How to Make Beef Bone Broth in the Instant Pot

How to make beef bone broth in the Instant Pot is one of the easiest ways to turn leftover bones into a rich, nourishing staple. Whether you’re using ribeye roast bones, soup bones, or a mix of marrow and joint bones, this method delivers deep flavor with minimal effort.

Bone broth has long been known for its gut-healing, joint-supporting, and immune-boosting benefits. And with the Instant Pot, you can skip the long stovetop simmer and get a deeply flavorful broth in just a few hours.

This recipe uses just bones, veggie scraps, water, and optional vinegar for maximum mineral extraction. It’s a no-waste, no-fuss way to fill your freezer with homemade broth that beats anything in a box.

I’ll walk you through exactly how to make it, how to store it, and which bones give you the best gel and flavor. If you enjoy traditional kitchen skills like this, be sure to visit our Cooking from Scratch page for more nourishing recipes and homestead basics.

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Quick Summary of Instant Pot Beef Bone Broth

• Step 1: Add bones, veggie scraps, apple cider vinegar, and water to the Instant Pot
• Step 2: Seal and pressure cook for 2-4 hours. Release pressure naturally.
• Step 3: Strain and pour into jars.
• Step 4: Cool and store in the fridge, freezer, or can for shelf-stable storage.

Benefits of Beef Bone Broth

Homemade beef bone broth is a staple in traditional cooking and natural living, and it packs a serious punch when it comes to both nutrition and practicality. Store-bought bone broths just can’t match the benefits of homemade, either!

Beef bone broth is full of nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, and rich in collagen and gelatin, which are great for your skin, joints, and gut health.

It boosts immunity, supports your gut lining and digestion, and a cup of bone broth is full of electrolytes, which is great for recovery or illness. Homemade bone broth is rich and flavorful, and it’s also a natural source of clean, easy-to-digest protein, especially when it’s gelatinous after cooling.

Not only does bone broth boast many health benefits, but it also helps reduce waste, get all the nutrients out of foods that would otherwise be considered spent, and is very inexpensive.

Homemade beef bone broth is going to be cheaper, more nutrient-dense, and more flavorful than any store-bought beef broth. There are good brands out there, but they still don’t hold a candle to a homemade beef broth made from ingredients that you can control.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Beef bone broth is a simple but nutritious way to use up bones from your last delicious beef dinner, plus a great way to use up veggie scraps that might otherwise find their way into the trash.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Beef Bone Broth

• Beef Bones – Use whatever you have, but a mix of marrow bones, joint bones (like knuckle or oxtail), and meaty bones (like rib or roast bones) will give you the richest flavor and best nutrition.
• Vegetable Scraps (optional) – Onion peels, celery ends, carrot tops, garlic skins, and herb stems add extra flavor and depth without needing to prep fresh vegetables. Tip: While you’re cooking throughout the week, toss your scraps into the freezer and get them out when you’re ready to make bone broth.
• Apple Cider Vinegar (optional) – Just a tablespoon or two helps draw minerals from the bones, especially when you’re after a mineral-rich, gelatinous broth.
• Water – Just enough to cover the bones and vegetables without going past your Instant Pot’s max fill line.

Give me the Guide!

Tools You’ll Need

• Instant Pot (or electric pressure cooker) – Speeds up the broth-making process and helps extract nutrients from bones in a fraction of the time compared to stovetop simmering.
• Fine Mesh Strainer or Cheesecloth – Essential for straining out bones, meat, and vegetable scraps to get a smooth, clean broth.
• Glass Jars or Storage Containers – Mason jars or silicone freezer molds work well for storing broth in the fridge or freezer. Leave headspace if freezing to prevent breakage.
• Jar Funnel – A wide-mouth funnel makes transferring broth into jars much easier and spill-free, especially when hot. This stainless steel one is a great option if you’re trying to avoid plastic.

How to Make Beef Bone Broth in the Instant Pot

Add the beef bones to the Instant Pot and toss in any veggie scraps you have. A great way to stock up on veggie scraps is to toss them in the freezer during the week as you’re making meals. That way, when you’re ready to make broth, they’re ready to go, and nothing is going to waste.

Pour in just enough water to cover everything (don’t go past the max fill line). Add apple cider vinegar, then lock the lid and set the valve to sealing. Apple cider vinegar helps to extract more of the minerals from the beef bones.

Cook on high pressure for 2 hours, or extended high pressure for 4 hours. I like to cook mine longer, and sometimes I will even let it go through two extended high-pressure cooks to get even more nutrients and goodness out of those bones and scraps.

Let pressure release naturally (about 30–40 minutes). Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer and discard solids. Let the jars cool, then store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze or can for long-term use.

How to Store and Use Your Bone Broth

Store bone broth in the refrigerator, freezer, or can it for shelf-stable storage. You can refrigerate the broth for up to 5 days if you’re going to use it right away.

Pressure Canning Beef Bone Broth

Pressure canning is a shelf-stable, long-term storage option. Fill the jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Clean the rims of the jars and put the lids on to finger-tip tightness. Pressure can quart jars for 25 minutes at 10 psi, and pints for 20 minutes at 10 psi.

When the canning is done, allow the jars to sit on the counter, undisturbed, for 24 hours before checking the seal. If they seal, the beef broth will be shelf-stable for about 1 year.

Freezing Bone Broth in Glass Jars

Freezing bone broth in glass jars is a great plastic-free option for storage, but it comes with a few rules. It is best to freeze liquid in a wide-mouth jar without a shoulder. If you do use a jar with a shoulder (like a small mouth quart-sized jar), be sure to stop filling just below the shoulder line.

Leave plenty of headspace when filling mason jars. Quart-sized jars require about 2 inches of headspace, while pints require about 1.5 inches. This will allow room for expansion when the liquid freezes. Let the broth cool completely before putting the lid loosely on and putting the jars in the freezer.

Failure to follow these simple freezing guidelines may result in your jars cracking (don’t ask me how I know).

Recipes using Beef Bone Broth

My two favorite things to make with beef bone broth are homemade Italian beef sandwiches and a simple beef soup. Beef soup or stew is so easy to make, and you can toss in whatever veggies you have on hand. When I made leftover beef soup, I cut up the extra pieces of leftover roast, threw in some frozen vegetables, and added my homemade beef bone broth. It was so flavorful and super easy to make.

Another family favorite recipe to make using the beef broth is Italian beef sandwiches. I’ll share my favorite recipe here soon!

More Homemade Recipes You’ll Love

• Prime Rib Roast Recipe
• Pressure Canned Chicken Soup
• Minestrone Soup

FAQs About Homemade Beef Bone Broth