Instant Pot Bone Broth

Learn how to make nourishing bone broth with the instant pot. This recipe is easy and produces a flavorful, healthy broth.

I love fall cooking! The changing of the leaves, the cool mornings/evenings, and sweaters! For me, meals just seem to get easier when the leaves begin to fall. I gravitate toward the one pot soups and stews that nourish and warm our bodies as we get used to the cold, crisp air.

By using bone broth in many of these fall meals, I not only increase the flavor, but the nutrition in our bodies as well. It builds up our immune system just in time for the cold/flu season.

Bone broth should not be mistaken for regular broth, bone broth is a superior product all around! Let’s look at some of the differences between the two.

The difference between bone broth and regular broth

Yes, there is a difference! Regular broth primarily comes from meat and creates a thinner broth. It can add flavor to a dish, but isn’t nearly as nutritious as bone broth. Nough said.

Now bone broth, aah that is the good stuff. It’s power-packed with nutrients! Bone broth is made from, you guessed it, bones. It typically simmers over a long period of time to extract as many nutrients as possible from the bones. However, thanks to the instant pot, bone broth can be done in less than two hours, while still extracting the maximum amount of nutrients. Bone broth also has a a thicker, gel like consistency when chilled.

The benefits of bone broth

You knew I was headed this direction. Yes, we must talk about the benefits of bone broth!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Click here to read my full disclosure.

• Bone broth supports gut health. How? The gelatin in bone broth helps heal the gut by repairing the intestinal lining and reducing inflammation. Did you know that 80 percent of our immune system cells are located in the gut? Ever heard of leaky gut? Drinking one glass of bone broth a day can help eliminate this and so many other issues in the body.
• Bone broth also contains collagen. I am sure you have seen this ingredient in many topical skin care creams. The collagen in bone broth nourishes skin from the inside out. Collagen also aids in joint health.
• It is a natural detox. Toxins are everywhere. We can’t get away from them! Even if you’re as natural as can be, you can not control all the toxins that come into the body. We are constantly exposed to heavy metals like mercury and cancerous chemicals. Bone broth helps the body get rid of these toxins.
• Bone broth promotes heart health!
• It also contains important minerals like magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, and sulfur.

I really could go on. The bottom line is…Make it! Drink it! It is good for you! Add it to your daily regimen!

What kind of bones to use

I cannot emphasize enough that ALL BONES ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL! Did you catch that? You are looking for bones from grass fed, healthy cows, who are allowed to frolic in the pasture and be cows. Or from chickens that are allowed to be chickens and roaming and eating bugs. Basically, you want your bones to come from animals that are allowed to be animals, as close to nature as possible. Not from conventionally raised animals.

Many conventionally raised animals are exposed to chemicals that leech into the bones, cartilage and joints. You know, the stuff that you will be extracting from.

These kind of bones will just add chemicals into the broth and will be less nutritious, so don’t do it!

How to make bone broth in the instant pot

Once you have your magnificent bones, you can begin the process of making gut healthy bone broth.

I choose to use the instant pot for making bone broth because it is easy and takes little time.

Place the bones in the instant pot and fill with enough water to cover. These can be fresh or frozen.

Next, add some apple cider vinegar. By some I mean a tablespoonish. I actually don’t measure, I just eye ball it. The purpose of the ACV is to help extract all the nutrients from the bones. Around here it’s all or nothin’ baby. If I am going to take the time to make the bone broth, I want to extract every bit of nutrients I can.

Now it is time to add the flavorings. This is where it gets personal folks. Some people absolutely need actual amounts, this is not the post for you. I typically throw what I have on hand into my broth and I can honestly say, I have never tasted a bad bone broth. This one is hard to mess up since the flavor is in the bones. Thank you bones for making my job easy.

I typically toss in a carrot, some celery if I have it, some onion, and some garlic. Then I add some herbs. A couple of pinches of oregano, basil, rosemary, maybe some thyme, and a leaf or two of sage. I also add a couple of pinches of salt and some peppercorn.

Try not to get overwhelmed by my exactness.

Next, put on the lid and set the instant pot at high pressure for 120 minutes. That’s it!

When the time is up, let the pot cool and then strain out the bones. Your bone broth is now ready to use!

Removing the Animal fat/tallow

If you are looking to can the broth or just want to take advantage of the lovely tallow from bone broth, place a lid over the strained broth and chill in the fridge. I use a plate to cover the top of my instant pot container.

Now, why would we do that? Well, this allows the fat, or tallow, to solidify at the top. Once solidified, it is easy to pull it off the top of the broth.

You want to save this stuff because it is good for you and has a multitude of uses! If you’re new to tallow, check out this blog post. I go into detail on the benefits and uses for tallow!

I store the tallow in a real fancy freezer bag.

• 

• 

• 

How to store bone broth

Okay, you have gone through the whole process of cooking, chilling, and scraping off the animal fat. If you aren’t going to use this whole pot of broth in one meal, I recommend funneling the broth into mason jars. Broth can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

Another option is to pressure can the jars of broth. Pressure canning gives me the ease of grabbing a jar off the shelf when I need it. This convenience is especially useful when sickness hits our home.

Pressure canning bone broth

Pressure canning bone broth is not as intimidating as it sounds. The finished product is worth the effort! Vanzhumblehome as an excellent, thorough tutorial on how to pressure can bone broth. Check it out here.

If you are new to pressure canning here are two items I highly recommend!

All American Canner Pressure Canner (This thing is a beast and worth every penny!)

So Easy to Preserve (This book covers absolutely EVERYTHING about canning/pressure canning.)

Uses for bone broth

There are so many ways to use bone broth. For me personally, I have used bone broth in soups, stews, beef and chicken pies, in a glass (to drink) at the breakfast table, to flavor sauces, and in place of water to cook rice. Whatever you choose, the main goal is to use it, and use it often. Your body will thank you.

~Amanda