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 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, it is at least $2.50 for 4 cups. Considering I use stock several times a week if I purchased stock from 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
- 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 technical differences here.
Today, I am showing you how to make both Instant Pot Chicken Stock and Instant Pot Bone Broth.
Ingredients Needed
- Water
- Chicken Bones: Use the bones from a roasted chicken, chicken breasts, chicken thighs, 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–DO NOT use the 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 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 to your vegetable scrap bag as you accumulate scraps. Of course, you can make this stock with fresh vegetables as well.
- 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 and Bone Broth
- If using a metal strainer insert (this makes clean-up SO much easier!), place inside instant pot.
- 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 lid on pressure cooker and be sure 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.
- Allow Instant Pot to release pressure naturally for AT LEAST 30 minutes, before releasing pressure manually.
- Strain chicken stock using strainer insert or over a large bowl using a strainer.
- 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.
Use Bone Broth to Make
- 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!
Instant Pot Bone Broth/Chicken Stock
Ingredients
- 1 chicken carcass or bones from roasted chicken
- 2-3 cups vegetable scraps carrot peels, onions, celery, garlic, etc
- 1-2 sprigs fresh thyme optional
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 10 cups cold water
Instructions
- If using the strainer insert, place the insert into the inner pot of the instant pot.
- Place the chicken bones, vegetables, herbs, salt and peppercorns in the strainer or directly in the inner pot of the pressure cooker.
- Pour the water over the scraps. Feel free to add more water, but DO NOT let the water reach above two-thirds of the way full.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and be sure the vent knob is pointed towards sealed, not venting.
- Set cook time for High Pressure by hitting manual or pressure and using the plus or minus buttons to read 45 minutes for chicken stock and 120 minutes for bone broth.
- Once cook time has elapsed, let naturally release for at least 30 minutes.
- Strain stock and allow to cool slightly before transferring to containers to store.
- Once the stock has cooled and has been refrigerated, you may notice a layer of fat form on top of the stock. Simply use a spoon to skim that off the stock and discard.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- Time to Get to Pressure: 20-25 minutes
- Time to Cook: 45 minutes for stock and 120 minutes for bone broth
- Time to Release Pressure: 30 minutes
- Total Time: About 2 hours for stock and 3 hours and 15 minutes for bone broth.
- If you don't have vegetable scraps use 1 whole carrot, 1 onion that has been quartered, and 2-3 stalks of celery.
- While you can use the bones from Homemade Rotisserie Chicken--DO NOT use the bones from a store-bought rotisserie chicken or your broth will be WAY too salty!
- Feel free to add in 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, 1/4 cup fresh parsley, or 2-3 cloves of garlic as well.
- Store in fridge for 7 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
This post has been modified with new tips and a video in 2020 but was originally published in 2017.
This was amazing! I made two batches- one with 1 cup of cooking liquid from your Rotisserie Chicken recipe (and 9 cups tapwater) and one batch with just tapwater. The first batch- with the rotisserie cooking liquid- was QUITE a bit better! I will always make stock immediately after cooking a chicken in my Instant Pot!
I have a question about nutritional information- is the amount of sodium for the entire batch of stock? Or per serving? (If so, how much is a serving?)
I am so glad you enjoyed! The sodium is per cup of stock. Keep in mind that 1/2 cup per store bought stock usually has over 800 grams of sodium. But feel free to cut the salt in half, or omit and season as needed.
Hello. Just got my first InstaPot so I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. I’m wondering if you could use Fresh/Frozen raw Chicken Backs? A store near me sells them and that’s generally what I use when making chicken stock by simmering for 2-3 hours on the stove.
Yes you absolutely can. You may just want to add 20 minutes longer to cook the chicken backs safely and infuse the broth 🙂 Enjoy!
Hi – We have been saving the chicken backs and putting in our freezer. I am excited to try this in the instant pot, but how many of these backs do you recommend I use at a time? And instead of cooking time being 45 minutes pressure cook and 30 minutes slow release it would be 65 minutes pressure cook and 30 minutes slow release? How do I know the chicken backs/stock is cooked? We have a 6 quart instant pot
Yes Elli, you will want to cook your stock for 65 minutes with at least 30 minute natural release. And I guarantee you your chicken will be more than cooked at that point, and you will have rich, delicious stock to enjoy!
I’ve got a rotisserie chicken carcass and various scraps in a gallon freezer bag. When I make this do I need to thaw everything or can I cook from frozen? Thanks!
