Whether you want it for the health benefits or as a clean addition to your recipes, you'll want to have a good bone broth recipe in your arsenal. An added bonus is that this one's made in the slow cooker!
Needed Ingredients

The main two ingredients are of course, broth and water.
Many traditional recipes say to just cover the bones, or cover with a bit extra. This will yield the most flavor.
No problem if you fill it extra, especially since in the slow cooker it will be cooking for a long time.
There is a LOT of leeway here for ingredients for your broth. It really comes down to what you prefer. This includes fresh veggies and spices. Some ideas would be:
- Onion
- Garlic
- Celery
- Carrots
- Ginger
- Turmeric
- Bay Leaves
- Tomatoes
- Jalapenos
What Makes this Recipe so Good
The best part about this bone broth is how clean and fresh the ingredients are!
Most store bought broth has questionable ingredients, like added sugar, food coloring, or MSG.
You can use pasture raised, free range, grass fed, and grass finished bones and have the most nutritious broth to use in your recipes.
Benefits and Nutrients of Bone Broth
One of the most well-known benefits of bone broth is how good it is for gut health and digestion. It's a natural remedy for leaky gut, as it's full of L-Glutamine and collagen.
It's also rich in glucosamine and proteglycans.
According to Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, bone broth has all of the macrominerals such as sodium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus potassium, and sulphur "available in ready-to-use ionized form as a true electrolyte solution."
What does Vinegar do to Bone Broth?
For years almost everyone said to put a bit of vinegar into bone broth. It was suggested to put the vinegar directly onto the bones, perhaps let it sit for a bit, then add the water and cook it.
The thought was that the vinegar would draw even more nutrients out of the bones and make a more nutrient dense bone broth.
New research suggests adding vinegar really doesn't do anything at all! Read about the miniscule differences in lab results this broth company received when comparing broth made with vinegar and without.
Since I have a food intolerance to yeast, I don't even bother with this step as vinegar is high in yeast, so I was happy when I learned you really don't need to add vinegar to your broth!
Directions
There's no hard and fast rules when it comes to making your own broth at home, but here are instructions that will get you a good broth.
Prep your veggies and add them and the bones to the slow cooker.
Add water to the slow cooker. At least cover the bones, but you can do more if you'd like extra broth.
Leave on high heat for 12-24 hours, or low for up to 72 hours. Keep an eye to make sure there is always enough water in the slow cooker.
If any foam rises to the top, you can spoon it out to remove it. It's just impurities from the bones.
Anything else that rises up, I can't find a definitive answer from a solid source if you need to remove it or not. I usually just leave it unless it looks visually unappealing.
When the broth is finished, remove the bones and veggies. You can either use a strainer, or use tongs or spoons to remove them. Discard them or save for other uses.
Note-dogs shouldn't be fed the cooked bones. They can break easier once cooked, and can puncture their digestive organs after they're swallowed, or can choke them.
Either use the broth immediately or let the it cool, then put away!
Bones to Use
You can definitely use whatever bones you'd like! Some bones may be more gelatinous than others, resulting in a more jelly like broth when cooled.
You can use beef or chicken bones!
If using chicken bones, you can even throw in chicken paws! They will absolutely make your broth full of gelatin and collagen, which is great for hair, skin, and nails.
Storage
Allow the strained broth to cool completely.
Seal the container and place in the fridge or freezer.
If in the fridge, you'll notice that a layer of gel may harden on top. This serves as a seal for the broth (if there's enough of it), and it will allow you to keep your broth much longer in the fridge!
If there isn't enough fat on top to fully seal it, only keep your broth for up to 3-5 days. If you want it longer, take it out and bring it to a boil to make it last another 3 days.
If you're broth gels when cooled, that's completely normal. That just means your broth has a lot of gelatin in it, which is healthy for you! Your hair, skin, and nails will certainly appreciate that!
Uses
There are so many ways to use this bone broth! Here are just a few. If you have other ways you use broth, comment below and let me know!
I'm always looking to add more broth into my diet!
- Broth for soup
- Base for homemade gravy
- Use instead of water when cooking rice
- Add to dog's food for digestion health
- Feed to babies to help seal their gut (check with doctor first)
- Use for a broth fast
You would NOT want to include potatoes, leafy greens, or cabbage. These ingredients can make your broth bitter tasting.
Yes, and it will affect the flavor! It can become bitter. While some people say you can leave the broth for up to 72 hours, it does seem to lose it's flavor or become bitter. Of course, this all depends on the quantity and size of your bones. If you have a lot of bones or they are large, you can get away with a longer cooking time.
The general consensus seems to be 24-72 hours. Read above for details on longer cooking time. The sweet spot to get the most nutrients and have it taste good seems to be 24-48 hours.
Slow cooking is the way to go. You get the most nutrients possible, while in pressure cooking it's possible to lose some nutrients from the high temperature needed to cook so quickly.
Slow Cooker Bone Broth
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
Ingredients
- various bones of choice beef or chicken
- water at least to cover bones
- onions quartered
- garlic smashed
- carrots
- celery
Instructions
- Place the bones in the slow cooker.
- Wash and chop veggies and add to the slow cooker.
- Pour in at least enough water to cover, if not more
- Place the slow cooker on high and cook for 12-72 hours.
- Skim off any froth that appears on top.
- Strain out the bones and veggies.
- Allow to cool then store in the fridge or freezer!
Video
Best Recipes to Use this Broth In
- Leeky Greens and Bacon Soup
- Whole30 Zuppa Toscana (stove top)
- Crock Pot Zuppa Toscana
- Dairy Free Potato Soup
Did you make this recipe? Let me know below!
Feel free to share a picture how you used it and tag me on Instagram @thecleanhappylife.
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