How to Make Bone Broth in an Instant Pot

Learn how to make Instant Pot bone broth for the best bone broth ever! It’s easier, faster, and tastier than any other way I’ve made it.

I’ve written two posts about the Benefits of bone broth and here are the links to those posts. They explain why I drink bone broth and what the health benefits are.

January 2024 update: I still rely on bone broth as a staple of my diet. I have a cup or two most days. It tastes especially great during the winter.

When I first discovered the benefits of bone broth, there was only one way to get it and that was to make your own. It was laborious but once I discovered Instant Pot bone broth, it became much easier.

The cooking time for on the stove could be an entire 24 hours or more. With the Instant Pot, the cooking time is reduced to two to four hours. 

I love making my own, but I also will buy it already prepared for convenience. However, my bone broth recipe is almost fool proof and is comfort food at its best.

You can also use it in soups, stews, and other types of cooking where you need a broth.

Is Bone Broth Better than Botox?

The Health Benefits of Bone Broth

Why I Love Bone Broth!

Last weekend, I was having dinner with my daughter. She was convinced that I use Botox because of how great my skin looked. 

I’m sure it’s a combination of my diet, that includes lots of healthy fats, real food, and restricting sugar. And bone broth! I drink a cup just about every day and have done so for about eight years now.

Bone broth is a great food for your skin, your gut, your energy, and even your mood. When I first started making bone broth at home, I discovered that my mood was better when I drank it on a regular basis.

Bone broth has protein, gelatin, collagen, and nutrients. It really is the original super food. 

I love to have bone broth anytime of the day. It can be a snack. It is a great pre-workout drink. It’s comforting in the evening. 

As far as I can tell, there is no bad time to enjoy bone broth!

Why Make Instant Pot Bone Broth? 

So, for 3+ years, I made this amazing liquid in a stock pot on the stove. I finally decided to try it in an Instant Pot. I really liked the idea of not having the stove on for 24 hours or more.

Once I tried bone broth in my Instant Pot, I was hooked. I will never make it the old way again. It’s just so much better this way.

I have an eight-quart Instant Pot, so it doesn’t make as much as my 12-quart stock pot. However, it makes enough for a normal week.

I buy rotisserie chickens and save the bones to make my broth. When I have two, I add the other simple ingredients and it makes about four quarts of the best bone broth you can find. 

For beef bones, I found a ranch that raised grass-fed beef that came weekly to a local farmer’s market. 

How to Make Bone Broth in an Instant Pot Recipe

Supplies

• Wide mouth one-quart mason jars
• Slotted spoon
• Wide mouth canning funnel
• Fine mesh strainer (that will fit into the canning funnel)
• Instant Pot

For the first pressure cook:

• About 4 lbs. of beef bones OR
• 2 chicken carcasses and/or chicken bones and chicken pieces such as backs, wings, legs, or thighs
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• Water to cover

To add for a second pressure cook:

• 1 stalk of celery
• 2 carrots chunked. I scrub but don’t peel
• 1 onion quartered
• 1 head of garlic cut in half
• 10 black peppercorns
• handful of parsley (optional)

How to Prepare Instant Pot Bone Broth

For the first part, I just add the bones, water, and salt. You don’t want to go all the way up to the fill line because you will be adding the vegetables later.

Set the pot to cook on HIGH pressure for 2 hours.

After it cooks, let the pressure come down naturally.

Once it is safe to open, open it up and add the vegetables. You may need to add more water to cover. But do not go past the fill line!

Cover and set to pressure cook on HIGH for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Again. Let the pressure come down naturally.

Once the pot is safe to open, you can let it cool a bit before you handle the broth.

How to Store Bone Broth

Once the broth has cooled for about an hour, use your slotted spoon to remove all the bones and vegetables from the broth. I put them in a bowl so that the broth can fall to the bottom.

Spread out a towel under your jars. Put your funnel in the jar and put the strainer on top of that. Then pour the broth into the jar.

You will see that the fat comes right to the top of the jar.

This is a good thing! The fat on top will solidify and keep your bone broth fresh.

Continue filling up your jars. Then carefully get the broth from your bowl where you put your bones and broth.

Dispose of the bones and vegetables.

Once your broth is in the jars, set them on a cooling rack and let them cool some more.

Then put the lids on and put in your refrigerator.

Bone broth prepared this way will last about a week in the refrigerator. You can put some of the broth in freezer safe containers if you want to have it last longer.