Bone Broth is being touted as the “end all, be all” of the health + wellness world lately. And while I’m totally on board with it’s anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial properties, I mostly make it because it tastes freaking amazing. I’m always throwing a pot together on my instagram + I get questions every single time on how to make bone broth. And so, here we are!
What is Bone Broth + is it really good for you?
“Bone Broth”, at its core, is a sort of superhuman version of chicken stock. It’s made my slowly simmering the bones of animals along with some veggies + herbs to make the delicious, golden elixir that we’re seeing everywhere these days.
Slow cooking the broth with a bit of added acid, I use vinegar, actually helps to pull out minerals + amino acids from the bones – which is what gives “bone” broth its name. Things like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, glutamine, glycine + proline, which are all essential building blocks for many of our bodies processes, are released into the broth making it super nutrient dense.
You’ll often hear “bone broth” touted for its specific healing effects on the gut, which are completely true + due to the aforementioned amino acids! Glutamine, for example, is used as fuel for cells that line the gut as they turnover. This process is what heals, repairs + rebuilds damaged villi. It’s also super mild + can usually be tolerated quite well by even the most damaged of tummies.
Even if you don’t suffer from gut or digestive health issues, bone broth can still benefit your healthy by adding it to your diet. The amino acids in bone broth also support regular tissue repair, which can speed up healing processes + help us recover more quickly from illness!
How to Make Bone Broth: The Ingredients
The main ingredient required for making bone broth is obviously the bones. I usually choose to cook a chicken during the week and save the bones in my freezer until I’m ready to make some broth. Pro tip: I also save all of my veggie scraps from the week (carrot peels, celery ends, onion skins) and keep them in a bag in the freezer too to add to my broth for extra nutrients.
The leg + thigh bones add huge flavour, so make sure to use them in your broth! My preference is to use bones that still have a good bit of meat, fat + skin still attached. You could even use an entire roasted chicken with all of the meat if you wanted!
The rest of the ingredients are really about preference. I tend to stick to the basics, adding carrots, onion, celery + garlic. However, I sometimes just use whatever scraps I’ve collected in my freezer bag. If you don’t have something, don’t worry! Have an extra half of a bell pepper? Throw it in! You really can make this what you want. I don’t peel or chop my veggies at all, except to maybe cut my onion in half.
To season the broth, I generally use 2 types of dried herbs. Sage + thyme are my fav combo, but rosemary or basil or marjoram would work great too! I add 1-2 dried bay leaves depending on the day. You can totally use fresh or leave these out if you aren’t into herbs. Salt + pepper really help add flavour too.
The last, but essential, ingredients for a good bone broth are an acid + a liquid. For acid, which helps to break down the collagen + minerals in the bones, I choose apple cider vinegar. White vinegar would work fine too! The recipe only calls for 2 tablespoons + I promise you won’t taste it. Then, cover all of the ingredients with water. You want your bones submerged, but without a ton of extra liquid!
Instant Pot, Stove Top or Slow Cooker?
Really, your choice of cooking method is up to you! Whether you make your bone broth in an instant pot, on the stove top, or in a slow cooker is up to you. I’ve included instructions for all 3 down below. I usually choose the instant pot for ease + to save time!
Once the broth is cooked, I strain it through a fine mesh sieve + leave it to sit until it gets close to room temperature before storing it in the fridge overnight. You can use the broth right away, or chill it overnight to help remove the extra fat. Chilling the broth will cause the fat to solidify on top, which you can then remove. I only remove the fat if I’m not using free range, organic chicken bones. Animals tend to store extra hormones, antibiotics, toxins, etc. in their fat layer. So, if I don’t know how the animal was raise, I tend to remove the fat.
Bone broth will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months! You can use it a million ways, but some of my favourites are:
- for straight sipping with a squeeze of lemon + some pink salt
- for soups such as chicken noodle, my butternut squash soup or even as the base of this beef stew!
- in small doses to cook veggies or to add to sauces
- for homemade gravy to go with mashed potatoes
- freeze in an ice cube tray to use in small amounts in recipes as needed
Seriously guys, its SO much easier + less expensive to make your own bone broth than to buy it. It’s so nutritious, it lowers food waste + it’ll add value to your health. Try it once + see what you think! And when you do, be sure that you tag me in your photos or stories on instagram. I love to see them + to answer questions! Also, be sure to leave a review below if you like the recipe, it helps me so much!
Bone Broth
Ingredients
- 1 cooked chicken carcass* (or sub 2ish lbs of mish mash chicken bones)
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks of celery
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1-2 tsp dried herbs like rosemary, sage or thyme (which herbs you choose are your choice!)
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- water to cover
Instructions
Stove Top Instructions
- Place all of the bone broth ingredients into a heavy bottomed stock pot or large pot. There is no need to chop or peel any of the veggies. Simply slice the onion in half! Ensure that the bones are completely submerged in water.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and allow to cook, covered, for 8-24 hours, based on preference and time available.
- Once the broth is cooked to the desired length, strain through a fine mesh sieve, and allow to come to room temperature.
- Refrigerate the broth overnight, allowing the fat to solidify on top. (If preferred, the fat can be removed and discarded once it has hardened overnight.)
- Use the broth for soups, stews, to add to other dishes or for straight sipping!
Instant Pot Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to your pressure cooker or instant pot. There is no need to chop or peel any of the veggies. Simply slice the onion in half! Ensure that the bones are completely submerged in water.
- Select high or manual pressure for 2 hours. Bring to pressure + allow to cook.
- Release the pressure, strain through a fine mesh sieve, and allow to come to room temperature.
- Refrigerate the broth overnight, allowing the fat to solidify on top. (If preferred, the fat can be removed and discarded once it has hardened overnight.)
- Use the broth for soups, stews, to add to other dishes or for straight sipping!
Slow Cooker/Crock Pot Instructions
- Place all of the bone broth ingredients into the slow cooker. There is no need to chop or peel any of the veggies. Simply slice the onion in half! Ensure that the bones are completely submerged in water.
- Cook on low for 24 hours or on high for 8-12.
- Once the broth is cooked to the desired length, strain through a fine mesh sieve, and allow to come to room temperature.
- Refrigerate the broth overnight, allowing the fat to solidify on top. (If preferred, the fat can be removed and discarded once it has hardened overnight.)
- Use the broth for soups, stews, to add to other dishes or for straight sipping!
Instant pot cooker dishes taste really good and are very easy to make. They are also less time-consuming dishes. The recipe that you shared in this article is very nice. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Thanks Francesco! That’s my goal – to make easy, fast dishes that taste great. I so appreciate you being here!