Heavenly Homemakers

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How to EASILY Make Broth in the Instant Pot

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It’s hard to beat homemade broth when it comes to nutrition and flavor. Now that I’ve learned to make broth in the Instant Pot, I’m never going back!

Don’t have an Instant Pot? Here are my stove-top, stock pot instructions for how I make Chicken Broth and Beef Broth. I’ve been making broth that way for years and would continue to do so had I not invested in my beloved Instant Pot.

I had a difficult time believing that making broth in such a short time in the Instant Pot (just a little more than an hour) could turn out the same wonderful product as making broth in my stock pot (for 4-6 hours). But it’s true. Broth made in the Instant Pot is just as fabulous as broth made slowly in a stock pot on the stove!

Have I convinced you yet to get an Instant Pot? Oh how I love mine!

How to Easily Make Broth in the Instant Pot

How to EASILY Make Broth in the Instant Pot
 
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Serves: Roughly 1 gallon
Ingredients
  • Beef soup bones or chicken bones
  • Variety of carrots, celery, onions, and leeks per your family's preference. (I usually use 3-4 pounds of veggies per batch of broth.
  • Sea salt
  • Water
Instructions
  1. Put chicken or beef bones into your Instant Pot.
  2. Add as many vegetables as you can - carrots, celery, onions, leeks.
  3. Sprinkle sea salt liberally.
  4. Fill pot to the Max-Fill line with water.
  5. Seal Instant Pot, and cook on High Pressure for 55 minutes.
  6. Allow pressure to release naturally for at least 30 minutes.
  7. Release pressure, and strain vegetables and bones out of liquid.
  8. Blend vegetables in a blender until smooth.
  9. Add blended veggies into the liquid broth. This adds more flavor and nourishment!
  10. Re-use bones to make another batch of broth if you like! The second batch of broth isn't as rich, but I like getting a two-for-one!

When people eat soup I’ve made with this broth, they always ask for my secret. I believe it is the veggies cooked into the broth then blended and added back in. Once I blend the veggies and stir them into the broth, I have a rich, thick, orange broth – much different than store-bought. And so, so much better!

Coming up in my next post, I will remind you of my family’s favorite soup recipes to use with this great broth!

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Use Chicken or Beef Broth Instead of Water

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Today let’s talk about using Chicken or Beef Broth instead of water when cooking!

Around these parts, I am a little bit famous for making all the people drink water.

  • Not feeling well? Go drink water.
  • Feeling run down? Go drink water.
  • Cramping up? Go drink water.
  • Can’t lose weight? Go drink water.
  • Don’t feel like doing an Algebra lesson? Go drink water. (And then go do your Algebra.)
  • Feeling bored or unmotivated? Go drink water.
  • Haven’t had any water yet today? For the love, go drink water.

Little sips, here and there, all day long. Go drink the water.

I preach this to my family, to all the college students in and out of my house, to all the dear ones I’m reaching out to in our community, to everyone who has a complaint. It’s a simple start to anything that needs fixing.

I say it so often that people tease me about it when something happens – like when my shoe comes untied at a soccer game. “Well, Laura. It looks like you need to drink some water.” Touche.

Drinking water is necessary and vital and crucial (my thesaurus and I could go on and on). Our health depends on it.

But do you know what is even better than water? Bone Broth. Indeed.

Bone broth is made with water, but also with vegetables and sea salt. Vitamins and minerals AND water? Yes. And also gelatin from the bones, which is awesome for our skin, teeth, bones, digestive system, and more.

Use Broth Instead of Water

I say all of this to encourage us – if possible – to use broth instead of water while we are cooking meals for our families.

  • Cook rice in broth instead of water.
  • Cook pasta in broth instead of water.
  • Cook potatoes in broth instead of water.
  • Steam vegetables in broth instead of water.
  • Drink broth instead of water. (And then go do your Algebra.)

