Instant Pot Chicken Stock: Step by step directions on how to make the most flavorful bone broth in the Instant Pot. Variations  for Vegetable Broth, Turkey Stock and Beef Stock recipes as well. 

Do you want to know the number one ingredient I use in my kitchen?

It has to be Homemade Broth.  Well,  next to salt!!

From Creamy Cheesy Chicken and Rice, to Chicken Pot Pie, to Potato Soup, I use stock as the base of many meals. I also use homemade broth to flavor rice and beans as well.

I started making homemade bone broth decades ago, when I needed to have Gluten-Free, MSG-Free, Corn-Free 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 yes, now you can find Gluten-Free Chicken Broth, No MSG added stock in just about every store.

However, for quality stock, it is at least $2.50 for 4 cups–and that is on sale!  Considering I use chicken stock, beef stock,  or vegetable broth several times a week, that adds up and quickly.

Considering I can make stock out of my kitchen scraps–why would I pay for Stock when I can make Homemade Stock?

When making homemade stock, I either simmer on stove or slow cooker for hours upons hours. Or I use my Instant Pot to make Homemade Chicken Stock in less than 2 hours–from time it takes Pressure Cooker to get to pressure to time it takes to naturally release!

Instant Pot Chicken Stock

With the magic of pressure cooking, I can make rich homemade stock in no time at all.

Speaking of Stock, Ever wonder the difference between Broth, Stock and Bone Broth?

Well, ask 10 people and I bet you will get 10 answers.

But here is my stance on the 3:

• Broth: A cooking liquid that has been flavored with something (like vegetables, fish, meat, etc). 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, 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 techinical differences here. 

Today, I am talking about Chicken Stock. Rich cooking liquid that is made with bones and simmered a long time (or a short time thanks to the Instant Pot!)

To Make Pressure Cooker Chicken Stock:

1. Place bones of leftover roasted chicken in Instant Pot.
2. Place scraps of carrots, celery, onions, etc in Instant Pot.
3. Season with salt and herbs.
4. Cover with water. Be careful NOT to overfill Instant Pot. 
5. Cook on High Pressure for 45 minutes with valve to sealed position.
6. Allow Instant Pot to release pressue naturally for 30 minutes, before releasing pressure manually. 
7. Strain chicken stock.
8. Cool and store in fridge for 7 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Instant Pot Whole Chicken Stock

Instead of using just bones for chicken stock, place a whole chicken (or cut up chicken pieces) in Instant Pot along with vegetable scraps and cook for 20 minutes instead of 45–as to not overcook the chicken meat. Remove chicken from cooking liquid, strain stock and use chicken meat and chicken stock as desired. Get my tips on how to shred chicken here. 

Instant Pot Chicken Stock from Carcass

After removing all meat from breast bone of chicken, place the carcass in Instant Pot with herbs, scraps and cook as directed. This is how I typically make my stock, as the carcass is the easiest bones for me to save.

How should you flavor your chicken stock?

I personally use my kitchen scraps. That may sound CRAZY to you or like I am the most frugal person on the planet, but it really is just a smart way of doing things.

Think about it for a minute. Stock is made with whole celery, carrots, onions, and herbs along with bones or other veggies. Well, every time I peel carrots, I place the peels and stem in a freezer safe bag that I store in the freezer. I add bits of onions, a few stray garlic bulbs, the bottom of the celery stalk, etc to the bag.

When I need to make stock, I pull out my veggies from the freezer, dump them in the Instant Pot with chicken bones (or beef or turkey bones or no bones at all for Vegetable Broth) along with water and salt and you the makings of an incredibly rich stock made literally from what you would normally throw in the trash.

So make everyone think you are a genius and use your scraps to make the most flavorful stock you can.

**If you don’t have vegetable scraps, use 2 full carrots, 1 onion, 2 stalks of celery and 1 garlic clove. 

Variations on Instant Pot Stock

Follow the basic instructions for Chicken Stock but swap out the following ingredients.

• Instant Pot Vegetable Broth–use 3 cups vegetables scraps along with herbs and seasonings. Each broth will be unique in flavor based on vegetable scraps.
• Instant Pot Turkey Stock–use 2 cups vegetable scraps along with bone of turkey and seasonings.
• Instant Pot Beef Stock–use 2 cups onion, celery, garlic and carrot scraps along with beef bones or short ribs.

Important Tips When Making Pressure Cooker Chicken Broth:

• I cook my stock for 45 minutes to really develop flavorful stock. You can get away with cooking this stock for only 20 minutes and it is still delicious.
• I love to add fresh thyme to my stock for extra flavor–feel free to add rosemary or any herb you like to your stock.
• If you don’t have vegetable scraps, use 1 onion, cut in half, 2 celery sticks, and 2 carrots.
• Because this is a large amount of liquid, DO NOT USE QR (quick-release.) To do so, would cause boiling liquid to spew out valve.
• After 30 minutes of natural release, place a kitchen towel over the valve and release any remaining pressure if left. This will protect you and your kitchen from any potential splatter. Or you could leave your stock in Instant Pot until pressure fully releases naturally.
• Homemade Chicken Stock will keep in fridge for 7 days.
• To Freeze Chicken Stock, place in freezer safe containers in 2-4 cup portions and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in fridge.

Be sure to check out my collection of Easy Healthy Instant Pot Recipes.   If you are a new Instant Pot user, be sure to read my Instant Pot 101, where I walk you through important must knows when using an electric pressure cooker.

 

My Must Have Instant Pot Accessories

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