Learn how to make bone broth and take advantage of all its health benefits. This nutritious broth is made with roasted beef bones and vegetables and the recipe comes with step-by-step pictures.
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Bone broth is hitting the market with force these days and for a very good reason. It’s been an essential part of a paleo/primal/real food type diet but is now becoming popular – and may I say a little hip – addition to many food menus around the world. In today’s post, I am sharing a recipe for a tasty, savoury and rich beefy bone broth you can make at home.
Bone Broth Nutrition
- Bone broth is gluten-free, keto, paleo-friendly, and very good for you. It’s super simple to make but it takes time.
- Simmering the bones for 12-24 hours allows the release of many healing compounds: collagen (in a more digestible form called gelatine), glutamine, glycine, proline, and minerals. These nutrients are what makes bone broth so unique.
- It’s one of the best foods for a healthy gut, helps prevent leaky gut syndrome, improve your joint health, boost your immune system, get a better night’s sleep and even reduce cellulite and make your hair shiny and strong. If you want to learn more, I recommend this ultimate guide to everything bone broth.
- So yes, bone broth is something I recommend making into a weekly staple and consuming a few times per week if you can.
- I love sipping on a cup of broth and find it nourishing and satisfying on a cold day or when I need something comforting. It’s a great alternative to your mid-morning or afternoon snack and can be enjoyed first in the morning or as a dinner starter. Here are 15 other ways you can use bone broth.
Buying Ready-Made Bone Broth
Although I love making my own broth, I don’t always have the time. In this case, I usually buy ready-made bone broth. If you don’t have the time to cook bone broth on a regular basis, you can definitely take advantage of the ready-available brands hitting the market.
For those of you in the United States, make sure to check out the Kettle & Fire brand – they use organic ingredients and grass-fed beef, and their bone broth has a fantastic flavour. They’re also non-frozen and shelf-stable, so you can store a few cartons in your pantry. You can buy their bone broth online AND if you use the promo code cravecollective, you’ll get 15% off your first order.
In Australia, I like The Stock Merchant brand – they make free-range chicken and grass-fed beef bone broths. My UK readers might like to check out Borough Broth Co., who also have fabulous chicken and beef bone broth that you can order online. My butcher often stocks bone broth, so it’s worth checking your local shops and health food stores.
How To Make Beef Bone Broth At Home
Make sure to use organic ingredients and grass-fed beef bones. Just ask your local butcher and they should be able to give you what you need. This recipe is perfect for making in batches and stores well in the refrigerator for easy use. See step-by-step photos below.
If you get tired of drinking beef bone broth, try making a chicken version. I love turning the bone broth into an egg drop soup. Here is how to make chicken bone broth in the Instant Pot (in just 3 hours!).
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Ingredients
- 1.5 kg mixed beef bones 3-4 lbs. oxtail, knuckles, neck bones and/or short ribs
- 2 medium carrots roughly chopped
- 3 celery stalks roughly chopped
- 2 medium onions roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- A few peppercorns
- A few cloves of garlic optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F.
- Place bones in a single layer on a sheet or roasting pan. Drizzle over with olive oil or coconut oil. Roast for 30 minutes, then flip each bone over and roast for an additional 30 minutes. This browns the bones and gives the stock its lovely colour and flavour. Chop the vegetables while the bones are roasted.
- Add the roasted bones, vegetables, vinegar, bay leaf, peppercorns and garlic (if using) in a large soup pot. Cover completely with water (about 2-2.5 litres) and bring to a high simmer.
- Once you have a high simmer, reduce the heat to low and let the broth simmer for 12-24 hours. If using a slow cooker, set it to LOW after you’ve brought the broth to high simmer first, and cook for the same time.
- Throughout simmering, add more water as needed to keep all the ingredients submerged.
- Once the broth has reached a dark, rich brown colour, remove from heat. Discard the bones, vegetables and bay leaf and strain through a cheesecloth. Cool the pot to room temperature.
- Once at room temperature, pour into jars and let cool in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- When you are ready to serve, skim the condensed fat off the top of the broth and heat to the desired temperature.
