Easy Crockpot Bone Broth Recipe is made from the scraps of a whole chicken, beef or turkey! A slow cooker bone broth that is so easy to make!
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Once you give this Easy Crockpot Bone Broth a try, you’ll never go back to store bought broth.
You can make homemade bone broth in your crockpot for a fraction of the price of store bought broth.
It takes only a few minutes of prep time and 2 ingredients to make!
What is bone broth?
Bone broth is the SAME thing as chicken stock or broth.
At it’s core, bone broth is really just soup made probably the same way your grandma used to make it… with bones that were either leftover from a meal, or that she got from a butcher (our gram’s still make it like this!). Butcherbox also carries beef bones!
The bones and vegetables cook low and slow, creating an extremely nutrient dense, delicious broth.
You might be thinking.. if it’s broth.. what is so great about it? I wrote this entire post about Bone Broth Benefits, but I’ll outline them here.
Many people drink bone broth because it’s so nutrient packed. When the bones are cooked low and slow they release their naturally occurring collagen + gelatin which is thought to be great for your gut health, skin + nails!
P.S. – If you love crockpot recipes, check out these 45 Healthy Crockpot Recipes!
Want more slow cooker recipes? Get our 40 best crock pot recipes in a printable ebook for less than $11!
Ingredients for bone broth:
To make bone broth, you really only need:
- bones
- water
However, I like to throw in some extra veggies and herbs for flavor. Here I have some carrots, onions + celery as well as some thyme + rosemary.
Some people add apple cider vinegar to allegedly pull out the collagen from the bones, but I never do and my broth is always delicious and rich!
Other helpful tools: crockpot, fine mesh strainer, souper cubes (for storing)
Making the bone broth is really as easy as just filling your pot with water, and turning it on!
How to make crockpot bone broth:
- Add all ingredients to a crockpot (bones, scraps, fat, etc). Cover with water and cook on low for at least 12 hours (16-18 is best).
- You may need to adjust the amount of water depending on the size of your crockpot. You can fill to the top of the crockpot!
- Allow broth to cool slightly, and run through a fine mesh strainer into a large pot or container.
- Storage: Store in airtight containers for up to 4 days, or put in the freezer until ready to use!
- Optional, but recommended: Carefully remove carrots, onions + celery from the strainer and place into blender. Puree in blender until smooth (You may need to add a little broth to the blender depending on it’s power)
- Stir veggie puree into strained broth and store in the refrigerator or freezer.
Substitutions for bone broth:
Bones – You can use any bones.. chicken, beef, or turkey will all work. I like to use the scraps from our Slow Cooker Chicken Breast or Turkey Breast in Crockpot. We also have a Turkey Broth, Homemade Beef Bone Broth and Homemade Chicken Broth recipe.
Veggies – Carrots, celery, onion and garlic add flavor to the broth but are not necessary
Seasonings – You can add salt, pepper, or whatever other herbs you’d like to the broth. We love to throw thyme + rosemary into our broth!
Apple cider Vinegar – Some people add apple cider vinegar to their broth to help coax the nutrients out of the bones. This is not necessary, but if you’d like to add it – feel free!
What kind of bones should you use for bone broth?
My favorite way to make bone broth is with leftover bones from a whole chicken. After I’ve cooked the chicken, everything goes in the slow cooker and gets turned into broth!
You can use chicken, beef, turkey or pork bones. They can be raw, or cooked.
Bone Broth Benefits:
‘Gut’ health– If you look online you’ll find many people claiming they have a ‘leaky’ gut. While this isn’t a medical term, it is a real thing. Many people have chronic stomach pain, issues, or intolerances, coming from an unknown cause. Some holistic health coaches believe that these issues stem from small holes in the intestines. Bone broth is filled with gelatin and collagen, which many health coaches claim can help repair these holes, and alleviate stomach issues. (Source)
Fuller skin, lips, and healthier hair– When made with specific types of bones, broth can be loaded with collagen. Collagen allegedly helps to fill out the cells, and can give your skin a fuller, brighter appearance.
Strong joints– You may not be worried about your joints just yet, but if you’re older, or experience joint pain due to an injury or exercise – you’ve probably heard of or taken glucosamine. Most drug stores sell glucosamine in a liquid form or pill, and it can help protect your joints from pain and keep them healthy.Â
Amino Acids-Amino acids are great for helping recover from your workout, but they can also help in a number of other areas including digestion and organ function. Most bone broths have a high level of Glutamine, Arginine, Proline and Glycine.
