Instant Pot Bone Broth | Quick, Easy, and Nourishing
I’m the kind of person that gets easily overwhelmed by the never ending task of daily things to do, so for me to keep up with something regularly, it has to be really easy. This instant pot bone broth fits the bill and I feel so good knowing I’m making something super nourishing for my family!
What You Need For Instant Pot Bone Broth:
- Bones – Any where from a couple of pounds to however many you can cram in your instant pot. Any kind will work.
- Water – Enough to cover bones. We love using our filtered Berkey water because we know it doesn’t have anything in it that we don’t want to be drinking.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – About 1 tablespoon
- Instant Pot
- Veggies or Veggie Scraps – Optional
How To Make Bone Broth In The Instant Pot:
It really doesn’t get easier!
- Place all of the bones in your instant pot ensuring you don’t go over the fill line.
- Cover the bones completely with water but don’t overfill to ensure a good gel. Be sure not to go over the fill line.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
- Using the pressure cook setting, set your instant pot for 4 hours on high pressure.
- If desired, after the first cycle, drain your bones out, place them back in the instant pot, cover with water and run for a second 4 hour cycle.
- Store in the refrigerator if you’ll use it within a week or you can freeze or can the broth for longer storage.
Instant Pot Bone Broth
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Strainer
Ingredients
- Bones - Any where from a couple of pounds to however many you can cram in your instant pot. Any kind will work.
- Water - Enough to cover bones. We love using our filtered Berkey water because we know it doesn't have anything in it that we don't want to be drinking.
- 1-2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- Veggies or Veggie Scraps - Optional
Instructions
- Place all of the bones in your instant pot ensuring you don't go over the fill line.
- Cover the bones completely with water but don't overfill to ensure a good gel. Be sure not to go over the fill line.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
- Using the pressure cook setting, set your instant pot for 4 hours on high pressure.
- If desired, after the first cycle, drain your bones out, place them back in the instant pot, cover with water and run for a second 4 hour cycle.
- Store in the refrigerator if you'll use it within a week or you can freeze or can the broth for longer storage.
What Kind Of Bones Do You Use For Bone Broth?
The short answer is pretty much any kind of bones will work for making bone broth. They’ll each impart their own unique flavor and some will gel more than others.
I’m sure bones from different animals will probably provide some nutrients that are similar and some that are different. This is complete conjecture on my part since I’m not a scientist and have never seen a study on it, but it makes sense to me. A fish and a cow have very different diets so you’d expect their bones to have differences and similarities. But who knows?
Regardless, it’s generally agreed upon that bone broth is a very healing and health promoting addition to the diet, especially with our diets full of so many nutrient depleted foods.
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Where Do You Get Bones For Making Broth?
We’re fortunate enough to live out in the country where we can raise our own beef. When we take our cows to the butcher, I make sure and tell them I want to keep all of the bones so I get plenty of bones to freeze for later.
If you’re not fortunate enough to have your own source for bones, there are still many options for finding some. You can check with your local butcher if there’s one close to you. You can also check with some of your local grocery stores as they may have bones they could either give or sell you from their meat department.
If you have lots of freezer space, many times you can find a local farmer who will sell a 1/2 or 1/4 of a cow and you could ask the butcher for your bones.
If all else fails, you can easily make a few changes in your grocery buying habits and buy as much meat with the bone in as possible. Instead of buying boneless, skinless chicken breast you can buy a whole chicken or chicken things, leg quarters, or drumsticks and get the bones and skin to throw in for broth as well!
If you have a small family or just don’t eat enough meat at one time, keep a ziplock bag in the freezer to collect bones in until you have enough to make a batch of broth.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Bone Broth?
One of the most popular reasons that people start making and drinking bone broth is the gut healing potential that it has. Bone broth is rich in collagen/gelatin which is the component that makes it gels and is what coats the digestive track and can help it heal from things like leaky gut.
It’s also reported to help with joint pain, weight loss, and inflammation. {Source}
How Long Do You Need To Cook Bone Broth?
When bone broth is made traditionally on the stove top, it’s simmered for anywhere between 12-48 hours but usually closer to the 24-48 hour mark.
Cooking time can be drastically reduced by pressure cooking which is why I love using my instant pot for bone broth. In just a 4 hour cycle in the instant pot, I get beef bone broth that gels up well and after the second 4 hour cycle, the bones can be broken apart in your hand and most of the marrow has come out of the bones.
*Note: if you have too much water for the amount of bones you’re cooking you’ll always have a hard time getting your broth to gel. In general, add enough water to cover the bones completely but not much more.
*I’ve also found that beef bones gel way more than chicken bones so don’t be disappointed if you get a “thinner” gel from your chicken broth.
Why Do You Add Apple Cider Vinegar To Bone Broth?
Adding a couple of tablespoons of acid such as vinegar or wine to your bone broth when you’re starting it will help to extract more minerals and collagen from the bones.
Add Ins
You could certainly add veggies or veggie scraps such as onion and garlic peels, potato and carrot skins, celery leaves, carrot leaves, etc. to your instant pot if you like. I don’t typically plan ahead far enough but if I remember, I’ll freeze veggie scraps as I cook then toss them in the pot when I make my broth.
They’re not a deal breaker for me but I know it doesn’t hurt to have them in there and I’m sure they contribute some flavor and nutrition!
How Do You Store Homemade Bone Broth?
If you’ll be using your broth within a week you can keep it in the refrigerator. For longer storage, you can either can your broth or freeze it.
If you go the freezing route, you can freeze the broth in ice cube trays, silicone molds, or a large container if you’ll be using it all at one time.
Our freezer space is limited but I don’t use my broth quickly enough to keep it in the fridge, so I started canning my broth and it’s much easier than I expected it to be!
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Instant Pot Duo – Also has the yogurt function for the easiest homemade yogurt!
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