This slow cooker chicken bone broth turns a leftover carcass or a bag of bones into a rich, golden broth with almost no hands on work. A splash of apple cider vinegar and a long, slow cook pull real flavor and collagen out of the bones.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links from Amazon, Target, and other partners. If you purchase through one of my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog!
It takes about 10 minutes to put together, then the slow cooker does the rest for 12 to 18 hours.
🛒 Ingredients
- Chicken bones or carcass. A leftover roasted carcass gives more flavor, but raw bones work too.
- Onion, carrots and celery. The classic base that builds flavor into the broth as it cooks.
- Garlic. Just a couple cloves, enough to round out the flavor without taking over.
- Apple cider vinegar. It helps pull minerals and collagen out of the bones over the long cook time.
- Water. Enough to fully cover the bones and vegetables in the slow cooker.
- Salt and black pepper. Kept light here since the broth is usually seasoned again once it is used in a recipe.
- If you want somewhere to use this broth right away, try it in my Creamy Italian Sausage Soup Tuscany Style or Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili next.
👩🍳 You'll find the complete list of ingredients below the recipe card.
🥣 How To Make Slow Cooker Chicken Bone Broth Step By Step
- Place the chicken bones or carcass in the slow cooker.
- Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic.
- Pour in the apple cider vinegar and water.
- Add the salt and black pepper, then cover and cook on low for 12 to 18 hours.
- Strain the broth through a fine sieve and discard the solids.
- Let the broth cool slightly before storing.
Rita's Tip
Let the slow cooker do its full 12 to even 24 hours if you can. The broth tastes noticeably richer at the long end of that range than it does at the short end.
Stovetop and Instant Pot Instructions
Same ingredients and amounts either way, just a different cook time depending on the method.
Stovetop
- Combine the bones, vegetables, garlic, vinegar, water, salt and pepper in a large stockpot.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer uncovered for 4 to 6 hours, skimming off any foam that rises to the top.
- Strain and cool the same way as the slow cooker version.
Instant Pot
- Combine the bones, vegetables, garlic, vinegar, salt and pepper in the Instant Pot. Reduce the water to about 8 cups so the pot does not overfill.
- Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 45 to 60 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally for at least 20 minutes before opening the lid.
- Strain and cool the same way as the slow cooker version.
Ways To Use This Chicken Bone Broth
- Use it as a base for soups and stews.
- Cook rice or other grains in it for extra flavor.
- Add it to sauces and gravies in place of water.
- Freeze it in portions to pull out for future recipes.
📋 Tips
- Skip the rolling boil. A slow cooker on low keeps the broth at a gentle simmer the whole time, which keeps it clear instead of cloudy.
- Don't skip the vinegar. It helps pull minerals and collagen out of the bones over the long cook time.
- Use a roasted carcass when you can. Leftover bones from a roasted chicken give a deeper flavor than raw bones alone.
- Let the broth cool before storing. Moving it straight into the fridge hot can raise the fridge temperature and affect other food nearby.
🍱 Storage Instructions
- 🍱To Store. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- 🥶Freezing. Freeze in portions for up to 3 months, so you only thaw what you need.
- 🔥To Reheat. After refrigerating, the fat solidifies on top and can be skimmed off before reheating on the stove or in the microwave.
Chicken Bone Broth Questions
Can I use raw chicken bones
Yes. Raw bones or a leftover roasted chicken carcass both work well.
Why add apple cider vinegar
The vinegar helps draw minerals and collagen out of the bones, which makes for a richer broth.
Can I make this without vegetables
Yes. A simple bone broth can be made with just bones, water and salt.
How do I remove the fat from the broth
After refrigerating, the fat solidifies on top and can easily be skimmed off.
More Slow Cooker Recipes You'll Like
Before You Go
If this recipe made its way to your dinner table, I'd love to hear what you thought! Leaving a ★★★★★ rating and review below helps other readers and supports the work I do here at Cookrita. Thank you so much for being here. ❤️
📖Recipe
Slow Cooker Chicken Bone Broth
Ingredients
- 2 ½ to 3 pounds chicken bones or carcass, about 1 to 1.4 kilograms
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 15 milliliters
- 8 to 10 cups water, about 2 to 2.5 liters
- 1 teaspoon salt, 5 grams
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, 2 grams
Instructions
- Place the chicken bones or carcass in the slow cooker.
- Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic.2 ½ to 3 pounds chicken bones or carcass, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks
- Pour in the apple cider vinegar and water.2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Add the salt and black pepper.8 to 10 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt
- Cover and cook on low for 12 to 18 hours.
- Strain the stock through a fine sieve and discard the solids.
- Allow the stock to cool slightly before storing.
- If you like this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating, thank you!
Notes
- Skip the rolling boil: a slow cooker on low keeps the broth at a gentle simmer the whole time, which is what keeps it clear instead of cloudy.
- Don't skip the vinegar: it helps pull minerals and collagen out of the bones over the long cook time.
- Use a roasted carcass for more flavor: leftover bones from a roasted chicken give a deeper flavor than raw bones alone.
- Storage: keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze in portions for up to 3 months.
Comments
No Comments