This Easy Instant Pot Bone Broth recipe is made from just two ingredients in the pressure cooker! This easy bone broth is paleo, whole30 & SO nutritious!
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This Easy Instant Pot Bone Broth is one of the easiest recipes you’ll make (and so darn cheap!)
The only thing you need to make chicken bone broth are bones, and water. This is why it *blows* my mind that people are paying $10 a bag for it at the store… It’s crazy.
If you’ve heard about bone broth, but don’t really even get what the hype is about it, let me explain.
What is bone broth?
Chicken bone broth is just a fancy name for chicken stock or broth.
Similar to what you probably grew up eating, chicken bone broth is made from leftover bones from a meal, or bones that are bought specifically for broth.
The chicken bones (or beef bones for beef broth) and vegetables cook low and slow, creating an extremely nutrient dense, delicious broth.
There are all kinds of benefits to drinking broth – and I actually wrote a whole post about it- Bone Broth Benefits.
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!
What are the benefits of bone broth?
- ‘Gut’ health- 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 called ‘leaky gut’. 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.
- 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.
Beyond all these benefits, bone broth is just delicious + adds so much flavor to pretty much anything.
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 an instant pot I and leftover chicken (or chicken bones!) you’ll be good to go!
What kinds of bones should you use for bone broth?
My favorite way to make bone broth is with leftover bones from a whole chicken. (Check out this Whole Roasted Chicken or Crockpot Whole Chicken, or use a rotisserie chicken!)
After I’ve cooked the chicken, everything goes in the instant pot and gets turned into broth!
However, you can use chicken bones, beef bones, turkey bones, or pork bones. They can be raw or cooked. If you *really* want to go all in.. chicken feet make some of the best bone broth.. but honestly, I just can’t stomach looking at them.. so a regular chicken carcass is fine for me! Check out our Homemade Beef Bone Broth or How to Make Chicken Broth Recipes!
You can roast the bones ahead if they are raw, but this is not necessary. I don’t find it worth the time (or dirtying another dish!)
Chicken Bone Broth Instant Pot Ingredients:
All you need to make bone broth is bones + water.. seriously. That’s IT.
I use the scraps and bones from my One Hour Whole Roasted Chicken or my Whole 30 Crockpot Lemon Rosemary Whole Chicken. You can also use a turkey carcass. We have a whole post on Turkey Broth here.
You can also add herbs or veggies that you have to the mix. I like to throw in a few carrots, onion + rosemary for flavor – but you can make this with JUST bones and water.
There really is no ‘wrong’ way to do it – it’s totally up to you!
How to make Bone Broth in Instant Pot
Here’s how to make chicken bone broth:
- Add your bones in the pressure cooker and fill to the max fill line with water.
- Set to sealing, high pressure, 120 minutes. Allow the instant pot to naturally release the pressure.
- Once pressure has released, strain the broth through a regular colander.
- Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer.
Can you over cook bone broth?
Technically, yes you can cook bone broth for too long. 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!
How long should bone broth cook?
It’s best to cook bone broth for 16-18 hours on low in a slow cooker. The slow cooker is the best way to cook bone broth. In the instant pot I always cook my broth for 120 minutes and let it naturally release the pressure.
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!
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!
Is a pressure Cooker good for bone broth?
Yes! We prefer bone broth in the crockpot, but the pressure cooker is good if you’re on a time crunch or don’t have a slow cooker. A pressure cooker really helps to extract the nutrients from the broth!
Can you freeze bone broth?
You can freeze it, 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 Souper Cubes (code CLEANEATINGCOUPLE to save $$) but you can also buy silicone bags to freeze it in, or freeze it in ice cube trays.
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.
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, or run under warm water.
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!
Can you make Chicken Bone Broth in the Slow Cooker?
This broth is just as delicious in the slow cooker. You can follow this crockpot bone broth recipe instructions or just cook on low for 12-18 hours.
Is Instant Pot bone broth as healthy? Yes! There is nutritionally no difference between crockpot, stovetop or instant pot broth.
