Dr. Axe > Recipes > Gluten-Free

Chicken Bone Broth Recipe

Chicken bone broth recipe - Dr. Axe

Total Time

48 hours

Serves

Varies

Meal Type

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Diet Type

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Ingredients:

  • 4 pounds chicken necks/feet/wings
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 3 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 medium onions, peel on, sliced in half lengthwise and quartered
  • 4 garlic cloves, peel on and smashed
  • 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
  • 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 5–6 sprigs parsley
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 18–20 cups cold water

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in a 10-quart capacity slow cooker.
  2. Add in water.
  3. Simmer for 24–48 hours, skimming fat occasionally.
  4. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Discard solids and strain remainder in a bowl through a colander. Let stock cool to room temperature, cover and chill.
  5. Use within a week or freeze up to three months.

Bone broth is one of the most healing foods you can consume, including popular chicken bone broth. Rich in nutrients like collagen, gelatin and glycine, chicken bone broth can help to protect and heal your gut lining, boost skin health and improve joint function. (1, 2, 3)

Are the benefits of chicken bone broth from your local grocery store the same? For starters, you have no idea exactly how that broth was made. One of the keys to a health-boosting bone broth is the long cooking time (at least 24 hours), because this infuses it with all of the beneficial nutrients. Another problem with many store-bought broths and stocks is their inclusion of some of the worst ingredients and chemicals around — like MSG.

To reap the awesome benefits of chicken broth, you should try this easy-to-make healing recipe for your digestive system and more today!

What Is the Difference Between Bone Broth and Stock?

Chicken bone broth and chicken stock … Are they just two different names for the same thing? Broth, bone broth and stock are similar yet notably different. Broth is typically created using meat, vegetables and herbs. Stock includes vegetables and herbs too, but it also includes animal bones which often have meat attached. While broth is only cooked for 45 minutes to two hours, stock is usually cooked for at least four to six hours.

Chicken bone broth recipe - Dr. Axe

So what is the difference between bone broth and stock? Bone broth and stock are basically the same, but the cooking time is what differentiates the two. Bone broth takes the upmost claim to flavor and nutrition fame with the inclusion of bones like stock, but it gets cooked for a much longer period of time — typically 24 hours at the least (and often significantly longer). (4)

There’s nothing like homemade chicken bone broth, but if you don’t have the time to make it, there are high-quality protein powders made from chicken bone broth on the market today so you don’t have to miss out on chicken bone broth health benefits.

Which Is Better: Chicken Bone Broth or Beef Bone Broth?

Let’s start off by saying choosing beef bone broth vs. chicken broth is often a matter of personal preference. Some people just prefer the taste of one meat broth over another. Chicken bone broth is often described as having a lighter flavor, while beef bone broth has a richer taste.

Chicken bone broth recipe - Dr. Axe

The health benefits of beef and chicken bone broth are very similar. Both bone broths are easy for the body to digest and soothing to the digestive system. They’re also both consumed by many people to boost skin and joint health. Either broth can be used on a bone broth fast.

It can be advantageous to cook beef bone broth on the longer side of the 24 to 48 hour spectrum since beef bones are thicker than chicken bones. In general, I don’t recommend beef or chicken bone broth instant pot recipes because they’re cooked at a higher temperature for less time.

Chicken Bone Broth Nutrition Facts

Chicken bone broth ingredients - Dr. Axe

The exact nutrition content of this chicken bone broth recipe will vary depending on a number of factors, including the exact ingredients used, the length of cooking time and how much fat is skimmed off the top. In general, chicken bone broth nutrition is low in calories, fat and carbs, which makes sense because the chicken parts and vegetables are all removed at the end. In terms of sodium: you are in control of how much salt you put in it, but for this recipe, I recommend about a teaspoon of high-quality pink Himalayan sea salt.

There are several variations on making chicken broth (including instant pot chicken bone broth, chicken feet bone broth or a whole chicken bone broth recipe). As I indicate in this recipe, you can use various chicken parts, or you can use an entire chicken. Either way, I would not reduce the cooking time.

