Chicken bone broth in the instant pot is full of nutrients, tastes amazing, and is SO MUCH faster to make than on the stovetop!
Learning how to make chicken broth in the instant pot is worth it. It definitely speeds up making Bone Broth Chicken Noodle Soup and the possibilities are endless! This is a quick and easy way to make chicken broth in the instant pot so you can always have some on hand.
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What Is Chicken Bone Broth and Why Use the Instant Pot?
- Broth is made with veggies (or scraps), herbs, spices, meat and sometimes bones for 30 minutes to two hours.
- Stock is made with veggies and animal bones that sometimes have meat attached for four to six hours.
- Bone broth is made with veggies and roasted bones that sometimes have meat attached for up to 24 hours.
- Benefits of the Instant Pot - it saves SO much time (4 to 12 hours on the stove top), less heat in the kitchen, and it retains plenty of nutrients.
- Health Benefits - While it is hydrating, and is said to have some anti-inflammatory properties in gut health, and contain minerals that support bone health, there isn't enough scientific data to back claims of anti-aging, joint support, or curing sickness.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Taste: A savory basic chicken stock with a mild herby taste that can be used as a base for lots of dishes. I don't put salt in (you can if you like) so that I can use it for other recipes and have more control of the salt content.
- Ease: As simple as putting the ingredients in the pot and setting it to cook. Super easy!
- Time: It takes about 30 minutes to heat, 2 hours to cook, and 30 or more minutes to natural release. About 3 hours total, it can take a little longer if the ingredients are cold to begin with.
🛒 Key Ingredients & Tools
- Chicken Bones - I love to use the bones from the roasted chicken I get at the grocery store, you can also use chicken neck, feet, and the whole carcass from a chicken roasted at home.
- Veggie Scraps (or mirepoix), add flavor and color! To reduce waste I use celery tops, carrots or carrot ends with skin on, and onions (with or without skin). We like aromatic vegetables like these to flavor the broth. This is a very forgiving recipe, you can use more or less of the veggies you like or dislike!
- Spices and Herbs (or boquet garni), could be whole peppercorns, bay leaves, and garlic, although you can use other herbs like sage, rosemary, thyme, etc.
- Tools - Instant Pot (6 or 8 qt), mesh strainer, a large bowl, jars or freezer safe containers.
Pro Tip: Keep a freezer bag of veggie scraps on hand to use for bone broth when you need them! I also will freeze the chicken bones to use later if I don't have veggies on hand.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
✏️ Substitutions & Variations
- Dietary variations - you can adapt this to different diets like keto/paleo by skipping the veggie scraps. It's already Whole 30 compliant, unless you add things like vinegar for acidity.
- Flavors - you can add ginger or turmeric for a different flavor profile, as well as herbs like thyme, sage, rosemary, or parsley. I'd keep it simple, and choose 2-3 of your favorites.
🧑🍳 Instructions
- Step 1. Prep veggies by washing and chopping if needed.
- Step 2. Heat a frying pan over high heat and add a little oil. Place onion half on the pan and char one side for 2-3 minutes until it looks nice and caramelized and a little burned looking. This will give the broth some flavor and color. It's an optional step but makes a difference!
- Step 3. Put all ingredients into the Instant pot (at least a six quart).
- Step 4. After placing the lid on securely (make sure the gasket is inserted) make sure the lid is set to "sealing". Set the instant pot manually to cook on high pressure for 120 minutes.
- Step 5. Let the instant pot naturally release to prevent the rapid bubbling which can cause a lot of scum (denatured protein, it's flavorless and harmless but looks gross) to be spread in the broth, making it cloudy. Use a slotted spoon to get the largest pieces of bones and veggies out of the pot. Set the mesh strainer in a large bowl and pour the broth through the strainer.
- Step 6. You can use the leftover veggie scraps as compost or throw away after they've drained.
- Step 7. Transfer the broth to freezable containers to store or use right away!
📌 Troubleshooting Common Problems
- Cloudy broth - usually skimming the foam off the top of the broth helps but it's difficult in the Instant Pot. Instead, using a natural release will help to prevent the rapid aggressive boiling that can spread the denatured proteins around in the broth that make it cloudy.
- Not gelatinous enough - reduce the water amount by 250 mL (about 1 cup) or more. You can also use chicken parts rich in collagen like feet or neck bones, or do a second cooking cycle at low pressure.
PRO TIP: When reheating, use a gentle simmer on the stovetop to reheat as boiling rapidly for a long time can deteriorate the collagen/gelatin.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Refrigerator – 3–5 days with sealed fat cap; 5 days if unbroken.
Freezing Strategies – jars (leave ½ inch headspace), or cube trays for smaller portions.
• Reduce the water amount by 1 cup or more (250 ish mL).
• You can also use chicken parts rich in collagen like feet or neck bones.
• Do a second cooking cycle at low pressure.
Yes! Make sure to leave ½ inch headspace in whatever container you use, as liquid expands when it freezes.
Use a freezer safe brand with a leak proof lid.
Sometimes the bones or veggies can be the cause. To fix this, you can roast the chicken bones at 450 ℉ for 30-40 minutes until nice and browned.
🥣 How to Use Chicken Broth
You can use chicken broth in place of water for stews, soup, pasta, sauces, and even to make Cilantro Lime Brown Rice. Here are some of my favorite ways to use bone broth.
📝 Printable Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot (at least 6 quart)
- 1 large bowl
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow or white onion
- 2-3 large carrots
- 3-4 celery tops (about 1 cup)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- bones of a 3lb chicken, skin optional
- 3 Liters water (about 12.5 cups)
Instructions
- Prepare veggies by washing and chopping if needed, smash the garlic cloves. No need to peel the carrots, just make sure they are scrubbed clean. Chop veggies into 3-4 inch sections.
- Optional Step: heat a frying pan over high heat and add a little oil. Slice onion in half and place onion halves on the pan and char one side for 2-3 minutes until it looks nice and caramelized and a little burned looking. This gives the broth more color and flavor.
- Put all ingredients into the Instant pot (at least a six quart).
- After placing the lid on securely (make sure the gasket is inserted) set the lid latch to "sealing". Set the instant pot manually to cook on high pressure for 120 minutes, or use the "soup" function which will use the same settings.
- Let the instant pot naturally release for at least 30 minutes to prevent the rapid bubbling which can cause cloudy broth.Use a slotted spoon to get the largest pieces of bones and veggies out of the pot. Set the mesh strainer in a large bowl and pour the broth through the strainer.
- Transfer the broth to freezable containers to store or use right away! Add salt to taste, or wait until you use it in a recipe to have more control of salt content and taste.
Notes
Freezing – jars (leave ½ inch headspace), or cube trays for smaller portions. When reheating, use a gentle simmer on the stovetop to reheat as boiling rapidly for a long time can deteriorate the collagen/gelatin.
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Sara!
Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.
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