Chicken Stock (Chicken Bone Broth) 3 Ways! (2024)

Learn how to make the healthiest, nutrient-dense Chicken Stock! You can make chicken bone broth in an instant pot, slow cooker, or on the stovetop.

Chicken bone broth is a natural way to heal your gut and improve our health. There’s a reason why people have been making chicken soup for ages when they aren’t feeling well, and if that chicken soup is a bone broth, it is truly a healing food. We use this chicken broth to makeEasy Chicken Noodle Soup.

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Chicken Stock Recipe:

I’ve been incorporating bone broth into my diet throughout the week, using it in my cooking forrecipes that call for broth or stock and the depth of flavor in the bone broth just makes everything taste so much richer. I also love to ladle it into a mug, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and some freshly chopped parsley and just drink it hot like tea. It makes ‘ma belly feel so good!

Friends, this is our first Instant pot recipe!! To be honest, the Instant Pot (affiliate link) bone broth was my favorite method. The broth had the richest flavor and it was the clearest broth since a pressure cooker is the hands-off approach. There was no skimming required, and it was the fastest method of all (2 hours of pressure cooking vs 15 hours in the crockpot or stovetop). It was amazing! I was so impressed and just completely fell in love with my Instant Pot.

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Ingredients for Chicken Stock (Chicken Bone Broth):

2 1/2 lbs of chicken bones (from 2 chickens), roasted*
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 medium onion, peeled and halved
2 ribs/sticks of celery (cut into thirds, with leaves attached)
2 medium carrots, peeled and halved
2 smashed garlic cloves
1 bay leaf, optional, but nice
Filtered Water (stockpot: 16 cups, 6Qt Slow Cooker: 12 cups, Instant Pot: 10-11 cups)

*Roast the Bones (for all bone broth methods):

If bones are from a cooked chicken or turkey, skip this roasting step. If using a whole raw chicken, watch this tutorial on how to cut a whole chicken.Place raw bones on a lined rimmed baking sheet and roast at 400˚F for 20 minutes. Transfer bones and any pan juices to your pot. Many recipes call for just raw bones which is ok, but roasting will really enhance their flavor.

Stovetop Method (15 Hours of Slow Cooking):

The stovetop method is best if you have a huge stock pot and want to make a double batch, otherwise, it required the most babysitting and the temptation to check on it to make sure it wasn’t boiling like crazy was definitely there! The liquid does evaporate the most which is why more water is required for this method.

Pro Cooking Tip: Bone broth is best when it is cooked until you can easily break a chicken bone in half with your hands. This means the amazing nutrients from the marrow are in your broth. You also know if you cooked it long enough when it thickens after refrigeration – which is totally normal. The broth turns to liquid again when it is heated.

Slow Cooker Method (15 Hours on Low Heat):

This is the set it and forget it method! Start with warm or hot water to jump start it for heating up then set it and forget it. The slow cooker can gently simmer while you sleep. The resulting bone broth is rich in color and flavor since the broth is not stirred and never vigorously boiled in the slow cooker. This method is EASY!

Instant PotChicken Bone Broth (2 Hrs):

1. Place roasting bones and accumulated pan juices into a 6Qt instant pot.

2. Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, 1 Tbsp cider vinegar, and 1 tsp salt.

3. Add 10-11 cups water or until you reach the 2/3 max fill line in the pot.

4. Select soup/broth and set the time to 2 hours (120 minutes). It will warm up then cook on high pressure for 2 hours (120 minutes). When cooking is complete, wait 30 minutes for it to naturally depressurize then release pressure (I always use an oven mitt for safety in case the valve sputters).

How to Strain and Store Chicken Stock:

1. When done, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a second pot, extracting as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Cool strained stock to room temperature then cover and refrigerate.

2. The following day, it will thicken and you can scrape the fat off the top and continue to store in the fridge for 3-5 days or transfer to freezer-safe containers and freeze up to 3 months (if freezing, leave space in containers for expansion).

Chicken Stock (Chicken Bone Broth) 3 Ways!

4.98 from 104 votes

Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com

Learn how to make one of the healthiest, nutrient dense chicken stocks! You can make chicken bone broth in an instant pot, slow cooker, or on the stovetop*

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Prep Time: 25 minutes mins

Cook Time: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Ingredients

Servings: 8 cups bone broth

2 1/2 lbs of chicken bones, from 2 chickens, roasted*
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 medium onion, peeled and halved
2 celery ribs, cut into thirds, leaves attached
2 carrots, peeled & halved
2 smashed garlic cloves
1 bay leaf, optional, but nice
Filtered Water, Stock Pot: 16 c., 6Qt Slow Cooker: 12 c., Instant Pot: 10-11 c.

Instructions

*Roast the Bones (for all methods):

If using bones from a cooked chicken or turkey, skip this step. Place bones on a lined rimmed baking sheet and roast at 400˚F for 20 minutes.

Stovetop Method (15 hours simmering):

Place roasted bones and any accumulated pan juices into your 8 qt stock pot. Add 16 cups (or 4 Qts) filtered water along with 1 Tbsp cider vinegar and 1 tsp salt. Bring to boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Skim off impurities that rise to the top. Cover and simmer on low heat 6 hrs then add onion, celery, carrots, 2 smashed garlic cloves and 1 bay leaf.
Continue cooking on a low simmer another 9 hrs for a total of 15 hrs simmering time. You can turn it off overnight if needed and continue the following day. Be careful not to bring it to a hard boil or the broth will look foggy.

Slow Cooker Method (15 hours on low):

Place roasted bones and any accumulated pan juices into 6 Qt Slow Cooker. Add 12 cups warm or hot water along with 1 Tbsp cider vinegar and 1 tsp salt. Set to low heat for 15 hrs.
After 6 hours on low heat, add onion, celery, carrots, 2 smashed garlic cloves and 1 bay leaf. Continue cooking on low simmer another 9 hrs for a total of 15 hours cooking time. You can let it go longer if needed overnight and strain the next day.

Instant Pot Method (2 hours pressure cooked):

Place roasting bones and accumulated pan juices into a 6Qt instant pot.
Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, 1 Tbsp cider vinegar and 1 tsp salt.
Add 10-11 cups water or until you reach the 2/3 max fill line in the pot.
Select soup/broth and set the time to 2 hours (120 minutes). It will warm up then cook on high pressure for 2 hours (120 min). When cooking is complete, wait 30 min to naturally depressurize then release pressure (use an oven mitt for safety in case it sputters).

How to Strain and Store Chicken Stock:

Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a second pot, extracting as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. Cool strained stock to room temp then cover and refrigerate.
The following day, it will thicken and you can scrape the fat off the top and continue to store in the fridge for 3-5 days or transfer to freezer safe containers and freeze up to 3 months (if freezing, leave space in containers for expansion).

Notes

*cooking time listed at top of print-friendly recipe is for instant pot

Nutrition Per Serving

14kcal Calories3g Carbs309mg Sodium94mg Potassium1g Sugar2595IU Vitamin A2.5mg Vitamin C14mg Calcium0.1mg Iron

Full Nutrition Label
Nutrition Disclosure

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Stock (Chicken Bone Broth) 3 Ways!

Amount per Serving

Calories

% Daily Value*

Sodium

309