using the bones from chicken that you are eating anyways and veggie scraps.
- Higher Quality: You can control the quality of ingredients at home and don’t need to worry about any additives, etc.
- No Waste: You could make it entirely from things that you normally throw away.
How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth
Let’s get started…
What You Will Need
With just a few simple ingredients, you can make this homemade chicken bone broth recipe in your Instant Pot…
- Chicken Bones: Use the saved bones from a roasted chicken or purchased chicken backs, chicken wings, chicken carcasses, necks (or even feet if you dare).
- Vegetables: You can either use some fresh chopped onions, carrots and celery or you can use scraps by simply saving the peel from carrots and ends of onions and celery in a freezer bag.
- Herbs + Seasonings: Have fun playing with flavours here. Some options are bay leaves, peppercorns, garlic cloves and herbs like parsley, thyme, sage or rosemary. I prefer to salt to taste afterwards since it provides more flexibility.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: It won’t taste sour – I promise! Just a touch is added to help pull the nutrients and collagen out of the bones and connective tissue. This is the brand that I like to use.
- Water: Everything gets covered in water and cooked until your are left with a delicious, nourishing bone broth.
You will also need the following equipment:
- Instant Pot: You could also use a different electric pressure cooker. This is the Instant Pot that I use.
- Fine Mesh Sieve: A fine mesh sieve or strainer is used to strain the broth.
- Large Bowl, Pitcher or Pot: A large vessel to strain your broth into.
- Optional: You could also use a special strainer insert like this mesh steamer basket for the Instant Pot. It would be placed into the inner pot of the Instant Pot before adding ingredients. Once finished and ready to strain, simply lift it out to strain the broth directly into the inner pot.
Step By Step Instructions
To make some Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth, simply…
- Add Ingredients: Place all the ingredients into the Instant Pot and fill with water until it just covers the bones (or 1 inch below the Max Fill line – whichever comes first). Be careful not to overfill. It’s ok if the bones are not fully covered. Secure the lid and set the steam release valve to the “Sealing” position.
- Set Cook Time: Press the “Soup” button (or Manual / Pressure Cook button) and set to cook for 120 minutes (2 hours) followed by a natural release. Note: I usually use the “Soup” function when making broth/stock since this setting controls the pressure and temperature to ensure that the liquid never goes into a heavy boiling state.
- Strain: Using tongs, pull all the large pieces out first. Then pour the rest through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl, pitcher or pot. You will be left with a gorgeous, golden broth – “liquid gold”.
- Quick Chill: Cool down the strained broth quickly by using an ice bath. Simply fill a sink or big bowl with ice water and place your bowl or vessel containing the strained bone broth into it. Alternatively, you could also add a few ice cubes directly into the broth. Quick chilling prevents bacteria from growing and your fridge heating up.
- Store: Pour into storage containers and store in the fridge for up to a week or freezer for up to 6 months. Once cold, the bone broth should be jiggly with a solid layer of fat on top. Scoop off the fat or mix back in when reheating (will turn back to liquid when reheated).
Optional Roasting Step: If the bones are from a cooked chicken, then just follow the steps outlined above. However, if you are using raw chicken pieces, you can either roast or sauté them first for more flavour. To roast, toss them in a bit of oil and then place on a lined baking sheet in a 400F oven for 20 minutes. To sauté , simply use the Sauté setting on the Instant Pot and stir bones occasionally until browned. Just remember to deglaze the pot by pouring in 1/2 cup of water and scraping up all the bits with a wooden spoon before continuing. Deglazing prevents a Burn notice from appearing later. You can also just use raw bones to make chicken bone broth but roasting will enhance the flavour.
Detailed ingredient list and directions located in the recipe card below.
Storage Info + Tips
After you make your chicken bone broth, you need to store it. Let’s talk all things storage…
How long can you store it?
Store homemade broths and stocks in the fridge for 5-7 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
What do you store it in?
You can store it in any freezer safe storage container. I like to freeze chicken bone broth in a variety of portion sizes so it can easily be used in a number of ways. Two of my favourite storage options are:
- Mason Jars: I like to store broth/stock in wide mouth mason jars with screwtop plastic storage caps. I use the Ball mason jars in 3 sizes: 16 oz, 24 oz and 32 oz. These are a great size for recipes requiring larger quantities like soups or stews. Tip: A wide mouth funnel makes filling jars easy and less messy.
