Instant Pot Bone Broth
You don't have to waste bones and veggie scraps - you can freeze them and use them later to make your own delicious and nutritious broth at home! This recipe works for either leftover turkey or chicken bones from a roasted or smoked whole bird.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Cooling Time20 minutes mins
Total Time2 hours hrs
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: DIY, homemade, leftovers, pressure cooker, Thanksgiving
Servings: 12 cups
Author: Chelsea Jackle, RDN
- 2 cups carrot ends or peels
- 2 cups celery roughly chopped
- 2 cups onion ends or peels
- 1 small turkey or chicken carcass fresh or frozen
- 10 cups water
- 1 tbsp sea salt coarse
- 1 tsp whole peppercorns
- 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes *optional
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 handful fresh herbs (rosemary or thyme) *optional
Add vegetables and bones to a 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot. Cover with about 10 cups of water, or enough to get to the fill line on the inner pot. Add salt, peppercorns, red pepper flakes (if you'd like a bit of a kick), apple cider vinegar, and fresh herbs (if you have them).
Gently stir ingredients and ensure that the sealing ring on your Instant Pot is intact and clean. Add the lid, turn the venting knob to sealing mode. Press manual, select high pressure, and set for 120 minutes. It may take some time (about 10-20 minutes) for your Instant Pot to come to pressure and the timer to start.
Once the timer goes off, do a quick release (i.e. turn the knob to venting mode and let the Instant Pot release all of its pressure). Once the quick release is done and the metal plunger comes down, remove the lid and turn off the Instant Pot.
Let cool for 20 minutes.
Place a metal strainer over a large, heat-proof bowl. With oven mitts or heat-proof gloves, carefully pick up the Instant Pot and pour its contents into the strainer. You can strain one more time through a finer mesh strainer if you like. (I usually do.)
Use immediately in a recipe, on its own, or cool and store for later use. (see recipe notes)
- Where are the nutrition facts? Typically, I would include these but the nutrition facts for this recipe can vary widely. When bones break down, they release additional collagen protein, but it is unclear how much. Parts of the bones and fibrous parts of the vegetables are also discarded, but they do release some vitamins and minerals during cooking.
- I listed approximate amounts for carrots, celery, and onion, but what I typically do is add a freezer bag full of frozen vegetable scraps to the pot.
- Storing broth: Broth can be kept refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 1 week. To freeze, measure out the broth into freezer-safe containers once it is cooled. Pre-measuring helps you ensure you have the right amount on hand for future recipes so you can use exactly what you need. 1, 2, and 4-cup portions usually work best.