Making homemade chicken broth in your slow cooker or Instant Pot is super easy.
This recipe is for a chicken broth, not a chicken stock. Homemade chicken broth is made from chicken meat (usually on the bone) while chicken stock is from bones. Since I used a whole chicken, this is broth.

before
For the record, I do not think there is anything wrong with store-bought, low-sodium chicken broth. I buy and use it all the time. BUT there’s also something to be said about the simplicity of making your own. Every time I make a batch of homemade chicken broth I ask myself why I continue to buy it.

after
I used a Pasturebird whole chicken that was a little under 4 pounds (I think). Toss everything in and let it cook. So easy. For my fresh herbs I like to use either parsley, rosemary, or thyme. Don’t forget to save the meat! When this is done, you’ll have a couple of pounds of cooked chicken ready to be used in other recipes.
Does your broth look like jello when it cools? Great! That’s not just normal, it’s actually a good thing. Chicken broth gels because of its gelatin. Gelatin is nothing more than cooked collagen which is found in bones, tendons, ligaments, etc.
Print
Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Chicken Broth
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 – 5 lb. whole chicken
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- Water (to cover)
- 2 tbsp fresh herbs
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- Add all ingredients to the slow cooker including enough water to cover the ingredients.
- Cook HIGH 3-4 hours, LOW 6-8.
- Once cooled, strain broth into another container.
Instant Pot
- Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot. Fill pot with water until it’s 2/3 full. Close and seal vent.
- Select the Soup setting and set time for 30 minutes. Natural release.
- Once cooled, strain broth into another container.
After you strain your broth, you can store the homemade chicken broth in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or you can freeze it.

ready for the freezer
If you refrigerate your broth, don’t be surprised to find a layer of fat has solidified on top. This is normal, just discard it.
You will need a large 6-quart slow cooker or Instant Pot for this recipe.

PIN FOR LATER
This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on one of the product links, I might receive compensation. For more about my disclosure policy see here: https://fitslowcookerqueen.com/about/disclosure-policy/.
nice soup stock!