Boost the taste of your favorite soups, stews, sauces, and pot roasts with this budget-friendly homemade beef bone broth recipe! Crafted for both Instant Pot and slow cooker methods, this versatile broth is a game-changer. This homemade beef broth recipe is also low FODMAP, Paleo, Whole30, low carb, Keto, and gluten-free.
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Is beef broth low FODMAP?
Store-bought beef broths often contain high FODMAP ingredients like garlic and onion. One store-bought beef broth brand that appears low FODMAP I've used for years and love is Imagine Low Sodium Beef Broth. It has a short list of low FODMAP ingredients as well as no added sugar or harmful preservatives, making it Paleo and Whole30 compliant. I can find this at some of my local grocery stores, but this brand may not be accessible to everyone. Be sure to check ingredient labels of any beef broth you're considering using (including Imagine) as ingredients can change and differ from country to country.
Why Homemade Bone Broths are the Best
In my previous post featuring my chicken bone broth recipe, I promised to share more homemade broth recipes in the future. Crafting homemade broths infuses dishes with remarkable flavor, making the effort well worthwhile. Additionally, opting for homemade broth is not only cost-effective but also ensures quality and freshness compared to store-bought alternatives.
If you're looking for a meat-free broth, try my homemade vegetable broth recipe.
Equipment
Instant Pot vs. Slow Cooker
This homemade beef broth can be made in about 3 ½ hours total when using the Instant Pot and 5-7 hours (on high) or 9-13 hours (on low) total when using a slow cooker. The Instant Pot method is definitely faster and results in a flavorful broth, but the slow cooker method, when cooking on low for around 12 hours, results in a darker brown colored broth (darker than what's in these photos) that is even more flavorful.
Instant Pot Beef Bone Broth
The equipment I use to make this homemade beef bone broth in the Instant Pot includes:
- 6-quart Instant Pot, 8-quart Instant Pot, or a similar electric pressure cooker
- Plus all the ingredients in the "Remaining Equipment" list below.
Additional equipment worth considering: Although I haven't personally used one, this silicone steamer basket for the Instant Pot appears to facilitate easier broth straining. While contemplating its purchase for my homemade broth recipes, I found them to be relatively pricey in Canada (around $40 CAD, compared to lower prices in the US). While I usually refrain from linking products I haven't tested, I've included a link here if you're interested in exploring further.
Slow Cooker Beef Bone Broth
The equipment I use to make this homemade beef bone broth in the slow cooker includes:
- Slow Cooker (I use an older model of this 6-quart Crock-Pot)
Plus:
Remaining Equipment (both methods):
- Conventional oven - I typically don't care for Instant Pot recipes that tell you to use the oven AND the Instant Pot, but I've tested this with and without the oven, it makes a huge difference in flavor and color to roast the beef bones in the oven prior to pressure cooking them.
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- Tongs
- Chopping board and knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Fine mesh sieve
- Cheesecloth (optional) - I personally do not use a cheesecloth, but it's necessary if you want to remove the itty bitty particles that remain in the broth.
- Large bowl
- Large ladle
- Fat separator - optional but highly recommended. You can also use a dinner spoon and good old elbow grease and patience to skim the fat off the top.
- Storage containers of various sizes - I use a combination of mason jars and plastic deli containers.
I also find large, 4-cup measuring cups super handy when straining and measuring out the broth, but they're optional.
Ingredients
The ingredients I use in this homemade beef broth recipe include (shown below across two photos):
- Beef soup bones - I find these at some of my local grocery stores, typically in the frozen meats section. You may also be able to buy them from a local butcher.
- Carrots, washed and peeled or unpeeled, chopped into large chunks
- Celery stalk or 4 large radishes, chopped into large chunks
- Leek greens, chopped into large pieces. If you don't eat low FODMAP, you can also use a large yellow or white onion instead.
- Fresh thyme or dried thyme leaves (optional) - while they do enhance the broth's flavor, if you're trying to make the broth more economical, you can omit these herbs. Most of the flavor comes from the bones anyway.
- Fresh oregano or dried oregano leaves (optional)
- Dried chives (optional, especially if using onion)
- Whole peppercorns
- Apple cider vinegar
- Coconut aminos or low sodium tamari sauce or soy sauce (if not needing gluten-free). Use coconut aminos if needing Paleo/Whole30.
- Cold water
- Salt to taste (optional)
Method
I take the following steps to make this homemade beef broth in the Instant Pot (slow cooker instructions are included in the recipe card below).
Roast Beef Bones
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the beef bones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Roast beef bones in the oven for 40 minutes until they turn dark brown. Roasting the bones significantly enhances the flavor and color of the broth. While the bones are roasting, prepare the remaining ingredients.
