Easy Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth

Easy Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth

Finding a truly gluten-free chicken broth can be a challenge—many store-bought options either aren’t certified gluten free or come with a hefty price tag, which isn’t ideal for families on a budget. The good news? Making your own chicken bone broth at home is not only simple and economical, but with an Instant Pot, it’s also quick and mostly hands-off. 

Why Make Your Own Bone Broth?

• Cost-Effective: Whole roaster chickens or bone-in legs and thighs are some of the most affordable protein options at the grocery store. After enjoying the meat, you can use the bones to create a nourishing broth, stretching your grocery dollars even further.  Intimidated by cooking a whole chicken?  Check out my recipe for Easy Spatchcocked Roasted Chicken for a wonderfully moist and delicious roasted chicken that is even quick enough to make for a weeknight dinner. 

• Quality Control: Homemade broth means you control every ingredient—no hidden gluten or additives.

• Convenience: You can freeze leftover bones if you don’t have time to make broth right away. Once prepared, the broth itself can be portioned and frozen, so you always have nutritious homemade gluten free bone broth always on hand for soups, sauces, or other recipes. Check out my recipe for Hearty Gluten Free Chicken Noodle Soup.

What Do You Need?

• Chicken Bones: Normally considered the waste after the protein has been consumed, but the bones hold a lot of nutrients and making broth is a great way to get a little more for your money when buying bone-in chicken from the store. You can use the bones from a store bought rotisserie chicken or from any bone-in chicken.  Bone broth is a great way to get all you can out of the chicken you buy.  

• Vegetables and Aromatics: Keep it simple with just onion, carrots and celery or jazz it up by also including garlic, herbs or other vegetables that you have available. Making broth is a great way to use up leftover vegetables and herbs.

• Instant Pot: The Instant Pot makes quick work of making bone broth.  Bone both is traditionally made in a stock pot on the stove top but it takes H O U R S.... and the stove has to be on the whole time which takes a lot of energy.  The Instant Pot makes quick work of making nutritious bone broth, just about an hour of cook time and then you can unplug the pot and let it release the pressure naturally.  This still takes some time, but you are using so much less energy and the broth is still delicious and nutritious.     

Pro Tips for Success

• Reduce Waste: Save vegetable scrapes and store in the freezer for the next time you make bone broth.  The tops and peels of carrots, the tops and skins of onions, the bottom of a stalk of celery can all be saved and added to your bone broth for flavor and nutrients.  You can also include any vegetable or herb that is leftover or may be on its last leg to the broth.

• Smart Storage: Freeze your finished bone broth in silicone soup cubes. These trays come in various sizes, making it easy to defrost just the amount you need. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to zip-top freezer bags for long-term storage and efficient use of freezer space. 

By making your own bone broth, you’ll always have a flavorful, nutritious and gluten-free base available for your favorite soups, sauces or other recipes. Plus, you’ll save money and reduce waste— a true kitchen win!  Once you get used to making this pantry staple yourself, I promise you won't buy stock from the grocery store again.