Bone Broth: The Complete Guide (Beef and Chicken, No Seed Oils)

Quick answer: bone broth is bones (with plenty of joints and connective tissue) simmered gently in water for many hours until the liquid is rich and sets to a jelly when cold. You need bones, water, time and a big pot. No oil goes in at all, and the fat that rises to the top is tallow or schmaltz you can save and cook with.

Start with a recipe

• Bone Broth — Tallow-Enriched Slow Simmered
• Instant Pot Bone Broth in 3 Hours — the MAHA Method With Tallow
• Ramen in Tallow Bone Broth — the Long-Cooked Tonkotsu Method
• Vietnamese Beef Pho — Tallow Bone Broth
• Chicken and Rice Congee in Bone Broth — The Comforting Asian Porridge
• Miso Soup in Dashi Broth — The Japanese Daily Staple
• Bone Broth Tomato Soup — Slow Rendered, Butter Finished

Which bones to use

Aim for a mix. Meaty bones (shin, oxtail, chicken backs) bring flavour; joints, knuckles, feet, wings and necks bring the collagen that turns into gelatin. Marrow bones add richness. Butchers often sell bones cheaply, and a leftover roast chicken carcass makes a good small batch.

The method, step by step

1. Roast (optional). For brown beef broth, roast the bones at about 220°C (200°C fan) until browned. Skip this for a pale chicken broth.
2. Cover with cold water. Use just enough to cover; too much water dilutes the gelatin.
3. Bring up slowly and skim. Take off the grey foam that rises in the first 30 minutes for a clearer broth.
4. Simmer gently. Bubbles should barely break the surface. Chicken: 6 to 12 hours. Beef: 12 to 24 hours. Pressure cooker: about 2 to 3 hours.
5. Add vegetables late. Onion, carrot, celery and herbs go in for the last hour or two so they don't turn bitter.
6. Strain, cool fast, lift the fat. Strain through a fine sieve, divide into shallow containers, chill, then lift off the fat cap.

Troubleshooting

• Cloudy broth: it boiled too hard. Still fine to eat; keep it gentler next time.
• Doesn't set: not enough joints or too much water. Reduce it, or add feet or wings next time.
• Bitter or flat: vegetables went in too early, or it needs salt. Season at the end, once it has reduced.
• Greasy: chill it fully and lift the fat cap before reheating.

Storing it safely

Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking, use within 3 to 4 days, or freeze (best within 3 to 4 months). Reheat soups and broths to a rolling boil. Source: USDA FSIS, Leftovers and Food Safety.

Use the fat cap

The fat you lift off beef broth is tallow and can be used like any rendered tallow; see how to render tallow and every tallow recipe.

More soups and broths

• French Onion Soup in Butter — the Classic Gratinée
• Nigerian Groundnut Soup — West African Peanut Stew in Palm Oil
• Traditional Chicken Noodle Soup in Grass-Fed Butter — Seed Oil Free
• Ginseng Chicken Soup — Korean Samgyetang
• Egusi Soup — West African Melon Seed Stew
• Japanese Miso Ramen — Tallow Broth
• Saimin — Hawaiian Noodle Soup with Tallow Broth

Frequently asked questions

What are the benefits of bone broth?

Bone broth is a savoury, low-calorie liquid with a little protein: USDA lists home-prepared chicken stock at about 2.5 g protein per 100 g. Claims about joints and skin rest mainly on its collagen, but a 2019 laboratory study found bone broth is unlikely to provide reliable amounts of the collagen building blocks (glycine, proline, hydroxyproline) compared with the collagen supplement doses used in research. Treat it as good food and a base for soups, not as a supplement.

Source: USDA FoodData Central: chicken stock, home-prepared; Alcock et al., Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab (2019)

How is bone broth made?

Bones with plenty of joints are covered with cold water, brought up slowly, skimmed and kept at a bare simmer for hours (roughly 6 to 12 for chicken, 12 to 24 for beef, or 2 to 3 in a pressure cooker), then strained, cooled quickly in shallow containers and chilled within 2 hours, as the USDA advises for cooked food. The full method is above.

Source: USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety

Which bone broth has the most collagen?

It varies a lot. The 2019 study that tested broths found large differences between recipes, with the highest amino acid levels in café-prepared broths, and commercial broths lower than home-made ones made to the same recipe. In the kitchen, collagen comes from connective tissue, so joints, knuckles, feet, wings and necks give a broth that sets to a firm jelly when cold.

Source: Alcock et al. (2019)

Which bone broth has the most protein?

Per USDA data, home-prepared chicken stock has about 2.5 g protein per 100 g and home-prepared beef stock about 2 g, so a typical 250ml mug gives roughly 5 to 6 g. Shop-bought bone broths vary, so compare the protein per serving on the label; a longer simmer and more joints generally give a richer broth.

Source: USDA: chicken stock, home-prepared; USDA: beef stock, home-prepared

How long should I simmer bone broth?

On the hob, chicken bones usually need 6 to 12 hours and beef bones 12 to 24 hours at a bare simmer. A pressure cooker gets you there in about 2 to 3 hours. Stop when the broth tastes rich and the bones have given up their connective tissue.

Why didn't my bone broth set like jelly?

Gel comes from gelatin, which forms when collagen in joints, skin and cartilage breaks down. Use more knuckle, feet, wings or necks, use less water (just cover the bones), and keep it at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil.

Should I roast the bones first?

For a deep brown beef broth, yes: roast at around 220°C (200°C fan) until well browned. For a light chicken broth you can skip it.

What do I do with the fat on top?

Let the broth chill and the fat will set into a cap. Lift it off: from beef bones it is tallow, from chicken it is schmaltz. Strain it, keep it in the fridge and cook with it.

How long does bone broth keep?

The USDA advises refrigerating cooked food within 2 hours, using leftovers within 3 to 4 days, and freezing for longer storage (best quality within 3 to 4 months). Cool a big pot quickly by dividing it into shallow containers.

Bone broth or stock: what is the difference?

In practice the words overlap. "Bone broth" usually means a longer simmer with a higher proportion of joints and bones, so it is richer and more gelatinous than a quick stock.

More questions

Can I make bone broth in a pressure cooker?

Yes. A pressure cooker shortens the simmer a great deal. Our Instant Pot bone broth recipe gives the timings, and the storage advice above still applies.

Related guides

• What is tallow?: how to render beef tallow and cook with it
• Traditional fats guide: lard, tallow, ghee, butter and more
• Seed Oils 101: what seed oils are and how to cook without them