- Silicone Molds: Freezing broth or stock in silicone molds is the perfect way to portion out smaller amounts for those recipes that only require a bit. I like to use full size or mini silicone muffin trays and baby food storage trays. Another great option that I found are these silicone Souper Cubes. To freeze in silicone molds, simply place the muffin tray or whatever mold you are using on a baking sheet and pour the bone broth into the mold. Then place the baking sheet into the freezer. Once frozen, pop out the broth “pucks” and store in a freezer bag or container.
Tips for freezing in glass mason jars
Nobody wants cracked jars or wasted food so I highly recommend following these tips for freezing food in mason jars safely.
Common Questions
Is chicken bone broth good for you?
Not only is it delicious and great to cook with but it is also nutritious. Some benefits of bone broth include: boosts the immune system, improves digestion, supports joint and skin health, and more!
Can you make it on the stovetop?
You most certainly can but it takes a lot longer! Many stovetop recipes simmer for 12-24 hours which makes me a little nervous since I don’t have time to monitor it for that amount of time. This is why I prefer to use the Instant Pot since it takes a fraction of the time and you can just let it do its thing.
What should it look like once cool?
After your chicken bone broth has cooled completely in the fridge, it should have a gelled consistency with a solid layer of fat on top. You can either scoop the fat off the top with a spoon or just allow it to melt back in when reheating. The jiggly broth means your broth is rich in gelatin and will turn back to liquid when heated.
What if it doesn’t gel?
Don’t worry if it didn’t gel since it will still be delicious and nutritious. It just means that there is a lower gelatin content. Gelatin is the cooked form of collagen. This could be due to adding too much water or not using enough collagen rich bones. Next time, try adding in a few bones that are full of connective tissue like chicken wings, necks, backs (or feet if you dare). I usually keep some wings and backs in the freezer and add in a few with my saved carcasses from roast chicken. However, sometimes I just use carcasses and it doesn’t always gel but I am not too fussed about it.
Tip: You can also add in some quality gelatin (I like this one) for an added boost.
Ways To Use Chicken Bone Broth
I love to keep a stash of homemade chicken bone broth or stock in my freezer at all times. It is so versatile and can be used in a number of ways. Here are a few ideas…
- Any recipe calling for stock or broth: Skip the boxed stuff and use your delicious homemade bone broth any time a recipe calls for chicken stock or broth.
- Soups + Stews: Use it to make an amazing chicken noodle soup or as the base in your favourite soup and stew recipes.
- Sauces + Gravies: Perfect for flavourful sauces and gravies.
- Rice + Grains: Substitute for water when cooking rice or other grains. It adds a nutritional boost and flavour. Great way to incorporate more bone broth for people who do not like soups.
- Sip it: Simply drink it on its own as a healthy, warm beverage. Play with adding some additional seasonings to jazz it up.
More Bone Broth Recipes
Looking for some more homemade bone broth and stock recipes? Here are a few more to try:
- Turkey Bone Broth (Stock): Instant Pot + Stovetop
- Instant Pot Beef Bone Broth
- All About Bone Broth (comprehensive guide includes tips, benefits, uses and recipe with Instant Pot, slow cooker and stovetop instructions)
New to the Instant Pot? Learn how to use and better understand your Instant Pot with these 10 Instant Pot Tips For Beginners.
Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: Varies
- Category: Soup
- Method: Pressure Cook, Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth recipe is full of flavour, nourishing and a great staple to have on hand. It is also super easy to make thanks to the Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker) which cuts down the cook time significantly over traditional methods.
Ingredients
- 2–3 lbs or 1-1.5 kg chicken bones (see note)
- 2–4 cups roughly chopped onions, carrots and celery (or collected scraps)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 2 cloves garlic, lightly smashed (optional)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Optional: handful fresh herbs (i.e. parsley, thyme, sage, rosemary)
- Cold filtered water, to cover
- Salt or seasoning (see note)
Instructions
- Add the chicken bones, vegetables, aromatics and apple cider vinegar to the Instant Pot. Fill with water until it just covers the bones or reaches 1 inch below the Max Fill line (whichever comes first). Be careful not to overfill – it is ok if the bones are not fully covered with water. Secure the lid and set the steam release valve to the “Sealing” position.
- Press the “Soup” button (or Manual/Pressure Cook button) and set to cook for 120 minutes or 2 hours (high pressure) followed by a natural release.
- Strain the broth by first using tongs to pull out all the large pieces and then pouring the rest through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl, pitcher or pot.
