Homemade beef bone broth is one of those simple kitchen traditions that has stood the test of time. With just a handful of real ingredients and a little patience, you end up with a rich, nourishing broth that can be used for soups, sauces, or simply sipped on its own. The beauty of bone broth is that it doesn’t require anything fancy—just good bones, water, and a slow simmer. In this recipe, we’ll walk through three easy ways to make it at home: the slow cooker, Instant Pot, and the classic stovetop method, so you can choose whichever fits your rhythm best.
What you need to make homemade beef bone broth + substitutions:
- Beef bones- We use local grass fed beef bones from our local market but any beef bones would suffice. Also, there is no reason why you couldn’t make chicken bone broth by just substituting the beef bones with a chicken carcass from a whole roasted chicken.
- Carrots & celery- We added carrots and celery for the flavor and nutrients.
- Onions- Onion adds a great flavor to this homemade beef bone broth.
- Fresh garlic- Once garlic becomes heated it releases a nice sweet nutty flavor.
- Filtered water- Using filtered water can prevent toxins such as heavy metals and chemicals from entering your broth.
- Sea salt & pepper- I have tasted many broths that are so tasteless! Add salt and pepper and thank me later. There is absolutely nothing wrong with good sea salt and the flavor is much more enjoyable. Our favorite is Redmond Sea Salt and we buy it in bulk. You can use the code daddioskitchen for 15% off.
- Garlic powder- More garlic for flavoring if you want but the cloves would work well if you do not like extra garlic. It’s not necessary to use both but you can like we did for this crockpot beef bone broth.
- Fresh rosemary- We had a ton of fresh rosemary in our garden so we’ve been using it in everything. You can use fresh or dried no problem. It’s totally optional.
- Apple Cider Vinegar- Works in tandem with lemon if you do half and half to release more collagen from the bones. Of course, if you don’t have lemon just use the apple cider vinegar. Apple cider is more mandatory than using just lemon.
- Lemon- The lemon juice works with the apple cider vinegar from the acidity too release more collagen in bones.
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Homemade Beef Bone Broth
Homemade beef bone broth is one of those simple kitchen traditions that has stood the test of time. With just a handful of real ingredients and a little patience, you end up with a rich, nourishing broth that can be used for soups, sauces, or simply sipped on its own. The beauty of bone broth is that it doesn’t require anything fancy—just good bones, water, and a slow simmer. In this recipe, we’ll walk through three easy ways to make it at home: the slow cooker, Instant Pot, and the classic stovetop method, so you can choose whichever fits your rhythm best.
Servings 0
Ingredients
- 2-3 bones beef bones
- 3-4 large carrots
- 3-4 stalks of celery
- 1 yellow onion cut in half & peeled
- 8 cups filtered water
- 1½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary optional (or another fresh herb)
- ½ lemon squeezed
Instructions
- Turn on crockpot to low setting and add beef bones.
- Next, add in the onions, carrots, celery, fresh rosemary, filtered water, lemon, apple cider vinegar and all of the seasoning.
- Cover and let sit for 12-24 hours.
- Once cooked, pour through a strainer so you're getting just the broth. Separate into mason jars and freeze any unused broth.
- To drink, warm on the stovetop, sip and enjoy!
Notes
For Storing: Store in the fridge in a mason jar for up to a week.
For the Instant Pot Method:
- Add the roasted beef bones to the Instant Pot. If using vegetables, add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery.
- Pour in apple cider vinegar and fill the pot with water until the bones are fully covered, staying below the max fill line.
- Secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 3 hours.
- When the cooking time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Carefully open the lid and strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl or pot, discarding the bones and solids.
- Let the broth cool slightly, then store in jars or containers in the refrigerator. Once chilled, the broth may form a gel-like consistency, which is a sign of a rich, well-made broth.
- Add the roasted beef bones to a large stockpot or Dutch oven. If using vegetables, add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery.
- Add apple cider vinegar and pour in enough water to fully cover the bones. Let the pot sit for about 20–30 minutes before heating to help draw nutrients from the bones.
- Bring the pot to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a low simmer.
- Simmer uncovered or partially covered for 12–24 hours, occasionally skimming off any foam or impurities that rise to the top. Add a little more water if needed to keep the bones covered.
- Once finished, remove from heat and strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl or pot, discarding the bones and solids.
- Allow the broth to cool slightly before storing in jars or containers in the refrigerator. When chilled, the broth may become gel-like, which means it’s full of natural collagen.