
This Instant Pot bone broth recipe is so much easier than babysitting a pot on the stove top for 12+ hours, and it’s the perfect way to make use of bones from a leftover roast chicken. Of course, you can also use beef marrow bones, lamb bones or pork bones – I’ve included instructions for all four in this article.
Before we dive into the recipe, though, let’s talk about why it’s totally worth it to make homemade bone broth . . . and what to buy if you’re short on time.
Benefits of Bone Broth
As I mentioned in this tutorial on making bone broth in a slow cooker, it contains:
- Nutrients that keep you moving, pain-free: Specifically, I’m talking about glucosamine and chondroitin, which support joint function. (You can often find expensive supplements featuring these two nutrients at health food stores) (1)
- Anti-aging components: Gelatin supports healthy digestion and strengthens hair, skin and nails. It also nourishes connective tissues with compounds including hyaluronic acid, which help to prevent premature skin sagging and cellulite. Broth also contains the amino acid proline, which is necessary for the production of collagen.
- Detoxification support: Another amino acid found in bone broth is glycine, which helps with liver detoxification. Glycine is also essential for the production of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent premature aging
- Minerals: When simmered, the veggie scraps in bone broth release a wide variety of minerals such as magnesium, calcium, manganese, iron, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, zinc and copper.
It’s budget-friendly, too. Using ingredients that would otherwise be wasted, you end up with a a delicious, nutrient-rich base for lots of different recipes.
If you want more tips for eating healthy on a budget, I’ve put together everything I’ve learned over the years here.

How To Use Homemade Bone Broth
With that in mind, here are some ideas for incorporating this “liquid gold” into mealtimes.
Recipes that incorporate chicken broth:
- Quick and Easy Egg Drop Soup
- Coconut Lime Chicken Curry Soup
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pies
- Dirty Rice
- Tortilla Soup
- Creamy Shrimp Bisque
- Slow Cooker Frozen Roast
- Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Easy Spanish Rice
Recipes that incorporate beef broth:
Recipes that incorporate either chicken broth or beef broth:
Of course, this is not a complete list, but it’s a pretty good starting point.
What To Buy When You’re Short On Time
Although I make homemade broth when I can, I always keep a few containers of Kettle & Fire bone broth on hand to save time (and sometimes my sanity). It’s come in handy more than once when I needed to get something on the table quick, and also to make up “feel better soup” for my littles when they wake up not feeling well and I don’t have broth ingredients.
Optional Additions
- Seaweeds such as kombu, kelp or dulse increase the mineral content and add depth of flavor
- Shiitake and several other mushrooms have immune supportive properties, and I often combine them with extra garlic for the “feel better soup” I mentioned earlier
Instant Pot Bone Broth Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 chicken carcass or 2-3 pounds beef, lamb, or pork bones) bones (I usually use chicken bones that are leftover from our weekly Instant Pot roast chicken, but you can also use 2-3 pounds beef, lamb, non-oily fish or pork bones)
- ½ onion (chopped)
- 3 stalks celery (chopped)
- 1-2 carrots (chopped)
- a few sprigs of fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary (or 1-2 teaspoons of dried herbs)
- 1 tsp unrefined sea salt
- 8-10 cups filtered water
- ½ tsp whole peppercorns (optional)
- misc veggie scraps (optional)
- 1-2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (optional)
Instructions
Chicken Broth Instructions
- Place the chicken carcass in the Instant Pot and top with salt, onion, celery, carrots, herbs and any optional ingredients you're including like additional veggie scraps, apple cider vinegar, seaweed, garlic or mushrooms.
- Add water until the bones and veggies are completely covered, making sure that you don't fill more than 2/3 capacity. Lock the lid in place and set the valve to the "sealing" position.
- Using the Manual setting, select "high pressure" and set the timer to 120 minutes.
- After two hours, allow the Instant Pot to depressurize slowly via natural release.
- Place a strainer over a large bowl – I use one like this because it has a spout that makes pouring the broth super easy. Pour broth into mason jars and store in the fridge.
Beef, Lamb or Pork Broth Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place bones on a rimmed baking sheet and roast them for 30 minutes.
- Place the bones in the Instant Pot and top with salt, onion, celery, carrots, herbs and any optional ingredients you're including like additional veggie scraps, apple cider vinegar, seaweed, garlic or mushrooms.
- Add water until the bones and veggies are completely covered, making sure that you don't fill more than 2/3 capacity. Lock the lid in place and set the valve to the "sealing" position.
- Using the Manual setting, select "high pressure" and set the timer to 120 minutes.
- After two hours, allow the Instant Pot to depressurize slowly via natural release
- Place a strainer over a large bowl – I use one like this because it has a spout that makes pouring the broth super easy. Pour broth into mason jars and store in the fridge.
Nutrition

Frequently Asked Questions
Including chicken feet creates a broth with an intense gel due to the additional boost of gelatin, hyaluronic acid and other components. However, incorporating them requires some additional prep, like blanching the feet and removing the outer membrane before cooking them. Since my goal with this recipe is to show you a super easy and quick way to make bone broth, I decided to leave this more intensive step out.
