Homemade stock is an essential in a healthy, frugal kitchen. Making Instant Pot chicken stock will save you money on your grocery bill and will boost your health, not to mention it will taste much better than store-bought broth and stock!
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In view of the coming of fall and winter (yay!), and thus the coming of soup season, I am sharing my easy Instant Pot chicken stock recipe today. I have written about how to make chicken broth in the slow cooker, and the basic process is included in the Top 15 Must-Have Instant Pot Recipes post, but I have not written out before exactly how I make my stock in the Instant Pot.
Specifically, how I get 10 pints (20 cups) of chicken stock from one whole chicken.
(Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for some delicious Instant Pot soups! Or, go to the Instant Pot Recipe Page to see all the soups.)
The Instant Pot speeds up the process considerably, but you still want to leave yourself a good 3-4 hours for making a double batch. If you haven’t made stock before, it’s incredibly easy. Check out the 2 minute video below to see the process.
You may be wondering about the difference between broth and stock. Honestly, I have used the terms interchangeably in the past when talking about cooking and recipes (which is why my recipes most often call for broth). The difference is essentially in how the two are made. Broth is made from simmering meat, and stock is made from simmering bones. They both have good flavor, but stock tends to be richer and is better for you, thanks to the nutrients released from the bones as they simmer.
Making your own stock (or broth) at home will save you a lot of money on your grocery bill, and who doesn’t love that? You can cook a whole chicken in your Instant Pot at the beginning of the week, then use the meat for salads, soups, pizza, etc. Then go ahead and right away start your broth. (Or, if you’d rather wait, just throw the bones in a freezer bag to use later).
Besides just being frugal, though, homemade stock has wonderful health benefits as well. Bone broth is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. It is a great source for the vitamins and nutrients your bodies need. Buying a chicken that was never given antibiotics or hormones also ensures that you are giving your family a very healthy option.
I freeze my stock in glass pint jars. The jars are easy to fill, stackable in my freezer, and reusable. I include tips for freezing in glass jars in the recipe. The three most important things to remember when freezing in glass jars are to…
- not to overfill them (leave an inch of space at the top for expansion)
- to only use jars with straight sides (no curved necks because these are prone to breaking in the freezer)
- to avoid rapid temperature changes (don’t put hot broth in the freezer and don’t put a frozen jar in hot water)
Instant Pot Easy Chicken Stock
Recommended Accessories ::
If you plan on making stock in your Instant Pot regularly, (it’s so easy I’m sure you will), you really want to think about getting a steamer basket like the one pictured above. It is a GAME CHANGER when it comes to making stock. Before I bought my steamer basket for my Instant Pot, I used my mesh strainers to separate the stock from the solids. It did the job, but it was rather tedious and a little messy.
The steamer basket, though, is ridiculously easy to use. Just lift all the solids from the pot with the basket’s handle, and you’re left with a pot full of stock.
(Have an 8qt Instant Pot? You can get a steamer basket to fit the larger pot too.)
I also highly recommend an extra inner pot. Not just for this recipe– an extra pot comes in handy all the time. I make two batches of stock with the same bones, so having an extra pot means I can lift the steamer basket from one pot and simply set it in the next. EASY PEASY.
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Homemade stock is an essential in a healthy, frugal kitchen. Making your own stock in your Instant Pot will save you money on your grocery bill and will boost your health, not to mention it will taste much better than store-bought broth and stock!
Ingredients
- Whole chicken carcass
- 3 carrots, cut into 3” pieces
- 1 onion, quartered
- 3–4 garlic cloves, halved
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 10 whole peppercorns
- 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar, divided
- water to fill line
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in your Instant Pot (except just half the apple cider vinegar), pouring in enough water to reach the fill line but not go over. If you have a strainer basket, it will make straining the broth MUCH easier, but it is not essential.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, turn the valve to sealing, and set the cook time for 60 minutes. The pot will take a while to come to pressure due to the higher water content.
- When the cook time is complete, you can either let the pressure naturally release or you can quick release the pressure. Carefully remove the lid and strain the first batch of stock.
- If you prefer, you can stop now and use the stock as is. I prefer to make a double batch, though, and get twice as much. If you want to do the same, repeat the process for a second batch. Set the first batch of stock to the side, and then return the bones and vegetables to the Instant Pot. Add another 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and fill the pot to the fill line again with water. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, turn the valve to sealing, and set the cook time for 60 minutes on high pressure again.
- When the cook time is complete, quick or natural release the pressure. Strain the second batch of stock, then combine the two batches. Discard the bones. Pour the stock into pint jars* or let it cool and fill freezer bags. Place the jars or bags in the freezer once they are completely cooled.
Notes
This stock is not salted, so you can salt to taste when cooking with your homemade stock.
*Yes, you can freeze in jars, but it is important:
- not to overfill them (leave an inch of space at the top for expansion)
- to only use jars with straight sides (no curved necks because these are prone to breaking in the freezer)
- to avoid rapid temperature changes (don’t put hot broth in the freezer and don’t put a frozen jar in hot water)
You can cook your stock under pressure for longer periods of time if you prefer.
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Instant Pot Soups
I use this same method with a ham bone to make stock for bean soup. It turned out great, and I love how much easier it is to make stock with the strainer basket insert.
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I made chicken stock for the first time and it was so easy. After adding some salt, it tasted good enough to drink. Thanks for a great recipe, and answering my questions on Instagram.
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So easy! I’ve only made homemade stock once prior, due to the time and effort it takes. This was quick and flavorful. I will be doing this method more often, now!
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I am allergic to onion so I do make a LOT of things from scratch. Do you have any recommendations for adding more flavor (and liquid as onion often supplies liquid for recipes)? Thank you!
You won’t need to worry about the liquid for the stock recipe. Can you eat leeks? You could try those, or celery, tomato, etc.
I’ve been wondering how to make chicken stock. Thanks for sharing this!
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Is it 2 tablespoons of vinegar per batch? Or 4 and 2? Just asking because it says to add all ingredients at first. Thanks!
It’s two per batch.
I am definitely going to do this! How much pepper is 10 peppercorns? Is it worth it to just buy the peppercorns for stock?
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