If you think making homemade chicken bone broth recipe in a stock pot on the stove top or high pressure Instant Pot is easy, making it in a Crock-Pot is pretty much effortless.
The key to making truly delicious chicken bone broth that extracts every last bit of goodness and rich flavor from the bones is a long, slow simmer for hours on end. For that reason, the slow cooker is the perfect vessel for the job, as it keeps the broth cooking at an even temperature for a long cooking time.
The Benefits of Bone Broth
Some of the many benefits of homemade bone broth include supporting your gut and joint health, your immune system, and even your hair, skin, and nails.
The key ingredients in bone broth that contribute to these benefits are the collagen and gelatin that are released from the bones during the cooking process. Since collagen and gelatin are derived from the same sources, they have identical amino acid profiles. Most of the amino acids found in gelatin and collagen have anti-inflammatory properties, which makes them beneficial for supporting overall well-being.
Collagen is a structural protein, and the most plentiful protein in the body. It’s a building block for bones, hair, skin, and nails, and plays a role in forming animal tissue. In its raw form, collagen isn’t ideal for consumption and needs to be processed before we can enjoy eating it.
Gelatin is a processed form of collagen. Well-made bone broth contains gelatin because the process of boiling animal bones for a long period of time breaks the collagen down into gelatin. While they aren’t exactly the same substance, you can’t really have gelatin without collagen. Think of gelatin as the processed form of raw animal collagen.
While you could choose to consume a supplement in powder or capsule form, you can also get collagen and gelatin in your diet the original way: by drinking bone broth. In fact, the jury is still out on whether or not supplemental collagen is as effective as consuming it in whole foods. With bone broth, the simmering time of the bones (up to 24 hours) allows collagen and gelatin to be released into the broth, which many believe is digested quicker than a powder.
Homemade or Store Bought?
While there’s no “correct” answer, there are both pros and cons to buying or making bone broth. If you don’t have time to make a quality bone broth, you may have considered purchasing powders or concentrates. But can bone broth supplements provide the same health benefits as a traditional liquid broth? Here is a helpful overview of each option.
Regularly making bone broth is a great way to help you maximize ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. Plus, keeping a batch of bone broth on hand either in the fridge or freezer can save time during your weeknight meal prep. Keep a large freezer bag handy to store veggie and meat scraps and bones (chicken carcass, ribs, chicken bones) from prior meals to prepare for cooking.
Here’s how we make bone broth in our kitchen. We even made a video to show you how it’s done so you can easily make it in your own kitchen, too.
With a Crock-Pot, fully-flavored chicken bone broth no longer has to take up your entire day as you watch the stove. All you have to do is toss some leftover chicken bones into a slow cooker with a few vegetables, add a handful of herbs and a touch of sea salt and pepper, and set it overnight or before you head out for work. By the time you’re back, you’ll have a solid supply of chicken broth for sipping or adding to your favorite soup recipe in place of chicken stock or store-bought broth.
This chicken bone broth is tested and true, and we’d highly recommend you give it a try. It’s gluten-free and keto-friendly and beneficial for many autoimmune disease diets. Want to try our beef bone broth recipe as well? We’ve got you covered.
Slow Cooker Chicken Bone Broth Recipe
This is a Kettle & Fire tested and true slow cooker chicken bone broth recipe that features organic chicken bones, fresh vegetables, and herbs.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken bones leftover from roasted chicken, preferably organic
- 2 stalks celery roughly chopped
- 2 carrots skin on, roughly chopped
- 1 yellow or white onion roughly chopped
- 1 green bell pepper roughly chopped
- 1 head garlic
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
- 8-10 cups filtered water or enough to cover ingredients
Instructions
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Rinse vegetables and herbs and place into a slow cooker.
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Add chicken bones and all remaining ingredients to slow cooker and cover with enough water so that all ingredients are submerged.
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Turn on slow cooker to low heat and let cook for 12-18 hours.
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Remove from heat and carefully separate the vegetables and bones from the broth.
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Strain the broth into a bowl through a colander, and strain once more through a cheesecloth to remove any remaining particles.
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Pour broth into an airtight jar and store in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Paleo | Gluten Free
Enjoy Your Homemade Broth
Sipping a delicious mug of hearty bone broth adds nutritious element to your day. It only requires a few steps to make and minimal prep time when you use a slow cooker, but the result is endlessly rewarding!
Bone broth can add depth to your cooking in addition to standing alone as a warming beverage or meal. It comes with amazing health benefits and contributes to an overall healthy lifestyle. So don’t miss the most critical step of making bone broth: enjoying the fruits of your labor!
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