Yes, you can! I used to store mine in wide-mouth mason jars using this method: After straining the broth, I’d pour it into the jars and leave a 1.5 inch (or more) gap at the top of the jar. That way when the liquid expands slightly and the glass contracts slightly, there’s a little “give.” Next, I’d allow the broth to cool completely in the fridge before transferring to the freezer.
These days, though, I allow the broth to cool and then pour it into extra large ice cube trays that are set on top of a baking sheet (which makes the trays easier to walk to the freezer without spilling). Once frozen, I transfer the cubes to a parchment-paper lined plastic bag that I reuse over and over for each new batch of broth.
If your chilled jar of broth has a layer of fat on top that hasn’t been punctured, it forms a seal that can extend shelf life – some say up to six months. I’ve never left it in that long (and probably won’t), but I have left it for at least a week. Once the seal has been punctured it should last about 3-4 days.
Up to a year.
Want more Instant Pot recipes?
Instant Pot Chicken Soup Recipe – Chicken soup is one of my favorite comfort foods for fall. This rich version from Dr. Karen Lee’s Instant Pot cookbook is so flavorful and easy!
Pressure Cooker Whole Chicken – This “roast” chicken is one of my favorite IIP recipes. It’s so tender, and I can have it on the table with broth already bubbling away in less time than it used to take me just to roast the chicken.
Instant Pot Pulled Pork – This Texas-style pulled pork can be made in a slow cooker or Instant Pot – instructions for both are included in the post!
Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash – Spaghetti squash is Nature’s version of noodles. When pulled apart with a fork, the flesh naturally separates into pasta-like strands that are gluten-free, low-carb, and high in antioxidants. Because it has a mild flavor, it can easily be used as a substitute for pasta or rice in casseroles and other comfort foods.
Sources:
1. https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/food-features/broth-is-beautiful/
I’ve been doing my bone broth on the stove top or in the slow cooker for years now. (I really only do it in the summer, but supplement with collagen peptides year round.) Now I keep hearing about this Instant Pot, and it’s sounding more and more tempting!
Thanks Heather – It sounds so easy – I shall definitely be giving it a go. I don’t know what an instant pot is though – I’ve never heard of it – am from New Zealand so we might call it something different here or we might not have it here yet.
It’s a brand of electric pressure cooker.
The stovetop pressure cookers work as well but are harder to use sobthe electric ones are getting very popular.
The instant pot is favored by people who prefer to avoid non-stick cookware, which is featured in many other brands.
Note that if you get the instant pot ‘duo’ model, it also has a yogurt setting that can be used to both scald the milk and culture the yogurt.
I just purchased the 6 quart insta pot. It is one of my favorite things in my kitchen. A pork or roast beef in 50 minutes. The flavor of the meat is wonderful. I bought mine off Amazon for about $65.00. I was alerted by email from Mommapotamus, I think. Buy one!
I absolutely agree with Carolyn. The Instant Pot is without a doubt the most useful tool in the kitchen.
Do you can bone broth on stovetop? I don’t have a pressure cooker.
I have it in jars now, covered with water and cooking for an hour. Nothing online was clear about stovetop. If you have suggestions let me know.
Thank you. Linda
To Linda,
Yes, you can cook it on a stove top, but it is a 24 hour process. The pressure cooker does it in about 2 hours and is a good investment. The Instant Pot can be purchased on Amazon. It comes in 3 sizes.
I love my instant Pot. It is my best cooking appliance..replaces a lot of other appliances too.
I bought mine from Amazon. It was engineered by two guys in Ottawa, Canada. I think since then other company’s are selling them too.
I’m in Canada and purchased mine at http://www.store.instantpot.ca as it was cheaper than what amazon.ca was offering and because all the houseware stores we all sold out and it wasn’t even Christmas time! There is a USA store too (www.store.instantpot.com). Anyhooo…I Love My Instant Pot! I am not a chef or great cook by any means, but it seems now I am! Bonus is it has replaced my electric fryer, slow cooker and rice steamer. Btw, this broth recipe is delish, thank you! ?
Regaeding the question ‘how to can bone broth’ on stove top’ – use a proper pressure canner method or don’t try. A pressure canner or new style pressure cooker that can exceed 12psi (depending on elevation) is essential to safely canning broth.
Stovetop or slow cooker
24-36 hrs in slow cooker
It sounds like you were talking about canning the bone broth, because you said you had it in jars covered with water boiling on the stove for an hour. My canning book states a pressure canner is required for canning low acid products such as meat broths. The Instant Pot doesn’t reach the recommended pressure for canning low acid foods. You run the risk of botulism poisoning if you don’t use a pressure canner.
Question: I just got my instant pot and wanting to can bone broth. I also have a traditional pressure cooker for canning that was my mom’s Andy I’m not very familiar with using it. So to be on the safe side would I make broth in Instant Pot and put in jars and use traditional pressure canner to seal? And can you tell me what pressure and for how long? Also can you can with meat in it for like a soup starter? Thanks in advance
You CAN NOT can bone broth (or any meat containing products) in an Instant Pot. The pressure doesn’t get high enough to kill any botulinum toxin spores, which can survive in low-acid foods (including meat products). You have to have an actual pressure canner, not just a pressure cooker. The best / safest way to store bone broth in Mason jars after you’ve made it is to freeze it (unless you’re going to use it within about a week, in which case you can just leave it in the fridge until you’re ready to cook with it).
