How to Use Bone Broth for Health

Co-authored by Kristi Acuna

Last Updated: June 6, 2025 References

• Making Bone Broth
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• Storing Bone Broth
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• Incorporating Bone Broth into Your Diet
|
• Ingredients
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• Expert Q&A
|
• Tips

|Show more |Show less

Advocates for using bone broth say that it has a wealth of benefits ranging from digestive health, to bone health, to heart health, and more. Bone broth contains minerals and collagen that can help restore your gut walls and protect your bone health. Making your own homemade broth is by far the best choice over purchasing a premade item. After you make your broth, store it in the refrigerator or freezer until you need to use it.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds (0.91 kg) of mixed bones, rinsed
• 3 US quarts (2.8 L) of water, plus more as needed
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of apple cider vinegar
• Vegetables, as desired
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Bone Broth

1. 
   1
   Choose large bones to get the best flavor and health benefits. Choose bones such as beef bones, short ribs, oxtails, knuckles, and neck bones. Ham bones, pork bones, turkey bones, and chicken feet are good options as well. The best bones will have little bits of meat still attached.

   • The larger bones, and those with cartilage, contain the most collagen and gelatin—which are the nutrients that your bones and joints need to heal. Smaller bones like chicken legs can disintegrate quickly.
   • Save the bones from your meals or visit a butcher shop where you can purchase (or they may give you) their leftover bones.
2. 
   2
   Roast the rinsed bones in a 400 °F (204 °C) oven for 30 minutes. Spread the bones in an even layer on a baking sheet or roasting pan. Place the pan in the middle rack of the oven and roast the bones for about 30 minutes, or until they are golden-brown. Roasting helps add extra flavor and richness.

   • After the bones are finished roasting, save the crispy bits on the bottom of the pan to add them to the broth.
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3. 
   3
   Combine the roasted bones, water, and vinegar in a large pot. Place the bones in a large stock pot. Add the 3 US quarts (2.8 L) of water and 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of apple cider vinegar. If the water isn't enough to cover all of the bones, add enough to fully cover them.

   • Sprinkle in some seasonings for additional flavor. Add whatever seasonings are appealing to you. Popular choices are garlic, salt, pepper, parsley, rosemary, or thyme.
4. 
   4
   Throw in some vegetable scraps for extra nutrients and flavor, if desired. Add vegetables such as chopped carrots, onions (or even just the peels), tomato, or celery. The vegetables you add will change the flavor of the stock—for instance, carrots will make it sweeter—so add them according to your taste preference.

   • Some people choose not to add any vegetables at all so that they can get more of the rich, savory flavor of the meat.
   • Keep in mind that you will be straining the broth from the bones and added ingredients when it is finished cooking, so you won't actually be eating the vegetables you add.
5. 
   5
   Simmer the ingredients on the stove over high heat for 1 hour. The pot should remain at a rapid simmer. If foam collects at the top of the water during this first hour, skim it off with a slotted spoon. If the water gets low, add more.

   • Don't add so much water that the bones are floating. This will lead to a watered-down flavor. Add just enough water to keep the bones covered.
6. 
   6
   Turn the heat to low and simmer the ingredients for 8-24 hours. The longer, the better. The longer you allow the broth to simmer, the more the healthy nutrients like collagen, chondroitin, glucosamine, and gelatin will be released into the broth.

   • Remember to keep checking the water level while it simmers.
   • The broth will be finished when it is a deep, golden-brown color and the bones start to fall apart.
7. 
   7
   Strain the broth to separate it from all of the other ingredients. After the broth is finished cooking, carefully pour the liquid through a strainer and into another large pot or bowl. Allow the broth to cool slightly before transferring it to storage containers.

   • Discard the extra ingredients.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Storing Bone Broth

1. 
   1
   Keep bone broth in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Allow the bone broth to cool to room temperature before transferring it to a plastic or glass container. Hot liquid can warp a plastic container, and exposing a hot glass container to cold temperatures can break the glass. After the broth has cooled, simply pour the broth into a container, cover it tightly, and put it in the refrigerator.

   • Although you should allow the broth to cool before storing it, you must place it in the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking.
   • Don't be alarmed when the texture of the broth turns to jelly—this is just the gelatin from the bones and it's a good thing! The gelatin aids digestion and helps treat digestive disorders.
2. 
   2
   Skim the fatty layer off of refrigerated broth if you don't want to use it. If you are watching your fat intake for health reasons, simply use a spoon to scrape off the fatty layer that formed on top of the broth and discard it. If you want to use the fat for other cooking, put it in a smaller container after you remove it.

