Whether you call it a slow cooker or a Crockpot, this is an easy way to make beef bone broth at home. The pot does the work while you go about your day. The result is a full-bodied broth you can sip on its own or use for soups, rice, and even French Onion Soup. If you want to add meat, a small piece of chuck steak or beef shank can go right into the pot with the bones. After a few hours, it becomes tender and can be eaten on its own or saved for another meal.
Jump to:
- Why I Love Bone Broth
- What Bone Broth Is (and What It Isn't)
- Bone Broth vs Stock
- Choosing Bones
- What You Need
- How To Make Bone Broth in a Slow Cooker
- Stovetop Bone Broth (3-4 Hour Simmer)
- Why Bone Broth Gels
- How to Skim the Fat
- Storage and Reheating
- How to Use Homemade Bone Broth
- About Bone Broth
- FAQ
- More Collagen-Rich Recipes
- Slow Cooker Bone Broth Recipe
This slow cooker beef bone broth is made with soup bones, vegetables, and water, simmered low and slow until full-bodied. You can also make it on the stovetop in a shorter time. As it cools, the broth develops natural gelatin and can be used for soups, rice, or sipping. It stores well in the fridge or freezer and is easy to make ahead.
Why I Love Bone Broth
I started making bone broth about ten years ago when I was eating paleo. I'd head out to work in the morning and let the slow cooker run all day. By the time I got home, the kitchen smelled good and the broth was ready to strain and chill overnight.
Bone broth used to be a basic kitchen staple, a way to use what you had and build real meals from it. Having a pot of broth in the fridge made the rest of the week easier. Soup came together fast, and I always had something warm and homemade on hand.
I also like sipping broth during the day. Sometimes it replaces coffee or a snack. It's simple, filling, and gets me through the stretch between meals.
What Bone Broth Is (and What It Isn't)
Bone broth, stock, and regular broth are often used interchangeably, but they're not the same thing. The difference comes down to cooking time and what goes into the pot. Stock is made mostly with bones and cooked for a shorter time, which gives it body. Broth cooks faster and is lighter, often made with more meat than bones. Bone broth simmers much longer to pull out collagen and minerals.
Some cooks add tomato paste or whole tomatoes to stock for extra depth. There's no single right way.
I use bone broth when cooking rice or making soup, like my salmon chowder, instead of water. It adds real flavor.
I also use it in French onion soup. After a few tries, I finally got my husband to eat bone broth by slipping it into a pot of onion soup. The soup isn't paleo, but it tastes great and he loves it.
Bone Broth vs Stock
Bone broth and stock are often used interchangeably, but they're made a little differently. Stock is simmered for a shorter time and is mainly used as a cooking ingredient.
Bone broth is cooked longer, which draws more gelatin from the bones and gives it more body. When it cools, it often thickens.
Both work well in the kitchen and can usually be swapped depending on what you're making.
Choosing Bones
The best bone broth starts with good soup bones. Look for bones that have a mix of marrow, joints, and connective tissue.
Marrow bones, neck bones, knuckles, and oxtail all work well. Knuckles and joints add body, marrow bones add flavor, and oxtail gives you a bit of both.
Ask your butcher for soup bones rather than packaged bones when you can. They'll usually put together a good mix for broth.
If possible, choose pasture-raised beef but any good-quality bones will work.
What You Need
Ask your local butcher for marrow bones, knuckles, or oxtail. They usually have plenty of soup bones on hand.
- Beef bones (marrow bones, oxtail, knuckles), preferably from pasture-raised or grass-fed beef
- Olive oil
- Yellow onions
- Carrots, cut into large pieces
- Celery, roughly chopped or celery leaves
- Garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- Parsley
- Fresh thyme
- Bay leaves
- Whole peppercorns or black pepper
- Apple cider vinegar
- Filtered or bottled water
- Sea salt or kosher salt
How To Make Bone Broth in a Slow Cooker
Notes: Roasting the bones and sautéing the vegetables adds deeper flavor to the broth. If you're short on time, you can skip this step and place everything directly into the slow cooker.
Onions: Use one chopped onion for sautéing with the celery and carrots. Add a second onion, halved with the skin on, directly to the pot. The onion skin naturally colors the broth a rich golden hue.
- Rinse the bones and pat them dry. Spread them out on a roasting pan or baking sheet and roast at 400°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- While the bones roast, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the carrots, celery, and chopped onions with a pinch of salt. Sauté over medium heat until the vegetables brown on the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer vegetables to the slow cooker.
Add the bones, garlic, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, parsley, thyme, and apple cider vinegar to the Crock Pot. Pour in enough water to cover the ingredients, leaving about two inches at the top so the pot doesn't overflow.
TIP: You can save bones from ribeye steaks or roasts. After the meal, store the bones in the freezer until you're ready to make broth. The bone shown here is from a prime rib roast I had frozen. It was already cooked, but I added it to the pot for extra flavor.
- Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Open the lid and skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let the broth simmer for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Turn off the slow cooker and uncover. Stir, then strain the broth into a clean pot using a colander or fine mesh strainer.
- Let the broth cool, then refrigerate overnight. Skim off the fat from the top before using or storing.
Tip: Keep the lid on while the broth cooks. Every time you open it, steam escapes, and it can take up to 30 minutes for the crock pot to regain its temperature.
Stovetop Bone Broth (3-4 Hour Simmer)
Put all the ingredients in a large stockpot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Let it boil for about 10 minutes, then skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
Lower the heat to the lowest setting. Partially cover the pot and let it simmer gently for 3 to 4 hours. Check it occasionally and add more water if the level gets too low.
Why Bone Broth Gels
When bone broth cools, it may thicken or turn jiggly. This comes from gelatin released from the bones as they cook.