To can beef broth in a regular or traditional pressure canner -(NOT AN INSTANT POT), I follow the instructions that came with my pressure canner.
For quarts of broth with beef pieces – 10 lb pressure for 90 minutes
I repeat. This is for a regular or traditional pressure canner – not an instant pot.
Totally agree with you on this. Grew up on a farm canning from the garden and butchered beef and pork. All but higher acid foods must be pressure canned or boiled for a long long time in a hot water bath. But I will say some of the newer electric instpots aka pressure cookers do come with directions on how to can in them. My last one did.
for Food Safety reasons canning Any Proteins, this would include broths and stocks a pressure cooker .
Does it gel? I have found that when I cook my chicken in the instant pot all my gelatin is pulled out in that short time. Then I get the minerals in kim bone broth but a lot of the gelatin is in the first batch.
I just cooked my first chicken in my new instant pot…. so I’ve been reading about making bone broth…. it was just one chicken .. so not a lot of bones….. do I use the stock that resulted from cooking the chicken in and add water? That seems reasonable to me…
Can you you half the recipe in a 3 qt instant pot.
Yes.
I had the same exact question as Laura above. Im so excited to see YOUR post about this I’ve only had our Instapot for a couple weeks, but had been making broth for a couple years. The two times I’ve cooked chicken, I’ve had fantastic gelled broth-after only a 30 minute cook time!
But then the three batches of just bones/veggies (appropriate water/bone ratio) I’ve tried to do in a mix of 90 minutes to 125 minutes on manual high pressure have resulted in great tasting broth, but zero gelling.
I really want to make sure I’m maximizing the benefits of the broth for our family, this is actually the exact reason why I bought the IP. I would love to hear and be so appreciative of your suggestions Heather!
If you use just a few bones and a lot of water it’s likely to be present but too diluted to cause the broth to gel when chilled.
I’ve been making broth in my instant pot for about a year – on high pressure, 90-120 minutes. I still get gel. Do you think its really better to use low pressure?
I have a friend that has cancer and has to drink bone broth, but it has to cook for 48hours to get all the benefits??? Does using the instant pot pull all the nutrients from the bone like slow cooking does? and If you start with the whole chicken and pull just the meat and cook longer is it just as beneficial?
You don’t want all the fat from the skin. And definitely add the vinegar to pull the minerals from the bones!
I cant change the pressure to low when selecting a program mode, it just lowers the minutes??
I believe the older model Instant Pots don’t have the option to lower the pressure. On my 6 qt. Instant Pot I got 11 months ago, there is a Pressure button located directly under the “—“. If you have a Pressure button, press it to toggle between low and high pressure.
Don’t use the arrows to try and change to low pressure — you have to press the Adjust button. Then you’ll see the light switch from High to Low. I was confused about this at first too!
The Adjust button does not change the pressure on mine. It turns the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button on and off.
On mine, i keep pressing the Soup button, ix press 2x, and low pressure lights up, or Less lights up.
Heather! Is it ok to add the left over stick from the roasted chicken to add flvor to bone broth? I habe great looking broth but didnt know if it was safe to combine for bone broth!thanks
Lauren
Hi Lauren, can you clarify your question please? I’m not sure I understand.
Sure! I roast a chicken in my instant pot. I have liquid from cooking…I debone chicken to make bb..:can I use the liquid in pot to help make my bone broth or do I need to dump out this liquid and start with fresh water and vinegar. I hope this makes sense…i ask because…
(Last week my bb did not gel and it was so diluted it didnt even taste good (filling 2/3 6 qt instant pot with fresh water). The week before it gelled but I only added 3 cups of water. And did not get much bb at all.
what am I doing wrong ?
Yes, you can use the liquid that was leftover after baking the chicken. In general the reason bone broth doesn’t gel is simply because it is not concentrated enough. The gelatin is still there, it’s just that if it’s diluted with a lot of water it may not thicken up as much.
some say to bake the bones in the oven for like 30 min…do you do this or just use uncooked soup bones?
Roasting beef bones does improve the flavor but I usually use chicken bones so I don’t 🙂
Thanks! I will definitely be pinning this for later. The Instant Pot is the top item on my list of most wanted Christmas presents!
I just made this with my Turkey bones as well as carrots, celery, radishes, garlic, onion 3 different kinds of seaweed I had and some pink salt. Oh also some rosemary, oregano, thyme and parsley. All of which I grow. Then I added 10c of water and followed the recipe. When it was done I strained it and only got about 3 cups of broth. I suspect the dried seaweed soaked up some broth( so I went ahead and ate the seaweed lol) but I wish it made more! However the flavor is the bomb diggity! I would have totally drank it all but I wanted to put it to a better use . So it’s in the fridge. I’ll probably drink it tomorrow!!🤣
I try to make that “deal” every year with my children, and they never listen! I wonder if adding powdered collagen to food/drinks would have similar benefits as bone broth? Maybe I am just feeling particularly lazy!
How do you set the pressure to low? I’ve read the manual but it only says to hit the adjust button for less or more but that the adjust button won’t work for manual mode… Hmmmmm . Going to try it on soup mode for 120min and see how it goes 🙂 Super excited for bone broth that can be finished all in one day!
