How to Make Chicken Stock in In the Instant Pot

This recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Stock is the easiest, most economical way to prepare chicken stock at home. Directions for how to make Instant Pot Bone Broth as well. 

Turn your kitchen scraps into treasure with this simple recipe for Instant Pot Stock. Made with chicken bones, vegetable scraps, and seasonings, this stock comes together effortlessly and is more flavorful than ANYTHING you can purchase!

So the next time you have chicken bones from an Oven Roasted Rotisserie Chicken, Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken, or even bones from a Roasted Turkey, save them to make the most flavorful bone broth you have ever had!

Probably the number one ingredient I use in my kitchen is Homemade Chicken Stock.

From Creamy Cheesy Chicken and Rice to Chicken Pot Pie, to Potato Soup, I use chicken stock as the base of many meals.

I started making homemade broth decades ago, when I needed to have Gluten-Free, MSG-Free, Corn-Free, and Dairy-Free Stock.

You would think that would be easy to find at the store--well, 15 years ago it wasn't so easy! And while it is easy to find a stock that meets my dietary needs now, I still choose to make my own at home.

Why is Homemade Better?

• More Flavorful. The instant pot really develops the flavors in stock, making it much richer than store-bought stock.
• Economical. Using my frugal tip for using vegetable scraps to make this stock, it can be made essentially for free! Quality stock is at least $2.50 for 4 cups. Considering I use stock several times a week if I purchased stock solely from the store, I would quickly spend a small fortune.
• Quality Control. By making stock or bone broth at home, you know exactly what goes into your stock! No yeast extract, no msg, no caramel color, no gluten. Plus you can control the amount of sodium.

Difference between Broth, Stock, and Bone Broth

Today, I am showing you how to make both Instant Pot Chicken Stock and Instant Pot Bone Broth and the only difference between the recipes is the length of cooking time.

• Broth: A cooking liquid that has been flavored with something (like vegetables, fish, meat, etc). The broth is typically more clear and not simmered as long as stock.
• Stock: Cooking liquid simmered for a long period of time with bones. Stock is typically rich in color.
• Bone Broth: Bone broth is made with bones (which are typically roasted) and simmered for such a long time, that gelatin and trace minerals are released from the bones and the bones are able to be broken or crumble easily after cooking.

You can read more about the technical differences here. 

Ingredients Needed

• Water
• Chicken Bones: Use the bones from a roasted chicken, chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or even chicken wings. You can also make stock using the bones from a turkey or turkey breast. One tip: While you can use the bones from Homemade Rotisserie Chicken, but use caution and reduce the added salt if you use bones from a store-bought rotisserie chicken or your broth will be WAY too salty!
• Vegetables or Vegetable Scraps: A HUGE money-saving tip is to save the peels from carrots, ends of onions, and celery scraps and store them in a freezer-safe bag to use to make homemade stock. Just be sure to wash your vegetables well before peeling or chopping and add them to your vegetable scrap bag as you accumulate scraps. Of course, you can make this stock with fresh vegetables as well, I provide quantities for both options in the recipe card.
• Seasonings: I use bay, thyme, peppercorns, and salt to season my stock and bone broth. You can use garlic cloves, parsley, ground pepper, or rosemary as well.

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Stock

• If using a metal strainer insert and place it inside the instant pot. While this makes straining the broth so easy, it is completely unnecessary.
• Place bones of leftover roasted chicken in Instant Pot or strainer.
• Place scraps of carrots, celery, onions, or full vegetables in Instant Pot or strainer.
• Season with salt and herbs.

• Cover with water. Be careful NOT to overfill Instant Pot. You do not want to fill your instant pot more than two-thirds of the way full. It is okay if the bones and stock are not fully covered. 

• Place the lid on the pressure cooker and be sure the vent knob is pointed towards sealed.
• Cook on High Pressure for 45 minutes for chicken stock and 120 minutes on high pressure for bone broth.
• Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally for AT LEAST 30 minutes, before releasing pressure manually. This is so important so your vent knob doesn't spew stock all over your kitchen and you!

• Strain the chicken stock using the strainer insert or a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl.

• Cool before transferring to storage containers.
• Once cooled, refrigerate until fully cooled.
• If desired, skim off any fat with a spoon and discard.
• Store in the fridge for 7 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Instant Pot Chicken Stock Video

Watch the video below to watch me prepare this chicken stock at home, giving my tips along the way!

Ways to Use Instant Pot Chicken Stock

Use this homemade instant pot chicken stock in any recipe that calls for broth, stock, or bone broth. Below are a few of my favorite Instant Pot Recipes that call for chicken stock.

• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
• Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
• Instant Pot Smoked Sausage and Potatoes with Green Beans

Save yourself money and make your meals taste better with this homemade instant pot stock! I hope you enjoy the taste and savings this recipe will deliver to your family!

This post has been modified with new tips and a video in 2023 but was originally published in 2017.