If you’ve made our Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken, you likely have some chicken bones on hand. Don’t throw them out! We have the perfect use for them. Let’s make bone broth together.
This 3-ingredient, 1-pot recipe yields flavorful bone broth perfect for soups, sauces, and more. But first, let’s talk about what bone broth is and how to make it.
What is Bone Broth
Bone broth is quite simply broth made from animal bones — in this instance, from a whole roasted chicken. You can also opt to make bone broth out of beef or pork bones, but this recipe demonstrates using the bones from a whole roasted chicken.
Origins of Bone Broth
It may be all the rage these days, but bone broth isn’t a new concept! Instead, its origins trace as far back as 2,500 years ago where it was used in Chinese medicine for supporting kidney and digestive health.
Since then, bone broth has been used for both culinary and medicinal purposes around the world. Learn more about its use in various cultures here.
How to Make Bone Broth
Making bone broth is actually quite easy.
- Simply save the bones from your roasted chicken (including legs and wings that may have been on the serving platter), and add to a large pot or Dutch oven. We also included the lemon wedges and rosemary that were cooked with our whole roasted chicken*, but this is optional.
- Then simply top with filtered water until generously covered (about 12 cups / 2880 ml).
- Next, add in a bit of salt to season the broth (you can add more later).
- Then add 1-2 Tbsp (15-30ml) apple cider vinegar, which is added primarily as the acidity breaks down the collagen and makes it more abundant in the broth. You can also sub lemon juice, but we prefer apple cider vinegar.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for at least 10-12 hours, or until reduced by 1/3 or 1/2, leaving you with 6-8 cups of bone broth. The more it reduces, the more intense the flavor becomes and the more collagen is extracted. We find 12 hours to be the perfect cook time.
- Strain and use or store.
*Alternatively, you can go to your local butcher and buy bones exclusively for making broth. But we find it’s much more streamlined to buy a whole chicken, roast it, and then use the leftover bones to make broth.
Bone Broth Benefits
Bone broth is high in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. It also contains a high amount of collagen, which may help support bone and joint health.
Because broth is easy to digest, these nutrients are easy for the body to absorb, making them more available to the body — especially for those with digestive issues.
What to Do with Bone Broth
Bone broth can be sipped straight as a health tonic. We like stirring in nutritional yeast, sea salt, and black pepper to taste, plus a little miso and some green onions and minced garlic. It’s comforting, warming, and nourishing.
It can also be used wherever chicken broth is used, such as in soups, gravies, sauces, and more.
How to Store Bone Broth
Once your bone broth has simmered for 10-12 hours and reduced, strain and store as desired. We prefer adding it straight to soup with some of the leftover shredded chicken. This 1-Pot Pumpkin Black Bean Soup or this 1-Pot Chicken Soup with White Bean and Kale are perfect applications.
But it can also be stored in glass jars and frozen up to 1-2 months or more. Just be sure to leave a couple inches at the top of the jar to allow for expansion in the freezer.
Note: Bone broth typically gelatinizes when refrigerated because of the collagen content. But don’t worry — that’s normal. When reheated it liquifies once again just like store-bought chicken broth.
We hope you LOVE this broth! It’s:
Comforting
Customizable
Versatile
Easy to make
& Incredibly nourishing
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
How to Make Bone Broth
Ingredients
- Bones and carcass of 1 chicken (we suggest starting with a whole roasted chicken)
- 12 cups filtered water
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 generous pinch each sea salt and black pepper (plus more to taste)
- Rosemary/herbs (leftover from roasting chicken // optional)
- 1 sliced lemon (leftover from roasting chicken // optional)
Instructions
- To a large pot or Dutch oven, add the bones leftover from a whole roasted chicken (including legs and wings that may have been on the serving platter), or the bones from 1 chicken purchased from a butcher. (Note: This can also be done in a Crock-Pot or Instant Pot.)We also like adding the lemon wedges and rosemary that were cooked with our whole roasted chicken (optional).
- Top with filtered water until generously covered (about 12 cups / 2880 ml). This should reduce down by about 1/3 or 1/2, leaving you with 6-8 cups of bone broth.
- Next, add in a bit of salt and pepper to season the broth (you can add more later to taste).
- Then add apple cider vinegar, which is added primarily because the acidity breaks down the collagen and makes it more abundant in the broth. You can also sub lemon juice, but we prefer apple cider vinegar.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for at least 10-12 hours, or until reduced by 1/3 to 1/2. The more it reduces, the more intense the flavor will become and the more collagen will be extracted. We find 12 hours to be about right.
- Strain and discard the bones. Either use immediately or store in glass jars and freeze up to 1-2 months or more. Just be sure to leave a couple inches at the top of the jar to allow for expansion in the freezer.Note: Bone broth typically gelatinizes when refrigerated because of the collagen content. But don't worry — that's normal. When reheated it liquifies once again, just like store-bought chicken broth.
Julia says
Easy to make very good. I used organic pasture raised chicken and organic carrots and celery.
debbie says
I have made this and its fantastic, the only concern I have is that its very greasy should I skim off the grease before drinking it?
or is that the grease a part of the wonderful heath benefits?
Hi Debbie, you can skim it off, if preferred!
Chef says
Stock is made from bones. Broth is made from meat & veggies. There’s no such thing as bone broth. You can call it broth if you want but it’s not. Plus, that’s not a 3-ingredient recipe when it calls for 1. Bones 2. Water 3. Salt 4. Pepper 5. Apple cider vinegar
Maureen dawe says
Hi. I am new at making bone broth and My body doesn’t like a lot of fat ,so when I put The broth in the freezer, will the fat rise to the top so I can discard.
Thank you 😀
Maureen
Thanks for sharing, Maureen!
