Name: Crockpot Chicken Bone Broth
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 720 min
Ingredients: cooked chicken bones; leftover juices from cooked chicken (optional); 1 onion, halved; 2-3 celery stalks, washed; 2-3 carrots, washed; 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1 tsp salt; water; spices to taste: parsley, oregano, thyme, rosemary, etc (optional)

Jump to Recipe

This homemade crockpot bone broth makes the process so simple. There are only a few ingredients and the health benefits are amazing. The bonus is that it cooks easily in your slow cooker and can even cook overnight, giving you fresh bone broth by the morning.

The crockpot has become my easy go-to for many meals. It allows the freedom of not being bound to the kitchen, all while something delicious simmers away in there. That includes this homemade crockpot bone broth. The safety alone of not having to remember that something is cooking on the stovetop is my main reason for this being my preferred kitchen appliance for bone broth.

On Sunday afternoon, I put a whole chicken in my crockpot and let it cook all afternoon long. When late afternoon arrives, I make a few simple side dishes and our Sunday dinner is ready. This has helped my Sunday to be a more pleasant day as I know that my family will be fed, but I don’t have the mad dash to make dinner. It’s been a nice solution to having a little time off for mom.

{Post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure here.}

WHAT IS BONE BROTH?

Bone broth is simply the result of bones simmering in water in order to release their nutrients. Simply cooking meat with the bone in does not give the benefits contained within the bones. It is the slow long cooking that produces a nutritional powerhouse for your body.

WHY SHOULD I MAKE BONE BROTH?

Bone broth can easily be picked up at any grocery store. I even do it from time to time. And it’s fine to use in recipes, but the quality isn’t going to be there like a homemade bone broth. There will also be plenty of added ingredients that wouldn’t be included in the one you make in your own kitchen.

Some of the health benefits to bone broth is the addition of minerals, vitamins, and collagen to your body. Some of these include vitamins that come from the marrow within the bone. {Thus the reason to use quality bones.}

Did your grandma ever tell you to eat some chicken noodle soup when you weren’t feeling well? The meat and other ingredients would have given your body a boost of strength and energy. But, I believe the secret was in the actual broth. Most likely, she would have made homemade broth using bones from a local butcher and it would have contained vitamins and minerals to boost your immune system.

Overall, the health benefits are incredible and the process of making your own homemade broth is so simple, that it’s an easy step to take towards a more homemade lifestyle.

WHEN WILL I USE THIS BONE BROTH?

Homemade bone broth can be used in any recipe that calls for bone broth or stock. Substitute it 1:1 just as the recipe calls for. I have a chicken tortilla soup recipe that includes broth and the homemade kind is the perfect addition to it.

Another option to add a regular consumption of bone broth is just to drink it. Enjoy straight from the crockpot the day you make it or warm it up after it’s been stored in the refrigerator. The preferred way to reheat your broth would be in a saucepan on your stovetop. It’s best to leave the microwave out of this in order to receive the highest level of nutrition from the ingredients.

After deciding to add a regular drinking of bone broth, it’s best to select a time of day in order to establish a routine. My family drinks a cup each morning with breakfast. It did take a little getting used to as the taste reminded us of dinner, but within a few weeks, it became a part of our daily routine. It only takes a few minutes to warm up and it has a soothing and calming effect as it is consumed. So, pick a time and just get started!

TIPS FOR MAKING CROCKPOT CHICKEN BONE BROTH

The easiest time to make this recipe is right after you have cooked a chicken. Once the meat has been removed, place all of the bones into the crockpot. Include any drippings and juices that the chicken produced while it cooked. This is a great base to your bone broth.
Any type of bones can be used to make bone broth. For me, using the bones right after making a chicken is the simplest solution. But sometimes you can find broth bones at a butcher and those would be amazing too!
Use quality bones. For chicken, it would mean using bones from a free-range organic non-GMO bird. If you have beef bones, the best option would be grass-fed. Local meat is a great option. The higher the quality of the bones is equal to the higher nutritional benefits your body will receive.
It is also best to use organic vegetables. Again, the greatest benefit will be received with quality ingredients.
A great option for the water that is added to make this broth is a Berkey water system. This is the only water we drink and cook with. {Click HERE for more info.}
This recipe calls for celery, carrots, and an onion. But feel free to change out those vegetables for others. Some may not give as neutral of a taste, but it’s okay to experiment. The vegetables I use are the most standard ones typically included. The flavor and coloring could also change depending upon the type of onion used.
The amount of people in your family will determine how often you’ll need to make bone broth if you want a constant source of it. I make mine weekly with a family of 5, which includes 3 teens. My crockpot nets us 4 1/2 quarts.
An easy option for the time that this takes to simmer is to let it cook overnight. This recipe is easily to assemble in the evening and then leave it and when you come back to the kitchen in the morning, it will be done.
Allow the broth to come to room temperature after it is done cooking. An easy way to do this is to remove the insert from the crockpot and place it on a cooling rack. This allows air to circulate around it more easily.
Store bone broth in glass jars in your refrigerator. It will last in there for about a week. If you won’t use it in that time, consider freezing it, where it will be good for up to 6 months.
Once it is refrigerated, you may notice a coating of hardened fat on the top. That is perfectly normal and to be expected. It can seal the broth in, but is easily dislodged when the jar is shaken. I typically heat it up with the rest of the broth. But it could be used as a fat portion in other recipes.
Dogs love carrots! We split our carrots in half and keep them in a jar in our refrigerator. Our dog gets one half each day and she goes crazy over it.

TOOLS YOU WILL NEED

Crockpot {THIS ONE is my favorite…I actually have two for those extra large crowd gatherings.}
Glass jars