Chicken Bone Broth (Revisited)
March 9, 2012 in Essentials, Soups and Stews, Soups and Stews
I have been experimenting with the best way to maximize the nutritional content of my chicken bone broth. Essentially, the longer you boil the bones, the more they break down, the more calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, proline and glycine you get in the broth. By 48 hours, the bones are so brittle that you can eat what’s left of them when you strain your broth (which I do and find delightful). I make this on my stove top, but this would be a great time to break out the crock pot if you have one (I still don’t, but it’s on my wish list). I like to get my bone broth started first thing in the morning for supper the next night (or the one after that). Enjoy on its own or use as the base for soups and stews. Yields approximately 8-10 cups.
Ingredients-Chicken Bone Broth:
- Giblets and carcasses from 2-3 chickens (I might use the carcasses from two chickens but also bones saved from a night of wings)
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 medium yellow onions, roots cut off and halved
- 4-5 carrots, washed and cut in half (or about 2 cups of baby carrots)
- 6-8 celery stalks, washed and cut into thirds
- 6-8 cloves of garlic
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 gallon cold water (enough to cover the ingredients)
1. Place chicken giblets and carcasses into a big stock pot. Add enough water to cover the bones (approximately 1 gallon) and the apple cider vinegar.
2. Cover and bring to a boil on top of the stove, then turn down the heat to keep a low simmer for 24-48 hours. Stir once or twice in the first few hours, and then stir at least a couple of times over the next couple of days.
3. Add the vegetables, garlic, salt and bay leaves to the pot. Increase heat to bring back up to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to maintain a simmer.
4. Cook for 4-8 hours more, stirring every hour or so. Let simmer with lid off for the last 2-3 hours.
5. Strain all the ingredients by pouring bone broth from one pot to another through a colander or strainer.
I made my first bone broth ever this past weekend. I was so impressed with the color and texture that I told my husband I will likely never buy broth from a store ever again! Wow.
Your posts are always so informative and I really look forward to reading them. Thank you for your time and your gift of sharing them with us! Your recipe looks much like mine, I add a whole head of garlic though (we love tons of garlic in our house!). I love the chicken bone broth so much better than the beef ones I have tried to make. I can’t seem to get a good tasting broth when I am trying to make Beef Bone Broth :~(
I use the exact same recipe for beef broth and I really enjoy it!
We found that you need to cook beef bone broth much longer. Last batch we made, we cooked it for three days in a slow cooker, and it was (and still is as we have it frozen into cubes) amazing! We drink it straight and use it to cook with.
I love to make bone broth but whenever I do, I get really grossed out by all the fat that rises when it cools. Also there is always this nasty grimminess left at the bottom of whatever container I store it in. Does this happen with you? Do you have any good tips for straining it well or removing the fat?
If you strain through a colander first, then strain through a fine mesh strainer, you should get rid of all the grimy bits (yes, it does happen to me). For removing the fat (which I do for chicken stock but not beef stock since I usually have grass-fed beef bones), the easiest way is to freeze it. After frozen, the fat just scrapes off with a spoon. I usually freeze in 4-6 cup portions and then scrape the fat off when I first pull it out of the freezer. But you could freeze, then have a day where you scrape all the frozen fat off, then put them back in the freezer. The other option is to refrigerate, remove very carefully from the fridge and skim the fat off with a spoon (I find this less effective and much more time consuming).
Another method is to put the hot stock in a glass bowl and leave it set for a few minutes. When the fat is separated, use a baster to suck the liquid from the bottom of the bowl and transfer it to another container. When you have transferred all the liquid and the fat remains behind, we pour the good stock into ice trays. That makes them easy to handle and portion!
I use my crock pot for making bone broth quite frequently, it is great to just throw everything in there and leave it for 24 hours. Thanks for the tip about cooking it for longer, will perhaps try 2 days next time.
I make bone broth in the crock pot all the time. It is so easy! I always have the conflict of if I want more gelatin content (12 hours of cooking chicken bones) or more mineral rich broth (24-48 hours). I have bad knees so I rotate about 50% of the time. The dog also likes the over cooked bones that are soft. They are safe for dogs to eat too! Great addition to the raw dog food we feed.
What does the ACV do? Is it for flavor or to leach something from the bones? (Or, both?)
It is not for flavor. It is simple to help break down the bone and get more minerals into the broth. It’s quite dramatic. If I boil bones for 48 hours without ACV, they are still intact bones. With just that tiny amount of vinegar, the bones are so soft they crumble when you pinch them.
