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Chicken Stock (Chicken Bone Broth) 3 Ways!

Learn how to make the healthiest, nutrient-dense Chicken Stock! You can make chicken bone broth in an instant pot, slow cooker, or on the stovetop.

Chicken bone broth is a natural way to heal your gut and improve our health. There’s a reason why people have been making chicken soup for ages when they aren’t feeling well, and if that chicken soup is a bone broth, it is truly a healing food. We use this chicken broth to make Easy Chicken Noodle Soup.

Chicken stock bone broth in mason jars

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Chicken Stock Recipe:

I’ve been incorporating bone broth into my diet throughout the week, using it in my cooking for recipes that call for broth or stock and the depth of flavor in the bone broth just makes everything taste so much richer. I also love to ladle it into a mug, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and some freshly chopped parsley and just drink it hot like tea. It makes ‘ma belly feel so good!

Friends, this is our first Instant pot recipe!! To be honest, the Instant Pot (affiliate link) bone broth was my favorite method. The broth had the richest flavor and it was the clearest broth since a pressure cooker is the hands-off approach. There was no skimming required, and it was the fastest method of all (2 hours of pressure cooking vs 15 hours in the crockpot or stovetop). It was amazing! I was so impressed and just completely fell in love with my Instant Pot.

Note: We included Amazon affiliate links below to our favorite kitchen tools.

Steamy chicken stock made of chicken bone broth in a bowl garnished with parsley

Ingredients for Chicken Stock (Chicken Bone Broth):

2 1/2 lbs of chicken bones (from 2 chickens), roasted*
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 medium onion, peeled and halved
2 ribs/sticks of celery (cut into thirds, with leaves attached)
2 medium carrots, peeled and halved
2 smashed garlic cloves
1 bay leaf, optional, but nice
Filtered Water (stockpot: 16 cups, 6Qt Slow Cooker: 12 cups, Instant Pot: 10-11 cups)

Ingredients for chicken stock with whole chicken carcass

*Roast the Bones (for all bone broth methods):

If bones are from a cooked chicken or turkey, skip this roasting step. If using a whole raw chicken, watch this tutorial on how to cut a whole chickenPlace raw bones on a lined rimmed baking sheet and roast at 400˚F for 20 minutes. Transfer bones and any pan juices to your pot. Many recipes call for just raw bones which is ok, but roasting will really enhance their flavor.

How to roast chicken bones

Stovetop Method (15 Hours of Slow Cooking):

The stovetop method is best if you have a huge stock pot and want to make a double batch, otherwise, it required the most babysitting and the temptation to check on it to make sure it wasn’t boiling like crazy was definitely there! The liquid does evaporate the most which is why more water is required for this method.

Pro Cooking Tip: Bone broth is best when it is cooked until you can easily break a chicken bone in half with your hands. This means the amazing nutrients from the marrow are in your broth. You also know if you cooked it long enough when it thickens after refrigeration – which is totally normal. The broth turns to liquid again when it is heated.

Slow Cooker Method (15 Hours on Low Heat):

This is the set it and forget it method! Start with warm or hot water to jump start it for heating up then set it and forget it. The slow cooker can gently simmer while you sleep. The resulting bone broth is rich in color and flavor since the broth is not stirred and never vigorously boiled in the slow cooker. This method is EASY!

Homemade chicken stock served in a bowl

Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth (2 Hrs):

1. Place roasting bones and accumulated pan juices into a 6Qt instant pot.

2. Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, 1 Tbsp cider vinegar, and 1 tsp salt.

3. Add 10-11 cups water or until you reach the 2/3 max fill line in the pot.

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth

4. Select soup/broth and set the time to 2 hours (120 minutes). It will warm up then cook on high pressure for 2 hours (120 minutes). When cooking is complete, wait 30 minutes for it to naturally depressurize then release pressure (I always use an oven mitt for safety in case the valve sputters).

How to Strain and Store Chicken Stock:

1. When done, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a second pot, extracting as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Cool strained stock to room temperature then cover and refrigerate.