How to Make Chicken Bone Broth

How do you make stock from chicken bones? It’s really not hard at all! This chicken bone broth slow cooker recipe basically entails putting all of the ingredients into the pot and letting it cook for hours. How to make chicken broth from bones is really that easy.

By opting for organic ingredients, you can easily make this an organic chicken bone broth. I especially recommend buying organic free-range chicken to avoid hormones and antibiotics.

Your final product can be sipped on as a delicious chicken bone broth soup, or you can add it to all kinds of other recipes from soups and stews to meat and veggies and more!

Chicken bone broth step 1 - Dr. Axe

Start by grabbing and preparing all of the necessary ingredients.

Chicken bone broth step 2 - Dr. Axe

Then place all ingredients in a 10-quart capacity slow cooker. You can start with the chicken.

Chicken bone broth step 3 - Dr. Axe

Add in the veggies.

Chicken bone broth step 4 - Dr. Axe

Add the water.

Chicken bone broth step 5 - Dr. Axe

Simmer for 24–48 hours, skimming fat occasionally. This low and long cooking time increases the chicken bone broth benefits as there is lots of time for the ingredients to release their goodness into the broth.

Chicken bone broth step 6 - Dr. Axe

Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Discard solids.

Chicken bone broth step 7 - Dr. Axe

Strain remainder in a bowl through a colander.

Chicken bone broth step 8 - Dr. Axe

Discard any small bits that remain in the colander.

Chicken bone broth step 9 - Dr. Axe

Let broth cool to room temperature, cover and chill.

Chicken bone broth recipe - Dr. Axe

Use your chicken bone broth within a week or freeze up to three months.

Chicken bone broth recipe - Dr. Axe
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102 Comments

    • Ben on

      The biggest crock pot I see is 8 quarts, where can I buy a bigger one?

      Also – are you supposed to cover? I made a beef bone broth yesterday for the first time on the stovetop and did not cover and 10 hours lost a LOT of liquid.

      Thanks

      Reply
      • Matti Walker on

        You definitely can make bone broth in a pressure cooker..just look up a recipe with good reviews that uses a pressure cooker. If you don’t use proper cook times, you risk overlooking and losing the nutritional values of the broth.

    • Tommy on

      I have done it both ways and I find 36 hour summer has way more depth and flavor. And I toss in a couple of chicken feet to add collagen

      Reply
      • Susan on

        WHERE do you get the chicken feet? For those of us living in the city, it’s not so easy to find.

    • Jody on

      I use an instant pot to roast the raw bones for flavor 1st for about 20 minutes depending on weight and quantity. Then I switch over, add any veggies, add the giblets, add water and 1 tablespoon of ACV (if I remember), set for the iPot max of 120 minutes, put on 1 hour delay for ACV to work. When finished, I will let it sit on warm for 6 hours. Often, I will switch it over to slow cook for 12 – 24 hours without even opening it. This long-cooked bone broth does not gel. When you cook the bones for a long period, you achieve the same effect as the hydrolyzed collagen you can buy: The interaction with high temperature water for a long time breaks down the collagen into its elements.

      If I just add enough water to cover the bones & veggies, and just use the 120 minutes, I get a beautifully gelled broth that we often eat with a spoon cold for breakfast. My oldest son discovered it when he was about 5 when I was cutting up cold chicken. He called it chicken jelly and to this day & the name stuck. Sometimes, I put all of the strained parts back in with more water and slow cook them. This broth is not as flavorful but I know that all of the goodness was extracted.

      Another tip: When you have the occasion to cook lots of chicken legs and/or wings, keep the the bones. I make batches of a dozen or so in the oven for for quick lunches during the week. We save the bones and at the end of the week any uneaten legs and the bones go in the instant pot. I am sure the high heat kills any germs, but still don’t do it if anyone has a cold. It makes the best gelatin. I did not know why until reading Dr. Axe’s bone broth thread discussion about knee bones containing more collagen. Maybe the leg broth is so good because part of the joint is still attached to the leg bone.

