Pump up your cooking with Homemade Beef Stock for a rich, beefy flavor added to any dish. It’s so easy to make in the slow cooker, Instant Pot, or stovetop, and I included directions for all 3 methods below. Make this beef stock recipe, and you’ll never buy store-bought, boxed stock again.
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Easy Beef Stock Recipe
For years, I’ve made homemade Chicken Stock to keep in the freezer for recipes throughout the week, and also for sipping in the chilly winter months. It’s flavorful and full of nutrients and I feel great about serving this to my family. For recipes that need a richer beefy flavor like Beef Stew, homemade beef stock is my go-to.
I love making easy pantry staples at home, like stock, Homemade Mayonnaise, BBQ Sauce, and Taco Seasoning, because they make my food taste better and I can avoid unwanted additives and preservatives.
What is the difference between beef stock and broth?
Most people use beef stock and beef broth interchangeably, but there is a difference.
- Beef stock is made by slowly simmering beef bones (this is why it’s called beef bone broth), veggies, and meat in water to extract the nutrients the bones and flavor from the meat and veggies.
- Beef broth is made by simmering beef meat for a shorter time, producing a thinner liquid. Broth typically contains more seasoning, which is why it is also higher in sodium.
Beef Stock Ingredients
Unlike in my Turkey Stock recipe, we use both beef bones (collagen and minerals) and meat (flavor). If you don’t add meat to your stock, it won’t have the same beefy taste.
- Meaty beef bones – 4-5lbs – can include oxtail, short ribs, marrow or knuckle bones, or the bones from a holiday Prime Rib Roast. If you don’t have bone with meat on it, add about 1 lb of beef, such as trimmed stew meat or leftover beef pieces.
- Vegetables – yellow onion, celery, and carrots flavor the broth. I prefer to peel the skins of onions, garlic, and carrots.
- Cider vinegar – helps to extract the nutrients from the bones, but you won’t taste it. Substitute with white vinegar or lemon juice.
- Herbs/Spices – garlic cloves, bay leaf, peppercorns, and salt (some chefs prefer not to salt their stock and adjust later in the recipes. I use just a minimal amount and then add more salt later in the recipe as needed.)
How to Make Homemade Beef Stock
Regardless of which of the 3 methods for making homemade stock you choose, each one begins with roasting the bones and ends with straining the broth.
Roast the Bones (for all methods)
You can skip this step if using cooked bones from a roast.
- Roast the Bones – Cook bones on a baking sheet for 45 minutes at 450°F, and then place in the cooking pot. Pour hot water over the pan to deglaze and collect the drippings as well.
Instant Pot Beef Stock (2 Hours)
This is my preferred method because it’s quick and efficient – it draws out the marrow under high pressure and is the ideal cooking time for maximum flavor.
- Add the ingredients and pan drippings to the Instant Pot (I used 8 qt, but 6 qt works) and fill with water to the max line
- Cook – set to high pressure for 2 hours, and then let it naturally release for 30 minutes. Finally, use an oven mitt to release the pressure completely. Strain and skim the fat (instructions below).
Slow Cooker Beef Stock (10-18 hours)
- Add the ingredients and roasted bones into a 6 Qt slow cooker with 12 cups of warm water.
- Cook – Cover the crock pot and cook on low for 10-18 hours. You can let it go longer if the timer finishes overnight. Strain and skim off the fat.
Stovetop Beef Stock (4-8 hours)
- Add all of the ingredients to an 8 Qt. pot, and then fill with 16 cups of water, or until the bones are covered.
- Cook – Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 4-8 hours. Remove the impurities that come to the top and avoid stirring or boiling. Strain and skim off the fat.
How to Strain Beef Stock
- Strain – Pour the stock through a strainer and throw away the solids. Then, allow the stock to cool, cover, and refrigerate.
- Skim the fat – When the beef stock is chilled, the fat (beef tallow) will rise to the top and harden. Skim it off the top and keep it for cooking, or throw it away in the trash so it doesn’t clog your plumbing.
