Easy Instant Pot Chicken Stock

With an Instant Pot and 6 ingredients, flavorful homemade chicken stock is ready in less than 2 hours (instead of 6-12!). It’s a flavorful base for soups, stews, risotto, and beyond! Let us show you how it’s done!

What is the Difference Between Chicken Stock and Chicken Broth?

While the terms chicken stock and chicken broth are often used interchangeably (guilty!), they’re technically two different preparations. Chicken stock is made from bones, while broth includes more meat. Chicken stock is also cooked for a longer amount of time, meaning it develops a richer flavor and texture (source).

How to Make Chicken Stock in the Instant Pot

Making chicken stock in an Instant Pot is almost identical to making it on the stovetop, but it’s way faster (thanks, pressure cooking!) and you can set it and forget it. It’s almost like having a personal chef, but not so expensive! To begin, you’ll need a leftover chicken carcass from roasting a chicken (or, shortcut: Buy a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the store!). After eating the chicken meat, save any bones, juices from roasting, and leftover skin for making the stock. If you can’t get to them right away, you can freeze them until you have the time! When you’re ready to make stock, add the reserved chicken bones, skin, and juices to the Instant Pot with onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and salt. With these as a base for flavor, it’s hard to go wrong! One of the many beauties of making homemade stock is its versatility. You can add in a turnip or fresh greens for nutrients, bay leaves or parsley for an herby touch, or black pepper or ginger for spice. Then fill the Instant Pot up with water, making sure not to go past the maximum fill line. Once you’ve added all your ingredients, seal the lid and pressure cook on high for at least 45 minutes, or up to 3 hours. Then let the pressure release naturally and strain the golden stock through a fine mesh strainer. After straining, we like to store it in freezer-safe jars, making sure to leave enough room at the top to allow expansion and prevent the jars from cracking in the freezer. We hope you LOVE this chicken stock! It’s:RichFlavorfulVersatileNourishing& Easy to make! It’s a great way to make the most of a roasted chicken while also being an easy way to boost flavor in other recipes!

What To Do With Chicken Stock

You can use chicken stock in soups, stews, risotto, ramen, and beyond! It works well in recipes that benefit from a rich, broth-y component. Try it in any recipe that calls for chicken broth, including our 1-Pan Mexican Shredded Chicken, Cozy Thai-Inspired Chicken Noodle Soup, 1-Pot Tuscan-Style Beef & Lentil Soup, and Nourishing Bone Broth Tonic (5 Minutes). It can also be used interchangeably with vegetable broth in many recipes, including our Creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup, 1-Pot Chickpea Noodle Soup, and Smoky Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas & Greens.