So last November, Black Friday to be more specific, I bought myself a little present. I impulse bought an Instant Pot, at a hefty 35% discount, I might add. I’ve been experimenting with the Instant Pot for a few months and the other day I made my first Instant Pot Chicken Stock. OMG. You guys. This is the best chicken stock I’ve ever made. The extra pressure during cooking really pulls out so much more flavor and collagen to make an ultra rich broth.
What is an Instant Pot?
Instant Pots are a 7-in-1 magical cooking device (or a pressure cooker) that also does a bunch of other cool stuff. These all-in-one devices have been taking the cooking world by storm for the past five years. I had already been on the market to buy a pressure cooker and the wide array of other features this one offered sold me instantly (no pun intended).
I bought an Instant Pot primarily to make cooking dry beans and “slow cooked” meat faster, and didn’t really intend to post about it much on Budget Bytes. You see, I don’t want to give anyone the false impression that you need fancy, expensive equipment to make good food, because you absolutely DO NOT. This machine is just fun and makes life a little faster and easier. For everything else, I still prefer to cook on the stove top or just take the long route with a slow cooker.
What is the Difference Between Chicken Stock and Chicken Broth?
Both chicken stock and chicken broth are made by simmering chicken parts in water with other flavorful ingredients. Chicken stock tends to be richer, which comes from cooking the broth with more bones and connective tissues (sometimes called “bone broth”). Since the bones and connective tissue have a lot more collagen than chicken broth, chicken stock will sometimes be a gel when chilled instead of liquid. They can usually be used interchangeably in recipes, but chicken stock will give you a lot more flavor.
Can I Make Chicken Broth Without An Instant Pot?
You can absolutely make chicken stock or broth on the stove top or in a regular (and inexpensive) slow cooker. I’ve made tutorials for both in the past: How to Make Chicken Broth (stove top) and How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Broth. With both of those methods, just keep in mind that the longer the cook, the better.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Stock
Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken carcass
- 1 yellow onion
- 1-2 carrots
- 1-2 stalks celery
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- Freshly cracked pepper or whole peppercorns
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 8 cups water
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot on to Sauté mode. Add the chicken carcass pieces and sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until browned and pieces begin to stick to the bottom of the pot. Press the cancel button to turn off the heat.
- Cut the ends off the onion, then cut it in half or into quarters. Remove any of the papery skin if it has dirt on it, otherwise leave the skin on. Scrub the carrots and celery. Cut them in half so they fit easily within the pot. Peel the garlic cloves and add them to the pot with the bay leaves, some freshly cracked pepper (or 10-15 whole peppercorns, if available), and a splash of apple cider vinegar.
- Pour 8 cups of cool water over the contents of the pot (do not fill more than 2/3 to the top). Lock the lid into place, close the steam release valve, and press the “manual” button. The display will show 30, indicating the default time set for that mode. We want it to cook for 30 minutes, so no need to adjust the time. After 10 seconds the display will turn to “ON” indicating that it is heating and pressure is building (this takes about 10-15 minutes).
- Once the pot has reached high pressure, the display will begin to count down 30 minutes. When 30 minutes is up, it will beep and switch to “keep warm” mode. Press the cancel button and allow the pressure in the pot to reduce naturally (this takes about 15 minutes). You’ll know the pressure is at a safe level and it’s okay to open the pot when the silver float valve on the lid has fallen down and is no longer elevated. Open the steam release valve, then carefully open the lid.
- Place a fine wire mesh strainer over a large bowl, then ladle the stock into the bowl through the strainer to catch any pieces. When the level gets too low to ladle, remove the large pieces and carefully pour the remaining liquid through the strainer. Taste the stock and add salt if desired.
- Place the stock in an air-tight container and refrigerate until completely cool. Keep the stock refrigerated and use within three days, or freeze for longer storage.
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Equipment
Notes
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Chicken Stock in an Instant Pot – Step by Step Photos
We’ve bought a few rotisserie chickens lately and instead of tossing the carcass, we put the WHOLE thing into a freezer bag and “tossed” it into the freezer. This one had a few pieces of chicken still left that we didn’t get around to eating. I think using a rotisserie chicken added extra flavor because everything had already been slow roasted.
