Creating your own chicken stock is easy peasy if you hold onto your chicken bones after roasting or freeze for later use, which is exactly what I did after my roast chicken. What makes it so easy, the Instant Pot! No need to slave over the stove for hours creating a stock when you have an instant pot. I can attest that you can still get the same depths of flavor with a few simple ingredients. Today, I’m using onions, celery, carrot, garlic, lemongrass, thyme and the chicken bones; voilà amazing stock! I choose these ingredients because they’re essential to most stocks and lemongrass adds great brightness and lemon notes.

Simply wash and cut your vegetables and you’re ready for the instant pot.

Add your bones and chicken bits directly to the instant pot (After I roasted the chicken, I froze all the goodies I had stuffed in the cavity because those items add to the stock and no harm in freezing for later use). Top the bones with your onions, celery, carrot, garlic, lemongrass, and thyme. Add two bay leafs, salt and pepper and 10 cups of water (i.e. full to 4L line).

Set the instant pot to Manual / High Pressure for 60 minutes and that’s it!

I’ve often wondered the difference between a stock and broth. Here’s what I’ve learned as writing this blog, chicken stock is made more from the bones, whereas chicken broth is made more from the meat. This stock has both bones and meat, so lucky for us we have stock-broth 👍 and my dog, Sonny, will be happy because he’ll gladly consume some of the chicken from the bones for his Sunday supper after it cooks in the instant pot 😉

Once the stock is done, I strain into a heat resistant container and begin to let it cool before storing.

Once the bones and chicken cooled, I remove the chicken for later use. Place the stock into freezer safe containers or bags for later stock needs and don’t forget to remove that fat cap once it’s formed 👍

And get ready because tomorrow I’ll be creating a great Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup during our snow day with some of the stock! And Tom Kha Gia (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup) (I included notes below for a Thai Chicken Stock) is in the plan for later in the week.

Instant Pot Chicken Stock

This recipe creates ~8 cups of stock. 

Ingredient

• Chicken bones and parts
• 1 chopped onion, I kept the inner skins on
• 1 handful of thyme
  
  • Note if you prefer a Thai chicken stock: Omit the thyme and replace with 5-6 shiitake mushrooms.
• 2 rinsed and chopped celery stalks
  • Note if you prefer a Thai chicken stock: Omit the celery!
• 2 rinsed, peeled and chopped carrots
  • Note if you prefer a Thai chicken stock: Omit the carrot!
• 5 smashed cloves of garlic, the smashing wakes up those garlic flavors
  • Note if you prefer a Thai chicken stock: Also add 1 thumb of ginger.
• 2 smashed and chopped lemongrass, again wake up those flavors
• 2 bay leaves
  • Note if you prefer a Thai chicken stock: Omit the bay leaves and replace with 2 kaffir lime leaves.
• 10 cups of water or to the 4L mark
• 1tsp peppercorns
• 1tsp sea salt

Instructions

1. Prepare your ingredients.
2. Add all ingredients to the instant pot.
3. Add 10 cups of water or full to the 4L line.
4. Set the Instant Pot to Manual / High Pressure for 60 minutes.
5. Once the cook time is over, let the pressure release naturally (25ish minutes).
6. Strain your stock.
7. Once the stock has cooled a bit, place in storage containers.

I would recommend using the stock within 3-4 days. If you plan to freeze, ensure the stock is cooled before freezing and be careful not to full the container completely because the stock will expand as it freezes.

Hope you enjoy!