Bone broth. It seems so buzzy-trendy for the last few years, but it’s been around for decades. Makes me nostalgic for Grandma humming about her kitchen, making stock out of Sunday dinner leftovers. Actually, bone broth goes back thousands of years, just picture ancient nomadic tribes making something/anything life-sustaining out of the less edible parts of animals.  

Bone broth is good. Bone broth is healing. Bone broth is so warm and comforting on these cooler fall and winter days. It can be enjoyed as a beverage and also used as a flavor- and nutrient-boosting ingredient suitable for a variety of dishes. Today, I’m sharing a surprisingly easy recipe for Homemade Bone Broth for Instant Pot from my friend, Greg, who showed me the way. It’s friendly for Paleo, Keto, Whole30 and Gluten-free diets. Read on!

Like I said, bone broth is good. That is, if it’s “good” bone broth.  This amazing elixir is filled with all sorts of nutrients needed to optimized health. For example, the natural collagen extracted from the bones or carcass helps with a myriad of issues including joint problems (arthritis), digestive problems (leaky gut), weight management (it has protein to help with a lean body fat ratio and muscle maintenance). And, some even say bone broth does fabulous things for sleep, hair, skin, nails, focus and mood – I’ll let you be the judge!

So why would you want to go to the trouble of making this Homemade Bone Broth for Instant Pot? Lots of reasons, mainly control over the ingredients and a tastier, more nutritious end result. For example, those inexpensive broths sold for a buck or so per can are just kinda salty water with virtually no good stuff. Plus, these skimpy broths have almost no protein, maybe 1 gram per cup, while a bona fide  bone broth has about 11 grams.

I avoid those cheapie cans like crazy. But, lately, I have tried some high-quality bone broths on the market, Fire & Kettle  is my favorite. These organic, grass-fed soups and soups these are pretty darn tasty, super convenient and have a nutrition label I can love – and I do use them from time to time, especially when life chaos sets in (often), when travelling, and when I can’t get quality ingredients to make my own stock.  They also make ahhh-mazing soups starting from bone broth – like this Thai Curry Soup (below).

So, after learning how my friend Greg makes his Homemade Bone Broth for Instant Pot, I really like the idea of doing my own when I have the time, because I can supplement with additional healing ingredients I may personally need – like turmeric and ginger to combat all the inflammation I get. Plus, it’s a great way to use up the veggie scraps in my produce bin.

So, there is some debate about whether it’s better to do a bone broth in a slow cooker or pressure cooker (Instant Pot). Greg and I have both noticed that the Instant Pot both turns out a more desirably gelatinous broth. So, I Googled around trying to see why there was a slight yet discernable difference between the two cooking methods. What I took away from the various posts and articles on the topic of “slow cooker vs. pressure cooker for bone broth” was that the faster and hotter you cook the broth ingredients, the more quickly collagen is converted into gelatin. So, it would seem that the Instant Pot better . . . maybe the slow cooker never fires up fast or hot enough (but, still both the Instant Pot bone broth and slow cooker bone broth taste pretty much the same).

So, based on this loose science, this bone broth recipe is done in a pressure cooker, aka Instant Pot. You will notice that some of the ingredients in the bone broth recipe are not everyday shopping list items, — you’re likely NOT going to see chicken feet on a Styrofoam tray in HEB. However, the butcher IS YOUR FRIEND at the market, just tell him what you need and it’s my guess he will be pretty excited to help out with your special request. Also, places like Whole Foods, Sprouts and your local organic farmer’s market are great places to source many of these ingredients.

This Instant Pot Bone Broth recipe is a real health boost for everything from managing arthritis, boosting immunity, lessening digestive issues and even for detox and weight loss. Many people ask how to consume it – the simple answer to eat or drink it in any way you prefer. Drinking 8-ounces of broth a day, is a great place to start. You can simply sip it straight-up warm in a mug, in lieu (or in addition to) a cup of coffee. It’s also fine to use it as a base for other ingredients, also making it easier to consume larger amounts (some easily consumer a quart per day!).

Have you ever tried a bone broth, either homemade or store bought? What did you think? What is your favorite soup? Do you have any winter running events coming up? Let’s chat in the comments – XOXO, Jennifer 

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission on any sales . . . an that’s what helps me keep the blog going. Thanks!

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Homemade Bone Broth for Instant Pot

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

2 hrs

Total Time

2 hrs 10 mins

 

Course: Beverage, Soup

Ingredients

• 1 organic raw chicken carcass with neck included
• 3-4 chicken feet
• 3-4 quarts of filtered water
• 1-2 tbsp unpasteurized organic apple cider vinegar like Bragg’s
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp Himalayan sea salt
• 2 inches ginger root sliced
• 2 inches turmeric root sliced
• 2 tsp thyme fresh or dried
• ½ cup sliced shitake mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 strips of Kombu sea vegetable
• 2 tablespoons Wakame Flakes sea vegetable
• ½ to 1 cup assorted veggies like onion, carrots, celery
• Medium size beef marrow bone

Instructions

1. Place the carcass and feet into large stock pot. Pour in the filtered water. Add the 1-2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar. Time permitting, let this soak for 30 to 45 minutes.
2. While chicken parts soaking, cook the beef marrow bone in oven on 325 F degrees for 20+ minutes, larger bones take more cook time. Once bone is lightly browned and marrow softened, it should be good to pull out. Set aside.
3. Add chicken carcass and chicken feet with water into the pressure cooker. Add beef marrow bone.
4. Add in all listed ingredients including sliced ginger, sliced turmeric, coarsely chopped or “chunked” vegetables, garlic, sea vegetable and remaining spices.
5. Set pressure cooker to 60 minutes on high mode, allow pressure to release naturally when finished cooking (it will splatter if you do forced release). Note: it will take around 30 minutes for pressure to “build up” and then another 30 minutes to release – so plan on 2 hours using the pressure cooker method.
6. Alternatively, you can substitute a slow cooker and let it go as long as you like, from 8 to 12 hours.
7. Once Instant Pot pressure is released, use a large slotted spoon to remove all the ingredients from the broth. You won't get everything but you'll get about 95% of it. Carefully, pour broth into a large mixing bowl with spout.
8. Line up 4 BPA-free quart mason jars in the sink to filter the bone broth. Line a cheesecloth into a small strainer that will fit into the mouth of your mason jar. Pour bone broth into each container, rinsing off cheesecloth as needed.
9. If you don’t have a small strainer, use cheese cloth in a large strainer or colander and pour into the spouted mixing bowl AND THEN pour directly into mason jars.
10. Store bone broth in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or, leave an inch of headroom in your mason jar and store in the freeze for up to 3 months.
11. Note: A fat cap will form on top of broth. This can be removed and discarded, saved and used for cooking, or broken up and put a bit to melt back into your broth as is heats up (a little extra fat never hurt anyone and is very satiating).
12. Serve in 4 to 8 ounces portions, warmed up. Or as a base for soups.
13. Makes approximately 3 to 4 quarts of bone broth.