Maureen Dawe says
Hi Thank you so much for this recipe of fermented vegetables. I’m very excited to give this a try. I have IBS and I am trying fermented foods to get my gut back to normal. I read that if you eat too much fermented foods it would give you too much bloating. I get enough of that as it is. However ,if I eat the right amounts, which I don’t know what that is ,then it will be good bacteria for my gut. Thank you so much for your feedback. bless you, maureen
Pauline Kitching says
I made this for my dogs 15.6yrs and 11.10yrs old they loved it.
I used
Two good size lamb necks, cut around 5cm long.
About 6 hens feet
Lemon bones and Rosemary from our roast Chicken.
Tablespoon organic with mother ACV
Four carrots
Two full stalks of celery
Cup Shredded beetroot
Two cloves garlic or a half of fennel root.
A teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon black ground pepper.
Cooked for 12 hours in crock pot.
***On Completion ***
When finished I immediately wrapped Crock Pot with a towel to keep heat in and left over night.
Next morning it was lukewarm so I could put my fingers in squeeze & crush the vegetable, hens feet and any soft bones left from feet.
The meat tended to fall of the necks, I cleaned the marrow out with skewer if any remained.
After checking for any bone fragments I filled jars about three quarters kept one in fridge and froze the rest.
The dogs love this, it has great health value for them
For use I still use lamb necks but add chicken bones after a roast and omit hens feet. I also add an onion for us too.
We eat everything bar solid bones remaining.
What do you think of my human and doggie version?
Tina says
After mine was strained and cooled, I poured into large silicone ice cube trays to freeze. I then popped the cubes and put in a freezer bag.
Love it! Thanks for sharing, Tina!
Gail says
Paula Garlic is toxic for dogs! Do some research some of the other ingredients may be too!
Kathy says
I think onions too are not good for dogs. Good for humans.
Rock says
Organosulfieds like onions and garlic can cause anemia in dogs.
a says
garlic not so good for dogs
J says
Sounds yummy!!😃
Dogs shouldn’t have garlic. .. Maybe leave that for just the humans.
Raeanne says
Garlic isn’t toxic to dogs, many health benefits as long as you don’t over do it.
Gaul says
Cooked for over 12 hours and it reduces to 1/2 cup how do you avoid that much reduction ?
Hi Gaul, it definitely shouldn’t reduce to only 1/2 cup! It sounds like the heat may have been too high or it wasn’t covered?
Lisa says
Hi there. Would it be ok to make this with frozen chicken bones? I’ve stored the carcasses of two roasted chickens in my freezer over the past few months and just wondering if I would follow the same cooking steps for frozen bones?
Yes! We’ve done that and it works well. Hope that helps!
Pam gaskin says
When I was a child (now in 70s) and mother always had a massive pot on the go. She used to send us to the butchers and ask if they had any bones for the dog fortunately the butcher was always quite generous. As children we did not like veggie but mum put everything in that pot and we were none the wiser, but I think like many Scottish homes there was always a big pot of soup on the go. We also loved and lived on porridge as for meat it was only ever mince that was Sunday dinner. Our special treat was ,hold your nose, she always had a big jar of malt and cod liver oil which we loved because it tasted like toffee. Sometimes when she was really short she would pull the table across the kitchen door and we played at chip shops, served in envelopes to make it real. I think this is why us three siblings don’t have any bone troubles like osteoporosis. And back then we didn’t know we were poor, so when I got married 56years ago right up to date still make big pots of soup. Pam gaskin
Mari says
I enjoyed reading your reply – I could just envision you and your siblings playing ‘chip shops’. Lucky you to have grown up with such a lovely mom and family!
Stephanie Finegan says
Beautiful story!
I always have a 5 gallon pot going chocked full of bones. We just finished butchering 75 chickens and I have backs and necks going as we froze whole birds, Breasts and wings and I am canning the thighs and legs and broth. It will take me a week but we will have lots of broth in pantry and plenty of soup.
A simple life is a rewarding life.
john says
Pam where can you get malt and cod liver oil???
Pamela says
Pharmacy or online
Nelle says
First time bone broth maker here 🙋 this recipe is so incredibly delicious! I’m blown away by the flavor! One question. I simmered for about 12 hours on the stove, and only came out with about a quart of broth. Should I have added water throughout the process so that I could get more broth in the end?
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Nelle! You shouldn’t need to add more water. If your stovetop wasn’t already on the lowest setting, we’d suggest switching it to that. Otherwise, make sure to keep the pot covered and you can cook it for less time if the lowest setting is still evaporating the water too quickly. Hope that helps!
Lisa says
Why use just the carcass of a roasted chicken? Why not use the whole bone-in, skin-on chicken? Does it somehow change the nutritional/collagen make-up of the broth?
Hi Lisa, you can use chicken meat too, but since roasted chicken provides the best flavor, we find it’s easiest to make broth from the leftover bones after eating the chicken meat.
krizta says
same here. lots of water evaporated. i made it for drinking and got only about 2 cups at the end of it (simmered for 6 hours only, gelled beautifully). so what im doing is treating it as a concentrate and heating equal parts bone broth to water (1/2c:1/2c). its so good!
next i will try letting only some water evaporate then cover it on a very low simmer in hopes to preserve the liquid content instead of it evaporating. gonna reuse my bones bc why not! thx for this!
AA says
This was absolutely horrible. To be fair, it’s probably that this doesn’t suit my taste more than anything wrong about the recipe itself–but still, I thought this was awful, and I couldn’t recommend this recipe to anyone.
For the first time in ages, I cooked a whole chicken, and I thought it would be good to do something with the bones, so I gave this recipe a shot. After I had been boiling the bones for a while, I opened the window because the smell was so unappealing. I thought maybe it was just me, but my spouse walked into the kitchen a little while later and also complained about the smell, even with the open window. I was still convinced it would improve and boil down to something delicious. It did not. After a few more hours, I was feeling literally sick and had to go to the other side of the house and lie down (mostly nausea from the smell). The chicken itself was fine, by the way, so I don’t think there was something wrong with the bones. Maybe bone broth just isn’t my thing–but wow, I thought it was sooooo bad. (I quite like regular chicken broth, so it’s a bit baffling.)