Gelatin firms up when the broth is cold and melts again when heated. This is normal and means the broth has good body. Not every batch gels the same way. When I cook broth overnight, it turns very jiggly once cooled. If I only cook it for about three hours, it firms up much less.
How to Skim the Fat
Once the broth is chilled, the fat rises to the top and hardens. You can lift it off easily with a spoon.
After skimming, pour the broth through a fine mesh strainer to catch any small bits.
Storage and Reheating
Once the broth has cooled, pour it into containers, cover, and refrigerate.
If you're short on time, you can refrigerate the broth right in the slow cooker. Cover the pot and chill it overnight, then skim off the fat the next day.
After chilling, the fat rises to the top and hardens, making it easy to scrape off.
The broth will keep in the refrigerator for up to four days. For longer storage, freeze it in single-serving portions for up to six months. Label and date the containers so you know what you have on hand.
Bone broth freezes very well. Once cooled, it can be frozen for up to six months.
Freeze it in 8-ounce or 16-ounce containers for easy portions. You can also use ice cube trays. After freezing, transfer the cubes to freezer bags for smaller amounts.
When thawed, the broth tastes just as good as fresh.
How to Use Homemade Bone Broth
Bone broth can be used anywhere you would normally use broth or water.
Sip it warm on its own, especially in the morning or between meals. It also works well as a base for soups and stews.
Use bone broth to cook rice, quinoa, or other grains for extra flavor. You can also use it when making sauces, gravies, or braising meats and vegetables.
Any recipe that calls for broth or stock can usually be made with bone broth instead.
About Bone Broth
Bone broth gets its body from connective tissue and cartilage, which slowly break down as the broth cooks. (Medical News Today)
Bone broth gets its body from connective tissue and cartilage, which slowly break down as the broth cooks. Collagen from the bones turns into gelatin, giving the broth its rich texture.
As the bones simmer, small amounts of minerals like calcium and magnesium leach into the liquid. The exact makeup depends on the type of bones used and how long the broth is cooked.
Bone broth also contains amino acids that come naturally from gelatin, including glutamine and glycine. These are part of what gives the broth it's familiar mouthfeel.
FAQ
Yes, I often add a piece of chuck steak or rib bones to the pot while the broth is cooking. You can let the meat cook for 3 hours or so in the broth and then pull it out and eat it.
No. The fat that rises to the top of bone broth is a mix of rendered fat and impurities from cooking. Beef tallow is made by rendering clean beef fat or suet on its own and straining it until clear. The fat from bone broth isn't the same as finished tallow.
Bone broth contains gelatin and amino acids that are commonly discussed in relation to inflammation in general food conversations. The exact makeup depends on the bones used and how long the broth is cooked.
Bone broth can be higher in histamine, especially when it's cooked for a long time. Shorter simmer times are often easier for some people to tolerate. Cooling the broth quickly after cooking may also help reduce histamine buildup.
If your broth doesn't gel in the fridge, it likely needs more collagen-rich bones like knuckles, joints, or feet. Longer simmering helps extract more gelatin too.
Bone broth has a modest amount of protein, usually 5 to 10 grams per cup, mostly from collagen and gelatin. It's not a high-protein food, but you can add a small piece of beef shank or chuck to the pot if you want more substance.
Yes. Crock-Pot is a brand name, but it refers to the same type of appliance as a slow cooker. You can use any large slow cooker or Crock-Pot for this recipe, if it holds everything comfortably and can cook on low for several hours.
More Collagen-Rich Recipes
Use bone broth to strengthen the flavor of your favorite soups and stews. Its rich taste makes any recipe better than the store-bought versions.
- Chicken Feet Soup and Bone Broth
- Old-Fashioned Chicken Soup
- Homemade Fish Stock
- Instant Pot Chicken Soup
- Green Pea Soup
- Instant Pot Chili
Check out Budget-Friendly Meat Recipes for easy, flavorful meals that won't break the bank!
Slow Cooker Bone Broth Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef bones marrow bones, oxtail, knuckles, preferably from pasture-raised beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium onions, one peeled and roughly chopped and one unpeeled trimmed and halved
- 3 carrots, sliced into 2-inch pieces
- 2 ribs celery, roughly chopped or a handful of celery leaves
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 2 parsley sprigs
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns or a teaspoon of black pepper
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 gallon filtered or bottled water
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Rinse the bones and place them on a roasting pan. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, tossing after 30 minutes.
- While the bones roast, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the carrots, celery, and chopped onions with a pinch of salt. Sauté over medium heat until the vegetables brown on the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer vegetables to the slow cooker.
- Add the bones, garlic, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, parsley, thyme, and apple cider vinegar to the Crock Pot. Pour in enough water to cover the ingredients, leaving about two inches at the top so the pot doesn't overflow.
- Set the slow cooker to high, cover, and cook for one hour. Skim off any foam that rises to the top.
- Reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 3 to 24 hours.
- Turn off the heat and strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a clean pot or large bowl.Let it cool to room temperature.
- Store the broth in covered containers or mason jars. Refrigerate overnight and skim off the fat before using or storing.
Notes
- Short on Time? You can skip roasting the bones and sautéing the vegetables. Add everything straight to the slow cooker and let it cook. You'll still end up with a flavorful broth after a few hours.
- Onions: Use one chopped onion for sautéing with the celery and carrots. Add a second onion, halved with the skin on, directly to the pot. The onion skin naturally colors the broth with a rich gold color.
- To Make Bone Broth in a Stockpot: Follow the same recipe using your largest pot on the stovetop. Keep the broth at a gentle simmer over low heat and check it occasionally to make sure it doesn't boil.
- How to Store Bone Broth: Store the broth in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze it in freezer-safe containers for up to 6 months. Label and date the containers so you know what you have on hand.
