Best Ever Homemade Bone Broth (How To Make)

Today’s post is all about how to make the best ever homemade bone broth, a delicious nutrient-dense broth made from leftover bones. Save money and reduce the waste in your kitchen by making your own broth.

When I was more on the amateurish side of this whole cook thing, I looked at making stocks and broths as some masterful undertaking. In reality, it is probably one of the most hands-off things you can make in the kitchen. Not realizing this, when  I finally made my own, I felt incredibly proud and in disbelief of how simple it was to do. 

Standing there over my stockpot anticipating the flavors of a homemade concoction. Made solely by my hands. It was a moment that I realized how far I had come in my cooking journey. 

On these cold winter days, I have a pot simmering away most Sundays to refill my supply for the week ahead. I stick to making rich bone broths over stocks rather, not only for the delicious taste but for the many health benefits. If you are not aware of these, I will list a few below in the question section. 

You can make bone broth with just about any bones. Chicken, turkey, beef, duck whatever you got. Just use them, bones are valuable. There I said it.

For the from-scratch cook, it’s nearly a crime to throw away perfectly good bones. Instead, grab a freezer bag and toss them in there for later use. Or grab a pot and begin simmering your bones to store the broth for future meals. It is that easy to have a delicious, nutrient-packed homemade bone broth on hand and in times when there are no bones to make bone broth. Well, grab some vegetable scraps and make a vegetable stock. 

To make this bone broth, you will need a large stockpot, some bones, apple cider vinegar and a few other add-ins as you please. You should also note that make an actual bone broth over a standard broth is in the time. To extract all of that goodness within the bones you will need to simmer them for much of a day. So make sure you pick a day where you are home and can have something simmering on your stovetop. 

Homemade Bone Broth Is…

• Filled with nutritional value and has a rich flavor.
• Able to be used in place of recipes that call for chicken broth, beef broth, or chicken stock.
• Great for joint health, digestive tract issues like leaky gut and promotes overall gut health.
• Able to be made with a variety of bones, like pork bones, beef bones, and poultry bones.
• One of my favorite ways to reduce waste from the kitchen.
• A great way for home cooks to save money and a finished product that is superior to regular broth from the store.

Make Bone Broth with Me

Tools You Might Need

a large stock pot

something to store it in (mason jars or milk jugs work great)

a fine mesh strainer

*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through the links I provide (at no cost to you).

Ingredients

Bones- you will need bones to make bone broth, who would have guessed? The nice thing is you can make bone broth with just about any type of animal bones you like. Chicken carcasses from a whole chicken, chicken bones or beef bones are especially great for this. 

Salt- I like to add salt to my bone broth. We drink it and use it for cooking. The salt adds delicious flavor but is completely option to add. I use sea salt but kosher salt and Himalayan pink salt also work well.  If you use standard table salt, use a slightly less then what is recommended in the recipe since table salt tends to be slightly saltier than the sea salt recommended. 

Peppercorns- I use whole peppercorns for flavor. You can use cracked black pepper here if you like. 

Garlic- another add-in, suggested for flavor. You don’t need to peel or chop the garlic. I use large cloves that are intact. 

Herbs- you can add in bay leaves, or other herbs if you’d like. I like to use a bundle of rosemary and a bay leaf if I have it handy.

Water- I use filtered water but standard drinking water is fine.

Vinegar- you will need an acid to extract all the goodness from the bones as they simmer. Apple cider vinegar is perfect for this. If you don’t have it, you can also use lemon juice. 

Directions

Place bones or carcasses in a large stockpot. Fill the pot completely making sure the water just covers all the bones. If you need more than 16 cups of water to do so, add the extra water. This recipe can be doubled to make larger batches. Add in the rest of the ingredients according to the amount you will be making. Pour in a generous amount of salt, every 16 cups of water will need 2 tbsp. of salt.

Place the pot over low heat and allow it to slowly simmer on the stovetop for a minimum of 10 hours. The longer you simmer the bones, the more nutrient-dense your broth will be. If possible, I like to simmer mine for an entire 10-12 hour day.