Using tongs, transfer roasted bones to your 6-quart Instant Pot, 8-quart Instant Pot, or comparable electric pressure cooker.
Optional but highly-recommended step: using a spatula, scrape the juices left by the bones from the baking sheet into the Instant Pot. This increases the amount of fat in broth (which can be easily removed if you have a fat separator) but also intensely enriches the broth's flavor. If you don’t have an easy way to remove the fat, you may want to skip this step.
Add Produce, Herbs, Seasonings, and Water
Add the chopped carrots, celery, leek, fresh or dried herbs, dried chives, peppercorns, apple cider vinegar, and coconut aminos (or tamari or soy sauce) to the Instant Pot.
Pour water over the ingredients, enough to cover them but not going over the Instant Pot’s max fill line.
Pressure Cook
Close the Instant Pot lid and set the pressure release valve to “Sealing.” Press the “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” button and set the timer for 120 minutes (2 hours).
Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes. Then, carefully perform a quick pressure release.
Strain
Open the lid. Allow broth to cool slightly.
Using a fine-mesh sieve (and a cheesecloth if you want to remove the broth’s fine particles), strain the broth, ladling it through the sieve into large bowls, separating the liquid from the solids. Discard the bones, vegetables, and herbs.
Separate
If desired, pour broth through a fat separator to remove the fat from the broth’s surface. Or, once the broth has had time to settle, you can use a dinner spoon to scrape the fat from its surface.
Taste the broth and add salt if desired, keeping in mind that it's best to keep it lightly seasoned to accommodate various recipes.
Allow the broth to cool slightly before transferring it to containers of various sizes for storage.
Once transferred into containers, let the broth cool completely before covering with lids and storing.
Store
Store the homemade beef broth bone in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days or freeze it for later use for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using or defrost in the microwave if needed.
How to use this Homemade Beef Bone Broth
Use this homemade beef bone broth in any recipe that calls for beef broth, such as:
- Beef Stew (Instant Pot / Slow Cooker)
- Instant Pot Beef Pot Roast One-Pot Meal,
- Quick Low FODMAP Gravy
- French Dip Sandwich (Instant Pot / Slow Cooker)
- Low Carb Lasagna Soup (Instant Pot / Slow Cooker)
- and countless others. Search for "beef broth" in the search bar and it should bring up all the recipes that call for beef broth on this site.
Frequently Asked Questions
100% yes. While it's kind of a hassle to roast the beef bones in the oven first, the flavor difference between using unroasted and roasted beef bones is profound.
According to Monash University's Low FODMAP Diet App, beef does not contain carbohydrates and therefore no FODMAPs. However, if needing low FODMAP, make sure no high FODMAP ingredients (like garlic or onion) have been added to the bones you end up using.
Some mainstream grocery stores sell beef soup bones separately from other meats. I have found them locally in the frozen meats section at Real Canadian Superstore and Save-on-Foods, with the bones from Save-on being the higher quality of the two. You may also be able to purchase them from your local butcher.
The beef broth in these photos was made using the Instant Pot. If you want a darker brown broth, my tests in the slow cooker achieved a much richer brown colored broth when cooking it on low for 8-12 hours. The longer you cook it, the darker brown the broth will be. The lighter colored broth made in the Instant Pot is still very flavorful.
Related Recipes
Homemade Beef Bone Broth (Instant Pot / Slow Cooker)
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 cups 1x
Description
This homemade beef bone broth made in the Instant Pot or slow cooker adds delicious flavors to soups, stews, pot roasts, and any recipe that calls for beef broth. It's also low FODMAP, Paleo, Whole30, low carb, Keto, and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef soup bones
- 2 large carrots, washed and peeled or unpeeled, chopped into large chunks (about 2 cups)
- 1 medium celery stalk or 4 large radishes, chopped into large chunks (about ½ cup)
- 1 cup leek greens, chopped into large pieces, or white or yellow onion if not needing low FODMAP
- 1 bunch (20 grams or .7 ounces) fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves (optional)
- 1 bunch (20 grams or .7 ounces) fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves (optional)
- 1 tablespoon dried chives (optional)
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos or low sodium tamari sauce or soy sauce (if not needing gluten-free)
- 12 cold cups water (or enough to fill but not going over the Instant Pot’s max fill line)
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Roast Beef Bones: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the beef bones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and roast them in the oven for 40 minutes until they turn dark brown. Roasting the bones significantly enhances the flavor and color of the broth.
- Prepare Ingredients: While the bones are roasting, prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Transfer Beef Bones to Instant Pot: Using tongs, transfer roasted bones to your 6-quart Instant Pot, 8-quart Instant Pot, or comparable electric pressure cooker.
- Optional but highly-recommended: Using a spatula, scrape the juices left by the bones from the baking sheet into the Instant Pot (see notes).