I am SO glad you asked this question, because apparently my brain went on autopilot when I was writing this post and I blended two techniques together. You are exactly right that it should be set to soup!
You can hit Soup, then press Pressure to set it to Low Pressure. Decrease time to hit 120 min. Press Timer & set to 30 if you want to delay the start for 30 minutes for the apple cider vinegar to do it’s thing.
My husband, the engineer, and I are still trying to figure out how to use the timer. Is 1:10 one hour and 10 minutes or one minute and 10 seconds. Can’t get it to go to 120 minutes. Can’t you just time it for 2 hours? Help its Abbot and Costello here. LOL
You aren’t the only ones having a time trying to figure this out.
1:30 hr = 90 min.
I have a broth button on my Instant Pot. I am going to use it. It sets the temperature to high. I know that is against what is recommended here. However, I am an engineer. I am not going against all of the engineers that designed, and tested this thing. Do you have any idea the science that goes into developing something like this is, and how much testing is done. By the time you’re still trying to perfect the last designs when it time to start testing the new designs. They overlap, it never ends.
Thanks muchly figured it out ….. ?????☀️??
Press “Manual”, set your time, and press pressure to change from high to low! I was just playing with it to figure this out.
Um….I feel sooooo dumb… What is an instant pot? Thanks…
An instant pot is like a newer less scary version of our grandmothers pressure cookers. They sell them on Amazon.
“2 hours” is a little misleading. It’s at pressure for two hours, but you need another hour or so for coming up to pressure and depressurizing…
Hi Heather, thank you for this recipe. I don’t have an Insta pot but do have a multi cooker with high and low pressure cooker function. Do you think I can use it for this recipe? Also is it for just the one chickens bones or should I freeze one lot and save so I can do it with 2 chickens bones?
depending on the size of your chicken – the bones are really not much any way, i would go with 2 chickens – but I prefer to make more one time than do it again with just a little 🙂
I’ve been making bone broth in a crock pot for years now…and though I love the idea of quick and easy, to make the nutrient dense BONE broth, it requires much longer cooking times than the Instant pot can provide. To get the bone marrow from the bones is a 36-48 hr process.
Also, the Apple cider vinegar is used to draw the marrow out of the bones, and requires the first hour it’s cooked on the stove top so you can skim off the toxins. You’ll see a a brown foam, which should be skimmed off so it isn’t reabsorbed into the soup. Only then should you put it in your cooker and let it slow cook for a couple of days. I add at least 1 to 2 onions quartered, garlic, carrots, kale, celery and continue to add distilled boiled water each day. At the very end I add parsley for the extra minerals. It’s a pretty messy mix to work with once it’s cooled down enough, but you don’t want too cold, so you don’t lose the fat in the straining process.
The instant pot option sounds like nice broth, but I wouldn’t call it a bone broth.
I’m with Cat – what is an instal-pot? It sounds like a pressure cooker. I even looked in your shopping list but couldn’t find it. enlighten us?
Oops – I meant instant pot of course…..
I can’t tell you how excited I am to find this recipe! I’ve avoided making bone broth because I’m so busy and the traditional methods take so long, but this is so do-able! I purchased an Instant Pot over the summer and it’s become my new best friend. I’m going to give this a try this week. Thank you!
What is an Instant Pot?
This might sound an odd question but what do you do with the bone broth afterwards?
I’ve wanted to make Bone Broth for ages but I have no idea what to do with it afterwards.
You can drink it warm, use it to cook rice, make soup, anything you would use regular chicken broth for–but bone broth has much better nutrition!
BB is also great for cats and dogs that have lost their appetite due to illness or are finicky eaters.
Please just be aware that for cats, you can’t add garlic or onions since they are toxic to cats.
Dogs are also not supposed to have garlic or onions according to the ASPCA. Both can cause vomiting and red blood cell damage.
What is the interior of the Instant Pot made out of?
Stainless steel 🙂
The instant pot has a stainless steel insert
There is also a non stick version.
Non-stick coating are to be avoided. They cause cancer causing chemicals to enter your meal.
Another way to help it gel is to add chickenfeet! I get the feet from my chicken vendor at the local green market. I could never get my broth to gel prior to adding chicken feet to the mix. And use of the Instant Pot instead of the crockpot also makes a big difference.
What a great idea!!
After I roast chicken, I remove the skin to use in my broth. I store it in a container in the freezer, and pop what I have accumulated into the broth at the beginning of cooking. The toasted skin adds delicious flavor to the broth. This is especially good with a roasted turkey breast, or legs and thighs. I actually roasted a small turkey one year, and once it cooled, ripped it into pieces, and dumped everything into the stock pot, including veggies and seasonings. The instructions I was following said to cook the snot out of it. Graphic but not very informative! So I simmered it for 24 hours. Strained it, chilled it, scraped off accumulated fat, and, voilà! Made the best turkey gravy I have ever tasted. My dogs also loved it dribbled over their kibbles. I can see that the IP is going to save me oodles of time this year!
This may be a silly question, but I’ve never made bone broth. I’m reading a lot of comments about it “gell.” Is it not a soupy/brothy type consistency like chicken broth?