After Thanksgiving we made a turkey bone broth using the same ingredients mentioned above and we ended up with a jello like substance. I wonder how to use it afterwards. Will welcome suggestions 🙂
Jello substance is what you want!!! You’ll find that once you reheat the broth, it will melt into liquid again. You can add the ‘jello substance’ to other stews and soups, when you braise some vegetables in a pan, to scrambled eggs.
Most of us strive to get that “jello like substance.” It means you’ve done it right.
Serve like a savory jello with splash of apple cider vineager
Consume’ yum
Or warm it and add cooked veggies and put in ceramic or metal molds chill and serve with a vinegar splash
Once the broth has been put into jars.. how long will it last in the fridge?
In the fridge for up to 1 week and for up to 3-6 months in the freezer (depending on which part/how cold it is).
2 to 2.5 litres of water would barely cover that many bones. Is this an error?
Homemade bone broth is amazing for paleo! I drink it everyday.
But when I can’t find organic bones, I drink Au Bon Broth. Their broth has that jello consistency, I love it!
I’m so excited to make this bone broth! But I can taste apple cider vinegar in anything it touches lol do you think I could substitute with white vinegar?
Absolutely, any vinegar or even lemon juice could be used.
Today I have heard that cooking so long bone broth is.. myth.. because of the oxidation…
I am confused
I am not sure what kind of oxidation would be happening during the cooking of the broth. Do you have a reference or a link to this insight? I’d love to learn more as I haven’t heard this before.
Curious why you recommend skimming the fat off. It seems to me that would be a really healthy part of the concoction.
Just the fat that floats up together with some impurities. I love all the good fats 🙂
Hi! I am wanting to make this so bad! It looks like it’s going to be one amazing recipe!! My question is, do I have to roast the bones? I plan on cooking this in my crockpot and didn’t know if I had to roast them or not. Also, I didn’t get bones with meat on them. Is that okay? Thank you so much!!
You don’t have to roast them. Roasting does give the broth a darker colour and richer flavour though. No meat on the bones is also fine as we’re more interested in all the other bits 😉
Thank you so much for getting back with me!!
I made this today and hubby later added salt – does this recipe need salt? Is there any reason why we shouldn’t add salt?
You can add salt to taste, no reason not to add it. It’s not in the recipe so you can flavour and use the broth in many ways and modify salt content as you wish.
I just made two huge pots and have two and a half gallons I was wondering what is the best way to store it and how long will it stay good for?
I usually keep bone broth for up to one week in the fridge (airtight container or in Mason jars) and you can also freeze it for 2-3 months. You could freeze it in ziplcok bags, ice cube trays (for smaller portions) or in containers. Defrost and enjoy well reheated.
You can pressure can it if you follow the approved guidelines to do so safely.
I make this recipe every week and enjoy bone broth daily. This recipe is delicious. I use the recipe exactly as written, and cook in crockpot for 24 hours. Thank you for this recipe!
Thanks Kathleen! I admire you patience, I often end up cooking for less time or use my pressure cooker instead.
Do you have to use grass fed bones?
Not at all, just good quality beef bones will do the job. Grass-fed is considered more nutritious but you will still be getting a lot of benefits from regular beef bones.
6 hours in, I’ll report back,
Hi. I bought my bones frozen. Do they need to be defrosted before roasting?
Yes, I would defrost them in the fridge overnight.
If you don’t defrost over night , would you roast them longer or cook them longer ( I am using an insta pot). I have already started roasting them while they were frozen 😑
The only thing about roasting while not defrosted is that they will produce a lot of liquid while defrosting in the oven, so it will take you longer to get them nice and browned. If you’re using the Instant Pot, you can just put the frozen bones in as they are without roasting. You won’t get that darker broth colour and a little caramelisation on the bones from roasting, but the broth will still work. If using frozen bones, add an extra 10 minutes to pressure cooking or so. I would do 3-4 hours in Instant Pot for proper bone broth, 2 hours for chicken bones.
You do not need to defrost first.
Can someone please tell me if osso bucco would work well for stock? I always get it from the butcher when I purchase cow shares from my local farmer. I only have half a pound of ox tail but 4-5lbs of osso bucco. It’s got quite a large center bone with lots of marrow and some meat around the edges.
This sounds delicious and I’ve bought the beef bones today to make my first batch of beef broth. I’m just wondering if you would keep the fat after cook to consume if you’re doing the KETO diet? Thanks
You can definitely keep the fat and use it, whether you’re doing keto or not.
