How to Cook and Use Beef Soup Bones (Broth, Stew, and Beyond)

Beef soup bones are often overlooked or used only for broth, but they’re one of the most economical and versatile cuts you can buy.

When cooked properly, soup bones give you more than just broth; they provide tender beef, rich gelatin, and the foundation for multiple meals from a single pot.

This traditional way of cooking stretches food further, reduces waste, and turns inexpensive ingredients into deeply nourishing meals. For more recipes, check out our Cooking from Scratch Page!

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Quick Summary: How to Use Beef Soup Bones

1. Roast & cook soup bones to make rich broth.
2. Remove and save the tender meat.
3. Cook the soup bones again for more broth.
4. Use the broth for soups, grains, and sauces.
5. Turn the meat into stew, pies, or skillet meals.

Supplies Needed to Cook Soup Bones

You don’t need a lot of supplies for this venture, which is part of what makes it so nice. Just a few things you probably already have, and you’re all set to utilize the soup bones that are tucked away in your freezer.

• Soup Bones – The main attraction! You can use however many you have at one time. If you’ve just received a quarter or half a beef, this is. agreat way. toget all of those soup bones used up at once and then stored for later use. Or, just 1 or 2 at a time if you plan to use them right away.
• Baking Sheet or Cast Iron Pan – Used to roast the soup bones before cooking, which deepens flavor and color in both the meat and broth. A sturdy pan that can handle high heat and heavy bones works best. I love using my cast-iron bakeware for this!
• Large Stock Pot, Slow Cooker, or Pressure Cooker – You’ll need one primary cooking vessel, depending on your method. A stock pot works for stovetop simmering, a slow cooker offers hands-off cooking, and a pressure cooker speeds up the process while still extracting flavor and nutrients.
• Tongs or Slotted Spoon – Helpful for safely removing hot bones and meat without splashing. Makes transferring between roasting and cooking stages much easier.
• Fine Mesh Strainer or Colander – Used to strain finished broth and remove bone fragments, vegetables, or fat solids for a smoother final result.
• Ladle – Makes transferring broth into storage containers or jars much easier and less messy.
• Funnel – Makes filling jars cleaner and reduces spills — especially useful for beginners.
• Glass Storage Jars or Freezer Containers – For storing finished broth. Mason jars work well for refrigeration or freezing (leave headspace), while other airtight containers are great for bulk storage.

What Are Beef Soup Bones?

If you’re like me, you thought a soup bone was just a bone with maybe a little bit of meat still attached to it, that you’d use to make broth for soups. When I first opened up a package of soup bones from a steer we had butchered, I was so surprised by all the meat that was on surrounding the bone!

Soup bones do include a bone, but they also have cartilage, connective tissue, and meat! Common places where soup bones come from are the shank, neck, and knuckles. These are different from bare marrow bones, which may be what I was expecting.

Should I Slow Cook or Pressure Cook Beef Soup Bones?

Slow cooking produces the most flavorful, traditional results, while pressure cooking offers speed and convenience. Both methods extract nutrients well; the best choice depends on how you plan to use the soup bones.

Slow cooking soup bones is the perfect way to utilize every bit of goodness that they have to offer. It makes the tougher meat super tender, and the collagen gets released from the bones, which creates the richest broth with the deepest flavor. Choose to slow cook if you want max flavor for stews or soups, and if you have plenty of time to let them cook.

Pressure cook soup bones if you’re short on time, plan to season the broth later, or are using it mostly to add to recipes instead of the broth being the star of the show. Sometimes pressure cooking can lead to overcooked meat that isn’t as tender, but if you do it just right, you can have the best of both worlds!

I also choose to pressure cook my soup bones when I have a lot of them and am doing large batches, because I don’t have two weeks to get all of my soup bone broth done, you know what I mean?

Why Cook with Beef Soup Bones?

There are so many reasons to cook with soup bones! This traditional way of cooking needs to be brought back; it is budget-friendly and reduces waste, not to mention it adds so much flavor to your meals.

