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.
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!
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
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!
Patrick Hogan says
Can you puree the remaining bones and use them? Just made last night have not used yet. I am going to make rice with some today
Hmm, we wouldn’t think they would be tender enough to fully purée.
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!
Noelle m Diciglio says
I made this with leftlovers from your roasted chicken recipe. Beautiful!
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.
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!
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?
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.