The fat gels on top of the liquid. Depending on what type of bones you use to make bone broth, you will get a varying thickness of hard fat on top of the bone broth when refrigerated. I remove the hard fat layer and drink the bone broth.
Gel refers to the amount of gelatin in the broth itself, NOT the fat. You find out how gelled your broth is by chilling it. A good bone broth will have lots of gelling, and look like very thick jello under the fat layer (jello is made from animal gelatin, BTW).
Hi everyone! I just ordered mine and can’t wait to start cooking. I am from Brazil and grew in a remote ranch chicken feet broth (basically gel) is the prevention for arthritis remedy. 🙂
How long does the bone broth last in the refrigerator? And can you freeze it? Or does it break down the nutritional value? Trying to prep a lot at one time, as we have five kids, so I collect the bones quickly!
I would like to know this too.
yes, you can freeze it and it holds for a few months in the fridge – I actually do not put mine in the fridge, just in the cool basement; the fat rises to the top and will seal the broth and the lids are pretty much air tight. If you do not have fat in your broth, yes refrigerate or freeze!
I made bone broth a few months ago &its been in the back of fridge.Do i skim the fat off top & only use the liquid ?
Most bone broth recipes do not mention skimming the fat. I don’t understand this. I strain the broth and put in refrigerator for a day or two and then skim the hard layer of fat that forms on top of each bowl. Only then do I divide it into freezer containers.
I freeze my bone broth in ice cube trays. Easier to take out a little or a lot.
Just got my instant pot. I’m trying your bone broth directions now. I had been using a crockpot and it took 24 hours. This will be so much faster.
I had read that it keeps in the refrigerator for a week but we tend to use it up before then. I put it in any food that needs moisture- soups, curries, and even mashed potatoes. I do a lot of international recipes. Delicious.
Hey Heather! Just got my Instant Pot and was so happy to see your recipe!! Mine came with some updated instructions… is it new that it will allow you to cook soup for up to 4 hours? Mine allows me to set it to 240 minutes (I found that going “down” as you suggested for setting the max time). Is there a benefit to cooking the bones longer? As some of the others mentioned, prior to my instant pot, I have been doing this in a crock pot and cooking for 24+ hours.
Thanks!
Pam
Longer is better in extracting the full range of minerals from the bones. I do 3 hr in a normal pressure cooker.
Hi Heather
So my instant pot only has the high pressure setting (and no low pressure setting). Can I still get the same results on high pressure but maybe with a time adjustment? Thanks!
Heather, what do you mean by “I actually decrease the time because the timer resets at 120 after you decrease to zero.”?
She means that instead of increasing the timer until it reads 120, she decreases the timer until it reads 0, then by decreasing once more, the timer resets itself to 120. This should be a quicker way to set the timer. However in my case, my timer reset itself to 240, so it didn’t save me any time. 🙂
Push the down button on the timer and it will automatically reset to120 minutes.
now I must read up on the gelatin part !! not that I do not trust your research, Heather, but….
I do continuing broth; either in the crock pot or on the stove on low with a flame diffuser, for days, because that way it is always warm and I can drink it through out the day. Need to replenish water at times and I will throw in carrot tops and onion parts as I cook meals…… I do mostly want the minerals, but gelatin yes, please 🙂
I just will not buy another kitchen appliance that runs on electricity and makes some others obsolete, no matter how many raving stories I hear about the insta pot 🙂 BUT if this thing gets more people to make bone broth, great!
I really want the gel! I will find chicken feet and re-read the suggestions above for getting the gel. Thank you for the recipe!
When I have just cooled chicken thighs for use of the meat there is already jell in the broth. I think we are so used to using boneless/skinless chicken that we miss the additional flavor the skin and bones impart.
I always buy my chicken with bone in and skin on when it is available. Lately, much of it seems to come packaged with skin and bone removed. No one people think chicken is dry and tastless. To me, the flavor is in the bone and skin/fat so cooking with it on will bring the flavor to the meat and you can remove the parts you don’t wish to eat and retain the flavor.
Hi Heather,
With the stovetop method I’ve started using my bones for a second batch. Have you tried that with the Instant Pot? I’ve got my first batch ready to go, then I think I’ll give it a whirl! Thanks for all of your great tips.
What do you do with the chicken heart, etc when you buy the whole chicken? Do you use this also in making broth?
Thank you for the recipe, Heather! I got my Instant Pot for Christmas and am making broth for the second time. I noticed you said you almost never wait for the vinegar to pull the minerals out of the bones. (I won’t tell anyone!) I discovered the handy dandy Timer button today that you can set to 30 minutes so it will count down those 30 minutes for you! No need to wait. Love this pot!
I usually cook them with the chicken. They fortify and flavor the broth used to make gravy.
The heart, gizzard, and neck can be used in the broth. The liver is delicious sauteed in butter until just “not pink” in the center. I eat it on plain crackers with mayo.
Does blending the broth on high for a few seconds with onions from the broth making progress have a negative effect on the collagen or other beneficial parts of broth? My whole family, including my 22 month old amd4 year old love it this way but I want to make sure I’m not doing the broth a disservice!
