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Hi there friends,
I have been MIA this past week because I was little sick. Ironically, returning with a recipe for homemade chicken broth is the perfect scenario.
If you saw last week’s recipe for instant pot whole chicken, you knew this instant pot chicken broth was to follow this week.
I started making Instant pot whole chicken over the summer as a way to replace the store bought rotisserie chicken we were buying pre-covid 19 pandemic – with the continuation of us staying out of crowded stores as much as possible, we haven’t been able to get our hands on a store bought rotisserie chicken as easily.
During the summer making an entire chicken in my instant pot was ideal. The instant pot didn’t heat up my already hot kitchen at all.
The bonus, was I realized how easy it was to just throw the bones of the chicken carcass back into my still dirty instant pot, add some water, and a few other simple ingredients. Turn the instant pot back on and with very little extra effort I had a surplus of super flavorful chicken broth on my hands.
And all without needing to check on a pot of boiling liquid every few minutes to make sure it didn’t start boiling over.
The ultimate reason to make instant pot chicken broth, followed by making an instant pot whole chicken is to get the most bang for your buck.
So, you go and buy an entire chicken. You cook it, you enjoy it’s juicy meat in many different types of recipes. You feel like you’ve made the most of things.
What about making the most of those bare chicken bones by turning them into a rich, delicious chicken broth that can also be used in many different ways?
That, my friends, is the ultimate way to make the most of every penny you spent on that 4 pound whole chicken.
And trust me, this instant pot chicken broth is so much more flavorful then anything you will ever buy in the store.
It’s rich with chicken flavor, and loaded with savory undertones of carrot, celery, and onion. It’s perfect for so many uses, if you’re like me, and make both the instant pot whole chicken and this instant pot chicken broth, almost every week, you will be happy to have your hands on a nutritious, flavorful homemade broth whenever you need it. Think soups, sauces, you can even cook your grains in it to make it more flavorful.
Instant pot chicken broth is a staple to have on hand during any season.
If I make the instant pot whole chicken recipe do I HAVE to make this instant pot chicken broth recipe?
No. Of course not, you are a human who can make your own choices.
But, I certainty hope that you do make it.
Here’s the thing, I am not against store bought chicken broth in a box. In fact, I use it frequently as a convenience food. I will continue to use it even with this super easy chicken broth recipe.
BUT, if given the chance to just throw away an entire chicken carcass, or make chicken broth without having to man the stove, why not make homemade chicken broth?!
The first time I had a kitchen all to myself was when I got married. Paul didn’t count much because he doesn’t cook often lol. I was on a cook-everything-from-scratch kick. I made homemade chicken broth every time I roasted a chicken, or saved up enough chicken bones in the freezer. I had to stand over the pot checking on it way too frequently.
This happened way too often in the early years of our marriage. Then, I realized it wasn’t a sustainable practice. So I quit making homemade chicken broth at all. If I roasted a whole chicken I threw all the bones away.
Life was easier.
Fast forward to when I started making that instant pot whole chicken recipe, I realized how I could have both super flavorful homemade chicken broth, and keep life easy.
Thank you instant pot!!! I love you so much!!!
All I did was throw the bones back into my still, dirty instant pot along with water and a few veggies for flavor. I set a timer, walked away, and before I knew it – I had the most delicious homemade chicken broth on my hands.
And the good news, I have saved money by not needing to buy as much boxed chicken stock.
It’s so worth the little extra effort.
Another way to save money, and food:
Freeze your veggie scraps!!!
Keep a bag in the freezer and throw in the leafy parts of celery, and the tiny center pieces of celery you don’t love to eat. Throw in the stems of mushrooms, or parsley that’s about to go bad. Or, that leftover half of an onion.
Then, when it’s time to make your broth, grab your bag of frozen veggies scraps, and throw some into the instant pot.
Veggies and herbs to freeze for chicken broth:
- onion – yellow, or white
- celery – including the leaves
- parsley
- sage
- thyme
- rosemary
- garlic
- carrots
- mushrooms – stems, or whole mushrooms about to go bad
- leek tops
Less food waste = more money in your pocket.
This post is just saving you all sorts of things. Money, and time!
How to make instant pot chicken broth:
- Cook that instant pot whole chicken. Remove the skin and meat (or course, saving the meat to eat later). You can also do the same thing with a roasted chicken.