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Is it ok to use the fat scraped off the top of beef broth if the bones are organic/ grass-fed? I seem to remember reading somewhere (don’t know where) that the fat isn’t healthy after the long heating?? Any thoughts appreciated!
I do. I actually leave it in and drink it with my broth. But I also keep my bones at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil. I suppose some of the polyunsaturated fats may oxidize during the cooking process (the saturated fats are very stable), but since the temperature is quite a lot lower than oven cooking temperatures where fats are known to oxidize, I don’t think it’s a huge concern.
I sure hope the beef fat is ok to use! I use a crockpot for my beef bones, with ACV, on low for 30+ hours. After I pour the liquid into a 2-qt glass mixing bowl, I put it in the fridge. Once the fat solidifies on top, it forms a half-inch thick disc, easy to remove. Then I scrape any gelatin from the bottom of the disc, and save in the fridge. I use the fat for roasting vegetables, or sauteing. My husband doesn’t care for the flavor so much, but I enjoy it.
Should be as long as it doesn’t heat above smoking point, which is hard to do when you’re making broth!
Thanks so much for your quick reply. I’ve tried to drink it with the fat in but didn’t like it. I add coconut oil instead. I make broth in a slow cooker, so it shouldn’t get overly hot. I will try reserving the fat. I have roasted veggies in mind
I need to increase the fats in my diet and it seemed such a shame to throw it away.
Question. I made chicken bone broth the other day using the recipe from your first post where you throw everything in the pot at once and let simmer (no vinegar in that recipe). I let it go a lot longer than I typically do (about 36 hours) and the broth came out very dark. So dark it looks more like a beef broth. Should I be concerned?
It just might be a little bitter from boiling the vegetables for so long. I think it’s safe to consume though.
Is apple cider vinegar on the autoimmune diet? I thought I read somewhere that vinegar wouldn’t be good people with AI problems.
Generally yes. The issue is that some vinegars have yeast in them. The yeast they contain is a probiotic and is very beneficial, but some people have food sensitivities to yeast.
Hi! So glad to have found your site. I have recently been trying to convert to a Paleo diet and find your website helpful when it comes to both information and recipes. (I will donate, I promise! I have to wait till after the first of the year – spent way too much on the holiday.) I have a question. What purpose does the apple cider vinegar serve in chicken bone broth soup? I’m assuming it helps extract all the goodies from the bone. And I guess I have two questions. I am going to include the chicken livers in making the broth. Will I get the nutritional benefits of the livers even if I take them out after the 2 days of simmering? Thank you for your help.
The ACV helps to deminieralize the bones. It’s quite dramatic. If you boil bones in regular water for 1-2 days, they are still hard bones at the end. With even just 1-2Tbsp of vinegar in the whole pot of water, the bones will be so brittle and falling apart that you can just eat them. Yes, you will get nutrients out of th eliver, but if it’s in the pot for that long, much of the nutrients will be in the broth rather than the liver (still worth eating them at the end… Another option is to add the livers for the last 3-6 hours).
Wow! Such a fast response. Thank you. I will be back many times. Not sure if you can help on this one – I can’t seem to find a ‘science-based’ site to answer this question: is quinoa considered okay for a Paleo diet? I have found information that says no because of three things: quinoa contains some anti-nutrients that other grains contain, such as phytic acid, lectins, and saponins. Just when you think you’ve found something that might take the place of the grains we crave so much….
Yes, quinoa is very high in saponins. Typically, a paleo diet does not include any grains or pseudo grains whatsoever, but many people use on gluten-containing grains like rice and quinoa for occasional treats, some (healthy) people even up to 2-3 times per week.
I just made a chicken bone broth and it turned out very gelatinous. After I strained it and removed the fat layer, I had a big bowl of jelly! I’m not quite sure what to do with it, so any direction you can provide would be great. Thank you for sharing your expertise, experience and heart with us!
Gelatinous is the best kind! It sill liquefy as soon as you reheat it.
I scooped a couple of tablespoons of my “chicken jello” into my morning berry smoothie in the blender this morning. It improved the texture and the flavor, so it’s nice to know I can sneak it into something like this. I am averse to cooked foods in the morning, so it’s a good thing this worked!
I also hide it in popsicles for my kids.
Can the quantities be doubled (or tripled) in a larger pot with the same results? I keep reading how quickly people consume their broth (I have yet to try this), and so I was thinking about trying to make a larger batch. Thank you!
Yes!