We’re so sorry you didn’t enjoy it! It could be (as you mentioned) that you aren’t a fan of bone broth. But we wonder if perhaps you included any of the organ meats? That can cause a bitter or unpleasant taste.
AA says
Hmm, no, I didn’t include any organ meats. This is baffling. It must just be that bone broth isn’t my thing.
Anna says
You need to add in onion to absorb the boiled chicken odour. Boiled chicken alone can smell like farts 🤣
Johnny says
Uh oh… I dumped the organ meats in the pot. I hope it doesn’t taste bad. I’ve made this once before and it was delicious!! I don’t think I added the organ meats though… Fingers crossed.
Mac says
Sounds like either your chicken was foul, or you included organ meats.
AA says
I didn’t include organ meats (and the chicken I bought didn’t even come with them). I also didn’t include any other meat or vegetables. The chicken itself was totally fine and my entire family loved it.
Tracey says
I made the bone broth and froze it. I then defrosted it and used it in a big batch of soup and froze that. Will this be safe to eat?
Hi Tracey, we don’t see an issue with that as long as the total amount of time it was defrosted for was not more than 3-4 days. Hope that helps!
MJAA says
Maybe it was the apple cider vinegar. I can not stand the smell of it and substitute regular vinegar in any recipe that calls for it.
Justyna says
Why give the recipe a poor rating when you clearly don’t like bone broth or did something wrong? Not minimalist baker’s fault.
Katie says
We raise a few chickens for eggs (free-range, organic) and let them live in peace as long as possible, but when the time comes to say farewell to one we try to use every bit of the bird one way or another. I think bone broth is a perfect last tribute to a feathered friend who gave us her all.
We never seem to have significant bits of meat or crispy skin left after a roasted chicken dinner, but I slow-cook everything that’s left in a big crock pot on low setting, along with AC vinegar and lots of red & black pepper. I just leave the crock-pot simmering on my screen porch for about 24 hours, adding more fresh water a few times as needed. The ACV and long slow-cooking time makes the bones disintegrate, so really there’s nothing left to strain out. I add sea salt and herbs at the end of cooking to preserve the herb oils, then put the very hot broth into mason jars right away. It always gels quite firm in the refrig, freezes well (if we don’t use it all up first), and it tastes SO rich! You can’t buy broth half as good as you can make for yourself. I like to blend it with lots of roasted veg & shitake mushrooms and dilute for a quick soup. Yum! My cats love it mixed with their food (NO onions or garlic for cats!)
Many thanks for the recipe and for so many great reader comments! Yes to Adele Davis. I still have her books. (Tiger’s Milk was favorite in my house.) She was ahead of her time.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Katie!
Michelle says
I have been vegan and gluten free for many years – so I follow Dana a lot! After learning about the AIP diet for my autoimmune disorders (primarily Hashimoto’s), I was sad to leave veganism behind but happy to see Dana had a recipe for bone broth and tried it. So rich and delicious!
Thank you, Dana! Your site is BY FAR THE BEST for those of us with dietary restrictions. Also, thank you for metric conversions!!!
I have made a few modifications to Dana’s bone broth :)
I follow Dana’s Lemon & Herb Roasted Chicken recipe and roast two whole organic free range chickens (Step 5 from a local farm here in Maine) stuffed with garlic and lemon and rosemary – skipping butter and pepper for AIP, but rub in olive oil and a little powdered turmeric. I baste every 20 minutes (the natural fats dripping from the chicken help crisp the skin nicely).
When roasted to internal temp of 165, I cool both chickens and pull all the meat off. I portion it out in containers (about 400g each – 4 servings) and cover with previous bone broth, veggie broth or mushroom broth. Then freeze the meat for easy dinners.
Back to the bone broth: I place all the bones, fat, skin, gelatin, garlic, rosemary, lemon from the roasting pan into a large pot and cover with water. I put it on the stove on med/high heat and bring it to as warm as you possible can so that you can still place your hands in the water. I then pull the bones, cartilage and garlic from the pot and place in another pot (leaving skin and lemon behind), cover with water and add ACV. I find this technique does not mess with the collagen extraction while also removing more of the impurities resulting in very minimal skimming. Then barely simmer for 12 to 24 hours.
I like veggies in mine, too. Bay leaf, basil, carrots, celery, dried shiitake mushrooms, and charred yellow onions (quartered and roasted until the edges are black). I season with coconut aminos in lieu of sea salt.
The result is a deep-colored, umami-bomb-flavored broth where you can see all that collagen goodness!!
Michelle says
Sorry, when I cover again with water, I use NEW fresh water. :)
We’re so glad our recipes are helpful, Michelle! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Meredith says
Can you add the giblets when making the bone broth as well?
Yes just be sure to cook very thoroughly – at least 6-8 hours!
Brandon Fennmore says
These pictures are making me really hungry. The color and texture is out this world. Is this similar to how they make Pho? I thought they also use bone broth.
Yes, that’s correct. But we haven’t had success making our own pho yet. This would be a great start though!
Lizzy says
Hey there!!
Have you ever tried making this broth in an instant pot or how to convert the time?
Thanks so much!
Yes, it should work well! You could pressure cook on high 1-2 hours, then natural release. Let us know if you try it.
Lauren says
What about for slow cooker? Thanks!
12-24 hours in the slow cooker on low should be perfect. Let us know how it goes!
Jeanna Davis says
Thanks for this great recipe. This is a staple in my kitchen I have used rotisserie chicken for my bone broth also. It’s great for any soups or dishes you can prepare.
Amazing! Thanks for sharing, Jeanna!
Ginger says
I was told by my naturopath not to make bone broth in the pressure cooker. I can’t explain it fully like he did but basically if you use a pressure cooker to make bone broth you’ll end up with MSG in the broth. Some of his patients regressed when they used pressure cooked broth made at home or bought from the store.
