How to make Chicken Broth in the Instant Pot

If you would like to learn how to make chicken broth in the Instant Pot, you’ve come to the right place!

It is one of the greatest uses for your Instant Pot, I think. Super easy and so fast. And let’s be real; one of the main reasons I like the Instant Pot is because it shuts off on it’s own! Perfect for those of us who are forgetful, haha!

How to make chicken broth in the Instant Pot

For this batch, I wanted a plain broth with no other flavors. Usually, I would add onions and garlic and all sorts of veggies for a rich stock.

If you want to, you can add carrots, celery, onions, garlic, bay leaves, or any number of favorite veggies.

How to prepare the broth

I had some chicken legs that I had deboned, so I placed those into the Instant Pot, and added water to the MAX line on the bowl.

Note: You do not need to make this volume of chicken broth. If you just have a few bones, just add 6 cups of water, or however much you need.

Read the instructions for your Instant Pot to see how much water you need at a minimum. Mine needs 3 cups minimum.

Time needed for pressure cooking

Then I set it to Manual, and punched in 20 minutes. After it had pressure-cooked for the 20 minutes, I let it natural release for another 20 minutes. Then I finished with a quick release.

I strained the broth through a colander, and let the bones cool off.

Next, I picked off the remaining chicken that was on the bones, and added it back to the broth.

Full-fat or fat-free

I left the skin with the bones, because I like a full-fat version. I think it adds to the flavor of the chicken broth.

But if you prefer a fat-free broth, just allow the broth to cool completely. Put it in the fridge overnight, then you can discard the fat in the morning. It will harden on top of the broth.

How to store chicken broth

This broth can be canned or frozen for future use. I often freeze mine, because it is fast. But when I have a little more time, I prefer to have it canned. It is so handy to open a jar of chicken broth!

You can use my method of how to make chicken broth in the Instant Pot, then use the tutorial on canning chicken broth here: How to Make and Can Chicken Broth.

You can freeze broth in glass jars, but you must leave an inch or more headspace so the broth has room to expand, and doesn’t burst the jar.

When freezing broth, I like to use whatever plastic containers I have around the kitchen. Label them with the contents and date, to avoid confusion later!

I always feel so thrifty when I use a chicken carcass or leftover bones to make a quick batch of homemade chicekn broth!

I have never bought broth in all my years of cooking – I always cook up my own broth from bones. It is so economical and healthy.

Have fun cooking up a batch of homemade chicken broth! And let me know in the comments: what do you make with chicken broth?