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.
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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.
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)
*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 chicken. Place 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.
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!
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.
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!
Ingredients
- 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
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!
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!
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
What happens if I add the veggies from the beginning instead of waiting 6 hours (crock pot method)?
HI Caroline, they get a bit mushy with extended cooking but lately I’ve just been adding everything together and it works fine if you’re straining with a fine mesh sieve.
Hi Agan,
I used my first and last name on a recent email about bone broth.
Could you ensure that you use just my first name if you post the question.
Thanks.
Hello! Was it another comment from this recipe? So far, only your first name shows here.
Hi Natasha,
I just made this bone broth however right now it looks like gravy.
The bones I used were wings and drumsticks that I roasted in the oven and then removed the meat.
I did roast them at 400 as the recipe instructed however there were little bits of meat on the bones.
I used the stovetop method.
The am a bit concerned as the picture you have for the recipe is such a clear broth.
Any thoughts on what I may have done wrong?
Also, I’d like to say how much I appreciate the way you share your faith and also your thankfulness for what Jesus has done for you.
You are a blessing!
Hi Mony! Thank you for the kind words.
Regarding the stock, did you strain it? It needs to be strained through a fine mesh sieve. Once it thickens you will also need to remove the fat off the top. This will help you obtain a more clear broth. If it’s foggy, it likely due to it reaching a hard boil during the cooking time (see step 2).
HI Natasha,
I did strain it and have taken the fat off the top. I did see your note about not allowing it to come to a hard boil….Now it looks like a very jellied gravy.
So I’m not sure what to do next.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
Thanks so much for getting back to me about this.
God Bless you and your family.
Hi Mony. It is normal for it to solidify when it cools. It’s due to the gelatin released during the cooking process. It will return to a liquid state when reheated.
Hi Natasha. Can I use the bones from the chicken I made stock with to make the broth? Also, would I still need to roast the bones?
That should be fine. It’s not really necessary but it enhances the flavor.
I learned this from my maternal grandmother. When wanting to remove the fat and floatable bits, put it in the FREEZER overnight or longer. The longer it is in the HARDER the fat and more compact. There will be a ‘hill’ where the fat has cracked open and I use a narrow Cutco blade spatula to get under the fat and pop out pieces and remove them to the trash immediately. another way I have done this is keep a 1 inch wide wood chizzel in the back of the flatware drawer and us this IF I am using a metal bowl or pot for the broth.
I use a 14″ stainless steel bowl which can hol about 6 qt of liquid which was bought just for that purpose.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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 🙂
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.
Should I cover the pot (stove-top method) while simmering or not? Or leave it half-covered?
Hi Shelley, I covered it when simmering on low heat 6 hrs.
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
Hi Jen! You can use the whole chicken on various dishes afterwards.
stop to use lbs. 95% of world population use metric system
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!
You’re so very welcome!
Delicious and easy. I put my broth in ice cube trays. Then in zip locks.
Great idea!
Hi Natasha! Is there a way to can it, instead of freezing it?
Hi Amy, I have not tried canning this recipe to advise.
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!
Hi Donna! You’re very welcome. Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
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?
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.
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.
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!
Hi Amy! That’s so great to hear. Thank you for sharing. I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipes.
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?
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.
Hi, how should I roast the raw bones if I don’t have an oven?
Thanks.
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.
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.
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.