Blending with the onions is totally fine 🙂
Thanks for this recipe. Bone broth is so quick and easy to make now. I put it in pint and quart size jars, keeping a jar in the fridge and freezing the rest. Then I have a revolving door of fresh broth to cook with. By the time I run out its time to have chicken for dinner again.
I am interested to know how successful the pressure cooked bone broth is to give those who are sensitive to glutamates and histamines, a safe, beneficial, well ingested broth?
Hi lovely Heather, I have been skimming through the hundreds of comments so far to see if anyone has weighed in on this exact thing. It seems low and slow – as we have been making broth for years does produce more natural glutamates and amines, but that pressure cooking, with the significantly reduced time might minimise these, which would be great. We suspect the glutamates are a negative health trigger in our family, though we all enjoy the broth. I’ve also heard rumour that in the case of reducing glutamate-like substances, we should omit the vinegar, as it will draw more out. I’ve heard some people just do a relatively quick, 2 hour regular stove-top/crock pot meat broth (add more meat) rather than the long slow cook of only the bones and cartilage. Any thoughts on this would be gratefully welcomed from you (and any other reader who has managed to make it this far through the comments!!) Thanks! 🙂
I’m not sure when your instant pot was purchased and if they have maybe been updated, but mine goes to 240 minutes rather than 120 minutes. Any reason NOT to do it for the 4 hours instead of 2? Has anyone tried it longer? I guess I’m just so used to doing a 24-36 hour slow simmer with the “old fashioned” way of making bone broth, that the longer time seems better in my mind….
I love your recipe. Make it every week. Tonight I am starting late. Just set 120 now at 9:15 pm. Would it hurt to go to bed and leave it in there on warm all night?
I want to know this too!
Yes I was wondering the same thing… I dont want to stay awake till the pressure releases…. Will it hold safely from 11 pm till 6 am?
Has anyone found out if this is okay?
The last time I made the broth it was at night and I didn’t think about me having to go to bed so I did put it on warm all night – for around 7 hours. The next morning it was still pretty hot and to be honest it was probably the best broth I have made and I have been making it a long time! I think every situation will be different but my turned out good and it was hot enough that I felt safe using it.
Courtney
IMHO: the broth is at a high temperature under pressure (low=230F, high=240F, approx) and the bacteria has been killed (not botulism spores, but that’s a long-term storage/canning issue). The pot is insulated and there’s a lot of thermal mass to maintain a high temperature even if it’s turned off. If the keep warm function is on, that takes care of it right there. It keeps meals at a safe temp, right?
Basically, everything in the pot has been sterilized for all intents and purposes. Any bacteria would have to enter the pot to contaminate it. This *could* happen once the pressure valve opens during NR but the broth is going to be hot for a while and there’s the layer of fat on top that prevents anything from getting into the broth. Even if it hits the ‘danger zone’ there’s no bacteria in the broth to multiply.
As long as the lid is not opened and you attend to the broth in the morning, my opinion is that it will be just fine. I do this all the time and have had no ill effects. YMMV, but unless you have an immune-compromised person I wouldn’t worry. Think of overnight oats-that would get funky faster and it works out OK.
In the old days I would simmer stock all day, turn off the burner, cover it and leave it on the stove until morning so I didn’t heat up the refrigerator. Did this for years and no one ever got sick. The lid, layer of fat, and residual heat seemed to do the trick and it’s even more protected in the IP.
Can I use the same water and veggies I just used to cook the whole chicken in the istant pot with the bone broth or do I need to start over?
I was planning on just pulling the meat off the bones and throwing it back in with more water and ACV, but wasn’t sure if I needed all new water and veggies.
Thanks!
Katy
Yes, you can. 🙂
Just saw my question was already answered!!! Thank Heather for all you do!!!
If you throw out the water you will throw out nutrients and flavor. I discard the vegetables, put in new ones, but keep the water.
Okay if you’re Instant Pot challenged this is what you do.
Push soup. It will show 240. Use minus button to 120.
Push pressure cooker button to low pressure. The bar underneath the low pressure is on normal. Don’t know what that means.
After pressure cooker has warmed up it will start to count down. I’m assuming when it hits 0 time it will shut off rather than go to warm. Will see. Cool it down and you’re done.
Hi Heather!
I’ve been reading about health risks of using stainless steel cookware with something acidic like vinegar or tomatoes. What are your thoughts about that?
Kara
I just read a post on Amazon for Dr. Kellyann’s bone broth book that you shouldn’t use a pressure cooker to make the bone broth as it will kill the enzymes. I was all set to go buy a bunch of bones but thought I’d better do some more research?
Thoughts?
What was your final conclusion? I read about it on Wellness Mama’s website and it sounds like it’s ok.
Can you use the same bones a second time? Make two batches with one set of bones?
I have a “Power Cooker XL”. It has a soup/stew button but no way to adjust the pressure. All cooking except canning is done at 7psi. Any idea how to properly make the bone broth in this device? Also, my timer only goes to 1 hour on that button although on the “slow cooker” option it can go up to 12 hours. But I don’t think there’s any pressure in that setting. Just like a normal slow cooker.
Hi, do you have any idea why my bone broth does not have a clear yellow colour but greyish and not clear? Thanks for your comments.
