After making long simmered bone broth for decades, I also make this easy Instant Pot chicken broth recipe or Instant Pot chicken stock. The shorter cooking time of 2 hours versus 20+ hours not only saves time but reduces histamines for people with histamine issues. And homemade broth is so much better than store bought! Try this and save time, then freeze the extra.
I developed this recipe for myself because I have a histamine issue and also use a lot of homemade chicken broth. Those suffering with seasonal allergies and food sensitivities might also find this recipe beneficial.
The best part is, relatively speaking, it's fast! If you love your Instant Pot, you're going to love this Instant Pot chicken broth! It's golden, delicious and nutritious because of the magic of pressure cooking.
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Why You'll Like This Recipe
- It's much faster than a traditional, long-simmering chicken bone broth
- Has terrific flavor thanks to pressure cooking.
- Is usable for sipping and for recipes calling for chicken broth.
- Better for people with histamine issues.
- You control the ingredients. Homemade tastes best and provides superior nutrition versus the store-bought stuff.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken: buy meaty bone-in chicken pieces (like whole legs), or a whole chicken. Broth needs bones. Have the butcher cut it up, buy a cut up bird, or cut it up yourself. Good to learn! See the photos below. Last note: buy organic if possible.
- Onion: use a white, brown, yellow, or sweet onion.
- Carrot: part of the flavoring triple-brown called mirepoix (meer-pwa), carrots, onion and celery all add deep flavor and of course are good for you.
- Celery: for herbal depth of flavor and balance.
- Leek: adds nice flavor (but optional)
- Garlic: for flavor and because garlic is is an immune-system booster.
- Herbs: fresh thyme sprigs, a bay leaf (fresh or dried), and a few sprigs of fresh parsley. Chives are optional. I add them if I have them.
- Filtered water: use good, clean, filtered water.
- Black peppercorns: add only if you do not have a histamine problem.
Note : When I make long-simmered bone broth, I use a little apple cider vinegar to help release the collagen from the bones. For a pressure cooker vinegar is not needed.
Please see the recipe card for measurements.
Chef's Tip: NO SALT. You should never salt broth. Save the salt for the finished dish. It is more controllable that way and people have differing levels of salt sensitivity or the need for a lower sodium diet.
Substitution and Variations
- Skip the garlic if you are allergic.
- Use the dark green top of the leek and save the light part for cooking.
- While fresh thyme is preferable, use dried thyme if that is all that's available.
- Add a few chicken feet for a more gelatinous broth. Yes, I know there is a creepy factor if you've never used them, but really, try it.
Chef's Note: is it stock or broth? Today the terms are used interchangeably, but technically stock is made from the bones of the chicken and broth is made from meaty pieces and vegetables. Bones make homemade chicken broth gelatinous (like jello) because bones release collagen as they cook.
Recipe Instructions
If you're cutting up a whole chicken start at step 1. If you have pre-cut up chicken, start at step x. You need a heavy chef's knife. Special heavy scissors called poultry shears are also very helpful, and not expensive to buy.
How to Cut Up a Whole Chicken
Place the chicken rounded side (top) up on a stable cutting board.
Broth Instructions
Add all of the ingredients to the pot then add the water. Don't fill the inner pot beyond the PC max fill line marked on the inside. Lock on the lid and turn the vent to lock. Press the Soup/Broth button and set the timer for 2 hours. It should be set to high pressure.
When the time is up, hit the cancel button and allow the pressure to release naturally for 20-30 minutes. After that, turn the vent button and let any remaining pressure release.
Straining and Chilling
Strain the broth of spent chicken, bones and vegetables through a sieve or fine colander. Clean out the pot and add the broth back in, then place it in a sink full of ice and water to quickly chill (ice bath). Stir occasionally to assist the release of heat. After an hour your broth should be cold.
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For refrigerator safety. let the chicken broth cool to 70°F before putting it in the refrigerator to further chill.
Cover the pot and place it in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning skim the solidified fat from the surface, portion, label and freeze.
One additional tip, sometimes I strain the broth one more time through a fine sieve (or cheesecloth) to remove any vegetable bits, but this is optional. You can use a small, mini fine strainer and do it as you portion into your containers for freezing.