- Add Produce, Herbs and Seasonings: Add the chopped carrots, celery, leek greens (or onion), fresh or dried herbs, dried chives, peppercorns, apple cider vinegar, and coconut aminos (or tamari or soy sauce) to the Instant Pot.
- Add Water: Pour water over the ingredients, enough to cover them but not going over the Instant Pot’s max fill line.
- Pressure Cook: Close the Instant Pot lid and set the pressure release valve to “Sealing.” Press the “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” button and set the timer for 120 minutes (2 hours).
- Natural Release: Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes. Then, carefully perform a quick pressure release. Open the lid. Allow broth to cool slightly.
- Strain: Using a fine-mesh sieve (and a cheesecloth if you want to remove the broth’s fine particles), strain the broth, ladling it through the sieve into large bowls, separating the liquid from the solids. Discard the bones, vegetables, and herbs.
- Separate: If desired, pour through a fat separator to remove the fat from the broth’s surface. Or, once the broth has had time to settle, you can use a dinner spoon to scrape the fat from its surface.
- Transfer to Containers: Allow the broth to cool slightly before transferring it to containers of various sizes for storage. Once transferred into containers, let the broth cool completely before covering with lids and storing.
- Store: Store the homemade beef broth in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days or freeze it for later use for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using or defrost in the microwave if needed.
- Serve: Use in recipes that call for beef broth, like my Beef Stew (Instant Pot / Slow Cooker), Instant Pot Beef Pot Roast One-Pot Meal, Quick Homemade Gravy, French Dip Sandwich (Instant Pot / Slow Cooker), Low Carb Lasagna Soup (Instant Pot / Slow Cooker), and countless others.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Roast Beef Bones: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the beef bones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and roast them in the oven for 40 minutes until they turn dark brown. Roasting the bones significantly enhances the flavor and color of the broth.
- Prepare Ingredients: While the bones are roasting, prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Transfer Beef Bones to Slow Cooker: Using tongs, transfer the roasted bones to your slow cooker (I use this 6-quart Crock-Pot).
- Optional but highly-recommended: Using a spatula, scrape the juices from the bones from the baking sheet into the slow cooker (see notes).
- Add Produce, Herbs and Seasonings: Add the chopped carrots, celery, leek greens (or onion), dried herbs, dried chives, peppercorns, apple cider vinegar, and coconut aminos (or tamari or soy sauce) to the slow cooker.
- Add Water: Pour water over the ingredients, enough to cover them but not exceeding the slow cooker's capacity.
- Slow Cook: Cover and slow cook on low heat for 8-12 hours or on high heat for 4-6 hours (the longer the better for flavor and color). Once the cooking time is complete, allow the broth to cool slightly.
- Strain: Using a fine-mesh sieve (and a cheesecloth if you want to remove the broth’s fine particles), strain the broth, ladling it through the sieve into large bowls, separating the liquid from the solids. Discard the bones, vegetables, and herbs.
- Separate: If desired, pour through a fat separator to remove the fat from the broth’s surface. Or, once the broth has had time to settle, you can use a dinner spoon to scrape the fat from its surface.
- Taste: Taste the broth and add salt if desired, keeping in mind that it's best to keep it lightly seasoned to accommodate various recipes.
- Transfer to Containers: Allow the broth to cool slightly before transferring it to containers of various sizes for storage. Once transferred into containers, let the broth cool completely before covering with lids and storing.
- Store: Store the homemade beef bone broth in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days or freeze it for later use for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using or defrost in the microwave if needed.
- Serve: Use in recipes that call for beef broth, like my Beef Stew (Instant Pot / Slow Cooker), Low Carb Pot Roast, Vegetables, and Gravy (Instant Pot / Slow Cooker), Quick Homemade Gravy, French Dip Sandwich (Instant Pot / Slow Cooker), Low Carb Lasagna Soup (Instant Pot / Slow Cooker), and countless others.
Notes
- Scraping bone juices into broth: This increases the amount of fat in broth (which can be removed fairly easily if you have a fat separator) but also intensely enriches the broth's flavor. If you don’t have an easy way to remove the fat, you may want to skip this step.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Time to come to and release pressure: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 160 minutes
- Category: Soups and Stews
- Method: Instant Pot / Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: North American
Disclaimer: This recipe is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical or dietary advice. The author is not a medical professional. Nutrition info is an estimate and can vary depending on ingredients and preparation. We follow current guidelines for special diets like low FODMAP, Keto, and Paleo at the time of initial publication, but individual tolerance varies and research is always evolving. It’s up to each reader to check ingredient labels, stay informed with the latest research, and consult their doctor to make informed choices based on their individual needs. Storage times are general recommendations—always follow safe food handling practices. See our Terms of Use for more details.
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