Yes, bone broth certainly requires a little bit of time and patience to make, but it really requires no labor and is incredibly easy to do! If you have a crockpot.. and leftover whole chicken (or chicken bones!) you’ll be good to go!
If you’re looking for other slow cooker recipes – check out these Paleo Crockpot Recipes.
(This broth has a more orange color because the broth has been blended with carrots, celery + onions)
I make my Easy Crockpot Bone Broth a little different from other people. Most people just strain the broth after it cooks + use/drink that. I take the veggies that cooked with the bones + puree them up to make the broth extra nutrient dense!
I find it adds even more flavor, and who doesn’t want to sneak in extra veggies?! You have to give it a try!
Can you cook bone broth for too long?
Technically, yes. If you go past the 24 hour mark – your broth might wind up turning out bitter or getting a weird flavor. I normally cook my slow cooker bone broth for about 18-20 hours, and have never had an issue with it, but I wouldn’t cook it for any longer!
Do you need to roast the bones for bone broth?
It depends. If you have already cooked a whole chicken, turkey, etc. You don’t need to roast the bones.
However, if you’re using raw bones (specifically beef) you should roast them. I like to quickly boil raw beef bones and then roast them at about 400 degrees for 20 minutes to remove any impurities from the bones. It results in a clearer broth and more flavor. Check out our Beef Bone Broth recipe for more details
Can you reuse the bones in bone broth?
People say that you can reuse the bones for bone broth, but I’ve never had success with this. Typically after cooking once, the bones are nearly disintegrating.
Whenever I’ve reused them, the broth has not been as gelatinous or flavorful as the first time using them!
Want more slow cooker recipes? Get our 40 best crock pot recipes in a printable ebook for less than $11!
My bone broth didn’t gel?
It’s ok if your bone broth doesn’t gel, and rest assured it will be just as nutritious! Certain bones/cuts of meat can create a more jello-like consistency with the broth.
You could also have added a little bit too much water. Either way, don’t worry – and enjoy it!
Can you freeze bone broth?
You can freeze bone broth, and you probably will have to because this makes a lot! For all my freezing tips, check out my post on How To Freeze Soup.
I freeze my bone broth in freezer molds plastic containers, or ice cub trays. These containers for freezing are my favorite way to freeze bone broth.
Freezing in glass: I don’t recommend freezing in glass ever. Liquid expands and it’s very easy for it to crack. If you are going to freeze in glass, fill the bottle leaving about 1-2 inches of room – do not fill to the top because the liquid will expand as it freezes. Put them in the fridge and allow them to completely cool for at least 5 hours.
Once they have been in the fridge for at least 5 hours and are cold, you can transfer to the freezer. I leave the lids off and allow the jars to freeze completely, then add the lids on.
To defrost, I simply take out and put in the fridge the night before. We strongly discourage freezing in glass and even if you do this there’s a good chance the glass will crack!
Ice cube trays: I also like to freeze bone broth in ice cube trays. This is perfect for when you’re making a dish and only need a little bit, but don’t want to defrost a whole jar!
How long does bone broth last?
Bone broth will last 6-7 days in your refrigerator. If frozen, it can last up to a year – but I’d recommend using it within 6 months for freshness!
Can you make this bone broth in the instant pot?
Yes, you can! I prefer to cook my bone broth in the slow cooker, but you can cook this in your instant pot for 120 minutes on high pressure, and let it naturally release. You can see our instant pot bone broth recipe here.
Depending on the size of your instant pot, you may need more or less water. Make sure you DO NOT fill above the max fill line! Leave about an inch and half before the max fill line.
Ways to use Crockpot Bone Broth
You can use bone broth in so many different ways. Here are some of my favorites:
- As the base of our favorite Lemon Chicken Soup
- Pour it in a mug and drink it up! It’s packed with protein + veggies and so cozy.
- Add to sauces or stir fry’s for flavor
- Use in place of water or regular cooking stock
- Freeze it to have for a quick dinner or meal (or for when a cold comes on!)
We hope you love this as much as we do! We make this year round (basically anytime I cook a whole chicken!) and it’s a staple in our kitchen/freezer. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how easy + delicious it is!
Recipes that use this Easy Crockpot Bone Broth
You can use bone broth in so many things. Here are some of our favorite recipes that use crockpot bone broth.
