I will admit that I did not get into the whole Instant Pot craze at first. I didn’t understand what the excitement was all about and I didn’t see the need to buy one more appliance that I would have to find space for in my cupboards. However, this past summer I found a brand new one at a garage sale and I couldn’t pass up the chance to try it out. I figured at that price, I had nothing to lose and could always resell it if I didn’t like it.
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The first time I used my instant pot, it did not go well. That thing was close to being put on Facebook Marketplace the next day. 🙂 I tried cooking a whole chicken and let’s just say that after “cooking” it twice in the instant pot and then cooking parts of the chicken in the oven, we finally ate dinner at 8:00 that night.
I don’t have the Instant Pot brand of pressure cooker, but after trying a couple more times and actually figuring out what the buttons and functions do, I’m happy to say that I’ve joined the club and I love my instant pot! I’ve tried a few different recipes and have been pretty happy with them all.
I’ve also recently tried something that I’ve never done before. I made my own chicken broth! It’s actually pretty easy to do, especially in an instant pot. It’s basically free to make since you already have the bones from a whole chicken. You can make it from the leftover bones of a whole chicken that you cooked yourself or even from a rotisserie chicken you picked up from the store. Homemade chicken broth tastes better than store bought and is nice to have on hand in the freezer.
You can also put a few veggies in to add extra flavor and nutrition. I add a few carrots, onions and parsley if I have it on hand. You can add a little bit of salt, but not too much.
Another thing I like about using my instant pot for making chicken broth is that it only takes a couple of hours. Then I let it cool down and strain the broth into a large pot to remove the bones and vegetables. I use a large colander, but you can also use cheesecloth. I then put it in the fridge overnight to cool completely. The next day I skim the fat off of the top, divide it up into ziplock bags in 1 cup quantities and put them in the freezer. My 8 quart instant pot will make about 13 -14 cups of broth. You may need to adjust the ingredient measurements to fit everything in your instant pot depending on it’s size.
If you enjoy making your own chicken broth, I encourage you to try making it in your instant pot. The time it saves is amazing.
Instant Pot Chicken Broth
Ingredients
- 1 chicken bone carcass
- 1 onion quartered
- 3 medium carrots cut into small sticks
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves and stalks
- 1 tsp salt
- 14-16 cups water
Instructions
- Place chicken bones and vegetables in instant pot.
- Add enough water so the bones are covered and add salt.
- Put the lid on and set to locked position.
- Set instant pot to high on the manual setting for 2 hours.
- When the broth is done cooking, carefully turn the valve to release and depressurize.
- Once all the pressure is released open the lid and take the inner pot out to let the broth cool for about 20-30 minutes.
- Strain the broth through a colander or into a large pot to remove bones and vegetables.
- Cover and put in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
- Once broth has completely cooled skim the fat of the top and divide into ziplock bags or containers and store in the freezer.
I use chicken broth so much in cooking, it’s a great idea to try making my own broth. I wouldn’t have thought about using the Instant Pot so I will have to give your recipe a try. My Instant Pot sat in a box for months before I even opened it, but once I finally did I haven’t looked back!
Great article! We also bought our instant pot from a garage sale for cheap and enjoy using it for all kinds. Always looking for new things to try in there! Thanks for the recipe!
My attempts with my Instant Pot have been hit or miss. I have actually had more success with my air fryer, HOWEVER, I definitely want to try making chicken broth like this now. I’ve made my own before, but it just felt like a hassle. I’m totally down for trying your method. So I think I’ll make the whole chicken in the air fryer and the broth in the Instant Pot. hehehe.
Hey that sounds like a good idea! 😊 This is the only way I’ve ever cooked chicken broth. I couldn’t imagine cooking it for hours and hours on the stove.
Thank you for posting this recipe! I never thought of making my own chicken stock and can’t wait to try this over the weekend! I use chicken stock all the time and I am excited this will taste even better than store bought brands and I have a use for the leftover chicken carcass instead of just tossing it away. Can I use a store bought rotisserie chicken carcass or is that too small for the recipe?
You can definitely use a store bought rotisserie chicken for it. That would work just as well. Yes, I love how you can customize this recipe to your needs. There was a time that I couldn’t have garlic for awhile so I just left that out.
Great idea! I’m sure homemade tastes amazing! I’ve never tried making my own, but the instant pot sound like the way to go when doing so. I haven’t gotten around to buying one yet, but I probably will soon. Everyone raves about them! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Yes, it’s really easy to make in the instant pot. And there are so many other things you can make in the instant pot. It’s a lifesaver for me sometimes.