If you compare a store-bought broth to your homemade rich bone broth, you’ll be so surprised at how flat the store-bought broth tastes. And, you’ll be delighted to know your homemade broth has so many more nutrients in there.

You can get multiple meals out of one cooking session, which is my favorite thing about using up all my soup bones. I love prepping parts of recipes, canning broth, and setting meat aside for different meals, all after making one thing. Utilizing soup bones is ideal for from-scratch kitchens and homesteads.

How to Cook Beef Soup Bones

Soup bones are super easy to cook. My favorite way to start soup bones is to season with salt and pepper, and roast them in the oven. Then slow cook or pressure cook them in water until the meat is tender, then throw the bones back in the pot and cook again for super flavorful bone broth!

If you don’t have a slow cooker or a pressure cooker, you can simmer the soup bones in a large pot on the stove and your outcome will be just as good! You don’t need any fancy tools to cook the soup bones.

Roasting Soup Bones

Preheat the oven to 425ºF and put the soup bones on a baking sheet or in a cast-iron. Use foil for easier clean up.

Season both sides of the soup bones with salt and pepper, if desired. Roast for 40-45 minutes, or until they are deep brown in color. Flip the soup bones over once during roasting.

Once the bones are done roasting, place them in the pot you’re going to cook them in, either the slow cooker, pressure cooker, or a deep pot.

Deglaze the pan by pouring 1/2 cup to 1 cup of hot water onto the roasting pan. This will allow you to scrape all the browned bits and juices that got on the pan into the pot you’ll make your broth in. It helps get all the flavor into the broth!

Cooking Soup Bones Using a Slow Cooker

If you’re using the slow cooking method, add water to the pot until the bones are just covered. Set the cooker to low for 12-24 hours or high for 8-10 hours. When the meat is tender, strain the broth and set it aside for cooking or drinking.

Remove all the meat from the fat and bones, and set it aside for later use in soups, casseroles, etc. Put the bones and all the other stuff back in the slow cooker and put new water in it. Continue slow cooking in the new water for 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high. This will get even more of the nutrients out of the bones and give you a lighter broth.

Once the bones are done simmering, strain the broth and store it in jars. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, frozen, or pressure canned for long-term storage. The bones and anything left over can be discarded now.

Cooking Soup Bones Using a Pressure Cooker

Add soup bones and water to the pressure cooker, making sure not to go over the fill line for your pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 35-45 minutes, depending on whether there is a lot of meat on the bones or just a little. Let the pressure release naturally for about 15 minutes.

Strain the liquid bone broth and pull the meat off the bones. Put the bones back in and pressure cook again for 90-120 minutes with new water. Don’t fill it all the way to the max fill line and let it release completely naturally this time. This can help avoid spraying during a manual release, which is common with bone broth.

Once your pressure cooker has naturally released, strain the broth and store it in jars. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, frozen, or pressure canned for long-term storage. The bones and anything left over can be discarded now.

Ways to Use Beef Soup Bones (Beyond Broth)

Get creative with this tender meat and nutritious bone broth! There are a lot of different ways it can be saved and used for recipes later. Using your homemade beef bone broth will add so much more flavor and nutrients than using a store-bought stock or broth.

1. Bone Broth for Drinking or Cooking

Bone broth can be used for plain sipping, as a soup base, or in other recipes. Can it, freeze it, or use it fresh and enjoy all of the protein, nutrients, and benefits of your broth.

If you’re looking for more instructions on how to make and pressure can beef bone broth, check out the post linked above. This is my favorite way to preserve bone broth when I make a lot at one time. It gets the soup bones out of my freezer and the meat and broth into jars for long term preservation.

2. Beef Stew

Use the broth and the meat for some delicious beef stew. It will be naturally thicker and so flavorful from the gelatin, and you don’t need any extra meat for the stew. Add in veggies and some seasoning for a filling meal.