- Cool down the strained broth quickly before storing by using an ice bath. Simply fill a sink or big bowl with ice water and place your bowl or vessel containing the strained broth into it. Alternatively, you could also add a few ice cubes directly into the broth. Quick chilling prevents bacteria from growing and your fridge heating up.
- Pour into storage containers and store in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 6 months. Once cold, the chicken bone broth should be jiggly with a solid layer of fat on top. Scoop off the fat or mix back in when reheating (will turn back to liquid when reheated). Season to taste when using for added flexibility.
Optional Roasting Step: If the bones are from a cooked chicken, then just follow the steps outlined above. However, if you are using raw chicken pieces, you can either roast or sauté them first for more flavour. To roast, toss them in a bit of oil and then place on a lined baking sheet in a 400F oven for 20 minutes. To sauté, simply use the Sauté setting on the Instant Pot and stir bones in a bit of oil until browned. Just remember to deglaze the pot by pouring in 1/2 cup of water and scraping up all the bits with a wooden spoon before continuing (or you could get a Burn notice later). You can also just use raw chicken bones but roasting will enhance the flavour.
Notes
- Chicken Bones: You can use the saved bones from roast chicken or purchase bones from a local farm or butcher (i.e. chicken carcasses, backs, necks, wings, and even feet if you dare). Store bones in the freezer until ready to make bone broth. I tend to use a combination of the saved carcasses from roast chicken with a few wings or chicken backs added in.
- Vegetables: You can either use some fresh chopped onions, carrots and celery or you can use scraps. To use scraps, simply save the peel from carrots and ends of onions and celery in a freezer bag designated for broth.
- Salt + Seasoning: I prefer to add salt and seasoning afterwards when using the broth since it provides more flexibility. I tend to season with either himalayan pink salt or Herbamare or this delicious homemade bouillon powder.
- “Soup” Button: I usually use the “Soup” function on my Instant Pot when making broth/stock since this setting controls the pressure and temperature to ensure that the liquid never goes into a heavy boiling state. However, you can also simply use the “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” button.
- Storage Tips: Portion out into various size storage containers for different uses. I like to store in mason jars and silicone molds. Wide mouthed mason jars (like these Ball 16 oz, 24 oz and 32 oz ones) with plastic storage caps are great for storing larger quantities that will be used in soups or stews. Silicone molds like muffin trays, baby food freezer storage containers and Souper Cubes are all great for freezing smaller portions to be used in a variety of recipes (freeze them on a baking sheet and then once frozen pop them out and store in a freezer bag).
- Freezing In Glass Mason Jars: Prevent cracks by following these tips for freezing food in mason jars.
- Special Strainer Insert: Instead of using a fine mesh sieve to strain your broth, you could also use a special insert for the Instant Pot like this mesh steamer basket. You would place it into the inner pot of the Instant Pot and then add all the ingredients into it. Once cooking is finished, you simply lift the special insert out containing all the chunky bits and will be left with strained broth.
- Mine Didn’t Gel?: Don’t worry if your broth doesn’t gel up after chilling in the fridge. It just has a lower gelatin content but is still delicious and nutritious. This could be due to adding too much water or not using enough collagen rich bones. Next time, try adding in a few bones that are full of connective tissue like chicken wings, necks, backs (or feet if you are brave). I usually keep some chicken wings and backs in the freezer and add in a few with my saved carcasses from roast chicken. You can also add in some quality gelatin (I like this one) for an added boost.
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YAy to collagen!! Love bone broths!!!
Haha – I share the enthusiasm!
I still don’t have an instant pot but it seems so versatile I might just have to get one!
I love using mine for so many basics!
Once you go Instant Pot for broth … you NEVER go back. 😉 The gel is amazing! I use wing tips from my poultry counter for all the jointy collagen goodness.
I completely agree – it’s the only method I use now!
Great tips and thank you for decoding the difference between regular stock and bone broth. This is a great reminder to make my own and I didn’t know I should add in some acid. Thanks!
I am so happy that you found the post helpful:)
Wow, looks great. I make chicken bone broth all the time, but have never thought to make it in my Instant Pot – LOL. Thank you for the idea and the detailed instructions, I will be making this soon.
Since I started making bone broth in the Instant Pot, I haven’t turned back – so much easier!
this broth looks easy to make and super flavorful
It sure is – enjoy!
I’ve only ever made stock before never bone broth. I love the idea of doing it in the instant pot. After reading through the post, I can easily see how it has so much flavour. Great post!
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the post:)
It was perfect the first time. I learn so much from you as well! Keep it up great post.
I am happy to hear that you found the post helpful:)