This bone broth recipe is a nutritional superhero that is packed full of vitamins, minerals, and collagen. You can cook it on the stove, in a slow cooker, or in an Instant Pot. You can use beef, chicken, or turkey bones.
Making bone broth out of food scraps and leftover bones is one of my favorite ways to get the most out of the things I have in the kitchen. It’s great to keep on hand in the freezer for healthy stews and soups, or you can just drink it to get extra nutrients.
There are many good reasons to make your own broth. It is simple to digest and full of immune-boosting nutrients, vitamins, and supplements.
Another great way to use all parts of an animal is to make broth. This includes parts we might not be able to eat, like feet, skin, marrow, and ligaments.
Bone broth goes one step further than regular broth. Because it is cooked for a long time, minerals and amino acids (like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and more) are extracted from the bones and ligaments, adding to the flavor and making the broth even healthier.
I’m all about science here, and I’m sharing peer-reviewed articles that say drinking bone broth might help with the following:
I hope that studies will be done in the future that use bone broth itself instead of just the molecules that are in it. If you want to read more about the health benefits, here is a great article based on science.
This bone broth recipe can be made with any bones. I’ve used turkey, chicken, and beef bones that I had left over.
Apple cider vinegar – 1 tablespoon to help extract the vitamins and minerals from the bones.
You can leave this out or add it at the end to taste if you’d rather. Sea salt will season your broth.
Water- many recipes call for filtered water but I just use regular tap water. About 10 cups are added, or the slow cooker is filled to the top, or the Instant Pot is filled to the top line.
Bone broth has become immensely popular in recent years due to its many health benefits. This nourishing liquid is made by simmering bones and connective tissue in water for an extended period of time usually between 12-24 hours. The resulting broth is rich in proteins minerals and other nutrients that provide a variety of health benefits.
When making bone broth at home, one of the first questions is how many pounds of bones do you need? The answer depends on a few factors.
How Much Bone Broth Are You Making?
The number of pounds of bones needed will depend on how much bone broth you want to end up with A good rule of thumb is 1 pound of beef bones per 4 cups of water
For example, if you want to make a small batch using a 6 quart slow cooker or stock pot, 2-3 pounds of bones would work well. This will yield approximately 8-12 cups of bone broth.
For a larger batch using a bigger pot, you may want 5-6 pounds of bones which can make 16-24 cups of broth
Keep in mind the bones will shrink during cooking as the collagen leaches out into the water. You need enough bones to extract nutrients and gelatin but not so many that they are overcrowded in the pot.
Types of Beef Bones for Broth
The type of beef bones used can also impact how many pounds you need. Some bones contain more collagen and marrow than others.
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Marrow bones – Bones like knuckle and femur bones are excellent choices since they contain nutrient-dense marrow. They also provide more gelatin.
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Oxtails and other joint bones – These bony cuts are loaded with collagen and make a very gelatinous broth. Use 2-3 pounds.
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Soup bones – Bones like neck, leg and knuckle bones work well. Aim for 4-6 pounds.
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Meaty bones – Bones with meat left on them add flavor and nutrients. Short ribs, oxtails and marrow bones are great choices.
Get Bones from Your Butcher
The easiest way to source beef bones for broth is from a local butcher. Tell them you are making bone broth and ask for a mixture of marrow and knuckle bones or oxtails. You want bones with joints and some meatiness.
Ask for 4-6 pounds of bones depending on how much broth you want to make. Also request the bones be cut into 2-3 inch pieces to expose the marrow and collagen. This helps release more nutrients into the broth.
Save Bones from Meals
Another option is to save beef bones from meals like T-bone steaks, prime rib roasts, short ribs or osso bucco. Keep bones in the freezer until you have enough for a batch of broth.
Since these bones were likely already roasted, you can skip that step and go right to simmering them for your bone broth.
How to Make Beef Bone Broth
Once you have gathered the right amount of beef bones, making broth is simple. Here is an overview of the basic steps:
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Blanch bones – Start by boiling the bones for 10-15 minutes to remove impurities. Drain and rinse.
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Roast bones – Roast bones at 400°F for 45 minutes to enhance flavor.
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Simmer bones – Place bones in a pot and add water to cover. Simmer for 12-24 hours.
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Strain and cool broth – Strain out the bones, chill broth to remove fat.
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Store and use – Freeze broth in jars or bags for later use. Thaw to make soups and stews.
The longer you simmer the bones, the more collagen and nutrients will be extracted into the broth. Aim for at least 12 hours but 24-48 hours is ideal.
Tips for the Best Homemade Bone Broth
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Use a variety of marrow rich, jointed beef bones for maximum nutrients.
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Add an acid like vinegar or lemon juice to help extract minerals from the bones.
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Keep the broth at a low simmer and avoid boiling which can make it cloudy.
