Homemade Bone Broth Recipe (Easy, Budget-Friendly & Nutrient Rich)
Homemade Bone Broth Recipe (Easy, Budget-Friendly & Nutrient Rich)
Bone broth, for me, was one of the gateways into both food as medicine and nose-to-tail eating (which, if that thought overwhelms you - never fear, homemade bone broth really is one of the best first steps!).
As the creator of the original viral bone broth hot chocolate, the words bone broth and Fallon’s Table often go hand-in-hand, which has to be one of the highlights of my wellness career 😉 That recipe introduced thousands of people to the idea that nourishing foods can also be enjoyable long before I ever dreamed of creating cookbooks.
But despite all the creative ways to use it, this simple homemade bone broth recipe is still the one I come back to week after week.
Because here's the beauty of it - you don't need expensive specialty ingredients. You simply need to start saving what you're already using!
Learning how to make homemade bone broth is one of the simplest ways to stretch your grocery budget while filling your kitchen with nourishing staples. Whether you're using a leftover roast chicken, beef bones from the freezer, or vegetable scraps you've been saving, this recipe transforms what many people throw away into rich, flavorful broth you'll use all week long.
I've been making bone broth for years because it's inexpensive, versatile, and an easy way to build meals from scratch. Once you learn the basic method, you'll rarely need to buy boxed broth again.
Today, I’m going to teach you to make nearly free broth with a delicious and complex flavor that is not necessarily what I would use for bone broth hot chocolate, mind you, but it’s perfect for using as a soup base, cooking your rice in, or using in any of my recipes that call for bone broth!
This is a scrap-based bone broth, which means as you store veggie odds and ends throughout the week, you can likely get this in a pot in two minutes flat.
Download my 5 Real Food Family Dinners to start using staples like homemade bone broth in simple weeknight meals.
The Secret to Nearly Free Homemade Bone Broth
My favorite bone broth isn't made from perfectly measured ingredients. It's made from scraps!
Throughout the week, I keep a large glass container in my refrigerator where I toss vegetable odds and ends that would normally end up in the compost or trash. Before long, I have everything I need to create a rich, flavorful broth.
Some of my favorite vegetable scraps include:
Carrot tops and peels
Onion skins
Celery leaves, tops, and ends (they add incredible flavor!)
Bok choy ends
Herb stems and leftover sprigs of rosemary, thyme, basil, parsley, or cilantro
That bag of spinach you bought with good intentions but never quite finished 😉
Then come the bones.
Each week we usually cook some combination of a whole chicken, chicken wings, or bone-in chicken thighs from our local farm. After dinner, I simply store them in the fridge or freezer until I have enough for a batch of broth. If you're purchasing from the grocery store, I recommend choosing organic, pasture-raised chicken whenever possible.
Once my container is full, it's officially bone broth day!
How to Make Homemade Bone Broth
Add your frozen bones and vegetable scraps to a large pot or Instant Pot.
Then add:
Generous amount of quality sea salt
Several garlic cloves
A splash of apple cider vinegar
Filtered water until everything is covered by about one inch
The apple cider vinegar helps draw minerals from the bones while everything slowly simmers together into a rich, flavorful broth.
My favorite method is using the Instant Pot on the broth setting for about 2 hours because it's almost completely hands-off.
If you prefer the stovetop, simply bring everything to a gentle simmer and cook on low for 24–48 hours.
Either method creates a delicious homemade chicken bone broth that's perfect for everyday cooking.
My Favorite Way to Strain & Store Bone Broth
After years of making broth, I've found one simple trick that makes cleanup so much easier.
I place a fine mesh sieve over a large glass Pyrex measuring pitcher, then carefully pour the finished broth through the strainer. The sieve catches all the bones and vegetables while the pitcher makes it incredibly easy to pour the finished broth into glass jars for storage.
One quick tip: always allow your broth to cool before placing glass jars in the freezer. Trust me—that's a mistake you usually only make once.
Homemade bone broth keeps beautifully in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for months, making it one of my favorite make-ahead kitchen staples.
Ways to Use Homemade Bone Broth
Once you've stocked your fridge, you'll find yourself reaching for bone broth constantly.
I love using it to:
Make nourishing soups
Cook rice for extra flavor
Braise meats
Add richness to sauces
Sip in a mug on chilly afternoons
Use in nearly any recipe that calls for broth
Looking for More Ways to Cook with Bone Broth?
If you love stocking your freezer with nourishing basics, my cookbooks are full of practical ways to use every last drop of broth!
Batch cookbook- features bacon & potato soup, homemade nourishing ramen, roasted tomato soup, lentil & pumpkin soup, creamy rice and mushroom soup, and oxtail stew
Fixin’s cookbook - chicken & dumplings, sour cream potato soup, beef stew
Tot’s cookbook- chicken & stars, split pea & bacon soup, eat-your-veggies-soup (pictured above!)
All of my books include more sneaky ways to add in bone broth to just about anything! So you can aid in supporting that gut lining, getting in essential amino acids, and giving your body incredible mineral support!
Every cookbook is designed to help you cook more nourishing meals from scratch while making everyday ingredients work to nourish your family.
If you're just getting started, be sure to download my free 5 Real Food Family Dinners guide for simple weeknight recipes that make delicious use of homemade staples like bone broth.
Happy Nourishing and broth drinking!