2. The following day, it will thicken and you can scrape the fat off the top and continue to store in the fridge for 3-5 days or transfer to freezer-safe containers and freeze up to 3 months (if freezing, leave space in containers for expansion).

Chicken Stock (Chicken Bone Broth) 3 Ways!

4.98 from 105 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
How to make nutrient rich, flavorful chicken stock (bone broth) in an instant pot, slow cooker, or stovetop. Use homemade chicken bone broth in any recipe. | natashaskitchen.com
Learn how to make one of the healthiest, nutrient dense chicken stocks! You can make chicken bone broth in an instant pot, slow cooker, or on the stovetop*
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 55 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 8 cups bone broth
  • 2 1/2 lbs of chicken bones, from 2 chickens, roasted*
  • 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and halved
  • 2 celery ribs, cut into thirds, leaves attached
  • 2 carrots, peeled & halved
  • 2 smashed garlic cloves
  • 1 bay leaf, optional, but nice
  • Filtered Water, Stock Pot: 16 c., 6Qt Slow Cooker: 12 c., Instant Pot: 10-11 c.

Instructions

*Roast the Bones (for all methods):

  • If using bones from a cooked chicken or turkey, skip this step. Place bones on a lined rimmed baking sheet and roast at 400˚F for 20 minutes.

Stovetop Method (15 hours simmering):

  • Place roasted bones and any accumulated pan juices into your 8 qt stock pot. Add 16 cups (or 4 Qts) filtered water along with 1 Tbsp cider vinegar and 1 tsp salt. Bring to boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Skim off impurities that rise to the top. Cover and simmer on low heat 6 hrs then add onion, celery, carrots, 2 smashed garlic cloves and 1 bay leaf.
  • Continue cooking on a low simmer another 9 hrs for a total of 15 hrs simmering time. You can turn it off overnight if needed and continue the following day. Be careful not to bring it to a hard boil or the broth will look foggy.

Slow Cooker Method (15 hours on low):

  • Place roasted bones and any accumulated pan juices into 6 Qt Slow Cooker. Add 12 cups warm or hot water along with 1 Tbsp cider vinegar and 1 tsp salt. Set to low heat for 15 hrs.
  • After 6 hours on low heat, add onion, celery, carrots, 2 smashed garlic cloves and 1 bay leaf. Continue cooking on low simmer another 9 hrs for a total of 15 hours cooking time. You can let it go longer if needed overnight and strain the next day.

Instant Pot Method (2 hours pressure cooked):

  • Place roasting bones and accumulated pan juices into a 6Qt instant pot.
  • Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, 1 Tbsp cider vinegar and 1 tsp salt.
  • Add 10-11 cups water or until you reach the 2/3 max fill line in the pot.
  • Select soup/broth and set the time to 2 hours (120 minutes). It will warm up then cook on high pressure for 2 hours (120 min). When cooking is complete, wait 30 min to naturally depressurize then release pressure (use an oven mitt for safety in case it sputters).

How to Strain and Store Chicken Stock:

  • Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a second pot, extracting as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. Cool strained stock to room temp then cover and refrigerate.
  • The following day, it will thicken and you can scrape the fat off the top and continue to store in the fridge for 3-5 days or transfer to freezer safe containers and freeze up to 3 months (if freezing, leave space in containers for expansion).

Notes

*cooking time listed at top of print-friendly recipe is for instant pot

Nutrition Per Serving

14kcal Calories3g Carbs309mg Sodium94mg Potassium1g Sugar2595IU Vitamin A2.5mg Vitamin C14mg Calcium0.1mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Chicken Stock (Chicken Bone Broth) 3 Ways!
Amount per Serving
Calories
14
% Daily Value*
Sodium
 
309
mg
13
%
Potassium
 
94
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
 
3
g
1
%
Sugar
 
1
g
1
%
Vitamin A
 
2595
IU
52
%
Vitamin C
 
2.5
mg
3
%
Calcium
 
14
mg
1
%
Iron
 
0.1
mg
1
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Condiments, Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken bone broth, chicken stock
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $
Calories: 14
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

Enjoy this in any of your favorite recipes that call for broth or chicken stock. I find myself craving this simple and flavorful chicken stock served just like this. I hope you love it as much as we do!