- Throw the chicken carcass back into the instant pot.
- Add water, vinegar, salt (to draw out the nutrients), and your veggie flavorings.
- Cook for 45 minutes, or up to 2 hours (but 45 minutes seems to work great).
- Cool a little
- Remove the large solids
- Strain into a bowl.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate
- The following day, scrape off the fat that’s collected at the top.
- Use the chicken broth immediately, or store in containers in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- OR, freeze for up to 6 months.
And bask in the glory of that delicious, super healthy golden chicken broth.
Side note: when you make my instant pot whole chicken recipe I use a lot of smoked paprika for flavor. Initially your chicken broth may look a little red. Never fear, the red color solidifies into the fat and when you scrape it off you have pure gold chicken broth!
Magic!!!
Do you see how that instant pot chicken broth has sort of a gelatinous texture to it?
That’s super good thing.
That means all of the collagen has cooked out of the chicken joints and bones and into the broth. Collagen is really good for you.
Why homemade chicken broth is good for you:
- collagen – collagen in the broth is great for keeping a healthy gut. Along with strong nails, hair, skin, joints, and teeth.
- reduces inflammation – glycine, a major amino acid in chicken broth, helps reduce inflammation.
- rich in minerals – such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, and phosphorus that will keep you hydrated.
(source)
It’s no wonder eating homemade soups made with homemade chicken broth is the ideal food to eat when you’re sick.
How to use instant pot chicken broth:
- make soups and stews (recipes listed below)
- use it in sauces
- Use it to cook any type of grain that you want to have more flavor
- Use it in casseroles
- Basically anywhere you would use a boxed chicken broth you can replace it with homemade chicken broth.
- Or use it in any sauce, or soup like recipe that calls for water.
Can I freeze my instant pot chicken broth?
Yes, absolutely!!!
It freezes beautifully for up to 6 months, maybe even longer.
You can even freeze it into ice cube trays.
Once the cubes are frozen pop them into a baggie and then you can grab one or two cubes at a time to use in small batches for recipes like sauces.
How to freeze instant pot chicken broth in glass jars:
leave at least 2 to 3 inches of head space so the liquid has room to expand as it freezes.
Trust me, this prevents to glass from cracking.
I hope you love using this instant pot chicken broth as much as I do. It’s such an easy way to add nutrition and flavor to so many dishes.
Think of the last two recipes as a 2 part meal prep: cooked chicken, and homemade chicken broth. They are jumping off points for so many recipes.
Be sure to check out the long list of recipes that you can use this instant pot chicken broth in, listed below. I will continue to add to it as I share more recipes that call for chicken broth.
Soup recipes to use instant pot chicken broth in:
- the best chicken noodle soup (ideal for sick days, but also delicious anytime.)
- homemade corn chowder
- fall turkey pumpkin chili
- dairy free zuppa Toscana soup
- wild rice sweet potato soup
- veggie packed instant pot white chicken chili
- instant pot chili
- Thai curry soup with crispy tofu
- roasted cauliflower soup with arugula pesto
- roasted tomato and red pepper soup
- 15 minute creamy tomato basil soup
- nourishing miso soup with mushrooms
- satisfying instant pot lentil soup
Other recipes to use instant pot chicken broth in:
- chicken broccoli stir fry
- Italian polenta bowl
- lentil quesadillas
- green bean casserole from scratch
- instant pot creamy lentil curry
If you made this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment below, along with a star rating. This helps my recipes to be seen by more people. Thanks, friends!
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Super Easy Instant Pot Chicken Broth
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 55
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 5 cups of broth 1x
- Category: soups, chicken, meal prep, 10 ingredients, sauces
- Method: instant pot, pressure cooker
- Cuisine: instant pot, gluten free, dairy free
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Instant pot chicken broth is a super simple, hands off, way to make homemade chicken broth. This broth is so nutritious and flavorful. Use it to make soups, sauces, and cook your grains in it. The possibilities are endless.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken carcass, from a previously cooked chicken – most of the meat removed (first make instant pot chicken recipe)
- 5 cups filtered water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 white or yellow onion, peeled
- 1 to 2 celery stalks, leaves included
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
- 1 carrot, peeled
Instructions
- Prepare the cooked chicken carcass: Using a just cooked whole chicken, after making the instant pot whole chicken recipe, remove the skin, and as much of the meat as possible (saving the cooked meat for other future recipes). This is easiest to do while the chicken is still warm. (it’s okay if some meat is left behind). Make sure to reserve all of the bones, including the wings, and drumsticks. If the chicken had the neck, heart, and gizzards stuffed inside, you can use them in the broth. Note: alternately you can use the bones and carcass from a roasted chicken.
