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Skip the hours of simmering. This feelgood Instant Pot Chicken Stock with Vegetable Scraps is ready in 40 minutes giving you a rich and flavorful brew perfect for soups, sauces, and other dishes.
Making from-scratch stock is the perfect solution for food waste. Vegetable scraps, leftover meat, and bones have a lot to offer—and it’s a shame to throw them away! So, we’ve gotten into the habit of making this Instant Pot chicken stock with vegetable scraps every few weeks. It helps us clean out the fridge, avoid food waste, and equip ourselves with a nice supply of stock. A good homemade stock is so much more nourishing than store-bought. You’re getting all of that wholesome goodness without all of the added sodium.
How to make chicken stock in the Instant Pot.
When you make chicken stock on the stovetop, it takes hours of simmering and tending. But in the Instant Pot, you’re looking at a measly 40 minutes to achieve a rich and flavorful stock. And it couldn’t be easier! Here’s the rundown:
- Place the chicken carcass and leftovers into the Instant Pot. (Now that we’re in the habit of making chicken stock, we usually leave the meat on the wings and drumsticks and add them to the pot for a bit of extra flavor.)
- Add the vegetable scraps and herbs. If some of the veg scraps are large, cut them up for easy placement.
- Add about 3 quarts of water (or enough to cover the chicken and scraps) to the Instant Pot.
- Use the sauté function on the Instant Pot to bring the liquid to a simmer for about 10 minutes. Spoon off any foam that forms on the surface.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, lock it, and cook the stock on high pressure for 40 minutes.
- When done, release the pressure manually.
- Strain the stock into a large bowl using a fine-mesh strainer or sieve; discard the solids.
- Let the stock cool. Once cooled, spoon the stock into freezer-friendly containers.
- Refrigerate the stock for up to five days, or freeze for up to six months.
What kind of vegetables and herbs should I use in a stock?
Luckily, stock-friendly veggies are the veggies that typically leaves us with the most scraps. Think carrot peelings, celery ends, bell pepper tops, etc. Or even vegetables that spoil quickly, like mushrooms. Here’s a list of all the good stuff you’ll want to consider incorporating into your stock.
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onions
- Leeks
- Bell peppers
- Mushrooms
- Bay leaves
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Basil
- Parsley
- Garlic
What should I avoid putting in a stock?
Sadly, not all scraps are created equal. You’ll want to avoid cruciferous and starchy vegetables, such as the following:
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Potatoes
- Turnips
- Beets
Also, avoid herbs like mint (for obvious reasons) and tarragon (it’ll make your stock taste like chamomile tea).
How can I use homemade chicken stock?
This stock is ready for use as soon as it’s done pressure cooking. You can use it as a main soup broth in chicken soup or as the base of a soup broth, like in a Ramen bowl! Further to that, you can put this stock to use by cooking rice or pasta in it for extra flavor.
Try this Instant Pot Chicken Stock in these recipes:
- Super Cozy Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Soothing Lemon Chicken Soup With Kale
- Boneless Chicken Cacciatore
- Roast Turkey Breast
- Instant Pot Pasta Primavera
Hope you love it!
If you plan on making this recipe, be sure to snap a pic and tag us on Insta! @killing__thyme
Instant Pot Chicken Stock with Vegetable Scraps
Equipment
- Instant Pot or pressure cooker
- Fine-mesh strainer or sieve
- Freezer-friendly containers
- Large bowl or pot
Ingredients
- 1 cooked chicken carcass; bones, skin, and any leftover meat included, We like to use leftovers from a rotisserie chicken
- 2 large carrots, scrubbed and cut into halves or quarters
- 4 ribs of celery, cut in half
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 4 (or more) garlic cloves, smashed, You could also use the leftovers of an entire bulb and cut it in half, exposing the raw garlic.
- 1 Handful of fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 handful of fresh oregano
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 TBSP peppercorns
- 2 tsp kosher salt; you can add more to taste later if needed.
Instructions
- Place the chicken leftovers into the Instant Pot, then add the vegetable scraps and herbs.
- Fill the Instant Pot with about 3 quarts of water; enough to cover the contents. Stir in the salt and the peppercorns.
- Press the Sauté button and bring the liquid to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, skimming off any foam that collects at the top. (This doesn't always happen, so don't be alarmed if you don't have to skim any foam.)
- After about 10 minutes, turn off the Sauté function. Lock the Instant Pot lid in place, set the valve to Sealing, and cook the content for 40 minutes on high pressure.
- After 40 minutes, manually release the pressure.
- Place a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl or pot, and carefully dump the content of the Instant Pot over the strainer, letting the liquid collect in the bowl below. Discard the solids collected in the strainer.
- Let the mixture cool. Once cooled, transfer the stock to freezer-friendly containers. Keep the stock in the fridge for up to five days, or in the freezer for up to six months.
Love making soup in my instant pot. , I use a whole chicken cut into pieces. Skin and all, whole carrots celery garlic onion skin and all with fresh rosemary. I used celery root too so good, with salt and pepper. Hit the soup button. Nothing better then a pot of hot soup.