How to make nutrient rich, flavorful chicken stock (bone broth) in an instant pot, slow cooker, or stovetop. Use homemade chicken bone broth in any recipe. | natashaskitchen.com

P.S. Our next post will be related to this one and will be a fun one with a real live chicken! Stay tuned for Friday’s video!! Oh and PPS. If you do buy an instant pot, you’ll be so glad you did. I am completely smitten with it and I see why it has all the incredible reviews on Amazon. I have an instant pot recipe coming that will get you all kinds of excited!!

Have you been experimenting with your instant pot? I’d love to hear about your ideas and recipes below!

How to make nutrient rich, flavorful chicken stock (bone broth) in an instant pot, slow cooker, or stovetop. Use homemade chicken bone broth in any recipe. | natashaskitchen.com

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the creator behind Natasha's Kitchen (established in 2009), and I share family-friendly, authentic recipes. I am a New York Times Best-Selling cookbook author and a trusted video personality in the culinary world. My husband, Vadim, and I run this blog together, ensuring every recipe we share is thoroughly tested and approved. Our mission is to provide you with delicious, reliable recipes you can count on. Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy you are here.

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4.98 from 105 votes (50 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  • Mark P.
    September 30, 2024

    Hi Natasha, I’ve cooked many of your recipes and they’re so tasty and economical!
    So, for this recipe, on the instapot, do you select high or low for pressure cook? I have a 3-quart which is perfect for 2 people.
    Thank you!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      September 30, 2024

      Hi Mark! My instant pot has a soup/broth option that I select, so I don’t manually set it on high or low. The soup/broth option should be a low pressure setting.

      Reply

  • Tatiana
    September 29, 2024

    Hi Natasha! I have troubles finding chicken bones in the store, can I use leftover bones from baked chicken drumsticks for instance? And if so how to adjust the weight? Obviously raw bones are heavier than the roasted ones. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 30, 2024

      Hi Tatiana, I do recommend asking at your stores meat counter if they have any also, if they don’t, I also heard that about chicken legs. but adding wings or bones from drumsticks can definitely help. I wish I could be more helpful.

      Reply

  • Kayleigh
    September 26, 2024

    Hi, do you know how much protein there is per serving (also how much is 1 serving?) & also collagen? (No biggie if you don’t know that though) thank you 🙂

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      September 26, 2024

      Hi Kayleigh! At the top of the recipe card, it shows the number of servings that the recipe makes. The nutritional label is per serving.
      I hope that helps.

      Reply

  • Shelley
    September 24, 2024

    Should I cover the pot (stove-top method) while simmering or not? Or leave it half-covered?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 24, 2024

      Hi Shelley, I covered it when simmering on low heat 6 hrs.

      Reply

  • Jen
    September 9, 2024

    Can you not use the whole chicken afterwards? I bought a raw one to make some broth with but also planned on deboning and whatnot to use the meat for soup

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      September 9, 2024

      Hi Jen! You can use the whole chicken on various dishes afterwards.

      Reply

  • john
    September 1, 2024

    stop to use lbs. 95% of world population use metric system

    Reply

  • Lorrie C
    August 18, 2024

    Excellent instructions for the Instant Pot! I confess that I started it a bit late and reduced the time to 60 mins…but still it was delicious. I used only 9 or so cups of filtered water because after straining the solids, I typically pour an additional cup of COLD filtered water over them and PRESS a bit to be sure I get all that flavor. This has the additional benefit of helping to cool the stock. I also divide into two stainless steel bowls to hasten the cooling. (I gotta look into those “cooling paddles” so I’m not staying up waiting for the liquid to cool enough to refrigerate. Thank you Natasha and Vadim!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      August 18, 2024

      You’re so very welcome!