How long does bone broth last in the refridgerator in the mason jars?
I don’t know why, but this method didn’t work for me. I made your Instant Pot Chicken Soup which turned out amazing!Tthen I put the bones back in the pot and followed these directions (I have an 8 quart pot so maybe it has to do with the directions to fill it 2/3 full, which is different for an 8 quart than it is for a 6…) and all I had was hot water with fat in it and barely any flavor. So I set it again, but this time I put it up to 240 minutes which is the longest setting on my pot, and went to bed, letting it warm over night. I haven’t tasted it yet but it seemed more usable when I opened the pot this morning.
This is exactly what happened to me. It was my first time making bone broth so I don’t know what I did wrong. It was watered down for sure. Did I use too much liquid (2/3 full in 8qt pot) or not pressure cook it long enough? I followed the recipes instructions.
I just ordered Instant Pot from Amazon.
I’ve written down your recipe for bone broth. And I plan to come back to you for inspiration and recipes to help me get healthy.
Thank you. Robert
Can there still be some meat left on the bones or do they need to be completely stripped? (I am using leftover rotisserie chicken)
Yes, there can be some meat 🙂
In your slow cooker recipe, you give different cook times for different types of bones. You don’t here. Does it not matter? And would you say the same amount of goodness is extracted in the smaller amount of time? Thank you!
After experimenting over the years I’ve come to the conclusion that the cook time listed is a good middle ground for chicken, beef, pork and lamb. Fish broth requires a shorter cook time so eventually I’ll post a separate recipe for it 🙂
I am not sure what you mean by decrease the time? You decrease it to 0?
Select the ‘Soup’ button and set the pressure to “low” while increasing the cook time time to 120 minutes. (I actually decrease the time because the timer resets at 120 after you decrease to zero.)
Also a friend of mine said she didn’t think you got the same quality of broth using a instant pot instead of low and slow???
Hi Heather. I just bought my IP and I’m loving it. I found making bone broth from turkey necks was super easy compared to stove top and/or crockpot but I’m wondering about the two hour cooking time. The finished broth didn’t have any gel when cooled, and the bones were still intact rather than soft. Should it cook longer? Thank you.
Hi! I’ve been cooking meat stock (whole chicken) and chicken feet in the instant pot at 120 and high pressure. But it’s not getting gelatinous; any ideas why??? Thx!!! 🙂
I kkkw not you make broth on the stove, you’re supposed to remove scum when it bubbles at the top. I didn’t see any mention of this in this recipe. Is that not a concern?
Love this.
I just have one concern: If I get the 6-quart size, will I regret it later? Would it be better to get the 8-quart size? What do you use? Which one would you recommend?
I make a lot of homemade soups, stews and broths.
Thanks. 🙂
I have been collecting chicken parts when cutting up whole chickens, like the back, wing tips etc. Do these have to be pre-baked to make broth?
No, you can just put them in the IP 🙂
How long will it keep in the frig?
I am really looking forward to using this recipe for born broth. I’m new to instapot and love it already. I’m a little confused about the gel. Do you take it off or is it a good thing and leave it on and drink it. Thank you for any answer you can give me
When both broth that is rich in gelatin cools it “gels,” or thickens. It’s considered a good thing but bone broth doesn’t always gel and that’s okay, too.
1. You can set the delay on your instant pot to 30 minutes.
This is on top of the 2 hour (120 minutes) cooking time,and if you are going to wait up to four hours (1/2 hour to get to pressure 2 hours cooking, up to 90 minutes for natural pressure release. Yes, I timed it.) Why not add the 30 delay at the start. (cancel the Keep warm function.
2. Set up an ice bath in the kitchen sink or plastic basin, to cool the broth quickly, I aim for about equal parts ice and water.
3. Remove the fat if you plan to freeze the broth. Consider doing a reducing simmer to about half volume. Then use ice cube trays to freeze into 1-2 oz. cubes and store in a Ziplock storage bag.
Interesting to note:
You have to ask, but you can purchase Duck Paddles (that’s the Duck’s feet) at your local Asian Grocery.
You can buy smoked Turkey necks (no need to roast!) at most meat departments, and nearby you can usually find smoked pig knuckles. (sometimes Called Ham Hocks).
There is a way to program the i.p. to wait the 30 minutes before starting…
Great recipe, thanks for the tips. What I love about the instant pot broth is that my house doesn’t smell like beef for 2 days. With my slow cooker that was the case. Also I didn’t add any of the veggies or salt so I just have the neutral broth so I can use it with any flavor profile. I’ll try chicken next.
Hello,
I just made this broth with chicken bones, cooked it in the instant pot for 2 hours, strained it twice, placed the jars in the fridge and when I wanted to used some the next day, it was gel.
Is this supposed to happen or did I do something wrong?
Gel is a sign of lots of gelatin in the broth – a good thing!
I finally gave in and got a 6qt Lux; the sale at Fred Meyer was too good ? Threw everything in the pot before I remembered to test it with plain water first. Basically following the instructions that came with it for bone broth. Reading this after the fact. ? Hope it works out.