Hi PaleoMom, My daughter and I love your site. thank you for all this wonderful information. I want to try cooking chicken bone broth for 48 hours…I don’t have a crockpot and am not comfortable simmering it on the stovetop when I am not home, would it be okay to cook it for 12 hours, then refrigerate bones and broth until the next day or so when I could simmer it for the remaining time?
I think so. I would just make sure to cool the broth down as quickly as possible in between (take lid off and get it into the fridge).
Hello, Loving your site. It’s so very helpful, so thank you for that. I’m in the planning stages for going AIP Paleo with considerations of FODMAP’s and SIBO. Just wondering…because I have chosen to eliminate celery, onions and garlic from my diet, will I have issues if I include them in a bone broth recipe like this one? Or would it be best to try and make the broth without the vegies I’m trying to eliminate? Thanks
It depends on exactly how you react to them, some of the FODMAPS will go into the broth and some won’t. So, it’s way less than if you were eating those foods directly, but it will depend on just how sensitive you are.
So if I’m just starting on this journey and I’m currently not sure how sensitive I am, would you advise to eliminate them? Thanks so much.
No. I always recommend starting with standard paleo first, give it a couple of months and the move to modifications (except in the case of extremely ill people or really obvious sensitivities).
I have intolerances to MANY foods (approx 80 % of what I tested at USBiotek), so I have VERY leaky guts. What do I do? They say to stay away from all food that I react to, but there is little left, mostly fruit. I have tried now for two months to live on smoothies with what is left, but I am always hungry and do not feel satisfied. I must heal my guts, not just avoid things. Was told to take l-glutamin. Is that good? Want to go Paleo (could have all sorts of meat and fish). Should I start standard paleo? I tolerate celery and carrots.
Yes, start standard paleo with what fruits and vegetables you can eat. L-glutamine is definitely good for healing the gut.
I’ve finally gotten around to making bone broth! Any idea how much you should drink for a good boost to calcium?
Depends on exactly how you’re making it, but 1-3 cups per day.
Hey!
What are your thoughts on pressure cooking the bones for 12 hours? Does this cut down on the time you have to boil it? Does it affect the fact that you won’t be able to skim off the top of the broth as frequently? Obviously you’d have to open the pressure cooker every couple of hours to add more liquid…just wondering if you’ve tried this.
Actually, pressure cooking for 8-10 hours is now my standard method of making broth.
I find that as long as it keeps its seal, I don’t need to add more liquid and I just skim at the end.
I am completely new to this. The carcass… Am I to cook the chicken first, take the meat off and just use the bones for the broth or should I be cooking it all together?
Eat the meat and save the bones for broth.
Are all bones created equal? One of the farmers at my market sells chicken necks that I sometimes buy just to make bone broth. I assume thats a bonus…should I be roasting them in the oven before I put them in the broth?
If you buy Bones from pastured animals, you don’t need to skim the fat. No,you don’t need to roast them first.
What if the chicken you use was fed a diet of soy/corn? In my area it’s impossible to find a non supplemented chicken
It certainly means there’s more omega-6s in their fats, which I always skim off if I’m using conventional chicken), but there’s not evidence for intact soy or corn proteins being in the flesh or bones of the chicken.
Great. Thanks for the info. I always skim the fat off since I knew it wasn’t bad. It is otherwise a pasture raised chicken though.
Hi, for my (Paleo-beleiving) doc I’m supposed to be tracking fat, carbs and protein. I’ve found info for homemade beef bone broth, but not for chicken bone broth. This is from pasture fed chicken and cooked in the crockpot for the best part of two days. Any idea where I might find this info?
I haven’t been able to find that information. I think because the exact nutrients depend greatly on exactly how it’s made. I would just sue beef broth numbers for chicken broth and assume they are at least fairly similar.
Thanks so much for the fast response!
Making this right now, so thank you for this recipe. Two quick questions: Is there a reason you don’t cut up the vegetables more thoroughly? My grandmother always told me you get more nutrients and flavor from cutting up the vegetables in smaller chunks. Is this not true? Two: Would it be okay to add a few radishes as well? I am blessed with an overabundance of these, and am a reasonably healthy person. Thanks!
When you cook for this long, it doesn’t matter, so I just keep it as easy as possible.
Hi! Just wondering.. i normally make beef broth from grass fed only cows but if I only have an organic chicken carcass is using it for broth ok?
also how much broth do you drink/eat a day? thank you!
(hope you can tell i can’t get enough of your site!!
– just started the AIP and having a bit of a UC flare but trying to stay positive that I know this is the right path to getting healed)