      Reply

  • Debbie Graham
    July 9, 2024

    Delicious and easy. I put my broth in ice cube trays. Then in zip locks.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 9, 2024

      Great idea!

      Reply

  • Amy Kravchuk
    April 24, 2024

    Hi Natasha! Is there a way to can it, instead of freezing it?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 24, 2024

      Hi Amy, I have not tried canning this recipe to advise.

      Reply

  • Donna
    April 20, 2024

    Hi Natasha!
    Thank you so much for this recipe. I have made it so many times in the past 4 years. This recipe is perfect for rich, delicious bone broth. The instructions are easy to follow and it is perfect every time. I use the Instant Pot method and have roasted the bones as described. I use the broth to make a variety of soups. It is also delicious as is, especially if you are feeling chilled or under the weather. For your followers that are nervous about using an Instant Pot, don’t be! You really can go wrong. You let it do its thing and in less that 3 hours will be sipping a golden, rich, homey broth!
    Thank you again for this wonderful recipe!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      April 20, 2024

      Hi Donna! You’re very welcome. Thank you so much for sharing that with us.

      Reply

  • C Mcniven
    April 18, 2024

    Hi Natasha, I don’t have a instapot but I have a pressure canner stove top style presto. Do I still do it like the instapot?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      April 18, 2024

      Hi! I’m not familiar with that, so I am not sure how it works or if modifications need to be made. I would reference the manual if you have it available or look it up online to see if there are directions for how to convert Instapot recipes successfully to use your device. I’m sorry I can’t be more.

      Reply

    • Gavin
      May 21, 2024

      I use my presto pressure canner for bone broth all the time, add your ingredients to the canner pot, bring it to a boil(clean the scum off if you want but it contains a lot of flavor, too), then cover it and let it pressure cook for an hour on 12-15 PSI. Remove it from the heat and let the pressure come down, once it’s safe to remove the lid I give it another hour to boil without the lid and periodically break up the bones with a spatula to release the marrow(every 10 minutes is usually sufficient). Strain the contents and store the liquids as mentioned in the recipe.

      If you happen to see chicken feet at a good price they also add a lot of richness and flavour to the broth.

      Reply

  • Amy
    March 16, 2024

    This recipe is FANTASTIC! I’ve done it twice now- both times using your “how to roast two chickens recipe”- which is also FANTASTIC! I followed both recipes to the letter and the chicken is the most flavorful and delicious I’ve ever had. And the broth is rich and delicious and nutritious. I was going to make soup with it but my family just ends up drinking it as is. Thank you so much for the wonderful recipes! I will be checking out others soon!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 16, 2024

      Hi Amy! That’s so great to hear. Thank you for sharing. I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipes.

      Reply

  • Anushka
    March 16, 2024

    Hello! I was wondering, will raw chicken bones work fine? My local supermarket sells raw chicken bones. How can I modify the recipe if I use raw chicken bones?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 16, 2024

      Hi Anushka, yes, raw bones will work, ensure you follow the roasting instructions section in this recipe “*Roast the Bones (for all bone broth methods):” I hope this helps.

      Reply

      • Ajeng
        April 11, 2024

        Hi, how should I roast the raw bones if I don’t have an oven?
        Thanks.

        Reply

        • NatashasKitchen.com
          April 11, 2024

          Hi Ajeng. I don’t have another method for roasting the bones. You could use bones from a cooked chicken instead.
          You can do some online research to see what others have tried, such as browning the bones right in the bottom of a stock pot on the stove top. I just haven’t done this to advise.

          Reply

  • Shauna Buttars
    March 2, 2024

    Hi, I was just wondering. What’s your favorite stock pot? I’m looking to get a stock pot. Looking for ideas. I have a slow cooker and an instant pot.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 2, 2024

      Hi Shauna! Click on “shop” from the menu at the top of the page, it’s my amazon affiliate shop which has my favorite items linked.

      Reply

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