Hi Deanna! Just cook from frozen 🙂 It will take a bit longer to come to pressure but cook time will remain the same.
For the stock, can you use the onion that you cooked inside the chicken or use fresh. Please and thank you.
I would use fresh. After that onion has been cooked with the chicken, all flavor will be gone from it.
How would you make a bone broth in the instant pot? I can get bones from my butcher. Is it just bones roasted then into the IP with water and cook for a long time?
Hi Andrew, bone broth would take about 2 hours on high pressure in the Instant Pot, for the gelatin to be released. I would roast the bones first and add in seasonings, water and cook for 2 hours on high pressure. Enjoy!
I have been making chicken stock for years using my stove top pressure cooker but just recently bought the 8 qt model instant pot. I always freeze leftover bones and every bit of juices left over from cooking. Then when I have at least 2 chickens worth of drippings (fat and all), I make stock in the instant pot adding onion, carrot, celery, seasonings, and enough fresh water to cover all the ingredients. After I strain it at the end I refrigerate it and all the fat floats to the top which I can then remove and discard. However, I always keep some of the fat since fat has so much flavor. And I’ve read in several places that chicken fat is good for the immune system. Not sure about that, but it certainly adds flavor to the finished product.
Hi Linda! I have too heard chicken fat is good for your immune system. Like you said, who knows, but it tastes good!! 🙂 Enjoy your Instant Pot and stock. Reach out with any questions you may have.
Using your IP Whole Chicken recipe just now. Any reason I could not use the carcass (after we are done eating all the delicious meat), some veg scraps, and the gizzards, neck and all to make the broth?
PS: Giving you 5 stars even though I haven’t completed either the chicken or the broth, because I am sure both will be wonderful!
Hi Kathleen! I always use the carcass for homemade chicken stock. Here is my recipe if you need it https://amindfullmom.com/instant-pot-chicken-stock/
I also like to freeze stock in ice cube tray & keep in a baggy in the freezer door. Works great when small amounts are needed!
Marty T.
That is a great tip. Thanks sorry sharing.
What is the best way to store the chicken stock. Can I freeze it and how would you suggestion I do that?
Hi there. I would place cooked chicken in a freezer safe container, not bag, then add in chicken stock to cover. Freeze and the when wanting to use, defrost in fridge. I hope that helps
Why not a freezer safe bag?
Hi Nicole! I read my comment and it was a bit confusing–LOL! You can certainly freeze stock in freezer safe bags, I just don’t prefer this method because even thick bags have been pierced in my freezer–which makes a mess when defrosting. You can certainly use bags and then defrost in the fridge in a container to prevent the mess.
Anyone else find the stock tastes predominantly of carrot when using the IP? I find from the intense pressure the carrot becomes too strong. I leave it out now and find it tastes much better.
Great tip. I have never felt that way, but can see if you had a lot of carrots it could happen.
HI there, I recently got an instapot and have made your recipe of the whole chicken. It was fabulous!!! So my question is: To make chicken stock Do I put all the leftover juice and the chicken carcus. in or do I take the current juice out? Thanks 🙂
Hi Astrid! I am so glad you enjoyed my chicken recipe! I would use bones and fresh liquid, as cooking liquid will be quite fatty/greasy. Enjoy!
We make so much soup in fall and winter and it’s always good to have some chicken stock at hand. Thank you for this recipe!
You bet Shadi. I am so glad you keep this on hand.
I love how easy this recipe is to make chicken stock at home, it adds so much flavor to my recipes!
I agree with you Rebecca, homemade chicken stock is the best when it comes to flavoring so many dishes!
I have heard of making two batches, one with a full chicken and another reusing the bones with now veggie scraps. Does this work well
I have done that many times, George. It works great. You may need to skim the first stock well, as it will have extra fat from rendering of chicken skin. Enjoy!
This sounds Amazing!! What size instant pot are you using?
Hi Sandy! This is for a 6 quart instant pot.
Any stock I make I use vegetable scrapes that I freeze until needed, usually after a holiday (a lot of times a number of the same as family doesn’t always take the time to make the stock) when I have Carcasses, bones, etc.
Go through a quit a bit of chicken broth during flu season, where I grew up chicken soup was refereed to a Jewish penicillin, so using the new instapot make my life easier.
Sounds like you and I do the same things Jamie! And yes, we go through a whole lot of chicken broth around here too–in fact I have some cooking right now in the Instant Pot.