How to Freeze Broth
I freeze in 1-cup and 3-cup portions for sipping and soups, or in mini portions (½ cup size) for deglazing pans to make quick sauces. Use mason jars, a freezer bag or other airtight container.
If using a freezer bags, be sure the broth is totally chilled, seal the bags well and lay them flat in your freezer on a small rimmed sheet pan to freeze solid. Then you can remove the sheet pan.
The reason this is not my favorite freezing method is the bags can get nicked and leak, plus it's plastic. Use glass or try these large silicone molds called Souper Cubes. Love them! Be sure to label and date your containers.
For Histamine Intolerance
Because chicken is highly perishable and cooked foods gather histamine the longer they stand, portion and freeze this broth immediately after defatting to reduce histamine build up.
Pressure Cooker vs Slow Cooker
For this recipe you need a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Pressure cooking is about faster cooking while retaining nutrients and flavor. I use a 6 quart Duo Instant Pot Plus.
If you have another brand of electric pressure cooker or a stove-top style, you can still make this. If you have a larger model, increase the ingredients and make a larger batch, realizing the time will increase a little too.
What about slow cooker broth? I prefer the speed of a pressure cooker, and it's super nutritious. Pressure cooking happens in a sealed chamber creating steam and pressure. This extracts the most flavor and nutrition from the chicken and vegetables in relatively short time. Chopping the vegetables increases the extraction of flavor.
With a slow cooker, most model sizes limit the volume you can make at one time and I prefer to make bigger batches and freeze the extra.
Four Ways to Thaw and Re-Heat Broth
Three ways to thaw:
- Overnight in the refrigerator, then heat the rest in a small pan on low.
- In the microwave until loose, placing the partially thawed broth in a small pan to complete thawing over low heat.
- By placing the frozen container in a larger bowl or pot of cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes until thawed enough to put in a pan on the stove top.
- With a container like the silicone cubes, pop out the broth cube, place in a saucepan, and thaw over low heat.
Tip: if you use a freezer bag, be sure to place the bag in a large bowl to in case the bag has a hole and leaks.
Recipe FAQs
When making chicken broth in an Instant Pot, it takes approximately 3 hours in total. It takes about 30 minutes to come up to pressure, then 2 hours to cook, then approximately 30 minutes for the pressure to drop before straining and chilling. Can I make a quick chicken broth for a shorter cooking time? Yes, I've made it with a cook time of 90 minutes versus 2 hours still with good results.
Use the high pressure setting on an Instant pot when making chicken broth.
Instant Pot chicken broth lasts 3-4 days in the refrigerator or 2-3 months in the freezer in appropriate containers, labeled and dated.
More Broth and Soup Recipes
For more broth recipes, try my long-simmered chicken bone broth, roasted turkey broth, and quick vegetable broth. Find chicken soup recipes here.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Instant Pot Chicken Broth (low histamine)
Equipment
- 6 quart or larger Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 4 pounds meaty bone-in chicken pieces or small whole chicken see note below
- ½ onion chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 1 large rib celery chopped
- ½ medium leek, rinsed of sand chopped
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
- 2-3 fresh thyme springs
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 quarts filtered water 8 cups
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Instructions
- If using a whole chicken cut it into pieces and remove extra fat and skin. For help see the photos in the post. If using pieces, trim off extra fat and skin. Place the chicken in the pot, then add the onions, carrot, celery, leek, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and water.
- Fill the pot up to the line that reads "PC max ⅔" with fresh filtered water, about 2 quarts. Lock on the lid and turn the vent to lock. Press the Soup/Broth button and set the timer for 2 hours. After 2 hours press the cancel button and allow the pressure to release naturally for 20-30 minutes. After that turn the vent button and let any additional pressure release.
- Strain the spent chicken, bones and vegetables thorugh a sieve or fine colander into another container. Wash the pot, then add the broth back to the pot for chilling. Fill a sink half full of ice and cold water for an ice bath. Place the pot in the ice bath and chill for about 1 hour, or until the broth is below 70°F. Cover and place the pot in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, skim the surface of solidified fat, then portion, label, and freeze.
