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Homemade Beef Bone Broth (Stovetop + Pressure Cooker Methods)

A plain, versatile beef bone broth made from roasted bones and filtered water. No aromatics – just pure, rich broth you can use in anything from soups to bone broth hot chocolate.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Simmer Time 1 day
Servings: 3 quarts
Course: Broth, Soup
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Beef bones any amount — marrow bones, knuckles, oxtail, ribs, feet
  • Filtered water enough to cover bones
  • 1 –2 tbsp apple cider vinegar per large pot

Method
 

Blanch the Bones
  1. Place bones in a large pot. Cover with cold water.
  2. Bring to a boil and cook for 15–20 minutes.
  3. Skim off all foam and scum from the surface and as much fat as possible - discard.
  4. Remove bones from the pot (I do not rinse under running water but if you want to, you can).
Roast the Bones
  1. Place bones on a baking sheet.
  2. Roast at 400°F for 30–60 minutes until deeply browned and caramelized. (Smaller bones: ~30 min. Larger bones: up to 60 min.)
Stovetop Method
  1. Transfer roasted bones to a large stockpot. Cover with filtered water.
  2. Add 1–2 tbsp apple cider vinegar.
  3. Bring to a low simmer. Do not boil.
  4. Simmer for 24–36 hours. (Larger, denser bones benefit from the full 36 hours.) No longer than 48 hours.
  5. Skim fat from the top as desired.
Pressure Cooker Method (Faster Option)
  1. Transfer roasted bones to pressure cooker. Cover with filtered water to the max fill line – do not overfill.
  2. Add 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar.
  3. Cook on HIGH pressure for 2-4 hours.
  4. Allow a full natural pressure release – do not manually release. Let the pressure come down completely on its own.
Strain
  1. Scoop off fat before disturbing the liquid
  2. Use tongs to remove large bones.
  3. Strain remaining broth through a fine mesh sieve.
  4. Optional: Refrigerate to allow fat cap to solidify for easier removal.
  5. Discard or compost bones.
Storage:
  1. Fridge: Store in a sealed container for up to 7 days. Fat cap will solidify when cold and is easy to lift off before using. I store in glass mason jars.
  2. Freezer – Silicone trays: Pour into silicone molds or large ice cube trays, freeze solid, pop out and transfer to a labeled freezer bag. Great for grabbing small amounts as needed.
  3. Freezer – Mason jars: Leave at least 1 inch of headspace, use straight-sided jars, and cool completely before freezing. Do not put warm jars directly into the freezer.
  4. Freezer – Freezer bags: Fill, lay flat to freeze, then stack upright once solid. Label with date. I don't do this because I try to limit plastic exposure.
Pressure Canning: For shelf-stable storage, see my pressure canning post (link coming soon).

    Notes

    I make my bone broth completely plain for maximum versatility – add vegetables, garlic, onion, or herbs when you use it in a specific recipe.
    The fat cap contains marrow nutrients and can be saved for cooking.
    Bones should be nearly falling apart when done.
    I use an AquaTru reverse osmosis filter for my water.
    Smaller batches are significantly less time-consuming – if you can, don't wait until you have 150lbs of bones like me. 😄