Is it better to slow cook or pressure cook bone broth? In my opinion, I choose the slow cooker over the instant pot every time! Crockpot Bone Broth creates a much richer broth!
Ways to use Pressure Cooker Bone Broth
You can use bone broth in so many different ways. Here are some of my favorites:
- Chicken Soup or Leftover Turkey 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 for cooking rice or grains
- 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!
Instant Pot Bone Broth FAQ
Yes! Instant pot bone broth is just as healthy as any bone broth. Bone broth of any kind is healthy -especially if you’re using good quality bones and cooking the bones long enough – you’ll be good!
It’s best to not cook instant pot bone broth for more than 18 hours. Especially if you have vegetables in it they can get very bitter.
Yes, you can put skin in bone broth and you should! The skin has added collagen and helps add flavor to the broth.
You shouldn’t leave bone broth in the instant pot overnight if it has finished cooking. To prevent your broth from going bad, let it cool completely and the store in the refrigerator. If your instant pot is still cooking – it is fine to leave It on – but I usually don’t do this just in case there is an issue!
Recipes that use this Easy Instant Pot Bone Broth
Instant Pot Bone Broth
Ingredients
- 2 lbs bones The more bones the better! See above for best bones to use for broth.
- 6 quarts water (approximately) fill to 1 inch below the max fill line of your instant pot
- 1 cups celery stalks halved – optional
- 1 cups carrots halved – optional
- 1 cup onion quartered – optional
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to your instant pot. (You can use any size instant pot!) Cover with filtered water. Set your instant pot to sealing, High Pressure for 120 minutes. It will take 30 minutes to come to pressure (noted under prep time)
- Allow the pressure to naturally release from the broth for 1 hour when it’s done cooking, then manually release the remaining pressure. You do not want to manually release the pressure any sooner as you will lose a lot of liquid
- Allow broth to cool slightly (about 30 minutes), and run through a strainer into a large pot or container. (This will just be easier to do if it is not scalding hot).
- Optional, but recommended: I often strain my bone broth through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth to catch any miscellaneous small bones or fragments. At this step, the broth is ready to use, but I like to use up the veggies if you chose to add them in while cooking.
- 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 its power)
- Stir veggie puree into strained broth and store in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Storage: Store in airtight containers for up to 4 days, or put in the freezer until ready to use!
Linda Makiej says
This made the best bone broth!!! I’ve made it all kinds of ways but following this recipe made the BEST broth… it jiggled and gelled and we just can’t stop eating it!!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Glad you liked it, Linda! It’s one of our favorite things to make and it’s SO yummy!
Lisa says
I did the slow cooker version with my turkey carcass. It turned out great! Recipe was easy to follow too. Thanks for another great recipe!!
Nicole says
The EASIEST recipe in the world! Bone broth is so good and so good for you! This recipe is quick to throw-together and makes a ton! I love the tip about freezing extras! Also, I like to add a splash of apple cider vinegar because supposedly it helps break down the bones better! Either way, this recipe is great!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you like it, Nicole! It is SO easy to make!
Pat says
This is exactly how I like to make bone broth and I’m glad to have a recipe to share with friends. However, someone can’t add. There are 5 bullets on the ingredients list – not just 2. LOL
The Clean Eating Couple says
Hi Pat – The only thing you need to make bone broth are water and bones. All other ingredients are listed as optional in the recipe. I know how to do basic addition 🙂
Amber Grills says
In your recipe you left out two tablespoons of organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar. That helps to draw the marrow out of the bones. It’s very important for drawing the marrow out of the bones. This is a very important ingredient that should not be left out
The Clean Eating Couple says
Hi Amber – You do not need apple cider vinegar to make broth. If you want to add it, you can – but it’s not necessary!
Jess Mersereau says
Hi! I was wondering about pressure canning the broth once it is hot and in the jars? I’d rather pressure can because I don’t have the freezer space!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Hi Jess – I’ve never done that before. I have no experience with canning so I don’t know how it works. Sorry!