Press the “Sauté” button, which will heat the bottom of the pot like a hot plate. Add the chicken pieces and sauté for a few minutes, or until they begin to brown and stick to the bottom of the pot.
See how it’s browned and stuck to the bottom? Those browned bits will add a LOT of flavor to the broth. Now press the “cancel” button to turn off the heat.
I haven’t had many vegetable scraps lately, so I bought a carrot and some celery fresh, but you can save your vegetable scraps in a freezer bag the same way we saved our chicken carcass, and then use them for the stock (just make sure to clean them REALLY well). Because I didn’t have any scraps this time around, I used one big carrot, two stalks of celery, one yellow onion (with peel but dirty ends cut off) and two cloves of garlic. I also added two bay leaves, a splash (about 1 tsp) of apple cider vinegar, and some freshly cracked pepper. I thought I had whole peppercorns in my pantry, but I was wrong, but a little cracked pepper did the job just fine.
Add 8 cups water, or enough to cover the chicken by a couple of inches, but do NOT fill the pot more than 2/3 full.
Lock the lid into place and close the steam valve. Press the “Manual” button, which is just the basic pressure cooker function. The display will show 30 minutes, which is the default time set for that mode. We want 30 minutes, so no need to press + or – to adjust the time. After 10 seconds, the display will switch to “On” and it will begin to heat. Once it reaches the proper heat and pressure (after about 10-15 minutes), the display will begin to count down 30 minutes.
After cooking at high pressure for 30 minutes, it will beep and switch to “Keep Warm” mode. Press the cancel button and allow the pressure to come down naturally (this takes about 15 minutes). You’ll know the pressure is at a safe level when the silver float valve on top has fallen back down and is no longer elevated. Open the steam valve first, then open the lid. This is what you’ll see. :) And oh my, does it ever smell amazing!
To separate the liquid gold from the debris, just place a fine wire mesh sieve over a large bowl and ladle the stock through the sieve. For extra filtering, you can use cheese cloth, but I found that the mesh sieve worked fine. When you get down towards the bottom of the pot, just remove the large pieces and carefully pour the rest through the sieve.
Taste the stock and add salt if you prefer. I added about 1/2 tsp. Refrigerate the stock and use within three days, or freeze for longer storage. I filled two containers like this before placing it in the refrigerator to cool. Separating it into smaller containers helps it cool faster.
I’m not kidding when I say that this stock was so good that I wanted to just drink it like a beverage. And I might just do that next time because apparently it’s really good for you. I ended up using it to make more Matzo Ball Soup yesterday, but it would also be really good for making chicken pho or ramen. This Instant Pot Chicken Stock was super thick and flavorful, and gelled up nicely when cooled. That’s how you know you got all the good stuff out of the bones! :D
Is it silly that I think it’s beautiful??
Loved this recipe! I got my IP a couple weeks ago and have been trying out all sorts of recipes. I made a rotisserie style chicken a few days ago in it and then used that carcass in this recipe. Best chicken stock I’ve ever made! When I took it out to taste before putting it in the fridge I ended up drinking a cup of it a it was because was so good. Super easy and quick to make too!
This saved my life! I used the Instant Pot to make my own ‘roasted’ chicken, then turned around and used the carcass to make stock! What used to take all day and all night in the slow cooker now takes about 2 hours tops! Thanks, Beth – Love your recipes!
this is the first time i will be using the instant pot..I am rather confused, because my unit doesn’t have the manuel button…do i just use the soup setting?
The “manual” button should be right at the bottom in the center. What model IP do you have?
Please reconsider instructing people to put a lid on their hot stock. It increases the cooling time and is not a recommended food handling procedure.
Best method would be to pour hot stock into a 9×13 pan no higher than halfway, cool uncovered in the fridge, then transfer to a suitable container.
The suggestion of cooling in an ice bath is also a solid method as it will bring the temperature down as fast as possible and will reduce the work your fridge needs to do as the commenter mentioned.
