Slow Cooker Immune Boosting Chicken Bone Broth is so easy to make, warming, nourishing and wonderful for gut health. This version provides directions for a true bone broth or gentler meat stock plus includes extra, optional nutrient-boosting add-ins.
Slow Cooker Immune Boosting Chicken Bone Broth is so easy to make!
It’s a staple at my home, especially during the fall and winter months.
I used to make it all the time with a large stockpot but I always felt uncomfortable leaving the stovetop on during the night. It also kind of made me nervous leaving it cooking when I had to leave the home. Then I got a slow cooker and it changed the whole bone broth making experience for me.
I love how I can put everything in the crock and set it and forget it. Plus I’ve found that it makes the perfect broth. Because it starts on such a low temperate, I find that the broth is more gelatinous and concentrated.
What is Bone Broth?
- It’s a nourishing, traditional, nutrient dense, homemade broth that cooks for 24 hours {or less for a meat stock}.
- The most common bone broths are made from fish, beef and chicken {whole parts can be used and cooked first, followed by the bones, or simply just the bones}. I share recipes for fish, beef and chicken bone broth in my nourishing, Instant Pot cookbook.
- The long cooking time helps break down the bones {you can literally squeeze the bone and it will fall apart releasing the marrow} and leaves you with a beautiful, health-boosting broth.
- Bone broth is probably one of the most nourishing and healing foods you can consume.
Why is bone broth good for you?
- Bone broth is loaded with minerals that are readily available for your body to use.
- It’s known for having gut healing properties … like helping rebuild the gut lining.
- It’s known for helping replenish and nourish the body during illness.
- It’s known for helping with joint pain, arthritis, strengthening your bones, nails and hair and even helps with remineralizing teeth.
- It’s known for helping boost the immune system.
- It’s also known for helping with brain health.
Store bought stock and broth is loaded with “natural flavors” and unfortunately this is just another word for MSG. Most contain unhealthy oils like canola, safflower or sunflower to make the broth thicker. Those ingredients certainly won’t add any nutrition to your meals.
It really is quite simple to make your own slow cooker immune boosting chicken bone broth. It’s frugal too.
My family of four can stretch out the perfectly cooked, juicy chicken meat throughout at least 6 meals. If I know we won’t be using it within 3 days, I will portion it out and put it in the freezer for later use.
The slow cooker immune boosting chicken bone broth uses pretty common ingredients. Usually I can get really good prices on celery, carrots and onions. I also always save chicken bones from other meals that we have and store those in the freezer. The frozen bones can be used to make a bone broth.
I save produce scraps like ends of onions, carrot peels and the inner hard stems of kale and put them in the freezer too. PLUS once you make the slow cooker immune boosting chicken bone broth, you’re left with tons of delicious broth that you can stretch out over time.
My favorite way to store it is to freeze the bone broth in ice cube trays. This way I can just pop a couple of cubes into things I am making for an extra nutrient boost.
Slow Cooker Immune Boosting Chicken Bone Broth
Slow Cooker Immune Boosting Chicken Bone Broth
Slow Cooker Immune Boosting Chicken Bone Broth is so easy to make, warming, nourishing and wonderful for gut health. This version provides directions for a true bone broth or gentler meat stock plus includes extra, optional nutrient-boosting add-ins.
YOU WILL NEED: Slow Cooker, Cutting Board, Quality Chef's Knife, Vegetable Peeler - optional, Large Fine Mesh Strainer or Large Metal Colander, 8 Cup Measuring Cup or Large Bowl, Mason Jars or BPA-Free Ice Cube Trays {I use these}
Ingredients
- 1 whole organic or pastured chicken
- Neck, feet or head of pastured chicken - optional
- Filtered water, enough to cover everything in pot
- 1 organic onion, quartered or onion peels
- 2 organic carrots, scrubbed or peeled
- 5 organic celery stalks and leaves
- 3-5 fresh garlic cloves - I smash mine, but whole is fine
- 10 sprigs fresh thyme or 2 tablespoons dried thyme
- 3 strips astragalus root - optional {immune boosting}
- ¼ cup organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar
- Juice of ½ lemon – optional
Instructions
- Remove the chicken from its packaging - remove giblet bag if it's included, rinse with water and place in the bowl of the slow cooker.
- Add optional neck/feet/head, onion, carrots, celery, garlic cloves, thyme, optional astragalus root apple cider vinegar and optional lemon juice to the broth.
- Add water - just enough to cover the chicken.
