Homemade Bone Broth Recipe (Instant Pot, Crockpot and Stove Instructions)

Homemade bone broth is a savory, nourishing liquid made by simmering animal bones for long periods. When you simmer in an instant pot, crockpot or on the stove, the marrow-rich bones will release gelatin and create a broth that is a high source of protein.

This recipe shares how to make bone broth in an instant pot, crockpot or on the stove.

Homemade Bone Broth

In the past, making homemade bone broth was a very regular routine in our ancestors’ households. A pot of bone broth would be simmering on the stove almost daily with scraps of vegetables and leftover bones.

Back then it was all about frugality and using everything you could. But we now know that there are some incredible benefits to making bone broth at home for you and your family, including it being a good source of protein in the form of gelatin.

Have you ever tried bone broth before? During the winter months when the weather is chilly, I regularly have a batch of this nourishing liquid simmering in my crockpot. It’s the perfect thing to sip on for extra protein.

Bone broth is comforting and soothing, and easily digestible. Recently, I’ve started using it more often to help heal my gut.

Bone broth has become a popular trend these days. It’s pretty common to see it in restaurants, and there are also powdered versions available at health stores. And while it’s great that these options are becoming more readily available, the truth is that the majority are way too expensive for what they are. You can create your bone broth at home for a fraction of the price. And it’s also surprisingly easy to make.

If you’re new to bone broth and find the process a little intimidating, don’t worry I did too when I first started. But this post will share everything you need to know about making homemade bone broth yourself. So let me go through some details about why broth can be a wonderful addition to your routine.

Health Benefits Of Bone Broth

Bones are high in vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. And cooking the cartilage and bones helps to release collagen, that when cooked turns into gelatin, an amino acid that is the building block of protein. Eating more gelatin may help increase the amount of collagen in our joints and tissues

Another amino acid found in bones is glutamine, which studies have found can help to heal the gut and aid in better digestion. And because bone broth is high in protein, it can help you feel more satisfied and fuller longer, which can help aid in weight loss.

Homemade Bone Broth Ingredients

• Beef Soup Bones – The level of nutrients found in bone broth will vary greatly due to the quality of bones that you’re using. So it’s important to select organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised and wild-caught bones whenever possible to get the most out of your bone broth. I go directly to a local organic butcher and buy their beef soup bones in the frozen section.
• Vegetables – Onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and rosemary can all be used to flavor the broth. I like to save scraps in a freezer bag over time and use these for my future broth sessions.
• Sea Salt and Ground Pepper – Used to season the broth.

Tips For Making Great Bone Broth

Making your bone broth is pretty straightforward. However here are a few details to help you create the perfect bone broth:

• Many people roast their bones before they make the broth to enhance the flavor. If you have the time I definitely recommend this step. It’s worth it. But if you’re busy, it’s okay to skip.
• Use a slow cooker or instant pot to make your bone broth. Bone broth is typically simmered for a minimum of 9 hours. This time can be cut down to 3 hours if you use your instant pot. Some people use a pot on the stove, but I would much rather set it and forget it.
• Spoon off any scum or foam that rises to the top. Depending on the bones you use, you’ll get some scum rising to the surface as your broth simmers. This is normal and it isn’t bad for you to eat. But if it grosses you out, just scoop it off with a soup spoon.
• Add garlic and onion at the beginning of your simmer. Adding vegetables can enhance the flavor in your bone broth. They’ll also change the fragrance as it’s cooking – simmering just the bones creates a smell that I’m not a fan of. You’ll want to add the heartier vegetables, like garlic, onion, and carrots, at the beginning.
• Add leafy herbs like parsley in the last minutes. Fresh herbs are more fragile and the flavors will break down faster, so add these ingredients at the very end and let sit for 10 minutes. Other herbs like rosemary and thyme can be added in the beginning.
• Strain your broth into glass jars using a fine mesh strainer. This is my least favorite part, but it’s worth it to get that nourishing bone broth afterward. Using a soup ladle, pour your broth into a bowl or jar through a fine-mesh strainer. The strainer will catch all the large pieces that you don’t want. This will help keep your broth as clear as possible. You can discard the leftover bones and vegetables in the compost bin.
• Let your broth sit in the fridge to allow fat to float to the top and coagulate. When you let the broth fully cool in the fridge, a layer of fat will form at the top – this is called tallow and was traditionally used as a cooking oil. I just use a spoon to break through it and scoop it into a jar. I save it for when I’m cooking in the frying pan (like stir-fry veggies, eggs, etc) or you can discard it. Tallow is an excellent healthy fat source and it’s a great way to cut down on the cost of using cooking oils.
• Repeat The Process. If you have good soup bones that still have some marrow on them, you can repeat the process! Just add all the vegetables and bones back to the instant pot (no need to use fresh ones) and fill with water to the max line and repeat the steps to cook. This created another full batch of broth for me that was a slightly lighter color.