Not only will we enjoy many more nutrients when using broth instead of water, but we will also be enjoying an incredible boost in flavor. Rice cooked in broth is incredible! Veggies steamed in broth are many notches above.

Make the broth. Or buy the broth. (I do both. I buy broth to have on hand in a pinch so I can use it often. I make broth as much as possible so I can be ensured of maximum nutrition and flavor!)

How to Make Super Nutritious Bone Broth

  • How I make Chicken Broth
  • How I make Beef Broth
  • Where to buy a case of broth to have on hand. (Truly, there is nothing better than homemade broth. But I do order these cases from Amazon. I also like to pick some up when I have a chance to shop at Aldi.)

Confession: Lately I’ve been making pot after pot of Beef Broth instead of Chicken Broth. Why? Because it’s much faster BECAUSE THERE ARE NO CHICKENS TO BONE!!! Taking meat off chickens is not my favorite job. You already know this about me. So instead, I almost always make broth with Beef Soup Bones. Then the meat falls off the bones and my job is done. Amen, hallelujah.

My latest broth-making-thrill is that I’ve started making it in my Instant Pot. Boy does that save time! How to Make Broth in the Instant Pot…post coming next!

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How to Make Beef Broth

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This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

There’s nothing very beautiful about pictures of soup bones and vegetables floating in water. And yet, here I am again, just like the time I showed you all the pictures of my chicken carcasses. Some people create adorable collages of their children. Me? I spent time yesterday crafting a collage of my beef broth. Isn’t it precious?  Take note of the fatty bubbles floating along at the top of the jar. I’m so proud.

Homemade Beef Broth

Yum

Beef Broth is as fantastic for your body as Chicken Broth. There are so many minerals we need that we can get from beef bones, such as calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sulfur, and potassium – all in their natural, beneficial, and digestible form. The vegetables you add to the pot of broth are invaluable. And the best part? Making homemade broth is one of the most inexpensive ways to provide nourishment to yourself and to your family members.

Look into buying Beef Soup Bones. There’s still a little meat on the bones (more on that later), but mostly you’re just going to pay a small amount for a package of bones. Cook those mineral-filled-bones in a pot with water and veggies, and you’ve just created several jars full of nutritional goodness for a very tiny amount of money.

Here’s how I make Beef Broth. As you can tell from my collage above, my process is very fancy and exact:

1. Place thawed or frozen beef soup bones into a large kettle or stock pot.
2. Add, to your heart’s content, chunks of onion, carrots, leeks, celery and/or any other veggie you enjoy in your broth.
3. Fill your pot with water.
4. Sprinkle liberally with sea salt.
5. Cover and simmer pot of water/veggies/soup bones for 4-6 hours. Or more. Or less. Or whatever works for you.
6. Remove soup bones from pot. Pull cooked beef off the bones with a fork, and set meat aside for soup or salads.
7. Blend liquid and vegetables together until smooth.
8. Allow broth to cool, then refrigerate or freeze until you are ready to use it to make soup, cook rice, or add it to a recipe.

That meat you’ll pull off the bones? It tastes incredible because it’s right by the bone and has been cooked low and slow. I love it in chef salads. I also snack on it as I’m pulling it off the bones.

Why do I blend all the veggies into the broth? Because after 6 hours of simmering, they are mushy. When I blend them in, they just become part of the nutritious broth. Depending on the number of carrots I use, my broth might turn orange. No matter. It’s delicious.

Once you’ve made Beef Broth, what can you do with it? You can use it to make Beefy Vegetable Soup. You can also use it in any recipe that calls for chicken broth – like my Cheeseburger Soup or Pizza Soup. Cook rice in broth for extra nourishment and flavor in a side dish – or add that wonderful rice to Cheesy Beef and Rice. Follow my instructions for Chicken Noodle Soup, but instead use beef broth and the meat that came off the bones for Beef-n-Noodles.

What other ideas do you have? What ways do you use Beef Broth? 

Isn’t this a wonderful way to be healthy and save money at the same time?!

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