How to Make Pressure Cooker Bone Broth (Instant Pot)

Why You Should Make This Pressure Cooker Bone Broth

These are the top 5 reasons you should make homemade bone broth in the pressure cooker:

1. Use up leftover bones when you make a whole chicken or purchase a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
2. Quicker than making bone broth in the slow cooker or on the stove top - made in a fraction of the time!
3. Homemade chicken stock is cheaper than buying store-bought and uses up what you have on hand - great for grocery budget savings, just like our homemade honey citrus mint tea!
4. A simple recipe that helps to make delicious healthy comfort food soup recipes that taste great during winter months!
5. A delicious flavorful broth that is perfect for making soups (like this bone broth chicken soup) or sipping!

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.

What are the best bones to use for bone broth?

Leftover chicken bones provide the nutrients and rich meaty flavor in this pressure cooker bone broth. Any poultry bones can be used, or beef bones, marrow bones, chicken feet, pork bones, or fish bones.

Note that the type of bone used and the time pressure cooking will affect the broth's taste and depth of flavor.

Vegetable scraps are great to use when making homemade bone broth. Generally, I like to include celery, carrots, onions, and garlic.

Fresh herbs like fresh thyme, parsley, or bay leaves are also great to add for additional flavor.

Adding in some apple cider vinegar gives the broth an acidic flavor and possibly adds additional benefits.

Turmeric gives the homemade stock color, and flavor and is a source of curcumin.

How to Make Chicken Bone Broth in the Instant Pot

Below are step-by-step instructions for how to cook this recipe. The recipe card at the bottom shows the exact cooking time and temperatures.

Step 1

Add leftover bones and kitchen scraps to an electric pressure cooker pot. I used my 8-quart Ninja Foodi for this recipe.

Adding an Instant Pot sling before adding the bones and vegetable scraps will help to collect excess scraps after cooking.

Step 2

Pour enough water to cover the pot contents, not exceeding the pot's "max liquid" line. This is generally around 18-20 cups of water for an 8-quart Ninja Foodi.

Cook on manual high pressure for 1 to 4 hours.

Step 3

Once completed, use the quick release to allow the pressure cooker to release pressure.

You can also use the natural release if you have more time.

Carefully remove the pot from the cooker and allow the contents to cool to room temperature (lukewarm) before straining.

Step 4

Use a fine mesh sieve to carefully pour the broth from the pot into a large bowl, straining the leftover bones and vegetable scraps.

Step 5 - How to Store Homemade Chicken Bone Broth

Store the broth in glass mason jars in the refrigerator for up to one week. Or prepare them for freezing by adding them to freezer-safe containers.

Ice cube trays will work for freezing cooled bone broth. I like to use silicone ice cube molds like Souper Cubes to freeze the bone broth in convenient 1-cup cubes.

Any freezer container will work to store homemade bone broth. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Expert Tips for Making This Bone Broth Recipe

• Use enough water to cover the contents of the pressure cooker, but do not exceed the "max liquid" line on the pot.
• The cook time will vary depending on your preference. The longer you pressure cook the bone broth, the more rich and developed the flavor will be. It will be a dark golden broth. Less cooking time will result in a more clear broth with less intense flavor.
• I do not add sea salt to my broth. You can add salt and pepper to your liking if you prefer a broth with a more salty flavor.

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