Instant Pot Chicken Stock
by Chungah
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Now you can make homemade chicken stock in just 45 minutes in the Instant Pot! Freeze up to 3 months, perfect for stews, soups and sauces!
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Why you’ll love this homemade chicken stock
- Budget-friendly. Homemade stock is the perfect way to repurpose leftovers (ex. lingering vegetable scraps, leftover rotisserie or raw chicken bones), making a high-quality stock for a fraction of the cost for store-bought cartons.
- Comes together lightning fast. Traditional stock calls for 6-8 hours of simmering on the stovetop, but the Instant Pot will take care of it in less than 1 hour with zero babysitting, the best kind of set-and-forget, hands-off recipe.
- Richer and deeper in flavor. The high pressure will extract the maximum collagen and flavor from the bones, tasting as if its been simmering all day long. And the closed pressurized environment prevents a rolling boil, meaning you’ll have a cleaner, clearer chicken stock.
- Freezer-friendly. Homemade stock is incredibly freezer-friendly, keeping in the freezer for at least 3 months.
How to use homemade stock
- Soups and stews: homemade stock serves as an essential foundation for soups such as chicken noodle soup, adding deep, savory flavors while releasing collagen and protein
- Grains and starches: unlike water, stock will season the grains from the inside out such as mushroom risotto, forming a rich, velvety consistency rather than a watery one
- Sauces and gravies: because stock is made by simmering bones, it releases natural collagen, giving the gravy a silky consistency that water just cannot match
How to make Instant Pot chicken stock
- Combine. Add the chicken wings, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, salt and cold water to a 6-qt Instant Pot®.
- Pressure cook. Seal the pressure cooker valve and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes, naturally releasing pressure once the cooking cycle is complete, about 20-30 minutes.
- Strain. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth, discarding any solids and skimming any remaining fat on top.
- Let cool and store. Let the stock cool completely, storing in the fridge for short term storage or the freezer for long term storage (more on that below).
storing and freezing homemade stock
Airtight container
Store the stock in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Ice cube tray
Portion the stock into silicone ice cube trays. Cover and freeze until solid; transfer to an airtight, resealable freezer bag up to 3 months. One standard ice cube is about 1-2 tablespoons stock, the perfect portion to quickly deglaze a pan or add a splash of stock (quick flavor boost!) when needed.
Freezer bag
Portion the stock (1-2 cups) into plastic freezer bags, squeezing out any excess air before sealing. Lay the bags flat in a single layer in the freezer (this will help them freeze quickly), stacking them upright once solid up to 3 months.
Thawing and reheating
Thaw the chicken stock in a tray (to catch any leaks) overnight, about 12-24 hours, for a consistent thaw.
Recipes that use chicken stock
Tools For This Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Stock: Frequently Asked Questions
Add enough water to cover the bones and vegetables, about 10 cups or so. But be careful not to exceed the maximum fill line or the Instant Pot will not come to pressure.
Always add cold water to ensure a clear, flavorful stock.
For a completely blank canvas, omit the salt entirely, adding salt later on in the final dish. For a lightly seasoned base, add 1-2 tsps salt per batch. And for a ready-made stock for immediate use, add 2 tsp-1 TBS.
The gelatinous, jello-like consistency is not a mistake. In fact, this is a sign of high quality stock! It will return to its smooth, rich liquid state when heated.
Chicken stock can keep in the fridge for 3-4 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.
Instant Pot Chicken Stock
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken wings
- 1 large carrot, peeled and halved
- 2 celery ribs, halved
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- ¾ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 cups cold water, or more, as needed
Instructions
- Place chicken wings, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt into a 6-qt Instant Pot®. Stir in water to the max fill line, about 10 cups.
- Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 45 minutes. When finished cooking, naturally release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions, about 20-30 minutes.
- Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve; discard solids. Skim any remaining fat from surface and discard; let cool completely.
- Divide into airtight containers; place in refrigerator up to 3 days or freezer up to 3 months.
Equipment
Notes
- Save your scraps. Store leftover chicken bones, carcasses and skin in a resealable freezer bag, adding them to the stock for even more flavor.
- Start with cold water. This will allow the Instant Pot to extract maximum flavor and collagen, resulting in a clearer stock as it slowly comes to pressure.
- Do not overfill. Add water just to the max fill line only, ensuring that the bones and vegetables are completely submerged.