3. Vegetable Beef Soup or Beef & Barley Soup

Use the broth with or without the meat for a vegetable or barley soup. Make the soup as light or heavy as you prefer, traditional and simple. Still get the flavor and benefits of your bone broth, even after the meat is gone.

4. Slow Cooker Italian Beef

This is our favorite way to use beef bone broth. Grab your favorite roast, a few other ingredients, and some beef broth to slow-cook your way to delicious Italian beef sandwiches. This recipe is great for same-day eating or to throw in the freezer for later. It became a fast family favorite.

5. Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie

Chop or shred the meat, and use the broth to make gravy. This is a great alternative to soups and stews that still lets you enjoy the meat and broth.

6. Beef Pot Pie or Hand Pies

Try this freezer-friendly meal that utilizes both the meat and bone broth.

7. Shredded Beef for Sandwiches or Tacos

Season the beef after taking it off the bones and use it for sandwiches or tacos. Save the broth for later and enjoy the meat now.

8. Skillet Meals and Hashes

Combine beef with whatever else you have: veggies, potatoes, rice, etc. This is a great and quick way to use leftovers.

9. Cooking Grains in Beef Broth

Use the beef broth to cook rice, barley, or quinoa in. It adds the nutrition and flavor of the broth without having to eat soup!

10. Reusing Soup Bones

Don’t forget that after you cook the bones and pull the meat off, you can do a second simmer with just the bones for a lighter broth. After this, the bones will be spent and can be discarded.

Why Soup Bones Are a Traditional Choice

Historically, soup bones were used to feed a family more affordably and more sustainably. People just didn’t waste as much as our society does now. Soup bones should be more utilized in the kitchen than they are now. Don’t skip them or throw them out when purchasing beef.

Soup bones help you maximize nutrition and flavor in homemade dishes. Skip the store-bought, bland beef broth and opt to make your own!

Common Mistakes When Cooking Soup Bones

There are a few common mistakes people make when cooking soup bones. Cooking too fast can make you miss out on some dense nutrition. Whatever you do, don’t discard the meat! The meat is such a great bonus we get from some bones, and it should absolutely be utilized! When it slow cooks or pressure cooks until it is perfectly tender, it tastes so great in soups and other recipes.

Try not to over-season the meat or soup bones early on. You can always season later on to your taste and per the recipe you’re using. I put salt and pepper on the soup bones when I am roasting them, and then season the rest of the way later, if necessary.

The last mistake people make when cooking soup bones is not using them to their fullest potential. After you pull off the tender meat, don’t skip cooking them again to get the lighter broth to enjoy.

More Homestead Kitchen Inspiration

Learning to utilize everything in the kitchen has become a lost art. I am always learning more ways to waste less and use more to benefit my family’s health and budget. From cooking with fats like lard and tallow to utilizing all the nutrients in bones, there are so many great ways to use things that are commonly thrown away today. Check out some of my favorites.

• How to Make and Can Beef Bone Broth – Now that you’ve made your beef broth, pressure can it for long-term storage.
• Use Tomato Skins to Make Tomato Powder – No tossing tomato skins here, dehydrate them and use them to make tomato powder, and then paste or sauce later.
• Pressure Canned Chicken Soup Recipe – Start with a whole chicken, and use the meat and bones for stock to make this savory chicken soup.
• What is Tallow? Bring this Household Stable Back – Use all parts of the animal, render your own tallow, and help it make a comeback in your household.

FAQs About Beef Soup Bones

Ready to Make the Most of Soup Bones?

Beef soup bones are one of the simplest ways to cook traditionally, stretch your grocery budget, and create nourishing meals from simple ingredients. I can’t wait for you to experience the flavor and extra nutrition from your homemade soup bone broth. Not to mention, the pride that comes with living just. alittle more sustainably.

Explore more scratch cooking and traditional food preparation ideas in my Cooking from Scratch pillar page.