With all the bone broth I’ve consumed over the last year, it’s crazy I haven’t shared my recipe yet. Fixing that.
Crock Pot Chicken has been an absolute staple in my diet since reintroducing meat. When I went paleo, I made a conscious effort to eat nose to tail…for the most part. I would still buy ground meat on the reg and poultry was 90% of my protein.
But I’m now making a shift to eat far less chicken and far more red meat. Beef, lamb, alpaca, yak?! I mean, the options are endless. And far more interesting than some dry ass chicken breast. Not only is red meat more nutrient dense (hello iron, zinc, and B12), it’s more sustainable. Let me explain.
I was listening to The Paleo View Podcast recently (one of my favs for nutrition science), and Stacy was talking about her history with vegetarianism. We have similar dietary backgrounds, so I was excited to hear her perspective on meat consumption. Stacy said that because chickens are smaller animals, you have to take many more lives for the same amount of meat, as compared to large animals like cows or pigs. I had never thought about it like this before and it was a major lightbulb moment for me. As a former vegetarian myself, I’m still concerned with eating in a way that supports animal welfare and our earth. Yes, those two things are congruent. I’ll save that rant for another post.
Because I’m buying less meat on the bone (ground beef errr day), I’ve been making less bone broth. Well, certainly less chicken bone broth. So I’m making more of an effort to incorporate beef bone broth into my weekly/monthly meal prep.
Why Drink Bone Broth Anyways?
I’ve heard many people say that bone broth is “trendy”, which to some extent is true. But bone broth is one of the most ancient foods on the planet. It fell out of favor with the increase in processed foods, the war on dietary fat, and the increase in vegetarianism. But broth is back! I don’t care if it takes a trend to get people to drink it, I’m just glad they’re drinking it. Here’s why.
- Bone broth is rich in minerals, particularly calcium, magnesium, and other minerals important for bone health. (1) This should be obvious, but years of dairy marketing would have us think milk is the only source of calcium. It’s not. As the bones stew, they release the minerals they’re made of – calcium, magnesium, and others. Want strong bones? Try drinking cow bones.
- Bone broth is a great source of collagen and gelatin. (2) I’m a huge fan of collagen. In fact, I put Vital Proteins collagen in my morning beverage (#notcoffee) every single day. Collagen and gelatin are great for supporting our bone and joint health….because they’re part of what makes up our bones and joints. Are you sensing a theme here?
- Bone broth can help repair your gut. The amino acid, glutamine, is readily available in properly made bone broths. This technically non-essential amino acid has been shown to protect our gut linings from a lot, but of most interest to me is stress. (3) Can I make a bold claim real quick? I think stress is probably the biggest killer in our modern world. So do some more yoga, take more baths, and make this jalapeño bone broth.
- Bone broth improves your physical appearance. Collagen has been shown to increase skin elasticity and get rid of wrinkles! (4) Personal note, my skin has never consistently looked so good. Now, I can’t say it was the collagen 100% because I’m sure the reduction in donuts played a role, but still.
There are a million more benefits, but these are the ones I care about the most.
Tips for Bone Broth Success
- Be patient. It takes time for the bones to stew and for the minerals to be released. I leave mine in the crock pot for at least 24 hours for chicken bones and 72 hours for beef bones.
- Don’t forget the vinegar! The vinegar (or any acid really) is necessary to leach the minerals from the bones. And that’s the whole point, right?
- Add some herbs in there! You really can’t go wrong. I use this spicy version as the base for my Smoky Chili with Bacon. But if you’re not into spicy, ditch the jalapeños and throw in some rosemary or thyme. It’ll be a completely different end product – promise.
- You can also use an instant pot! I personally don’t own an instant pot, so I can’t help you out with the instructions there. But I hear you can make it MUCH faster. Check out this recipe from Michelle Tam.
- You may want to let the broth cool and scrape off the layer of fat that rises to the top. I personally save this fat and use it to cook other food. But you do you.
How to Use Your Bone Broth
- Use it as a base for soups, stews, and chili. My #1 love.
- Drink it by the glass – and top with some fresh herbs and salt!
- Use it to cook vegetables. Not only will it add a punch of nutrients, it’ll add some serious flavor!
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| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 3 days |
| Passive Time | 3 days |
| Servings |
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- 2 lb grass-fed beef bones
- 2 chicken feet
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 jalapeños
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 6 cups filtered water
Ingredients
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- Chop onion and jalapeños into thin rings and place in a large crock pot.
- Add beef bones, chicken feet, water, and apple cider vinegar. Make sure the water is just covering the bones (should be about 6 cups).
- Set your crock pot to low and let cook for 72 hours. On my crock pot, I set it to the 10 hours, 7 times.
- When the three days are up, discard the bones and feet, and filter the broth into mason jars.
- Once cooled, you may want to scrape off the layer of fat that will form at the top of your broth. You can save this fat for cooking!