SHARON MOORES says
Once I get the bones to a boil could I transfer to slow cooker?
Hi Sharon! We haven’t tried it but we think it would work! Depending on your slow cooker, you may need to adjust the settings to get the broth to a slight simmer, but once simmering it should work well. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Mary says
Just added raw chopped chicken breast, do I need to cook longer?
No, it shouldn’t need longer.
JoAnn Roberts says
What kind of bones are used to make beef both
Kat says
Beef neck bones work nicely.
For extra flavor sear them on all sides first in a frying pan then proceed to the broth making. :)
Vicky says
Great recipe! Mine worked, was lovely and thick and gelatinous but even though on very low heat the water kept disappearing so I kept topping it up. Great with rosemary and lemon from the roast, but removed the garlic before making the broth. Made a delicious chicken soup and kept for 5 days in the fridge. Second try tomorrow sans lemon. I used apple cider vinegar as in the recipe. Worked brilliantly. Thanks for this 😊
Thanks for sharing, Vicky! It’s normal for the liquid to reduce and it helps concentrate the flavors.
Melissa says
I have made bone broth for my dogs for years. In a crockpot, i however cook it like 72 hours, is a mixture of beef, pork, and chicken bones. When it starts smelling i put a pinch of garlic powder. The bones cook to sand-like and i strain that, and freeze it in ice trays, then put in a freezer bag. Current dog gets an ice 3-4 times a week, she is abt 20 lbs.
My question then is to be certain, i am only going to crockpot cook it for human consumption for about 12 hours, and some spices, herbs, ACV and then strain that, don’t cook the bones all the way down, correct? Thanks! I am asking because the guy says he isn’t going to do dog food…
I am trying to show him a difference… 😏
Hi Melissa, yes, that’s correct.
Celeste says
garlic is bad for dogs
paul says
Hi!
Great recipe, but my broth doesn’t seem to thicken or become gelatinous… so somehow there isn’t much collagen being extracted… is there a minimum time for this? (I tend to do minimum of 12 hours).
Hi Paul, it could be that there weren’t enough gelatinous parts (bones, joints) for the volume of water. We typically cook about 12 hours too.
Brianna says
I used 4 roasted leg/thigh bones (375 for 45 minutes) , 7 cups of water, 2 onions halved with skin on, 7 cloves of garlic skin on, and 2 big carrots I cut lengthwise. Dressed it up with a bit of thyme and rosemary, salt and pepper. Let it cook and reduce for 4 hours, adjusting seasoning as needed. Strained it and put in in the fridge overnight. It gelled nicely and I used it for rice soup with mushrooms and carrots for lunch today! It was fabulous! Full of chicken flavor and well seasoned. Will certainly make again! Thank you for the idea!! Cant wait to try with turkey and beef bones!
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Brianna! xo
Kate says
Wow – I have never had bone broth before but your recipe and glowing recommendations is going to make me try it. I am on a high carb low protein diet and am trying to increase my collagen. Can’t wait to try your broth.
Let us know what you think if you give it a try, Kate!
Beth says
Can this be made in a crockpot?
Sure! 12-24 hours in the slow cooker on low should be perfect. Let us know how it goes!
Chelsea says
What if I only have White Vinegar? Can I use it instead of ACV?
Hi Chelsea, we think the flavor might be too harsh. You can leave it out!
Heather says
I have a question about the lemon wedges. Why would you include them in the stock? Wouldn’t it result in a bitter flavor because of the pith?
Hi Heather, you can certainly the lemon out, if preferred. The acidity (from either lemon or apple cider vinegar) helps extract more nutrients from the bones. Hope that helps!
jay says
yumm
Robin says
Hi!
I’m interested in making bone broth specifically for the collagen benefits and plan to replace my morning coffee with it. I’m unclear about the ratio of liquid to amount of bones. If it’s too ‘weak’ it won’t ‘gel’, correct? If you don’t make it ‘strong’ enough, then are you getting the full benefit? How ‘gel-ed’ should the final product be? I imagine the amount of water would be different if using a chicken carcass vs beef marrow bones? Seems like a bit of a science experiment! Thanks!
Hi Robin, for more collagen/gel, you can reduce the water. But we find the ratio of 1 chicken carcass to 12 cups water works well and it’s forgiving. We haven’t experimented with beef marrow bones.
Arjun says
Has anyone here made this recipe to consume while doing an intermittent fast? If so, I hope you can answer this –
1. Does a cup/bowl of this constitute breaking your fast?
2. If it does, can a bowl of bone broth substitute a meal if you’re trying to cut calories?
3. Anyone who has studied this – nutritionally are beef bones better than chicken?
Hi Arjun, we don’t have answers to your questions here, but another reader might.
Meghan says
Hi
I made this exactly as the recipe said except I simmered for a full 24 hours covered. It did not reduce at all. I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong… is it all a waste now? I literally got more fluid out than I put in once I poured into mason jars
Hi Meghan, is it possible that you used chicken meat and bones? Or veggies with a higher water content? Those are the only things we can think of that would cause the volume to increase. It should still be fine though!
Christina says
I noticed I was having the same problem, half way through (hour 6) I decided to leave the lid of and I noticed it started going down. Hope that helps.
Summerj says
It will break your fast. I wouldn’t suggest you substitute a meal with bone broth as I think you will miss the ritual of sitting & eating. I enjoy as either a morning or afternoon snack.I have with some fruit and or 30g of nuts. I tend to have instead of a cup of tea or coffee as I’d typically want a biscuit with those drinks but one biscuit is never enough & I eat more than intended . I now stick to an adapted keto style way of eating.