What do I do with the fat after roasting beef bone
You can scoop it up and store in a jar in the fridge for up to 7 days. Use it as a cooking fat.
I’m curious about the addition of vinegar – what does it do or change in the broth?
Hey, Josie Good question! Two things: it adds a little acidity to the flavour and helps to extract nutrients from the bones. You can also use lemon juice.
Dear Irena
Thank you for the recipes.
How do I dry and pulverize bone broth?
Regards
Themba Funzani
Hi, Themba. I don’t know, I’ve never dried or pulverized it myself, I think it would be very hard to do at home.
is it ok to put mason jars in the if I only fill 3/4 of the way
Hey, Frank. To be honest I am not entirely sure but I think they should be fine.
should be in freezer
Hi,
I like your recipe but you didn’t mention nutrition info.
Thank You
The nutrition breakdown will vary between each person’s bone broth, depending on how much fat might have been left on the bones, which bones/parts were used etc. This is why I provided information about the general benefits of bone broth but not macronutrients as they will be different. The USDA Nutrient Database states that 1 cup of homemade chicken or beef stock ranges from 31 to 86 calories, 0.2 to 2.9g fat, 4.7 to 6g protein, and varying amounts of calcium, iron, potassium and other minerals. This might be a little different with bone broth as it cooks for much longer and has more amino acids and a little more fat.
using the above recipe how much finished product do you get? Approximate?
I just wanted to know a ratio because beef bones are so expensive to buy.
1.5-2 Litres, but really depends on how much water you add as you can stretch it out to more if you have a very big pot.
Smells delicious and can’t wait to use it!
at which point do you add the apple cider vinegar you have listed in the ingredients list?
At the start, when you add the water and all the other ingredients. It all goes in the pot.
This sounds delicious, our butcher saved me about 4 pounds of t-bones. I’m starting this tonight, how long will the bone broth keep in the refrigerator?
I roasted my bones, used same vege as this recipe, used slow cooker on high for about 26hours. And strangely this time, it did not Gel? Stayed liquid? This has happened twice in a row,and the only bones I could find were all bone cuts without any little bits of meat on them. I’m baffled? I made it all last year, and used what grocery called soup bones which they no longer carry and ot was always beautiful Gel, now its liquid and not gelled at all? I guess this means there is no Collagen? Is that right
Not necessarily, maybe just a lot less. I do wonder if it was because it was just bones with no cartilage or meat on them?
Great bone broth recipe shared. Thanks for the great read.
– Australianbonebrothco.com.au
Can you freeze the broth
Yes, absolutely! Cool it down first and then either store in ziplock bags, containers or ice-cube trays.
I was wondering how long stays good in fridge or should I freeze some really want to try it
For up to 7 days in the fridge (reheat well before consuming) or up to 3 months in the freezer. I often make a big batch and keep half in the fridge and half frozen.
Nicely presented. Good photos. Clearly set forth. Straightforward.
Thanks Roger! Irena 🙂
I tried this recipe for bone broth and I loved it! This is the first time I’ve made bone broth. It’s simple and it seems you can get the same, or maybe better, health benefits from your homemade bone broth as the higher-priced market available powders, etc! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Janet! I’m so glad you liked it! Irena 🙂
Hello!
I want to can the bone broth, in my pressure canner. I need the quantities for 7 quarts of finished broth.
I don’t believe you said how many qts. your recipe made?
thank you!
Hey Jame, the final yield is about 2 litres, which I think is 2.11 quarts. You’ll have to make a few batches of the broth unless you have those big restaurant style pots, in which case you can do one large batch.
Can I put in the freezer in glass jars? I live in Arizona
yes, you can! Here is a handy article with some tips on this topic: https://www.gardenbetty.com/how-to-safely-freeze-liquids-in-mason-jars/
When the bones come out of the oven.do i keep the juice from them
Yes!!!! Adds a lot of flavour.
After I make the broth can I pressure can them in jars and if so how long and at what psi
Hi Sharon, I don’t do any pressure canning so I don’t have that information for you. I would Google it and you should be able to find an answer.
Do you ever canned your bone broth?
No, just freeze it usually.
Can I add salt to it?
Yes, absolutely.
Great recipe