      Reply
  7. debi on

    i just happened onto your site, and literally have spent the ENTIRE day reading & downloading information and recipes, and watching the quick videos. I’d like to make a suggestion on your videos… please add the name to the final scene, too, as by the time i’ve watched the video, i’ve forgotten the name of the recipe i’m watching!

    Reply
  10. Elizabeth on

    I’m so grateful for you sharing all your fabulous informative
    knowledge.Thankyou so much.
    We can never have too much
    healthy food advice ❤️

    Reply
  12. Kim on

    Can any vinegar be substituted for apple cider vinegar. Is apple cider vinegar really necessary and if so why ? Couldn’t any sort of vinegar be used??
    I understand that apple cider vinegar has many positive heath effects when taken raw or just straight from the bottle. Apple cider vinegar is healthy but cooking so long like this …
    I mean doesn’t cooking it so long destroy the healthy components of the apple cider vinegar? I actually make my bone broth with A pressure cooker and cook it for about 1.5 to two hours straight , under pressure that is.

    Reply
    • Mary Hayes on

      In this situation, the apple cider vinegar is used to help draw out the nutrients from the bones. in a sense, it softens the bones.

      Reply
  13. Joe Kalentkowski on

    can you use just wings? Also,can you add chicken livers? { for chicken bone broth?}
    I was reading your recipe and just wondered. Is beef bone broth better than chicken, or are they the same?

    Reply
  15. Johanna on

    I do not add salt until the bones have seen removed. It is my understanding that salt can leach out toxins into the broth.

    I also use chicken heads, turkey and chicken feet. I cook on stove top for at least 24 hours. Broth is much thicker than when I use crock pot. The Instant Pot broth was very thin.

    This has healed problems I have had for years.

    Reply
  18. Suzie on

    Can I buy Bone Broth in a store? Where can I buy salmon from Alaska. The most popular salmon selling in my city is Atlantic salmon.

    Reply
    • Ellen on

      I use a small independent company in Anacortes, Washington (state) called
      Sea Bear. They have the wild caught salmon and smoked in alder smoke
      as the Native people did, and then they foil pack it. Does not need to be refrigerated! You can put the foil pack in your backpack and have it for lunch on your green salad. Yum! Their website http://www.SeaBear.com.
      Great little company.

      Reply
  20. felicia mccollin on

    i have an overactive thyroid since last year june its now in a normal range and this info is life saving …in the process of following through with the bone broth…thankyou

    Reply
    • Phillip L Ward on

      Guess a compost bin if you don’t mind the chicken bones in your garden. If not try a vita mix on the bones while they are soft. Legs bones get so soft after a few hr. that I take scissors & cut ends off & crack the center bones.

      Reply
  24. I.H on

    Thanks I make my own, once a week. I would like a way to make bigger batches and store them, how to store it other then freezing would be great.

    Reply
  26. Dot on

    If your want a way to store it long term without freezing buy yourself a pressure canner
    And you can bottle it in jars with metal lids or Mason jars. I brought one to New Zealand and it is such a great item to own. You just add the broth to jars once it is ready and process it.

    Reply
  28. Sheryl on

    I have Sibo and I am sure I have leaky gut, started out with h-pylori got c-diff from all the antibiotics had a fecal implant still not well was tested for sibo last summer tested positive and still seem to have it. Recently I went on a 17 day elemental fast but when I came off the fast I am still sick.
    I am taking your bone broth along with collagen, that really doesn’t upset my stomach also am using Dr. Gundry’s greens and vital reds, was using his prebiotic but read that prebiotics and probiotics were not good for someone with Sibo, whether it is good or bad bacteria it is still a problem. I would appreciate any recommendations. I just turned 73 this has been going on for 4 years don’t know how much longer I can do this.

    Reply
  29. Ellen on

    I hate to throw food away. Can we immersion blend the vegetables after cooking and still get the bone broth benefits?