   • If you prefer to keep the fat for added flavor, it will liquify once the broth is reheated, and can easily be stirred back in.
3. 
   3
   Freeze the bone broth in ice cube trays to add flavor to recipes. Simply pour the bone broth into the individual wells of an ice cube tray and place the tray in the freezer. Once the cubes are fully frozen, remove the cubes from the tray and place them in a resealable plastic bag or container to continue to store for up to 1 year.

   • Each well will hold about 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of liquid. Use the cubes as needed for cooking or to add flavor to recipes.
   • Alternatively, use a muffin tray instead of ice cube trays. It allows for the same concept of pre-portioned broth that can be removed and stored in a plastic bag, the portions will just be about ¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) instead.
4. 
   4
   Freeze the bone broth in a large container to use it as a base in recipes. Measure the cooled bone broth into the desired increments (such as 1 or 2 cups (240 or 470 mL)). Pour the broth into a plastic container, bag, or mason jar and seal the storage container tightly. Label it with the amount of broth and date that you made it.

   • Store the packaged broth in the freezer for up to 1 year.
5. 
   5
   Thaw frozen broth as needed for recipes or to drink. The larger the amount of frozen broth, the longer it will take to thaw. For instance, a mason jar or plastic container full of broth will take quite a bit longer to thaw than a couple of cubes. Plan ahead for this when using large amounts of frozen broth in recipes.

   • Simply drop cubes of bone broth into recipes for soups or stews.
   • For thawing larger amounts of broth: move the container from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight; microwave the broth in a microwave-safe dish; transfer the broth to a saucepan and simmer on the stove over low heat; or allow the container to set in warm water until it is thawed.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Incorporating Bone Broth into Your Diet

1. 
   1
   Aim to consume at least 8 fluid ounces (240 mL) of bone broth per day. Drinking bone broth works to boost the body's natural healing process by combating food intolerances and allergies, improving the immune system and joint health, aiding digestion, and even helping with weight loss.

   • You can drink as much bone broth as you want to! In general, the more you drink, the more benefits you can experience.
2. 
   2
   Swap out your cup of tea or coffee for a cup of plain bone broth. The glycine contained in bone broth can help fight fatigue and improve your sleep. Simply heat up a mug of bone broth instead of coffee when you wake up in the morning, or instead of tea while you are relaxing in the evening.

   • Stir in some extra salt, pepper, and garlic for added flavor.
   • Drinking at least 1 cup (240 mL) of bone broth per day helps aid digestion, repair muscles and promote growth, create a balanced nervous system, and boost your immune system.
3. 
   3
   Use bone broth as a base in your favorite soup and stew recipes. Use your homemade bone broth in any recipe from french onion or vegetable soup, to tomato bisque, to beef stew. If a recipe calls for broth or stock, use your bone broth; if the recipe calls for water, replace the water with an equal amount of bone broth.
4. 
   4
   Replace water with bone broth in recipes where the water is absorbed. This not only gives you another opportunity to consume the healthy broth, it also works to add extra flavor to your dishes. Some ideas for adding bone broth to recipes where it it isn't the main feature include:

   • Cooking rice in bone broth instead of water.
   • Replacing milk or cream with bone broth when making mashed potatoes.
   • Boiling vegetables in bone broth.
   • Using bone broth instead of water in recipes that call for small amounts of water, like seasoning the meat for tacos.
5. 
   5
   Braise or roast meat in bone broth for added flavor and nutrients. Braise a large cut of tough meat by browning it on the stove top, adding vegetables, deglazing the pan, and adding in the bone broth. Allow the meat to boil and simmer in the bone broth before transferring it to the stove to bake until it's tender.

   • After baking the meat, use the remaining liquid from the broth to make gravy.
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Expert Q&A

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• Question

  What are the health benefits of adding bone broth to your diet?

  

  Kristi Acuna
  Holistic Nutritionist

  Kristi Acuna is a Holistic Nutritionist and the Owner of Holistic Nutrition Center in Orange County, California. With over 15 years of experience, Kristi specializes in a comprehensive and holistic approach to nutrition through nutrition response testing, heart rate variability, thermography, and brainspan. She has experience helping with weight gain, fatigue, insomnia, food allergies, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, digestion problems, sinus infections, and PMS and menopause symptoms. Kristi holds a BS in Holistic Nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health. Holistic Nutrition Center focuses on the root cause of health challenges and helps people heal and restore balance to their bodies.

  

  Kristi Acuna

  Holistic Nutritionist

  Expert Answer

  Bone broth provides minerals and collagen, which help support bone health. A big part of your bones is collagen, and you have to get enough collagen from your food sources to support them.

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Tips

• When you are using bone broth for its health benefits (as opposed to simply cooking), you really need to make your own homemade broth. Store-bought broth contains additives and lacks the nutrients needed to heal your body.
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• Drinking bone broth can help provide your bones with the collagen they need to stay healthy and strong.
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