- Set your slow cooker on LOW and start cooking process. Once broth starts to simmer, remove slow cooker lid and skim off the scum and the fat {the scum will rise to the surface once broth comes to a simmer/boil}.
- Place lid back on slow cooker and continue to cook on LOW for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Carefully remove slow cooker lid and skim off all of the fat.
- Place lid back on slow cooker and continue to cook on LOW for 3 to 5 hours until the chicken is cooked.
- Using caution, carefully remove the cooked chicken and transfer to a large plate or bowl. It will be extremely hot, so let it cool for at least 15 minutes. Make sure to place the lid back on the slow cooker. Once the chicken is cool enough for you to handle, place chicken meat into a bowl or airtight container to store for later use.
- At this point, you have two choices. You can continue cooking the bone broth for a true bone broth, or you can harvest the broth now for a gut-healing meat stock {the meat stock is gentler on guts that are not healed, this is what is used in the intro phase in the GAPS diet for gut healing ... this is the way I make it for my family}.
- If you continue to cook the broth, add bones and any little parts of meat that are leftover back into the slow cooker.
- Cover and continue simmering on LOW for 16-18 hours {for a full 24 hour bone broth}.
- At 24 hours, turn off slow cooker and carefully strain bone broth through a large fine mesh strainer or large metal colander {I strain mine into a 8 cup measuring cup + another measuring cup if needed}. Optional - bones should fall apart. I like to crush them to try and get more of the marrow out. WARNING the bones are VERY HOT, so use caution if you chose to do this with your hands, you can use a potato masher too. I then add the bones/marrow back to the broth, stir them around and re-strain one more time.
- Cool bone broth in the refrigerator or a cold ice bath.
- Once cooled, you can store your bone broth in the refrigerator for up to a week {I use 1 quart mason jars for this} or store portions in BPA-free ice cube trays or freezer containers. Freeze whatever bone broth you won’t use within 3 days.
Notes
Adding the neck, feet or head of the chicken is totally optional ... it sounds gross, but if you're interested in a more gelatinous + nutrient dense broth, go for it.
OPTIONAL: Season your broth with sea salt AFTER the broth is finished cooking and has been strained. Sometimes I love to add 2 tablespoons chili powder and 1 tablespoon cumin to the broth. These spices add a delicious flavor. I also like to add fresh dill from time to time when I have some on hand.
STORAGE: I usually keep a 1 quart mason jar in my refrigerator full of bone broth if I plan on using it right away. I freeze the rest of the bone broth in BPA-free ice cube trays. I only have 2 ice cube trays, so I freeze the 2 trays, then remove from the freezer and place the frozen bone broth cubes into a freezer safe container. Repeat until all of the bone broth has been frozen. 1 frozen cube = about 2 tablespoons.
USE: In soups, meat dishes, vegetable dishes, drink alone for an extra nourishing boost, etc.
YIELD: Varies - around 12 cups.
ADDITIONS FOR IMMUNE BOOSTING BROTH:
- 7-10 fresh organic shiitake mushrooms (known for medicinal properties, immunity-enhancing)
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 sprig fresh marjoram
- 2 strips kombu
- 1 strip wakame
- 4 strips astragalus root (known for nourishing the immune system)
INGREDIENTS I USED: I use organic sliced astragalus root to add some extra immune boosting properties to the bone broth. I always add this to my bone broth and other meat dishes that have a large amount of broth or liquid. I also use astragalus root in herbal tea infusions, hot garlic ginger lemonade {natural remedy} and my elderberry rose hip syrup {natural remedy}.
WANT THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF BONE BROTH BUT DON’T WANT TO MAKE YOUR OWN?
Check out the best store-bought bone broth that I recommend:
My FAVORITE Organic Bone Broth
Other Options Online and Sold in Most Grocery Stores
Organic Bone Broth Chicken with Ginger
Organic Bone Broth Chicken with Lemongrass
Organic Bone Broth Chicken Original
Organic Bone Broth Turkey with Rosemary, Sage & Thyme
NOTE: If your local store doesn’t carry bone broth, put in a request – sometimes stores listen if there is a demand for it. If you can’t find it locally, it’s available online. I do my best to make my own bone broth so I have it on hand, but life happens and I am not always able to.
Are you on Pinterest? I pin lots of yummy real food recipes + more there. I have a board just for Soups & Stews too. Come follow along.
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Can you just make it with bones in lieu of the whole chicken?
Yes, that’s another way to do it. I make it that way in my other bone broth recipe. I prefer it this way though, I think the flavor is much better when you cook the whole chicken, versus just the bones.