    Reply
    • Joni on

      I hate to throw away food too, but after the veggies have cooked this much, there is basically no nutrients left in them, it’s all in the liquid. One thing I like to do too is keep a gallon freezer bag in my freezer that I throw odds and ends into-chicken bones, vegetable peelings (if cleaned well), ends of celery stalks, ends of other veggies I cut up… so when I DO make the broth, I’m mostly using the parts that may have gone into the trash in a different day!

      Reply
  30. Phillip L Ward on

    How I make mine broth is I go to sprouts market & get a organic rotisserie chicken if you don’t care if organic get a bigger chicken from Sam’s or Costco. Then debone it everything but meat goes in pot, after a few hr. I take the big wing & leg bones out & cut end or knuckles off {bone gets soft so I use scissors] then break open the middle section. I like a little kick with mine so I chop a jalapeno pepper with seeds, & crushed red pepper. Also I use dehydrated onions, celery I don’t like the white bottoms so I cut a couple inches off bottom & also use the leafy hart. Someone wanted where to get chicken feet, I think I have seen at mexican & oriental markets. I have a large cup every morning 12/18 oz & yes when I heat it up I add a couple dashes of crystal hot sauce yes I like a little heat with mine.

    Reply
  35. Andrea on

    Suggestion- It would be helpful if you (or a staff person at least) took time to answer questions. Without information asked in many of these questions I am sure people are unable to make your bone broth… or are just turned off and go away. That would be a shame since you provide a lot of valuable info.

    Reply
  38. Sumita Kundu on

    You are wonderful and knowledgeable doctor. I have arthritis problem. so i am following the diet whatever you said.Thank you very much. Hopefully i ‘ll get the good result.

    Reply
  39. Joni on

    I also add coriander seeds to my cooking broth, as well as turmeric to my own cup for added benefit! Delicious and amazing for health!

    Reply
  40. Val on

    Are there any recipes using the bone broth powder. I tried mixing it in a smoothie, but the taste is still hard to take. Can i add it to stews or cooked veggies, like kale or collards.

    Reply
  41. Ghislaine on

    I made it several times and really it is fabulous, i put also Kombu(seaweed) in it.
    Sometimes i eat the vegetables also. Is this good or i have to remove them.
    Thank you for tyhe advice

    Reply
  43. Bev Askew on

    Hi, I suffer with IBS and low fodmaps as well as dv flare ups. The broth sounds great except, onions, celery and garlic are huge no-no’s. Can I substitute? Eg swap onions for green tips of spring onions? Or use a little garlic infused oil? Any info would be much appreciated, thanks

    Reply
  44. A on

    Waddup, I have come across a Youtube video on bone broth powder by Frank Tortorici in which he says that beef bone broth would contain collagen-types that would merely benefit skin, hair & nails & that chicken bone broth would develop tissues, muscles & so on.
    I have also found articles on studies that claim that keto-diet seemed to have caused mineral-loss on the developing skeleton of children.
    What’s the truth?
    By the way, I have read that black pepper which contains pipin would have a synergenic effect with turmeric & serve as antioxidant to it.

    Reply
  46. Majid Hussain on

    I’m really confused

    If I cook the chicken bone broth using a pressure cooker which takes around 1 hour 30 minutes, will there be less nutrition and benefit than cooking it at a low pressure for 24/48hrs? Meaning a pressure cooker is less effective at extracting nutrients from the bone?

    Kind regards.

    Reply
  47. Jean Hurley on

    thanks Dr. Axe any information for a healthier life style is beneficial to all. Your recipes are great and easy to follow.

    Reply
  48. Mel on

    I make chicken soup all the time. It gets eaten after cooking for 1.5 hrs. Is there any collagen benefit when it’s a shorter cooking time?