Easy Crockpot Bone Broth
Ingredients
- 1 lb bones from chicken or beef The more bones, the better. You can use the scraps from a whole roasted chicken or rotisserie chicken, or raw bones
- 2 cups celery stalks halved – optional
- 1 cup carrots halved – optional
- 1 cup onion quartered – optional
- sprigs fresh thyme + rosemary optional
- salt/pepper to taste
- 8 cups water (approximately, fill to the top of your crockpot)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a crockpot (bones, scraps, fat, etc). Cover with water and cook on low for at least 12 hours (16-18 is best).
- You may need to adjust the amount of water depending on the size of your crockpot. You can fill to the top of the crockpot!
- Allow broth to cool slightly, and run through a fine mesh strainer into a large pot or container. (This will just be easier to do if it is not scalding hot).
- Storage: Store in airtight containers for up to 4 days, or put in the freezer until ready to use!
- Optional, but recommended: Carefully remove carrots, onions + celery from the strainer and place into blender. Puree in blender until smooth (You may need to add a little broth to the blender depending on it’s power)
- Stir veggie puree into strained broth and store in the refrigerator or freezer.
Cathy says
I am making this in my crockpot now! It’s just been a long time since I’ve done chicken bone broth, so doing similar to what i do for beef bone broth (i get the very nice grass fed bones from local butcher). I too used a carcass of a rotisserie chicken, carrots/celery a cube of the frozen ginger and garlic from Trader Joes, some parsley sprigs, a bay leaf a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and filtered water to cover. i plan to slow cook it about 16-18 hours. I know it will be great!
Ames says
Bone broth is cooked far longer than stock. They shouldn’t be considered equal.
Karen says
Hi! Can’t wait to try this! I have been looking for a super easy but flavorful broth recipe and this looks perfect. I’m confused about the water – ingredients say 8 cups water; however, directions mention filtered water??
Liz Marino says
We always use filtered water from our fridge. Just put the bones in the crockpot and fill it to the top with water- it doesn’t have to be exactly 8 cups. Different crockpots hold different a mounts of liquid!
Janie says
How am I to be sure marrow is out of the bones ?
Just made my first crock pot bone broth following this recipe to a tee. After 18 hours and the cooling off period, I broke open a few bones & looks like they are still full of marrow. Is this how they are supposed to be?
Love your recipes by the way 💕
Janie
The Clean Eating Couple says
I don’t break open the bones after cooking. I just cook for 18-20 hours and strain! There’s really no way to know if you’ve gotten the marrow out!
Nicole says
This was incredibly simple to make. I used a smaller crock pot (maybe 3qt,) a store bought rotisserie chicken after we had ate the meat, I didnt puree vegetables because I had already cut them smaller and didn’t feel like sifting through everything (next time I’ll use larger pieces). It yielded 7.5 cups of broth but it tastes very watered down, is it suppose to?
The Clean Eating Couple says
No, it shouldn’t taste watered down. Was it a small rotisserie chicken? The smaller the chicken/more water the less flavor it will have but it’s still fine to use when cooking!
Emily Yungblut says
Now that I know how easy it is to make, I’ll definitely make it more often. Nice way to get extra vegetables in there too!
Molly says
Hi!
I used veggie scraps that I’ve been freezing, would you recommend to purée the scraps??
Thanks!
The Clean Eating Couple says
You don’t have to, but we like to add the nutrients!
Leanne Henwood-Adam says
Thanks for posting how to do this in a slow cooker – I always wondered how long to leave the bones in a slow cooker. I LOVE bone broth!
Moonbear says
Thank you for posting.
Tiffani says
Super simple recipe and delicious! When storing in the freezer do you recommend storing it in a freezer bag or in a glass jar with a lid? I have them stored in the refrigerator in some old glass jars right now but unsure about the freezer! Thanks
The Clean Eating Couple says
Definitely would not recommend storing in a glass container! There’s a whole section in the post about how to freeze these 🙂 please check it out!
Cathy says
So I made it using my instant pot, which was my first time ever using it. I didn’t add any salt and when it was done I didn’t think I liked it. I added salt and refrigerated it. I heated a bit to taste today and wow, it was so good. I’ve made broth many times but this was so simple. And I cooked it in the garage so the whole house didn’t smell like food.
Thank you for a delicious recipe.
Georgina Moore says
I don’t have a lot of money but this is very affordable so l will try it. Very nutritious. I’m always looking for things that are nutritious and don’t break the bank. I will comment and let everyone no how it turns out. God bless!