Instant Pot Chicken Broth (Slow Cook or High Pressure)

Skip the store-bought chicken broth and make a big pot of homemade chicken broth instead. You only need a few basic ingredients and a few hours with your Instant Pot. The end result is a flavorful broth that is loaded with health benefits.

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A bowl filled with chicken and rice soup.

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Instant Pot Chicken Broth Recipe

Soups are a staple dish around here. There’s just so many ways that you can make a hearty, filling and flavorful soup. But one of my favorite ways to add extra flavor to those dishes is to make homemade chicken broth.

When I’m prepping bell peppers to freeze and making things like honey roasted carrots and parsnips, I always save my vegetable scraps to use in chicken broth later. I love to make vegetable broth with the scraps too!

While I love the convenient Whole30 broth options that I can find at the grocery store, some of them don’t have the best flavor. So throwing together a few quarts of chicken broth is so helpful and makes my dishes just way more tasty.

Did you know that you can actually cook rice in broth instead of water? It’s a great way to add protein and make your rice super flavorful! There are so many ways to put homemade broth to good use, and the whole process to make it is really simple. So next time you have chicken bones and veggies scraps, make your own stock!

No chicken or not enough? Make homemade vegetable stock! This Instant Pot Vegetable Stock is a great vegetarian and vegan option.

A mason jar filled with liquid is placed in front of an Instant Pot on a marble countertop, with a striped cloth nearby.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Whether it’s your first time making your own chicken broth or it’s something you’ve made many different times, there are so many reasons to love it:

There are dozens of wonderful health benefits that come from making your own homemade chicken broth. From immune booting properties to beneficial nutrients and vitamins, there’s always a reason to drink fresh broth.
Making broth is a great way to reduce food waste. Instead of throwing away veggies scraps and discarding chicken parts, you can repurpose a ton of food.
Homemade chicken stock is a great way to ensure what you’re using in future soups, fits your dietary restrictions. Broths from the grocery store are great, but making it yourself means that you can ensure high quality ingredients are being used.
This recipe is for the Instant Pot but I’ll also show you how to use your slow cooker!

A wooden cutting board with a bowl of shredded chicken, a jar of water, onion skins, and two small bowls containing salt and pepper.

Ingredients

Make a delicious homemade broth with just a few simple ingredients. Here’s a list of some things that you will need:

bones from a whole chicken,
veggie scraps (onion peels, celery scraps, carrot tops)
distilled water
sea salt
ground black pepper
optional, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric (adds a lovely orange color!)

Substitutions and Variations

There are loads of different types of veggies you can use. If you do not have scraps, fresh veggies work well too. Carrots, onions, celery, bell peppers, fresh herbs and bay leaf are all tasty options.

A little splash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar adds a bit of tang and also extra health benefits.

If you have chicken feet, those are a fabulous addition to chicken broth! So many nutritional benefits and it also adds even more depth of flavor.

Use some ingredients that have really bold flavors to make broths for certain recipes. Lemongrass, ginger, sage, and soy sauce will all make extra bold broth.

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Broth

Follow these simple instructions to make the most flavorful broth. Here’s what you’ll need to do:

A wooden cutting board with a cooked, partially shredded chicken and several bones on it.

First, pull all the meat off of the chicken bones.

Add all of the chicken parts, veggie scraps, water, salt and black pepper into the bowl of your Instant Pot. You can either use the slow cooker mode or pressure cook mode. Whichever works best for the time frame you have!

A pot filled with water, onion skins, and black pepper, preparing chicken broth.

Cooked chicken bones and meat pieces in a metal strainer, placed over a sink.

Set the timer for 12 to 18 hours on the slow cooker method or high pressure for 120 minutes.

If you’re using high pressure mode, allow it for a natural pressure release before removing the lid.

Set a fine mesh strainer on top of a large bowl or large glass measuring cup. Then use a ladle to transfer the stock to the strainer, strain broth, and then discard the bones and scraps.

Use the chicken broth immediately or allow the broth to cool completely and store for later.

A glass jar with a green lid containing chicken broth.

How to Store Chicken Broth

Allow broth to cool and then pour it into large glass containers and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze in large glass containers, zip top freezer bags, or Souper Cubes silicone molds for freezing.

