Instant Pot Chicken Stock
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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!
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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