Restorative and nourishing, Bone Broth is everywhere these days- and understandably so! It’s affordable, packed with age-defying collagen, and easy to make right at home in either your Instant Pot, slow cooker, or in a stockpot on the stove. Learn How to Make Beef Bone Broth with my easy-to-follow instructions, tips, and answers to all your bone broth frequently asked questions.
Ingredients in Homemade Bone Broth
2-3 lb Beef bones
2 Carrots
1 Onion
1 Celery
2 Whole heads of Garlic
2-3 Bay leaves
1/4 tbsp Whole black peppercorns
1 Whole star anise
1 Cinnamon stick (optional)
1/4 cup Apple cider vinegar
Equipment needed to make stock at home
You don’t need a ton of fancy equipment to make homemade broth. However, you will need a few essentials including:
Stockpot– you will need at a 8-quart stockpot to prepare this particular recipe.
Roasting Pans or lined baking sheets – Because yes, for the best possible broth, you need to roast the bones before you boil them.
Wire mesh strainer– inexpensive but completely necessary, you need a wire mesh strainer to strain the delicious broth from the bones and vegetables.
What are the Best Bones for Bone Broth?
In this particular beef bone broth recipe, I have added a mixture of knucklebones, short ribs, oxtail, and femur bones. The result was a delicious, nutrient-filled, gelatin-rich broth.
The best bones for the best bone broth (beef or chicken bone broth) include:
Knuckles
Joints
Feet
Marrow bones
For added flavor incorporate meaty bones like oxtail, shank, and short ribs.
Chicken feet (not included in this recipe) contain loads of gelatin and are less expensive than other gelatin-rich bones.
Ok, let’s get started.
Step 1: Blanch the Bones
Place the bones into a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes before draining and rinsing the bones with water.
Do you have to blanch the bones? The answer is no. However, I recommend, especially if you’re making broth from beef bones, that you do blanch them first. If you’re using chicken bones or chicken feet blanching is less important, but beef bones really need this extra step, especially if you want a clear stock.
What’s the purpose of blanching? The purpose is to remove impurities, coagulated protein, and blood which ultimately results in a cleaner, better tasting broth.
Step 2: Roast the Bones and Vegetables
Now that your bones have been blanched, drained, and rinsed, it’s time to preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Transfer the bones and vegetables (carrots, onions, garlic, celery) to the roasting pans. Avoid piling them all on top of each other- use two roasting pans, if necessary. Roast for 30 minutes before gently tossing the bones and vegetables, and roasting for an additional 15-30 minutes more.
Why roast bones for broth? Roasting equals flavor! And we love a little added flavor, right? This step in an easy way to brown and caramelize your bones without a lot of added work. Do you want to char or burn your bones? No. But, nice, deep browning? Yes.
Step 3: Transfer the Bones Back to the Stockpots & Bring to a Boil
Wash the stockpot that was used to blanch the bones (this is super important) and add the roasted bones and vegetables into the pot. Scrape up any brown bits and juices remaining in the roasting pan using a metal spatula and a little water, if needed (don’t worry, all those brown bits are FLAVOR!). Add bay leaves, peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and apple cider vinegar. Fill the pot with approximately 12 cups of cold water, or enough water to cover the bones by approximately an inch. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and bring to a low boil.
Can you cook your broth in a slow cooker (Crockpot)? Yes. Absolutely. Instead of transferring the roasted bones, veggies, herbs, and spices to large stockpot put everything in your slow cooker, cover with cold water, and cook on low for 24-48 hours with the lid slightly ajar. Add additional water, as needed, to keep the bones covered.
Step 4: Simmer
Reduce heat to low and simmer, with the lid slightly ajar, skimming any foam or excess fat, as needed. Simmer for at least 8-12 hours or up to 24 hours (do not leave the stove running overnight. Simply cool and store in the refrigerator and continue to simmer the next day). Add more water if needed to make sure bones and vegetables remain fully submerged.
If the vegetables (particularly the carrots) turn too soft and mushy at any point throughout cooking, use a slotted spoon to remove. Enjoy as a delicious snack or discard.
Step 5: Strain the Bones
Once the bones have simmered and your broth is ready, you will need to strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer. For an extra clear broth, strain a second time through a food-grade cheesecloth. Set aside the broth to cool and allow the bones to cool (see more on storage and cooling below).
Step 6: Don’t Forget About the Meat
Depending on the type of bones you use to make your bone broth, you may or may not have any meat left to be picked off. In my case, I had tons of leftover delicious meat perfect for soup, sandwiches, or (if you’re not into the meaty bits) the family pet. Don’t let it go to waste! As for the vegetables, blend them together and add them to cooked rice, mashed potatoes, or, add a little broth and make it a delicious blended soup.
Step 7: Skim the Fat from Your Broth (optional)
Add a couple of handfuls of ice to your broth to expedite cooling and cover with a lid. Transfer your broth to the refrigerator and allow it to cool completely. The result will be a hard, thick layer of fat and a bottom layer that is your bone broth (which should look like gelatinous brown jello). If desired use a fork to scoop off the top layer of fat. This will leave behind the healthy bone broth, minus the fat.
Step 8: Store your bone broth
Bone broth stores well in the refrigerator for approximately 5 days. If you make a large batch, I recommend freezing smaller batches in the freezer for up to 6 months (it reheats perfectly!)
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