How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth

Have you ever tried making your own chicken broth? Once we started living on our farm (check out our story here!), knowing how to make simple staples quickly became important to me. This instant pot chicken bone broth is our family’s favorite recipe and doesn’t last long once I make a batch. We quickly drink cups of it for a mid-day snack and toss it into soups and recipes throughout the week. It’s nourishing and so delicious!

Here on the farm, learning how to use everything that we grow and raise is so important. Nothing goes to waste! We are not yet at the point of raising our own meat birds, but once we are, the chicken will be 100% raised and grown on our land! I think that the whole process of becoming more self sustainable is so beautiful. We roast a whole chicken once a week, and freeze the bones/extras that we don’t eat! Having small little ones, I needed a simple recipe to throw together within 20 minutes, and here it is! This instant pot chicken bone broth is so easy to make and nourishing for your body. It’s quick and easy to prep, and then you just let the instant pot work it’s magic!

What’s the Difference Between Broth and Bone Broth?

So, truth is- both are just broth! The difference is basically cooking time. This article from Bon Appetite summarizes the differences so well- it is just so fascinating to me! Bone broth can simmer up to 48 hours long, and contains more collagen from the bones than a shorter cook time broth does. The instant pot definitely speeds this process up a bit, but the 3 hour total time in the instant pot surprisingly helps the broth retain a lot of that collagen-rich gelatin that is so good for your gut, skin, hair, and nails!

Once you put bone broth into the fridge, it will slightly solidify into a “jello” like substance- this is from the gelatin! Once warmed up, it melts back down into a rich, beautiful substance that is absolutely delicious and worth sipping on! Bone broth also contains a fair amount of protein, which is perfect for a mid-day snack.

Preparing to Make Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth

One of the first things you will need to do before attempting this broth, is to have some bones on hand. They can be beef or chicken, it just depends on your flavor preference! Personally, I make a whole chicken once a week for dinner (check out my very favorite recipe here!). I freeze the bones and parts of the chicken that we don’t consume, place it in a bag, weigh it, label it with the date and weight, and put it in the freezer. Chicken bones are good for about 3-6 months in the freezer. This is just for the most flavor- you can definitely freeze them for longer if you need to!

For this recipe, you will need around 2-3 lbs of bones (that’s anywhere from 32-54 oz!). For this recipe I was closer to 2 lbs at 34 oz. I used two chickens for this batch, and it turned out perfect! Once you have enough bones, its time to grab some veggies from the fridge and start this instant pot chicken bone broth!

Ingredients for Your Bone Broth

Here are a list of the ingredients you’ll need to make this Instant Pot Bone Broth!

• Instant Pot
• 3 chopped Carrots
• 2-3 stalks of Celery- diced
• 1 Onion- diced
• 2 tbsp of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (with the mother!)
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 5 cloves of Garlic
• 2 tbsp of Black Peppercorn
• Once bunch of Parsley
• 1 tbsp of minced Ginger
• 2 tbsp of cumin seed (optional, but recommend!)
• 2-3 stars of star anise (optional, but recommend!)

You can also throw in any other veggies or greens that are on their way out, it’s up to you! Have fun customizing your broth and experiment with different flavors.

How to Make Chicken Bone Broth in the Instant Pot

First step will be to add in the chicken bones to the instant pot. Place them in frozen. On top, add all of the other ingredients listed! Then, add filtered water to the “max” line (or right below) of the instant pot bowl.

Then, place the lid on, set the valve to “pressure seal”, and click the “soup/broth” function on the instant pot. Set the timer for 2 hours and then just wait for it to do its magic! The whole process takes about 3-4 hours, so just know that mentally! It takes a while to heat up. Once the timer finishes, let the instant pot naturally release (takes about 45 minutes!). Then, open it up and check out the beauty that will be your bone broth!

I usually take my bowl out of the instant pot to help it cool down before I put it into jars (be careful, it will be very hot!). Once cooled, pour it over a mesh strainer into jars! You can put it into the fridge, or freeze it for future use.

Uses for Bone Broth

There are so many ways that you can use your fresh homemade chicken bone broth! It is perfect all by itself for sipping on, but is also a great addition in soups and recipes. I used mine this last week to make a Sausage Kale Tortellini Soup that was so incredible! You can replace “broth” or “stock” in any recipe with bone broth for a deeper flavor.

Bone broth is nutrient dense, and packed with vitamin for the times you are feeling under the weather. It has a way of healing you from the inside out, and you will feel so much better after having a cup when you feel sick. My kids (almost 3 years old and 15 months) will drink bone broth by itself too! Another idea for kids is to replace half of the water in hot chocolate with some bone broth, and they won’t even notice it’s in there. Bone broth hot chocolate is so yummy!

It’s also great to give as a gift to someone. Maybe thrift a basket and put in some fun kitchen supplies like a farmhouse kitchen towel, wooden spoon, some fun mugs, a box of crackers and a mason jar of your bone broth. I’ve definitely dropped off a basket like this at a friend’s house before when they were sick! They will appreciate it so much, and be amazed at how good the bone broth feels to drink.

I hope this gives you some ideas to try the next time you think of making a batch of this healing chicken bone broth in your instant pot! Let me know if you try it, or if you have any add-ins that are your favorites to put in your broth.