How to Make Bone Broth in the Instant Pot
How to make bone broth in the instant pot with just a few simple ingredients. You can use this bone broth in soups, stews, or as a nourishing beverage to sip on.
I often purchase rotisserie chickens from Costco so I can use the meat in salads or bento boxes for our work lunches. It’s a much easier option than having to purchase a chicken from the butcher and roast it myself, and honestly, buying a precooked one from Costco is a lot cheaper as well.
After I’ve carved all the meat off, I don’t like to let the chicken bones and carcass go to waste, so I bust out my Instant Pot and make my own bone broth. Homesteading math says since I already paid for the chicken, my bone broth is now free!
I greatly prefer making my own broths to purchasing from the store since I believe they taste better, have a lower salt content, and it’s significantly cheaper – you’re using ‘waste’ products that would go to the garbage otherwise. Just save the chicken carcass and some vegetable peels in the freezer until you’re ready to make your own nourishing broth.
HOW TO USE BONE BROTH
Essentially, any place you might use water as a base, you can substitute in bone broth instead. I really enjoy cooking my rice in my bone broth because it adds a lot of flavour to an otherwise mild grain. It’s also a great replacement to soups or stews.
Some health enthusiasts will also drink bone broth from a mug after warming it up on the stove. I personally don’t prefer this method just as a personal preference, but it is a great option to think about if you’re ever feeling under the weather!
BONE BROTH VS STOCK
Both liquids have the same foundations; bones, meat scraps, fat, and vegetables simmer in water. The biggest difference is the time that they are cooked for.
Using traditional methods (a pot on the stove), bone broth can take anywhere from 16 – 24 hours whereas stock is usually only cooked long enough to bring the flavours together, about 1-2 hours. Bone broth also uses the lowest quantity of water compared to other ingredients, which really allows the flavours and nutrients to infuse into the water, creating a healthy broth.
Bone broth is a potent base that has a ton of nutritional value. It has a higher protein content than regular stock and packs a punch with collagen, electrolytes, vitamins and minerals.
A true bone broth will turn to gel when it has cooled, because of the high concentration of gelatin (collagen) in the mixture. This recipe doesn’t gel once it’s cooled but is still packed with a ton of nutrients since we’re cooking it under high pressure for a considerable amount of time.
HOW TO MAKE BONE BROTH
To make this bone broth recipe, you’ll combine all the ingredients in the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for at least 2 hours. If you'd like to elevate this, roast the bones and vegetables before adding them to the pressure cooker.
INGREDIENTS:
Bones and carcass from a whole chicken. You can either make the broth right after you’ve carved the chicken or store it in the freezer until you’re ready.
Onions and garlic, for flavour.
Celery and carrots, for flavour and nutrients. Feel free to use whole carrots or just the peels.
Fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, and sage. Also, add in a bay leaf.
Whole black peppercorns, for flavour. These will get strained out along with the other solids.
Apple cider vinegar, a very important ingredient because it helps break down the bones and bone marrow which is where the majority of the protein and collagen come from.
Water. For a thick broth, fill the instant pot until the ingredients are just covered. DO NOT fill any higher than 1 inch below the max fill line. If you’d like to make bone broth the traditional way, make sure your water-to-solids ratio is 1:2 to maximize the nutrient density.
Once the cooking time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 30 minutes before carefully releasing the pressure with the manual release. Then using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the larger pieces of chicken carcass and vegetables. Strain the rest of the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to catch all the herbs and finer bits.
STORAGE
Bone broth can be stored in the fridge if you’ll be using it soon, or stored in a freezer-safe container for up to 12 months.
Alternatively, you can can the broth, but keep in mind it is a low-acid food so you must use a pressure canner to keep it safe for long-term storage. I am not well-versed in pressure canning. If you’re interested in storing your broth this way, please check out this guide by the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
WHAT OTHER TYPES OF BONE BROTH CAN I MAKE?
Bone broth can be made from any animal that has marrow-rich bones. The best are beef, lamb, pork, and poultry. The best bones for the best bone broth inlcude:
knuckles
joints
feet
marrow bones
chicken feet (very gelatin rich)
for added flavour incorporate meatier bones like ribs or shanks.
recipe
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