Chicken Bone Broth Recipe

Bone broth has gotten a lot of hype lately; it’s gotten pretty “trendy,” I guess you could say. There are even Broth Bars popping up in different cities. But hopefully this trend sticks around! Did you know that bone broth is one of the most nutrient dense, mineral rich foods you can be consuming?

I will admit, when I first heard about bone broth a few years ago, I was like, “ew, BONES?” But just listen. It’s not gross at all, it’s actually DELICIOUS!

BENEFITS

Dr. Axe claims that mineral rich bone broth can be one of the best foods you can consume in order to treat leaky gut syndrome, overcome food intolerances and allergies, reduce cellulite, and boost immune system. 

Other potential benefits include protecting joints, being incredible for our skin (collagen!), boosting detoxification, and supporting the gut, and therefore the immune system (did you know those are very closely connected?).

Basically there are a ton of benefits and Dr. Axe describes them in much more detail than I am, so please check out his post regarding it for more information. 

If you want to dive in even deeper, I highly recommend this article by Kaayla Daniel of the Weston A. Price Foundation. 

RECIPE

You can enjoy bone broth in a soup or recipe, or simply on it’s own as a nourishing, comforting, incredibly tasty drink.

This recipe is seriously SO EASY! You won’t regret trying it, and then once you do, you will never want to buy store bought “chicken broth” again. It’s so, so tasty.

There are a few things you will need. For one, a crock pot. You can also do this in a pot on the stove, but I have yet to try it this way. (I’m sure it’s just as delicious if not even better. For some reason it just seems like a little more work.) You will also need a WHOLE chicken. It’s not as daunting as it seems. Make sure it’s free-range, and at the very least, organic. The bones store so many nutrients, but they can also store toxins, and we don’t want any of those. This is why quality is important. The next thing you’ll need is cheesecloth. You could also use a strainer with TINY holes. Or I actually use flour sacks. So whatever you can find and prefer, get/use that.

INGREDIENTS

1-2 pounds of chicken bones (any that you have added up, this can be thighs, legs, whole chicken, etc. Make sure they’re from organic, and possibly free-range, pasture raised chickens)

2-4 Carrots

2-4 Celery Sticks

1 whole onion (or shallot)

1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tbsp Sea Salt

About 4 quarts of water

DIRECTIONS

Place the bones, carrots, celery, and onion (or shallot; I used shallots for my most recent batch and it was the best it’s ever been) in the crock pot first. Add the water, salt, and apple cider vinegar to the crock pot. Four quarts is an estimate, just make sure the bones and everything are covered with the liquid. Turn the crock pot on high for 4 hours, or until the liquid is boiling, then turn to low and simmer it for 18-24 hours. Let the broth cool completely. Once it’s cooled, strain the broth in your cheesecloth, flour sack, or strainer, into mason jars. Store in the fridge for up to a week or freeze!

Are you going to try it? If you do, please let me know and I’d love to hear what you think!