Bryan says
Hi there! I use bone broth to help me with my intermittent fasting. I even sip it throughout the day to curb hunger. I use my Instapot the day before. I fill the instapot with beef marrow bones, chicken bones, and a bit of pork neck bones I found at my grocery store. I add half an onion, two carrots, three sticks of celery lightly chopped, some herbs for taste and let it pressure cook for 6 hours (equivalent to 12 normal hours on stovetop) then it’s done. I let it cool then separate the veggies/bones and stick it in the fridge to chill overnight. The next morning the day has separated and I can remove that from the top. What I’m left with is a lovely gelatinous broth I can sip the whole week if I need to. Then I make another batch on Sunday. I find that it replaces meals perfectly.
Toni says
As to the bone broth breaking your fast, it depends on how you define intermittent fasting. If you are “clean” fasting, anything other than water or coffee (black only) can cause a spike in insulin which breaks a clean fast. But there are those who consider intermittent fasting “down days” as being under 500 calorie days! I think we all do it slightly different. So, that’s your call!
Anna says
I will definitely break your fast, but it’s good for loosing weight, as it’s filling and low in calores.
Austin says
Hi Arjun,
The science on what breaks a fast is a bit loose, a general rule of thumb is if you consume 50 calories or less than your body is minimally processing the food you’ve consumed and the body has generally maintained a fasted state.
A cup of bone broth is estimated to contain 30-45 calories so this would probably keep you in ketosis/autophagy.
You may also be interested in bone broth fasts, Dr. Axe has some good material on the bone broth fast on his website.
Lynn says
Straight Bone Broth does not break your intermittent fast according to the latest guru’s on Keto and IF’s. Good luck
Robin says
Hi! I am about to make bone broth for the first time. I purchased four 1-lb packages of bulk beef sliced marrow bones. There’s 6 bones per pkg. Each bone is 1″ tall x 1.5″ diameter. Do I use one pkg. at a time? Should I roast them first and if so, how? How much broth would one of these packages yield? If I lay them flat in my crockpot do I use just enough water to cover them? That doesn’t seem like it would make very much. Should I add anything for flavor? Thank you in advance! :-)
Hi Robin, I’ve not done this with beef bones but from my understanding you don’t have to cook them first, they can go straight into the pot to make your broth – it sounds like one package would be enough for 1 large pot of bone broth. When I make bone broth it’s usually with the bones from a whole cooked chicken. The benefit there being you get some residual flavor from the seasoned chicken. In your instance I’d add a bay leaf, a healthy pinch salt and pepper, and any veggie scraps you have around (onion or garlic skins, celery ends, carrot tops, etc.). Hope that helps!
Summerj says
Roast the beef bones first in a hot oven for about 20 to 30 mins until they go a golden colour. It adds a better flavour. Use what you can fit in the pot you makijng your bone broth in. Just make sure your bones are just covered with the water I add a bulb of garlic a carrot a onion or a leek and a stick of celery I put some herbs in too. I sometimes use the ends and peelings of trimmed veg instead of throwing away I pop in a zip lock bag & freeze till I need for my bone broth. I think you need to cook beef bones longer than chicken id say 24hrs in a slow cooker
sandra phillips says
do you have to use distilled water
No, any is fine! We prefer filtered for flavor/reducing chemicals.
Lynette says
I believe that bone broth can be nutritious and healthy, but I also agree with some comments. I am 62 and I have steadily seen prices for soup bones creep up higher and higher as more people jump on the band making bone broth wagon for beauty and health benefits, more than simply using all of the animal to feed a family. Also, it must be remembered that long cooking of any thing will reduce vitamins and minerals. So please, don’t jump down somebody’s throat because their knowledge is not the same as yours.
Thanks for your insight, Lynette!
David Martin says
Lynette, you need to take Cooking Class 101A:
Long hot cooking times can destroy water soluble vitamins [there is very little in bones anyway] but fat soluble vitamins remain pretty stable right up to frying temperatures. Minerals can boil for days and are unaffected. Just as the main benefit of eating meat is to consume protein [vitamins & minerals being secondary] the main reason to consume bone broth is to consume collagen and protein [vitamins and minerals being secondary]. Basically, the longer you cook the bones, the more collagen and protein you extract – unaffected by the heat – just getting more and more concentrated.
PS: you can go to a Mexican market and buy chicken feet for $1lb. 2lb is plenty for this recipe and they are h̶a̶n̶d̶s̶ claws down the best, most concentrated bones you can use to make broth.
Karen Hartvig-Nielsen says
I go to my local professional butcher’s shop where i can get bones for $1 a pound, as well as liver and heart. A lot of people in my area grow and butcher their own chickens, beef, sheep, etc. but don’t choose to take the offal and bones. It is a well kept secret…………so go find your local meat shop!
Debra says
Lynette, I have a friend who was overly tired all the time. She ended up going to a chiropractor who put her on a diet of beef bone broth. She said it smelled horrible while cooking, and didn’t taste that great. She made herself do this for 1-2 mos (I forget exact time). She healed her gut doing this and ended up feeling better than she had in a very long time. Her energy level was back to normal. It was pretty amazing to witness this – all from simple food. I’ve read that beef bones are higher in minerals than chicken. When I make chicken broth/bone broth, I always add a beef bone . Enriches the flavor and mineral content:).
Misty says
I have a whole chicken that was cooked 3 days ago. I would normally throw it out after day 3. How is it safe to the cook it again and then eat the broth for 3-5 more days? I want to do this, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea. Maybe only if I was doing it on day 1 of making the chicken.
Hi Misty, we’ve done that without issue. But if it smells off or you are concerned, then we wouldn’t recommend it.
Luna @ Healthy Kitchen 101 says
I’m new here! I find your broth really attracting and super healthy :) Cannot wait to try <3
Mielle Redinger says
I haven’t made this yet but just wondering if you can cook the broth in two parts and not the full 12 hours in one go???
Hmm, maybe? You could also taste test after 6 hours and see if its flavorful enough for you! Let us know how it goes!
