How To Make Chicken Broth with Water – Instant Pot Recipe
The healthiest and most flavorful chicken broth is 100% homemade. There is such value in knowing exactly what is in your food! Today we will look at how to make chicken broth with water in your instant pot.
I started making my own chicken broth pretty soon after I got married and I have never had to buy it from the store! I only cook with filtered water, free range chickens, and organic vegetables. The reason I choose those ingredients is because they are the most natural and closely aligned with the way God created them to be.
Why should I make my own chicken broth?
- You control the ingredients – the sodium level, the preservatives, the additives, all of the ingredients are in your control
- The nourishing benefits are amazing – homemade chicken broth is rich in collagen, magnesium, protein, iron, etc. Consuming chicken broth has been known to help create smoother skin, help digestion, and build a strong immune system. Who wouldn’t want all of these benefits?
- You save money – cooking chicken broth with a whole chicken serves a dual purpose. For starters this chicken broth with water recipe gives you roughly 1.5 gallons of broth. Secondly, you’re left with a whole chicken up that can be used for up to 2 meals. After everything is said and done, you have loads of broth and shredded chicken all for the price of one chicken.
What tools will I need?
- Instant Pot
- Tongs
- Scissors
- Large plate or bowl
Ingredients
A whole chicken
When I can’t get a whole chicken from my local farm I buy Azure Standard Whole Organic Chicken. Making food from scratch is a great skill to learn but I would argue that learning how to use healthy ingredients to make food from scratch is just as important!
Using a whole chicken gives you the benefit of the nutrients in the meat and the bones. You will get all the goody that bird has to offer. If the whole chicken comes with the giblets you can throw those in as well and just throw them away after you’ve made the broth if you do not want to eat them.
Filtered Water
You can use whatever water you have access to. We use a Berkey to filter our water so we aren’t drinking water that tastes like straight up chlorine. Filtered water is best but you can use whatever you have access to.
Vegetables
Slight confession here, I actually don’t put vegetables in my broth. It does give it more flavor and probably some extra nutrients from the veggies but chicken is the main source of nutrition so if you skip the veggies too, I won’t tell. Common veggies used in broth are carrots, onions, celery and garlic.
How to make the chicken broth with water
Begin by filling your instant pot (I use an 8Q pot) up halfway with water.
Cut the wrapper off of the chicken, take giblets out of the plastic bag if applicable, and place the whole chicken in the instant pot.
Add salt and vegetables to the instant pot
Turn the instant pot on “pressure cook” for 1 to 3 hrs depending on how much time you have.
Once the instant pot is done, release the remaining pressure.
Remove the chicken from the instant pot and allow the broth to cool.
Once broth has cooled use for a meal or pour into jars and store in fridge or freezer.
Shred chicken into a large container and use for dinner or save for later meals.
FAQ
What size instant pot do I need?
A 3-4 lbs whole chicken will fit in a 6 quart instant pot. Anything bigger than that I would recommend an 8 quart. I have an 8 quart and I love it!
Is chicken stock different from chicken broth?
Usually, yes. Chicken stock is made with only chicken bones. Chicken broth is typically made with the chicken meat and bones. In recipes you can use the two interchangeably but the terms indicate how the broth/stock was prepared. It is said that broth is richer in nutrients and better for the gut microbiome.
What would I use chicken broth for?
Oh my goodness, literally, everything! I use chicken broth in place of water. The most common way I regularly use broth is when making rice. Replace the water with broth using a 1:1 ratio. Other things you can use broth in are gravy, grits, soups, and just drinking a cup of it in a mug.
How long does the instant pot take to pressurize?
There are many variables to this question. Liquid in an instant pot can take a while to pressurize and if the chicken is partially frozen that will affect the time as well. I usually budget about 1 hour for the instant pot to pressurize when I am making chicken broth with water.
What if I have a frozen chicken?
Pull the chicken out of the freezer the day before and set it in the fridge to start thawing out. The chicken does not have to be totally thawed to use it! The only reason I thaw mine all the way is so that I can pull out the giblet bag. I do not want that bag cooking in my pot! A frozen chicken will give you the same results as a fresh one. Don’t sweat it!
Comment below and let me know how your broth turned out!
Chicken Broth with Water – Instant Pot Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Instant pot
Ingredients
- 1 whole Chicken fresh or frozen, bone in
- 2 tbsp Salt sea salt or pink Himalayan are the best!
- 1 bunch Vegetables any vegetables of choice
carrots, onions, and celery are common
Instructions
- If using a frozen chicken, put chicken in the fridge the night before to thaw.
- Fill instant pot to the half full line with filtered water. . If you do not have a half full mark, fill about half the pot.
- Place chicken and giblets (optional) into pot of water
- Add salt and vegetables
- Place on lid and set instant pot to "pressure cook" for 1-3 hours.
- After 1-3 hours, release pressure and remove chicken from instant pot
- Allow chicken broth to cool before pouring into jars.
- Once cooled, pour into plastic containers or mason jars and store in fridge or freezer.
Notes
- Be sure to check in your whole chicken comes with giblets. If it does, it might be in a plastic bag inside the chicken. You’ll want to remove the bag before cooking. Be sure you don’t boil the plastic bag with your broth!
- Account for pressurizing time when cooking. Instant pots take time to pressurize all that liquid. Allow an extra 30 minutes to an hour to account for the pressurizing process.
- Use a bowl to scoop the chicken out after it’s cooked. It will be soft and fall apart easily so using tongs does work but the chicken will 100% fall apart.
- If you want to freeze the broth, freeze in plastic containers.