Natasha’s Tip for Quick Cooling Stock
A trick to cooling the beef stock quickly before refrigerating is to divide the warm stock into smaller containers. Stock should be refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking.
Storage Tips
Once the fat is skimmed, the beef stock is ready to use, or you can store it in labeled, manageable portions in the fridge or freezer.
- To Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze in storage containers, mason jars, freezer bags, or ice cube trays and freeze for up to 3 months. Be sure to leave 1-1.5″ of room for expansion when packing.
- To Reheat: Reheat to 165°F before consuming. You can transfer to a saucepan and reheat from frozen.
How to Use Beef Stock
Homemade Beef Bone Broth adds incredible flavor to any recipe that calls for beef stock or broth such as:
- Vegetable Beef Soup
- Classic Pot Roast
- American Goulash
- French Onion Soup
- Slow Cooker Beef Brisket
- Chicken Madeira
- Lamb Stew
Easy Homemade Beef Stock provides so much flavor for all types of recipes, from stews to soup to gravies. It’s incredibly easy to make and store. Try this easy recipe today, and you won’t want to go back to store-bought substitutes.
Homemade Beef Stock
Ingredients
- 4 lbs meaty beef bones*
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, quartered
- 2 celery ribs, cut into thirds, leaves attached
- 2 carrots, peeled & cut into 1-2” chunks.
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 tsp salt, optional*
- 1 bay leaf, optional but nice
- 10 peppercorns
- Filtered Water, Stock Pot: 16 c, 6 Qt Slow Cooker: 12 c., Instant Pot: 10–12c
Instructions
Roast the Bones (for all methods, but if using bones from cooked roast, skip this step)
- Roast – Place beef bones on a lined rimmed baking sheet along with vegetables, toss with olive oil, and roast at 450°F for 45 minutes or until browned. Transfer the meat, bones, and veggies to your cooking pot.
- Cook – Pour hot water over the baking sheet and scrape the bottom to deglaze the pan, then add the drippings/liquid to your cooking pot.
Instant Pot Beef Stock (2 hours)
- Add roasted bones, meat, and veggies to the Instant Pot along with any drippings deglazed from the pan. Add garlic, cider vinegar, salt, bay leaf, and peppercorns, then pour in water to the max fill line.
- Cook – Cover and cook on high pressure for 2 hours. Let the pot naturally depressurize for 30 minutes, then use the pressure release valve to carefully release any remaining pressure.
Stovetop Method (4-8 hours simmering)
- Add – Place roasted bones, veggies, and any deglazed/accumulated juices into your 8 Qt stock pot. Add garlic, cider vinegar, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Add 16 cups of water or enough to cover the meat and veggies with 2 inches of water.
- Cook – Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer partially covered for 4-8 hours. Skim off impurities that rise to the top and discard them in the garbage. Avoid stirring and do not boil rapidly, or the stock will get murky.
Slow Cooker Method (10–18 hours on low, or 5–6 hours on high)
- Add – Place roasted bones, meat, and veggies, along with the deglazed pan juices, into a 6 Qt Slow Cooker. Add garlic, cider vinegar, salt, bay leaf, and peppercorns along with 12 cups of warm water.
- Cook – Cover and cook on low heat for 10-18 hours.
How to Strain Beef Stock
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a second pot, extracting as much stock as possible. Discard the solids into the garbage. Cool the strained stock to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate.
- Skim the fat – Once the beef stock is chilled, it will thicken. The fat will rise to the top and will solidify, which makes it easy to skim off. Do not put this fat into your sink, or it can clog up your plumbing. Instead, toss it in the garbage. The fat on top is essentially tallow (rendered beef fat) and can also be used as a cooking fat if you want to store it for later.
Notes
- Refrigerate covered for 4-5 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat to a rolling boil before consuming.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Homemade Pantry & Fridge Staples
- Homemade Pumpkin Puree
- Basil Pesto
- Homemade Ranch Dressing
- Homemade Salsa
- Turkey Gravy Recipe
- Homemade Coffee Creamer
- Pizza Sauce