I have a question. My Instant Pot has a timer display like a digital clock 00:00. This recipe calls for setting to 120 minutes. On my machine the timer display should look like this, correct? 02:00? I dont see how I can go above 59 minutes on my machine because then it reads 1:00. 1:20 would be an hour and 20 minutes, right? Trying to eat healthy in Costa Rica. PURA VIDA
Yes, based on your description your IP should be set to 2:00.
really am working my IP to the max
How long does the bone broth keep in the fridge?
There are a variety of opinions on that question. Some say that the thick layer of fat that often rises to the top of the jar “seals” it and keeps it fresh longer if left undisturbed. Others say to use it all within 4-5 days.
I have a question about ham bone broth. My husband gave me an Instant Pot for Christmas and used it to warm our holiday bone-in ham. Just threw in 1 cup of water and a seasoned ham. What would have taken over two hours in the oven……only took about 20-minutes in the pot. (10 minutes to cook plus the 10-minutes it took to bring to pressure) Anyway, I ended up with a tender, juicy ham AND about 2-cups of broth. I put it in the fridge overnight, thinking I can spoon the ham broth over my German shepherd’s dog food. I was so surprised it completely gelled overnight in the fridge. I just chunked off the layer of hardened fat. It looks like bone broth. What do you think? I’m used to making turkey and chicken bone broth in the crockpot with vinegar and know what the texture is supposed to look like, but I’m not 100-percent sure about this ham bone broth. I didn’t use vinegar! And have never used a pressure cooker. Ideas?
Do frozen bones need to be defrosted before putting them in water with the apple cider vinegar?
I don’t thaw mine 🙂
Do you know how to make the GAPS meat stock in the instant pot? The would save a lot of time if you do. Thanks!
The process would be similar but I’m not sure about cooking time/exact measurements.
I’m making this again today, and thought I’d leave a comment. My instant pot has a delay start option that I use for 30 minutes to give the vinegar time to pull the minerals from the bones. It’s probably been said earlier in the comments, but there’s a lot of those too go through! 🙂
I got my IP a month ago, and today I had enough chicken bones and veggie scraps in the freezer to make broth. I have always used a crockpot, but I wanted to use the new IP. So I Googled for instructions, and this recipe came up. It worked beautifully — love the aroma in the kitchen now! I just wanted you to know that your recipe is still being found and used! Now I’m going to browse your whole website. Thank you!
I needed to cook a chicken for my dogs 🙂 and I wanted it cooked, but still tender and not over boiled like on the stove. This method /recipe ( sans spices etc) was PAWFECT !
We are vegan but our dogs are not , so I thank you for a great new , easy way to cook my dog’s food without having to watch over it or worry about it getting tough!
Heather, I had stumbled onto a recipe for Poached Chicken in the Instapot, and I wrote down the basics but I forgot how to get it onto the correct time/and power. I have searched all over your site and cant find it again, can you help me out please?
Hi Christa, I’m not exactly sure which recipe you’re thinking of but I do have a whole “roast” chicken recipe in the Instant Pot here: https://mommypotamus.com/instant-pot-pressure-cooker-whole-chicken/
Is that what you’re looking for?
This is the second bone broth recipe I read that says to set timer to 1:20 but that the writer actually decreases the time themselves, I understand about the instant pot resetting to 1:20 after it hits zero but I don’t understand .. what time do you decrease it to ? Thank you, excuse my ignorance
Hello I am doing your recipe today in my Instant pot, I had chicken and half left over so I picked it apart and add the bones and skin to the instant pot, I also had some chicken feet in my freezer so I added those, yes they are clean, as for vegetables I added the carrots, I did 4, unpeeled, added 3 garlic cloves just added a slice in the cloves with paper still on , added a whole on with onion skin on cut into thirds , herbs I added parsley, rosemary, 2 bay leaves, thyme, marjoram, dried green pepper I just put some in my hand and throw in, I use flake salt so same thing I just take a pinch or two and throw it in. I have never made it in the instant pot, always in the crock pot so I am excited about this, to see how the flavor is.
Thank You for the recipe.
This recipe is delicious. Will you please tell me what the serving size is that you’re giving nutritional counts for?
Hi – I love your site and all your recipes! Some questions:
Can beef raw bones with meat on them be used without roasting in the oven first?
Can frozen raw beef bones be used in this recipe?
Any reason why I wound’t want to combine chicken bones with beef?
Yes, raw beef bones can be used but the flavor will be different. I haven’t tried frozen beef bones but I think they will work – it will likely just take the Instant Pot longer to heat up and reach pressure. Chicken and beef bones can be combined.
Hi – How would this recipe vary if not using an instant pot – just doing it stovetop (or possibly slow cooker)? I did make bone broth once before with beef bones and chicken feet in a slow cooker but it came out very greasy…. Not like anything that I would want to eat or give to my LO . Any advice?
I don’t see a ‘serving size’ anywhere. Is the nutrition info. per 8 oz. cup?
Sometimes I crock pot my Turkey carcass and ingredients for 24-48 hrs for a great bone broth. Is this the same in the “slow cook” on the IP? I plan to try the pressure cook function later but I love the long cook to release all the bone nutrients.
Yes!
I did not know anything about roasting bones and using chicken feet or using the instant pot for bone broth but I gave it all a try . My bone broth came out so amazing!! Thank you so much!