Debra Rowe says
Hi Sally: I did not realize a pressure cooker would cook for 2 hours. Amazing. I will give this a try. I know there are tons of differing opinions (rather than anything even remotely fool proof), but my nutritionist who helps me fight thyroid has advised I keep the fat in my meat stock and has said that pressure cooking denatures the food. Your stock looks richly golden, and I wonder what your findings have been to remove the fat? I had heard it was especially good to have for digestion tract repair for leaky gut. Thanks!
Sally Cameron says
Hi Debra, good question! Yes, they can go that long. I've also tried it for just 90 minutes with great results, in fact I may amend the recipe after more testing. Pressure cooking is healthy as it keeps the nutrition in. I am hypo-thyroid (as well). I always de-fat or de-grease my broths and stocks and add the fat I want back into the dish I am preparing. Leaky gut is a "fun" one (not really, I know). Ever read Eat Dirt by Dr. Josh Axe? Highly recommend for leaky gut. So far science say that pressure cooking is safe, and no research exists to the contrary. The science is not conclusive. The other thing is about using the IP for broth is that because of the short time frame of cooking versus bone broth, it's better for people with Histamine Intolerance (like me). Additionally, think about cooking chicken breasts in the oven. I cook mine at 375°F, and I grill them at 400°F. Pressure cooking reaches about 240° inside that sealed chamber. Here is a good article https://www.cnet.com/health/nutrition/is-your-instant-pot-destroying-nutrients. There are interesting posts out there on the subject.
Cheryl says
If you free a carcass or chicken how do you defrost it to use without increasing histamine? Thank you
Sally Cameron says
Hi Cheryl. If after roasting a chicken and stripping any extra meat you freeze the body right away, you can probably use them frozen but it will take longer. I've not tried it. Set the time for two hours and go through the release, then open and test it. I sometimes do that with my traditional broth recipe. You can also make that one, just don't let it go a long time. Stay with the 2-3 hour mark to keep histamines low. I hope that makes sense. One thing that will help; don't throw the whole carcass into plastic zip bags to freeze. Break them down into smaller pieces with a heavy knife or poultry/kitchen scissors so the pieces are small. They will thaw faster.
Kelly S says
If I make a whole chicken from frozen in my instant pot, can I toss in the veggies with it as above, and then use the broth afterwards? If so, would I just cook it on high for 2 hrs instead of on soup/broth? Thanks!
Sally Cameron says
Hi Kelly. First I would thaw the chicken (not use frozen). You may know that but I am not sure by your question and don't know how experienced a cook you are. Is your desire to make chicken soup or make broth? When you make broth this way, the chicken and vegetables are pretty well spent after two hours under pressure. It all falls apart and has given up its goodness to the broth. Then you strain off the broth, chill, and refrigerate so when it cools completely you can scoop the extra fat off the surface. If your desire is chicken soup, I would make the broth first, then make soup with the broth. Others may do it different but I think this gives the best results. If you make batches of broth and freeze you are always a short time away from having great soup. For even richer deeper broth, try the long version bone broth (not Instant Pot). It takes longer but much of the work is hands off. https://afoodcentriclife.com/liquid-gold-homemade-chicken-broth/ . I hope this answers your question if not let me know.
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Kristina Pruett says
Can the chicken meat be used?
Sally Cameron says
Hi Kristina. The meat is pretty spent after giving it's all to the broth. I have a friend who used to save it for her dogs, but not for her consumption. If you use leftover frozen carcasses from roasting whole birds and even add about a half pound of chicken feet you won't have much meat anyway. I did the my last batch that way, now in the freezer. I use about 3-4 roasted carcasses and a few feet and the broth came out great, very gelatinous (collagen). One tip on saving your roasted carcasses. Before freezing, break the body down into smaller pieces with a heavy knife or poultry shears. That way they take up less room. Make sense? Thanks for asking, great question.
michael says
always follow you and your healthy cooking Thank you for sharing with me
Sally Cameron says
Thank you Michael for following, reading and commenting. It means a lot.