Hi, I put my broth in the refrigerator over night uncovered is it still good. I plan to use it today to make soup.
I made this and it turned out delicious! I added parsley to the pot.
I tried it as directed and what I have is the worst broth I’ve ever made. I used manual, not the soup button, was that wrong? I’ve had to toss the whole thing.
Can you give more details about what was wrong or not as you expected with the final result? That will help pinpoint what might have gone wrong. Using the manual button is correct.
Adding the salt is crucial for flavor. That might be it.
I just got my IP about a month ago and have enjoyed trying out recipes – this was GREAT, thank you!
I’ve made chicken broth/stock for years using a pot and also a stove top pressure cooker. Absolutely the easiest is the instant pot. Best part is that if you start late like I often do, you may need to get to bed before dealing with the stock. Instant pot will keep warm until you can strain.
I don’t recommend cooling stock at room temperature or in the refrigerator. At room temperature, it is in the danger zone too long which creates bacteria. The refrigerator method will decrease the lifespan of your unit.
After straining, I put my kettle of broth in the sink with ice water. It cools faster leaving it in the danger zone for less time. It also will save your refrigerator.
Next day, the fat at the top has solidified and is easy to remove.
This is only the second thing I’ve tried in my Instant Pot, and the first was a bust. This was fantastic… or as much of the directions as I managed to follow! I sauteed everything, covered it with water, set to SOUP and forgot about it. When I wandered back into the kitchen and found the IP depressured and on the warm setting it was full of fantastically rich, deeply colored & flavorful broth. Win!
I’ve tried broth in a slow cooker and the instant pot 4 times previously. This is the easiest, best tasting recipe I’ve tried so far!
Can you use the carcass from frozen or shouldn’t you defrost it firs?
You can use it frozen since the IP heats really quickly (I wouldn’t suggest using a frozen carcass for a slow cooker). It will just take the machine a little longer to come up to pressure.
Hi Beth,
First of all, I just love the concept behind your site. Agreed, delicious, wholesome food doesn’t have to break the bank!
Confession: Before I got the IP, I was Wasteful Wendy, throwing the bones and the leftover rotisserie chicken meat in the compost bin.
The combo of getting the IP for my bday and good old-fashioned Jewish guilt for wasting food, I decided to give home made chicken stock a try. This recipe is SO easy and super delicious. I substituted fresh lemon juice for the vinegar (it’s what I had on hand) and even skipped the saute step. Just tossed the carcass, veggies, etc. in the pot, turned it on and, viola! Perfect stock in a fraction of the time it would have taken on the stovetop.
Thanks, Beth!
Hahah “Wasteful Wendy” I love it! I’m so glad you liked thee stock! :)
Would you ever do your chicken from start to broth in the instant pot instead of buying a premade rotisserie chicken? I’m considering buying an instant pot and was thinking about that!? I don’t know if homemade is cheaper than a store bought chicken anyways? I’m nervous to commit to buying an instant pot but it seems like they’re so handy!! If I buy one I’ll be trying this recipe!
You definitely can do a broth from raw chicken too (I kind of did that in my Pressure Cooker Chicken and Rice recipe), but roasting creates a slightly different flavor because of the dry heat, so I definitely like using rotisserie chicken the best. There’s been a lot of debate over whether rotisserie chickens are cheaper pre-roasted or buying and roasting at home is better. It definitely depends on what’s available in your area. :)
My chicken broth is not gelling. It usually does but the last few times it hasn’t. Any ideas?
If it’s not gelling, that means there isn’t any collagen in the liquid, so either your chicken pieces don’t contain enough connective tissue, or the connective tissue is not breaking down during the cooking process for some reason. I’m not sure what that reason might be, though.
I was making mine in the instant pot for 2 hours and wasn’t getting the gel. Last time I did it for 4 hours and it helped up fantastic
AFter the stock cools, do you skim the fat off before freezing?
That’s up to you. :) If you want a low fat broth, go ahead and skim it, or you can leave it on there for more flavor.