- Let the pressure release naturally. Allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally to safely reduce pressure (will prevent the liquid from spewing out of the valve), yield a clear broth, and to gently pull maximum flavor and gelatin from the bones.
- Strain your stock. Use a fine-mesh sieve or a colander lined with a cheesecloth to remove bones, vegetable scraps and stray herbs, yielding an ultra-clean and clear stock.
- The stock will become gelatinous. This will happen in rich, high quality stock as the bones, cartilage and skin release collagen during the cooking process, breaking down into gelatin once chilled.
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Have not made this yet, could this be done in the slow cooker if so how long would you cook it for. Thanks
Amazing recipe! Gracias 🙂
I love this. We eat a ton of rotisserie chicken (and so do our spoiled cats). I use the bones from 2 chickens and it works out wonderfully. I did need to add a bit more salt though, as the first time I made it, the stock seemed a bit bland.
I’m curious if half chicken breasts would work? They have all the skin and bones, I have like 4 breast halves in the freezer!
not enough fat in the chicken breast use wings thigh legs back its all good
Great! Now I need a recipe on how to make a good vegetarian broth. My granddaughter, who is a vegan is coming to stay with me a few days and I won’t be able to use chicken broth! Thank you.
Makes a very flavorful, clear stock and could not be easier. Yet another reason to love my Instant Pot! Only thing I would note is that although the pressure cooking time is 45 minutes, mine did take a while to get up to pressure, then you need to allow for the decompression time, so at least for me, the total time start to finish was more like 1 1/2 hours. Used it as a base for a Sauce Veloute. Fabulous!!!
I wanted to ask, if chicken breasts still work? I’m multi cooker bcus i dont have insta pot:(
I think chicken breasts are way too bland by themselves. Most of the chicken flavor is in the fat and bones. Plus the collagen in the bones will make the stock nice and thick and hearty, while using just the meat won’t.
Can I use frozen wings?
Can I half the water content if I half the bones?
Are you halving the entire recipe or just the bones?
Very easy! My preference would be for a bit more salt. I should have used a tablespoon or more to bring out the complex flavors.
I made this using what was left of a rotisserie chicken and it turned out wonderfully delicious.
I do not own an instant pot. Can I use this recipe on stove top? If so, how long? thanks!
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Stove top would work fine, cook maybe 3-5 hours, however, you’ll have to keep an eye on the liquid level as the heat will cause a lot of evaporation over the cook time. I’d add a cup of water every hour or so.
Highly recommend pressure cooker/instant pot!
Quick question…is this suitable for canning? I can’t see why it wouldn’t be.
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
This should be canned with a pressure CANNER (to be clear—not the instant pot). Just follow directions from USDA or Ball canning guide for canning chicken stock!
I loved it! I have a cold so I am hoping this stock helps me bounce back quicker. It was so easy to make, and so wholesome.
Feel better soon, Hannah!
This sounds great thanks! I am not able to adjust the pressure to high on the manual setting. So I just did manual for 45 minutes. I hope it works out. Is there anything I should do different? Thank you.
Everything should stay relatively the same, Kris. 🙂
Thank you! 🙂 It turned out just fine without being able to change that. Thanks!
I hear chicken feet make better stock. Bought a bag and going to try out today with your other ingredients. I used to use carcass but to me too bland. Store bought just the same.
Is it possible to, say, use what’s left of a rotisserie chicken instead of the wings?
Absolutely!
I just got this appliance and have yet to use it,what a great idea, when I buy chicken wings I have to admit I am totally addicted to Maangchi’s double fried sweet and spicey korean chicken recipe, I usually cut them like you do for wings, drum,that front doubled boned piece whose name I can never remember,and the tips I collect in a freezer bag to make stock with, sooo…..you could make the chicken wings, eat them, save the bones, add to the chicken tips and veg and make stock, yeah! Best of both worlds lol. Does this device make good bone broth too? All though technically this IS a bone broth I guess..
Does it still get nice and gelatinous when chilled from all the collagen and gelatin from the bones? That’s usually how I judge the quality my stock that I make in slow cooker, gotta have that jiggle!
Yes! 🙂
can you eat the chicken wings first and just use the bones
Sure!
Any reason for chicken wings specifically? Like higher bone to meat ratio? Would any other cut of chicken work as well?
I find that chicken wings are so great for stock because of the collagen in the wings but you can also use backbones and carcasses instead.
Would drumsticks work as well as chicken wings?