Kathy says
Would this work in an instant pot? If yes, how long would you recommend? Thank you! I love many of your recipes!
Yes, it should! You could either slow cook for 12-24 hours or pressure cook on high 1-2 hours, then natural release. Let us know if you try it.
Kathy says
Thank you for your answer! I’ve done it twice and it worked great in the Instant Pot. :)
Yay! Thanks for letting us know, Kathy!
Trista Johnson says
My mom usually makes her broth in multiple stages (because it’s hard to be home for a full twelve hour period). She puts it in the fridge overnight and then resumes simmering the next day.
Amber says
HI All,
I make this routinely for my family. But recently my poor puppy has been having so many digestive problems – mainly food allergies. And I have started mking his bone broth and added in some organ meat (for about 1 hr. ) And he is doing much better and LOVES it. Just a heads up to not forget our furry family members
Aw, we’re so glad he’s feeling better! Thanks for sharing!
Cindy says
I roasted my chicken bones first which gave the broth a golden color and it was super yummy.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Cindy!
Kateland says
How many jars of bone broth do you typically make at a time? I am wondering if I should make 2 weeks work of broth or do people usually make just 1 weeks worth at a time?
Thanks!
Hi Kateland, it’s really up to how much freezer space you have available. We wouldn’t recommend storing in the fridge for 2 weeks, but 1 week might be okay.
Judie says
Can I use a rice vinegar or red wine vinegar instead?
We haven’t tried it, but we think that would be okay
Ann says
I usually pressure jar my broth once it’s cooked and I’ve cooled it to skim off the fat. Does processing and storing the bone broth diminish it’s nutritional values at all?
Hi Ann, we’re not certain on that one. Canning reduces some nutrients, but we don’t think it has much impact on minerals, which is what bone broth is rich in.
Gillian says
Do you use the scrap bones off of plates? When we roast a chicken, the thighs and legs make their way onto plates and, ultimately, into kids hands and mouths. I’m planning on making bone broth in an instant pot and imagine the high temperatures will make this a non issue but thought I’d ask the question anyway.
When we make bone broth I throw in all the bones I can salvage, even ones off people’s plates as long as they haven’t been overly handled :D
Cece says
Can you use the carcass of store bought rotisserie chicken?
That should work!
Kitty says
I realize that you can use new or left-over chicken bones but at least one of the comments on making this stock, was that they roasted the left-over bones which they claimed made the soup even richer tasting.
We haven’t tried it that way so aren’t sure what time/temp to recommend. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Melissa Carlson says
I always roast my bones! The fat stays in the roasting pan, and can be added to the broth or not. The broth comes out milky instead of clear and definitely tastes …richer, better, …good!
Melissa Carlson says
I roast the bones at 350 or 400 for an hour or so, until all the bits are crispy and brown.
Hmm, we wouldn’t think they would be tender enough to fully purée.
Drea says
I did and it looked like the wet cat food I have been feeding my 6 kitties but of course smells much better…I gave them some and they loved it! The chicken bones if cooked down enough will turn into a powdery paste and it’s all the meat, skin, fat and whatever else was in that chicken and if it’s okay for your pets to eat any of those things NO ONIONS then it should be okay. My cats loved it! Took to it immediately. Probably think its my food because that is what it was…it looks like pate’ and I am even tempted to eat some but my dogs enjoyed it though they will eat anything LOL…but the cats are picky and so far I think they like it and I love that I don’t have to waste any part of the chicken which losts its life to feed me and my family so why not use every bit of it in some way. If my indoor kitties don’t eat it I have a bunch of outside minions who I am sure would love this stuff.
Kitty says
Regarding roasting the bones before making the stock. . .what temperature, for how long, covered, uncovered?
You don’t need to roast the bones themselves before making the stock. They’re either bought fresh from a butcher, or – as we suggest – just have them leftover from a whole roasted chicken. Recipe found here.
D says
So I added garlic onion poultry seasoning parsley and used frozen dark meat turkey( legs, wings) chicken wings that were over freezered fresh cracked pepper. And a ham bone…some seasonall and will strain all then add veg and keep the meat to make a yummy soup. Will Save some strained broth for yuminess too. Smells amazing while cooking. Added the 2 tbsp of cider vinegar. Thank you for the tip!! It’s all delicious!!
D says
PS I had frozen the carcasses to use in the pot. 20Qt stock pot…
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
Mark Cook says
I have made this for years and didn’t know about the health benefits until recently. My grandmother made broth/stock this way. Sometimes I freeze the bones if I don’t have time to make it at that moment. I eat a lot of raw vegetables and when I cut them up to eat or cook I save all the ends and scraps instead of throwing them out. I keep a large ziplock bag in the freezer and just add to it when I cut vegetables up. When I get enough and have time I make vegetable stock or add it to the bones and make bone/veggie broth and keep it in the freezer and add it to almost everything I cook for flavor. Not to mention homemade soups. My friends call me the leftover king. They laugh because I never know what I am cooking till it’s finished. Lol
Love it! Thanks for sharing, Mark!
Aaron Davis says
Pro tip: add some dried shiitake mushrooms to your bone broth, the resulting flavor is incredible and you’ll get the medicinal properties as well.
Paige says
Hi! I’m excited to make this later this week. I’m planning on roasting some carrots and onions with my chicken. Would it be okay to add these cooked veggies to the stock?
Definitely!
Josh says
Awesomeness!!!
Noelle m Diciglio says
I made this with leftlovers from your roasted chicken recipe. Beautiful!
Jamie Schaap says
How long and what setting (high or medium) would you recommend for doing this in a crockpot?
Hi Jamie, 12-24 hours in the slow cooker on low should be perfect. Let us know how it goes!
cydney bott says
agreed , there is no being ashamed of re purposing your left overs… ever.