Turn the heat off at night and come back to it in the morning to simmer it for another 10 hours. For a total of 20 hours of simmering on the stovetop. You don’t need to simmer yours for that long since you can have bone broth from a slow all-day simmer.

If you are using beef bones, a lot of times there will be a bit of foam which is normal. You can take a slotted spoon and skim the top to remove that as it simmers.

When the broth is ready, turn the heat off. Place a large bowl in the sink with a strainer inside to catch the bones. Transfer all the liquid to their storage containers. I find these Le Parfait Milk Jugs to work perfectly. Mason jars will also do the trick nicely. Store in the fridge for up to 7 days or freeze. 

Simmering Notes

• Salt is optional and added in this recipe for flavor.
• You can add whatever herbs you like but make sure to strain off the broth before storing as any debris in the bottle that is floating at the top can cause the broth to mold faster.
• You can use any type of bones you like for bone broth but a few of my favorites are chicken carcasses and beef bones from short ribs or prime ribs. The type of bone will yield different flavors. Pork bones have a distinct smoky flavor and are great to use in Cuban black beans.
• Roast beef bones prior to making the stock to help bring out their flavor.

FAQ’s

How do I store bones from meals for later use?

What I do is put the carcasses in a gallon-sized freezer bag, let the air out, and store them in the freezer until I need more bone broth. Bones will keep for up to 3 months for use.

How do I store the bone broth?

I store mine in Le Parfait milk bottles. But you can also store them in mason jars or any air-tight container that you have. Keep in mind true bone broth becomes thick when cold and is no longer in liquid form. Just make sure the container you use allows you to scoop it out when ready to use it. Once it reheats, it will turn right back to liquid form.

How long does fresh broth last?

It will last about 7 days and should be kept in the fridge. For longer shelf life, you can freeze your broth in gallon-size freezer bags or ice cube trays for smaller portioning. 

Why is bone broth good for you?

Bone broth is rich in minerals that help build and strengthen your bones. It’s rich in amino acids and has been linked to improved skin, hair, and nails. It contains essential fatty acids and vitamins that are beneficial to our bodies.

What is the difference between stock and bone broth?

There are two main differences between the two. The first is the length of time it takes to boil the bones. With stock, you can have homemade stock ready within 4 hours of boiling. As opposed to bone broth, a much longer process. Bones for bone broth should be boiled at a minimum of 10-12 hours and up to 48 hours.

For bone broth, we are essentially trying to break down those bones and get all of the nutrients from them and this takes boiling them at a much longer time frame than a stock. The longer the bones boil, the more nutrient-dense the bone broth will be. You can also opt to roast your bones prior to boiling in the oven at 425℉ for 30 minutes to enrich the flavor but it is not a necessary step in the process.

Secondly, we are adding an acid in the form of apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice). This is to help extract the nutrients from the bones whereas, with stock, acid is not a requirement.

How To Store

Store the bone broth in either glass jars or plastic freezer bags. Bone broth will keep in the fridge up to 7 days. For a longer shelf life you can freeze the broth. To freeze, add the bone broth to a freezer zip top bag, push out any excess air and seal. Label the bone broth and place the bags on their sides to freeze. Its a good idea to keep the bags in a small bin by themselves to avoid them getting popped or torn open while being stored.  The broth will last for up to 3 months when frozen. To defrost, remove the broth bag from the freezer and allow it to come to room temperature on the countertop. If you need the broth faster you can add it to a pot and let it thaw on medium low heat to use right away. 

Uses for Bone Broth

• ​Enjoy a cup of broth to help keep you full or to help boost your immune system.
• Use it in any recipe that calls for stock or broth.
• Great for gravies, sauces and soups.

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Le Parfait 16 oz Milk Jugs Set of 6

Mason Jars 32oz Set of 12

8 qt Stockpot with Lid

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If you try this recipe and love it, I would appreciate you coming back to give it 5 stars!