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Skim off scum and impurities that rise to the surface while simmering.
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Let broth cool completely before straining so the fat separates and congeals on top.
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Drink broth warm or use it to make soups, stews, gravies and sauces. It adds great flavor and nutrition.
The natural gelatin released from long simmered beef bones makes a nutrient dense bone broth perfect for boosting your health. Follow these tips on pounds of bones needed and enjoy homemade beef bone broth often!
Step by step directions
1. Roast the bones; this step is only needed if you are using raw beef bones, and it makes the beef bone broth taste much better. Chicken carcasses have likely already been roasted by the time you remove the meat.
- roast at 425°F for 30 minutes, turning bones over halfway
2. Prepare veggies- coarsely chop carrots, celery and onions. Slice a head of garlic in half. Grab any fresh herbs you might have (dont worry if you dont have them though!).
3. Combine all ingredients in your cooking vessel. You can use:
4. Cook!
- For the Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for two hours and then let the pressure naturally drop. This takes a total of four hours.
- Slow cooker & stove top- simmer for 24 hours
5. Remove solids– I use tongs to get the heavy stuff, and strain the rest through a sieve.
6. Portion out – I store my broth in 1 pint jars because its a handy size to freeze. You can also store in 1 quart jars, or freeze in ice cube trays.
7. Optional- skim the fat. Beef broth is FATTY. I dont find this appealing to drink, so heres what I do:
- refrigerate beef bone broth overnight
- When the fat has hardened, use a spoon to remove it from the top of the broth and put it in a clean jar to save for later.
- Here’s a great article on how to use the fat in a different way.
*this is not necessary with turkey or chicken broth as they are not overly fatty
Bone broth freezes and thaws well and may be stored in the freezer for up to 1 year. Here are several ways you could freeze your bone broth:
- Mason jars: Don’t fill them more than ¾ full, and let them cool completely before freezing. Leave lids ajar until fully frozen, then tighten. Avoid jars with shoulders and use 1 pint or 1 quart sizes. Also, never use old jars that aren’t meant to be frozen again.
- Souper cubes are basically big silicone ice cube trays that let you freeze bone broth in amounts that have already been measured out. Putting the frozen blocks in freezer bags makes it easy to thaw just the right amount.
- ice cube trays are great for recipes that only need a few tablespoons of broth I don’t freeze in ice cube trays, but if you want to keep something for a long time, you should move it to a reusable silicone bag after freezing.
- freezer bags—choose strong bags with two zippers and put the cooled bone broth in them. Freeze flat, then transfer to an upright position to store.
Make sure to label with the date so you know which ones to use up first. I like these reusable labels.
Here are our top picks for the best freezer containers to keep your food fresh and prevent freezer burn. They include bags, containers for soup, containers for meal prep, and more.
A lot of people enjoy sipping bone broth, but I am just not one of them. Instead, I like to use it up in recipes.
Here are my favorite ways to use it:
It either wasn’t cooked long enough to get enough gelatin out of the bones OR there weren’t enough bones in the broth for it to gel.
Yes, I do this all the time. I specifically label chicken bone broth versus beef bone broth so I dont mix them up. If your broth is already salty, you may need to change the amount of salt in the recipe. Other than that, they are very similar.
Keep it in the refrigerator for no longer than 5 days. You can freeze it for up to a year.
Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped this recipe. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook.
If you made it, please tag me on social media @sweetpeasandsaffron, leave a comment, and rate the recipe.
How to Make Grassfed Beef Bone Broth
FAQ
How many pounds of bones does it take to make one gallon of stock?
How much bone do you need for stock?
What is the ratio of beef bones to water?
How much beef do you use to make bone broth?
Garlic: I love how garlic enhances the flavor of beef and brings a savory sweetness to the pot. Beef Bones: I use about 6 pounds or 2.7kg of beef bones to make bone broth in a large 8-quart stock pot. You can make stock with fewer or more bones too, just adjust the other ingredients as needed.
How long does bone broth take to cook?
Place the pot on the stove, and bring to a boil. Let boil for 10 minutes then cover and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Let the bone broth simmer for 12-18 hours, stirring occasionally. After 12-18 hours, remove the pot from heat.
How do you make bone broth at home?
Learn how to make your own Bone Broth right at home with these easy to follow instructions. Blanch the bones. Divide the bones between two large stockpots and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes before draining and rinsing the bones with water. Roast the bones and the vegetables.
How much protein is in a cup of bone broth?
High Protein: A cup of bone broth has an estimated 10 grams of protein, making it a delicious snack for sipping on. To make beef bone broth, you really only need beef bones + water. You can also add herbs and vegetables like carrots, celery, or onion, but it’s completely unnecessary. crockpot , strainer, airtight containers (for storing)