    Reply
  49. ash kumar on

    currently reading the Keto Diet I’m finding it an eye opener, I wish every doctor had a copy, I think it would make them think more about health in terms of fixing it from the inside as opposed to handing a prescription to their patients, without much thought, as to what’s going on in a persons body, I feel there’s a revolution in the way we think about food and health, but it will be interesting to see how large pharmaceutical/and food manufacturers, companies will handle and react to new ways of healing human bodies

    Reply
  50. Denise Jones on

    Dr.Axe, I have a question about the bone broth cooking pot.
    I couldn’t find a 10 quart slow cooker, I got a 8 quart slow cooker, and I use the recipe
    for the Chicken Bone Broth, but I only was able to put in 15 cups of cold water.
    Will I get the same resuts.

    Reply
  52. Marci on

    I have used a tall pasta pot and put all the ingredients in the strainer, turning the gas off at night and restarting in the morning, a pressure cooker for 3 hours, and a slow cooker on low for 24 hours and another time for 3 days. Three days “Burned” the broth so don’t do that. The pasta pot was easy because everything came out at once, no separate straining but the pressure cooker tasted strange. I’ve stuck with the slow cooker – about every 4 hours I take a potato masher, smash everything down and put more water in. 24 hours seems to be the best. CHICKEN FEET STINK YOUR HOUSE OUT !! So that’s a no for me. In my small slow cooker I use 3 organic chicken carcasses and 3 chicken wings for the fat, 2 carrots, 2 celery, 2 APPLES, 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar, a piece each of turmeric, garlic & ginger, salt and pepper. I do this every week and drink a cup for breakfast. When I use the big slow cooker because I’ve got more carcasses, I tend to pressure can the broth. It keeps for years then and I always have some on hand for soups, stews etc.

    Reply
  56. Zena Wilson on

    Hi Dr Axe,

    It’s very difficult to get necks and feet in the U.K.

    Will wings and thighs be ok? Can I use the whole carcass?

    Thanks

    Zena

    Reply
  57. Holly Kelly on

    When consuming homemade bone broth, how much should be consumed per day? Assuming the broth has been cooked as indicated in the recipe above.

    Reply
  58. Luz Acevedo on

    I can’t find chicken feet, necks and wings anywhere. Only whole chicken without this parts of the chicken.
    Please any suggestions where I can find them besides my local grocery store.
    Thank you!!

    Reply
  60. Barbara Davis on

    You sell Bone Broth Protein and Collagen. I use to make bone broth as you shared in the recipe above but have stopped and now use your bone broth and collagen. Is it better health wise to make ones on bone broth?

    Reply
  63. AK Dhir on

    I am suffering from crohon’s disease and anemic and loosing weight. Kindly send me a list of diet which is beneficial for this . Pl treat this as urgent

    Reply
  64. Mary Lozano on

    Hi Dr. I am a 73 yrs old female and was diagnosed with diverticulitis. would like to know if you have a diet with daily menu that I could prepare at home. I saw you on Dr. Oz and wanted to get in contact with you.

    Thank you much.

    Reply
  67. maria medina on

    good day

    i really enjoy watching you and Reubin , specially the love for others make you 2 very specials human been, may the lord jesus bless you abundantly and keep you 2 doing his works thru this ancients remedies and your knowledge in nutritionist and health education and most important the knowledge of God’s words it is the number one. Hoping my message is clear and easy to understand my grammar

    thanks so much

    Reply
  68. katherine on

    Bone broth may also help people lose weight. It is high in protein, which helps the body feel fuller for longer and supports calorie restriction. A 2017 study in the Journal of Renal Nutrition points out that the average cup of chicken bone broth contains more protein than the average cup of basic chicken broth.
    see here Norton is safe when compared mcafee?

    Reply
  69. Mew Lian on

    Hi Dr. Axe,

    How to keep simmering for 24 hours while one sleeps? Can time be reduced if using a pressure cooker? If yes, how long would that be?

    Thank you.
    Mew

    Reply
  71. Almut Tolkien on

    What is the difference between bone broth and collagen ? A butcher friend said that he made collagen from chicken feet,says it has even more collagen than beef bones.
    Thank you for all the wonderful information you provide,

    Almut

    Reply

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