A. Elizabeth says
I know I’m being persnickety here, but all “Bone Broth” is, is condensed stock, and actually DOES NOT have all the benefit you’re touting – I’ve spoke to several dieticians about it and they say it’s a just a pointless trend. I realize you’re making it from leftover chicken bone, but the trend as a whole is driving the price of what were once know as “soup bones” (once affordable for the poor who actually needed them to make a decent soup) through the roof. You should be ashamed to be contributing the malnourishment of the most vulnerable members of society.
Thanks for the feedback. On the contrary, we see bone broth as a highly economical way to make use of chicken bones you already have on hand after roasting a whole chicken (which, by the way, is the most economical way to buy and cook poultry in our opinion). You could also talk to just as many (if not more) dietitians and health experts who would fall on the other side of the coin on this issue and would agree that bone broth can be extremely medicinal as it’s especially rich in highly digestible amino acids and other minerals, which is especially helpful for those with compromised gut health.
Sheila Brown says
At the farmers market yesterday the organic butcher gifted me six pounds of chicken carcass which I browned then roasted today and it is slow cooking on my stove. God bless him but when I purchase, to me the price of soup bones has not increased ,
Thanks for sharing your experience, Sheila!
Francanero98 says
I would disagree Sheila! The price of soup bones has gone up drastically. Ox tails were .49 cents a pound when I was growing up , now it’s considered trendy to eat oxtails.
Laurel says
Everything has gone up in price, not just soup bones. It’s called inflation.
miriam gomez says
It is not true that bone broth has no nutritional value. Besides nutrients and aminoacids, the amount of collagen you get from a bone broth (if well cooked) you cannot get it from somewhere else. Collagen is a protein that provides structure to much of your body, including bones, skin, tendons, and ligaments. And guess what, one cup of bone broth per day and you will slow down the wrinkiling of your face. I prefer beef bone broth with a couple of chicken feet.
Do not miss this opportunity for healthy bones and skin.
Marie says
Bone broth is something that I grew up consuming. My grandma made it all the time from any and all left over bones. We were the poor people you mentioned. However the bones were more than just to make a decent soup. Bone broth is not something new or a trend. What do you think a stock is? For some reason you felt you were adding to the site by posting an ignorant comment because you are upset that the price of soup bones when up? Or maybe because an under educated dietitian friend of yours formulated and ill informed opinion. Either way you are wrong. It is healthy and always has been.
Francanero98 says
I love any kind of soup. I was always on a budget and I do believe the dietician is incorrect any kind of bone broth/ stock can have great nutritional value as well as being filling and delicious!
Ashley says
Loved this recipe! Reminds me a bit of the broths my Korean mother and grandmother used to make from ox tail bones. Persnickety A. Elizabeth has no idea what they’re talking about – I think it’s great that you included a simple, old school recipe like this and that you’re encouraging people to use their carcasses instead of just throw them out. That’s how poor folks came up with these recipes in the first place! ?
Taylor says
Very easy and smells delicious! Next time, I will not be including the lemon… the lemon is really all I can taste. Will also be throwing in some onions/garlic. Also, tried this in a slow-cooker per the comments here but it came out very watery. Ended up transferring it to a pot after 12 hours and reducing it on the stove for 3 hours. Will be making the kale white bean soup tonight!
Strange the lemon was so overpowering. Perhaps yours was quite potent. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Lynn Wilson says
I just made my first ever batch and I did it in the slow cooker. I simmered it on low for 12 hours, removed the bones and meat pieces, then turned the crock up to high for 2 hours without the lid. Gelled up perfectly when cooked after straining. Best stock I’ve ever tasted, let alone made. I didn’t read this before making mine and think the vinegar would have offset some of the richness. Just used garlic pepper, a small amount of salt and some onion powder. The carcass was our Thanksgiving turkey
Thanks for sharing, Lynn!
Kaila Cramer says
Hi. I’ve been making my mother’s chicken soup recipe for years…then I strain out the dill, carrots, parsnips, onion, celery and the chicken parts. I now put in apple cider vinegar at the start, for maximum benefit.
Question: Your directions say to cover the pot and simmer until the liquid has reduced in volume. But if the lid is on, how can the broth decrease ? Have I missed something?
Hi Kaila, some moisture still escapes, just not as much as if uncovered.
Sar says
Working full time made me unable to cook anything for this length of time! I was raised on bone broths. My mother taught us to use a pressure cooker for several reasons – the time savings is immense saving gas or electric at the same time…the steam leaches vitamins and minerals, too. It is simply not safe to leave an unattended pot on the stove in a home with several small children. Let’s prevent any safety issues we can! If the water level decreases faster and you burn the liquid out you may have a messy clean up job – as well as a potential fire. All in all a pressure cooker or an insta-pot are a better option and you may gain more health benefits by using one!
Thank you for sharing, Sar! So helpful.
Elaine Stecker says
I think Adelle Davis years ago said that putting some vinegar in the broth helped dissolve much more calcium from the bones.
Cheri Perazzoli says
I discovered Adele Davis books shortly after I graduated from University in the late ’70’s. Loved the Adele Davis methodology of eating well to live well. That’s when I first learned the techniques and discovered the benefits of making stock. Yes, Adele suggested vinegar as well as vegetable scrap saving. A freezer full of good flavored stock is worth it’s weight in gold; it’s so easy to put a delicious meal on the table with minimum effort. Thrilled to see this tasty and timeless tradition making it’s way though the modern cook’s kitchens. Thanks Dana for posting.
Thanks for sharing, Cheri!
Sarah says
Hi there!
I froze the chicken bones to make bone broth. Would you recommend thawing the carcass first or can I just throw it in frozen and start the process? Thanks!
Frozen will work!
Violet says
Can this be made in a slow cooker instead?
Yes! 12-24 hours in the slow cooker on low should be perfect. Let us know how it goes!
Lucie says
4 hrs in an instant pot…?
Erica Feazelle says
On what setting?
Liam says
I use the Soup setting and only cook mine for 3 hours in the instant pot. It turns out delicious and full of flavor.