- Prepare the chicken broth: To a 6 QT instant pot, or other electric pressure cooker (it’s okay if it’s still dirty from making the instant pot whole chicken recipe), add the chicken carcass and any other bones. Add the water, apple cider vinegar, salt, onion, celery, garlic, and carrot (along with any other flavor add ins you might have – see notes).
- Cook the broth: Secure the instant pot lid, make sure the nozzle is aligned to “sealing”. Set the instant pot to “high pressure”. Set the timer for 45 minutes. Note: you can cook the broth up to 2 hours, but I found that 45 minutes results in a super rich flavored broth just fine.
- Once done cooking: Force release the pressure by carefully turning the nozzle to “release”. Once all of the pressure has been released. Carefully remove the instant pot insert. Allow it to cool for a little while just so it’s not steaming hot, about 20 to 30 minutes. Use tongs, or a slotted spoon to carefully remove the large solids, discard.
- Strain: After the broth has cooled enough so that it’s not steaming hot, place a fine mesh siv over a bowl. If you have it use cheese cloth, or a nut milk bag, to filter out any sediment left behind. Carefully pour, or ladle the liquid over the strainer.
- Chill and remove fat: Once the broth is cool, cover and place the broth in the fridge overnight, or for at least 4 hours. Once the broth has chilled, the fat will have solidified to the top of the broth. Use a spoon to remove the fat, leaving behind as much of the broth as possible. Discard the fat.
- Use broth or store: At this point you can either use the chicken broth immediately. Use it in soups, stews, sauces, to cook grains, etc (See post for links to recipes). To store the broth transfer it to air tight containers and store it in the fridge for up to one week. Or freeze the broth for up to 6 months.
Notes
Chicken carcass: This recipe was developed for making the instant pot whole chicken recipe first, then using the chicken bones and carcass after removing the cooked chicken meat. There is no need to clean the instant pot after making the whole chicken if you’re going to immediately make the chicken broth (this is what I do). Alternately, you could use a leftover chicken carcass from a roasted chicken.
Water: Whenever possible I recommend using a filtered water, or a reverse osmosis water, so that there is no additional taste of chlorine or minerals that may be in tap water, added to your broth.
Apple cider vinegar: You won’t taste the vinegar once the broth is cooked. It is added to draw out the nutrients from the bones. You could also use white distilled vinegar.
Flavor add ins: In addition to the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic you can also use mushrooms, or mushroom stems, whole peppercorns, leek tops, and herbs such as a bay leaf, thyme, sage, rosemary, and parsley to flavor your broth.
Frozen veggie scraps: I like to keep a baggie in the freezer labeled “frozen veggie scraps for broth” and add any celery leaves, onion halves I didn’t need for an entire recipe, mushroom stems, leek tops, or even any of the other fresh herbs mentioned above that I don’t have another use for, or are about to go bad on me. When I am ready to make my broth I can just break off pieces of the frozen veggie scraps and add it in. Less food waste, and an easy way to flavor your broth.
Made the instant pot whole chicken and then did the broth. The broth is amazing!! Threw in the giblets package that came inside the chicken in the broth. I left the liquid from cooking the chicken in the instant pot and added the 5 cups of water. This is going to be my go to broth recipe from now on.
So glad to hear that you enjoyed both the instant pot whole chicken recipe, and the chicken broth recipes. Thanks for sharing, and for the kind review. 🙂
Great, easy recipe! Love that it helps me reduce food waste and it gives me more power to control what’s in my food. Love that I can eat homemade food without spending all day in the kitchen!
Hi Shannon, I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed the instant pot chicken broth. I agree, it’s such a great way to get more use out of food, and the instant pot makes it hands-off, and easy! Thanks for the kind review. 🙂