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If you’ve ever wondered how to stretch your grocery budget and create something incredibly nourishing at the same time, this Easy Crockpot Chicken Bone Broth is the answer.

It’s one of those back-to-basics recipes that turns kitchen scraps into liquid gold—and once you start making it, you’ll never want store-bought again.

I’m all about recipes that are simple, practical, and full of flavor—and this one checks every box. Whether you’re sipping it warm from a mug, using it as a soup base, or freezing it for later, this homemade broth is a must-have in your kitchen.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Freezer-friendly – Make a big batch and save for later
• Super easy – The crockpot does all the work
• Budget-friendly – Uses leftover chicken bones and veggie scraps
• Rich in flavor – Slow cooking extracts deep, savory goodness
• Nutrient-packed – Full of collagen and minerals

What is Chicken Bone Broth?

Chicken bone broth is made by simmering chicken bones, vegetables, and herbs over a long period of time. This slow cooking process pulls out nutrients, gelatin, and deep flavor that you just can’t get from a quick broth.

It’s thicker, richer, and more nourishing than traditional chicken stock—and perfect for everything from soups to sipping straight from a mug.

How to Make Easy Crockpot Chicken Bone Broth

To make chicken bone broth, it is as simple as using leftover chicken bones and carcass from your latest cooking adventure, and your favorite veggie scraps.

I add celery, carrots, onions, and garlic for the health benefits. Add a couple of tablespoons of an acidic liquid like apple cider vinegar (make sure it is raw ACV). This helps draw the minerals out of the bones.  

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 1 leftover roasted chicken carcass (or 2–3 cups chicken bones)
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2–3 carrots, chopped
• 2–3 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1–2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Optional: bay leaves, thyme, parsley stems
• Water (enough to cover everything)

Have you ever done or seen the science experiment where you soak a chicken bone in vinegar for 24 hours, and the bone becomes all rubbery? This is because the calcium and other minerals have been leached from the bones!  In the crockpot, these minerals wind up in your broth!

Then, it all gets added to a crockpot and covered with water, and cooked on low for 24 hours.

At the end of 24 hours, you have this beautiful dark broth that is so amazing in the soup. You can also drink it to help keep any sicknesses at bay.

How do you store chicken bone broth?

To store chicken bone broth, you can either pour it into freezer-safe containers like these and freeze for 6 months or longer.

Or, you can just store it in the fridge if you are going to be using it sooner rather than later.

Why does the chicken bone broth need to cook in the crockpot for 24 hours?

In order to get all the benefits of the gelatin, collagen, and minerals from the bones, they must be cooked for at least 18 to 24 hours.

You can make regular chicken broth by cooking for a shorter time — around 8 hours, of course, but you will not have all of the health/nutrition benefits with a shorter time.

Can you use a Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot to make bone broth?

Yes, you can. This recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth shows you how you can make bone broth in 3 hours using the Instant Pot.

The cool thing about making your own bone broth is that you can take your time gathering your recipe ingredients.

I keep a bag in my freezer so when I have veggie scraps, I just add them to the bag. I put my carcass bones in there, too, so that when the bag is full, I just dump it all in my crockpot and let it cook away!

What are the benefits of chicken bone broth?

Bone broth has been known to help with

• highly nutritious
• protects the joints
• helps fight osteoarthritis
• helps reduce inflammation and heal the gut
• may aid sleep
• may support weight loss

A word of warning for pet owners when it comes to chicken bone broth

Bone broth and chicken broth are NEVER good for dogs or cats, so please do not give this to your animals. Onions and garlic are very toxic to dogs, so this broth should never be given to your animals.

Looking for recipes to use Chicken Bone Broth in? Check these out

• Old Fashioned Sage Cornbread Dressing
• Italian Wedding Soup
• Lemon Chicken Piccata

I usually get about 6 cups of bone broth from my crockpot ( I have a 6-quart crockpot), and I store it in plastic containers that are freezer safe. If you want, you can also store them in mason jars.

Bone broth is such an economical and nutritious staple to have in your kitchen.