Once frozen in Souper Cubes, remove from silicone mold and add to a zip top bag. Freeze for up to 4 months and allow to thaw in the fridge before using.

How to Use Chicken Broth

Use this hearty broth in loads of homemade soups. Instant Pot chicken and rice soup is exponentially better with homemade broth, and Instant Pot Mexican vegetable soup is so tasty with this broth.

Swap out veggie broth for chicken broth in this Irish farmhouse vegetable soup or make ham and white bean soup even more comforting with this broth. An easy chicken noodle soup is perfect for a cold winter evening or when you’re battling sickness.

I also love to just drink this broth straight from a mug when I’m feeling under the weather. Pair it with a few lemon ginger turmeric shots at some point in the day and my immune system running on all cylinders in no time!

Tips for Success

Once you see how easy this is to make, and how TASTY the end result is, you’ll never want to go back to store-bought stock. Here’s a few tips to ensure this broth is perfect:

Use distilled water for the best flavor! If you don’t use fresh water, your bone broth may end up with a weird after taste.
Don’t have a pressure cooker? Not to worry! You can use a crock pot or a large pot on the stove top to make this recipe.
Be very careful when straining the broth. It will be super hot! I like to use a ladle to get most of the broth out and then a slotted spoon to remove the bones and scraps. Then I pour the rest of the broth from the pot and through the strainer once those parts are removed.

FAQ

Does chicken broth go bad?

Yes, homemade chicken broth does go bad. You can store it for 3-4 days in the fridge and up to 4 months in the freezer.

How do you tell if homemade broth is bad?

You will know if your broth has gone bad if it has a rancid smell. If it smells okay, carefully do a small taste test. If it tastes sour or bitter, then it has gone bad.

Is it ok to leave my broth simmering overnight?

Leaving broth in the Instant Pot on slow cooker mode, or in a crock pot, overnight is perfectly fine. It is actually a really great way to “pass the time”! You’ll wake up in the morning with fresh broth that you can strain. Then use it to make a delicious soup that evening.

More Classic Recipes

Instant Pot Chicken Broth

Whether you're someone who likes to sip on broth or loves fresh chicken broth in your soups, this easy recipe will be a staple in your home. Makes 2 quarts.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 18

Total Time: 18 15

Servings: cups

Author: Madison Wetherill

Equipment

Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot

Ingredients

1 whole chicken cooked, chicken and skin removed from the bones
1 cup veggie scraps onion peels, celery scraps, carrot tops
6 to 8 cups distilled water
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground turmeric optional

Instructions

Add all the chicken bones, vegetable scraps, water, salt and pepper to the Instant Pot bowl.
You can cook this on the slow cooker mode or pressure cook depending on how much time you have. Set the timer for 12 to 18 hours for the slow cook method. For a shorter cook time, cook on high pressure mode for 120 minutes.
Allow pressure to naturally release if using high pressure mode. Once the steam has released, carefully open the lid.
Set a fine mesh strainer on top of a large bowl or measuring cup. Use a ladle to transfer the cooked stock to the strainer. Discard the bones and scraps.
Use immediately, or allow the strained broth to cool completely.

Notes

To cook in the slow cooker: Cook for 12 to 18 hours on low. Cooking broth overnight in the Instant Pot on slow cooker mode or in a crock pot is perfectly fine. It is actually a really great way to “pass the time!” You’ll wake up in the morning with fresh broth that you can strain. Then refrigerate it and use it to make a delicious soup that evening.

To cook on the stove: Add ingredients to a large stock pot or dutch oven, then cover with water. Cook on low for 10-12 hours. Then strain into glass jars or silicone molds for storage.

Storage: Pour into large glass containers or tightly-sealed ziptop bags. You can store it in the fridge and use it within 4 days, or you can freeze it and use it within 2-3 months.

My favorite way to freeze broth is to use Souper Cubes silicone molds for freezing. It’s like a giant ice cube mold that lets you freeze portions of the broth for easy use later, especially if you only need part of it for a recipe. Once frozen in Souper Cube molds, remove from the mold and add to a zip top bag.