Homemade Bone Broth Cooking Instructions

How To Roast The Bones

Roasting the bones helps to create more flavor in the broth. This first step can be applied to any of the cooking methods below.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the bones on a baking sheet.
2. Bake for 35-45 minutes.
3. Add the bones, the cartilage and any liquid on the baking sheet to the pot for making bone broth (see instructions below).

How To Make Bone Broth In An Instant Pot

1. Add the bones and vegetables you’re using to the instant pot. Fill to the max line with water.
2. Close the lid and turn the steam release valve to “seal”. Set the instant pot to low and 180 minutes (3 hours). The instant pot will take some time to fully pressurize before it starts cooking (mine took about 30 minutes).
3. When the cooking time is complete, let it naturally release the pressure for 10-15 minutes.
4. Once that’s complete, carefully turn the steam valve to “vent” position (I usually do this with a wooden spoon so that my hand is far away from the steam). Once all steam has released, open the lid.

How To Make Bone Broth In a Slow Cooker

1. Add the bones and vegetables to the slow cooker. Fill the slow cooker with water about 2 inches from the top.
2. Turn slow cooker on low and let simmer for a minimum of 9 hours or more. I usually simmer mine for 24-36 hours. Top the slow cooker with more water as needed.

How To Make Bone Broth On The Stove

1. Add the bones and vegetables to a large stock pot. Fill the pot 3/4 full with water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to let simmer for about 9 hours.
2. Add more water through the process if necessary. Scoop off extra scum from the top if needed.

How To Strain the Bone Broth

• Pour the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl or mason jar. Transfer the extra vegetables and bones to another bowl when they pile too high.
• Repeat the process until all of the liquid has been strained through a fine-mesh strainer. The broth should be free from large pieces of vegetables.
• Pour broth into mason jars or glass jugs and let those sit for 1 hour before transferring to the fridge.

How To Store Bone Broth

Fridge – Place the broth in the fridge and let it fully cool – at this point, the fat will form at the top called tallow. Scoop this out and use as an oil for cooking or discard it.

Freezer – Bone broth can be frozen in mason jars or freezer bags. Many people like to pour broth into ice cube trays to freeze, and then add the cubes to a freezer bag for quick and easy use in cooking.

How To Use Homemade Bone Broth

There are so many ways to use homemade bone broth!

• Add it to your soups or stews.
• Cook your rice or quinoa with it for a greater depth of flavor.
• Cook mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes in broth instead of water.
• Use it to make gravy or sauces.
• Sip it as a healing elixr.

For the most part, I like to treat my bone broth as a healing food. I warm it up in a pot on the stove, add a few herbs, green onions, and sea salt. I pour it into a mug and sip it the same way I would a cup of tea. I usually only drink about 1 cup of bone broth per day.

Which Bones Should You Use For Bone Broth?

Go for the best quality bones from animals that are grass-fed, pasture-raised or wild-caught. This is because you want to reap the most nutritional benefits from the bones as possible.

• You can purchase bones from organic grocery stores or local farmers’ markets that are labeled “soup bones” or “for bone broth”. Check the freezer section for bags of bones, or ask the butcher at your farmer’s market.
• You can also save the bones from good quality meat that you’ve been eating – just store them in a freezer bag until you have a good amount to get started with.

What’s The Difference Between Homemade and Store-Bought Broth?

In the last 100 years, food companies started to create store-bought versions to help consumers save time in the kitchen. And while they did this, they stopped using actual animal bones and started using processed ingredients instead.

The store-bought cartons of chicken stock, beef broth or vegetable broth are loaded with preservatives, artificial ingredients and can be high in sodium. These are nothing like the homemade version.

But nowadays, all thanks to the bone broth trend, you can buy pre-made bone broth at your local health food stores.

You can also buy bone broth powder to add to smoothies and soups. So if you prefer to skip the process of making it yourself (or just don’t have the time that day), then this is another option. However, it is definitely much cheaper to make it yourself!

To tell the difference between the good quality store-bought bone broth and the poor quality, just read the ingredients label.

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