Debbie says
Hi, this is wonderful! I can’t find no antibiotics ever chicken feet near me and wondered if I could make this using chicken legs? Thank you in advance.
Hi Debbie, we haven’t tried that, but maybe? We’ve only made it with a whole chicken carcass.
Tanner Armstrong says
If your main drawback is the time investment, a pressure cooker or instant pot DRASTICALLY reduces the required cook time for bone broth. A slow cooker will eventually get there, but it’s way slower because it can’t get to temperatures above the normal boiling point.
Karin Gensel says
Do u skim the chicken fat off the broth after cooking?
You can! But it will be more flavorful with it.
Don Hedderig says
My daughter says that Jello contains collagen sources from equine sources. The packages list collagen but dont give a measurement or source. As an “oldster” jello aspic and jello ring salads were quite common back in the day. Rarely seem em nowadays. Any ideas on amount of content or source?
Not sure, sorry!
Rosemarie Sandvik says
Thanks for incredible Bone Broth. Made two lot of bone broth one contain into the freezer leftover prepared delicious soup to my grandkids it became kids favourite soup.
Thanks again
Rosemarie.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Rosemarie. We are so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Sheri Noll says
Wouldn’t you want to use antibiotic free and grass fed, clean, ect meat prior to cooking these bones for bone broth?
Hi Sheri, yes, we would recommend organic and free-range or pasture-raised whenever possible.
Emily says
Is it okay if there is still some meat left on the bone of the chicken when you add in the carcass? Or should it be as meatless as possible?
That’s fine!
Mette says
Hi! Is it ok to cook this in several steps? Like 6 hours one night, cool it and put it in fridge and then 6 hours the next day?
Thanks!
Hmm, I think that would be OK? And probably the safest.
Elisha says
Or you could do this in the Instant Pot set on manual for 90 minutes. Then natural release method for 30 minutes (or longer).
Martha S. says
Super easy recipe and tastes great! I used the bones, tendons and skin from a roasted chicken I bought at Safeway. Added some herbs, onion and garlic. The only downside to making this is it takes so long, so you have to make sure you have no real plans for the day. Might try using my slow cooker next time. I’m excited to try making the vegetable broth next!
Jessica says
Hey, How to consult the nutritional value of recipes? What reference source did you use?
Hi Jessica, we like to use cronometer for calculating nutrition info.
Julia Mueller says
Delicious! I roasted the bones a second time, without the chicken of course, prior to boiling them for a more intense flavor! I added onion and garlic! I’ve used celery, carrot too. I knew I was using this stock for soup so got a head start on flavoring.
It beats any plain broth and so inexpensive compared to what is available on the grocery shelf. Plus you KNOW what’s in it for certain.
I swear you can even feel the difference while eating this nutritionally! Maybe it’s just me I’m really in tune with what my body needs.
Thanks for sharing!
Julia Mueller says
Forgot to say I began cooking bones on high in my pretty hot slow cooker for an hour. I then turned it down to simmer/low for 12. Perfect.
Agreed that it’s much better than store-bought. Thanks for sharing, Julia!
Jeannie Williams says
Looks like the bones were roasted in the oven before the soup was made, is that what was done? Looks delicious. I Love making my own broth.. its so fast in the instapot.. and also so yummy I tend to add fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary to enhance the flavor.. its so satifying in the tummy.. thanks for sharing.
jeannie W.
Hi Jeannie, the chicken was cooked using this recipe prior to making the bone broth: https://minimalistbaker.com/lemon-herb-roasted-chicken/. Hope that helps!
Danni says
Hi Dana! I’m going to try this in a slow cooker and also add some chicken breast so I can use everything in a soup. Do I add the chicken breast at the start or should I add it much later in the cooking process?
Can’t wait to see how this turns out, it’s my first time making broth!
Either should work. Though it might be best to wait to add the chicken breast until later so some of it doesn’t get lost in the straining process.
Taylor says
What about giblets? Should I add those in this broth?
I have the lemon herb chicken in the oven right now! Can’t wait!! <3
You can!
Kat says
It seems a lot of people cut the skin off the chickens and just toss it, but it can be saved and added to stock too. (Before or after roasting. Though, it adds the most flavor if roasted first.)
I am not one of them. Roasted skin is yummy. ;)
Luna says
Sadly, the skin can’t go into the bone broth because it goes into my belly first. The roasted skin from her roast chicken recipe is too good to go uneaten.
Sam says
Can I do this in a slow cooker overnight on low ? Instead of it being on the stove for so long?
Looks great defo wanna give it a go –
Ps I love your insta page !!!
Xoxo
Absolutely! 12-24 hours in the slow cooker on low should be perfect.
Luna says
I’ve had it in the slow cooker for 12 hours and it hasn’t really reduced much. Should I leave it Til it’s reduced further? I used 11 cups of water and I’m thinking maybe I should have used less. Should I have “just covered” the bones with water?
Hi Luna, we would recommend taste testing and seeing if it is flavorful enough. It might still work, but perhaps use less water next time as it sounds like less evaporates in a slow cooker?
David Martin says
Just remove the lid and cook on high until you reach the concentration you want. You’ll just get more of what you want: collagen, protein and minerals: they’re not destroyed by boiling – only the already tiny amounts of water soluble vitamins are.
Tasha says
I have a question, if it boils down way faster than 12 hours can you add more water?
Yes! You can, just be sure to cook it for a couple hours after that to integrate the flavors well.
David Martin says
@ Minimalist Baker,
I had to correct poster Lynette as she is misinformed and I don’t want her misleading other readers.
And Yes! By all means Chicken Feet!:
* Cheap – “cheep,cheep”
$1lb at Mexican markets
* The most collagen & protein per pound
* Boil 3-5 minutes to remove impurities
* Snip off toenails
* Smash feet with a mallet
Put in crockpot with purified water