The Best Beef Bone Broth Recipe (for soups and sipping!)
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Beef bone broth is a kitchen staple I’ve been making for years — slow-simmered, rich, and deeply flavorful. I sip it on its own and use it to make incredible soups. Make a big batch and freeze some for later!
See that thick jello in the jar up there? That’s beef bone broth, and it’s one of the best things that you can make for your kitchen.
We ALWAYS have some in our freezer. With some homemade bone broth on hand, you can whip up a batch of super flavorful soup in no time at all. All you need are a few veggies, some meat, and this broth, and your soup will taste AMAZING!
Some FAQs
How long does bone broth keep? Homemade bone broth will keep for 3–5 days in a sealed container in the fridge. It also freezes incredibly well, so for longer storage, I freeze it in batches. I like using reusable freezer bags (such as Stasher bags) since they stack nicely and save space.
Can bone broth be made in a crockpot? Yes! In step 4 of the recipe, add the roasted bones to your slow cooker and cover them with water. Set it to low for 10 hours, then turn it on again for another 10 hours. You can continue cooking it on low for 24–48 hours to extract even more flavor.
Do I need to add vegetables or spices to the bone broth? I’ve been making bone broth for many years and have tried versions with vegetables and herbs as well as batches made with only bones. You can absolutely make an excellent broth using just the bones. But if you have veggie scraps — onion and garlic peels, carrot ends, parsley stems, celery bits — go ahead and toss them in. I often save these scraps in a freezer bag and use them when it’s time to make stock.
Why is it best to pre-boil the bones? If you plan on drinking the broth, don’t skip this step. A quick pre-boil removes impurities (like blood) and makes the broth taste much cleaner. If you skip it, the broth can taste quite strong — and not in a pleasant way. As a bonus, pre-boiling eliminates the need to skim foam from the pot later. Tip: Use a smaller pot for this step so the water comes to a boil faster.
Why do you roast the bones? I roast the bones to add deeper flavor and color to the broth. You can skip it if you’re short on time — I sometimes do — but roasting the bones does give you a richer, more complex broth.
Where can I buy beef bones for making broth? Most grocery stores sell soup bones in the meat department. If you don’t see any, ask the butcher — they often have some in the back. You can also save bones whenever you cook a bone-in roast, ribs, or steak and keep them in the freezer until you have enough to make broth. If you’re using bones that have already been cooked, you can skip both the pre-boiling and roasting steps in the recipe.
Step-by-step photos
The Best Beef Bone Broth Recipe (for soups and sipping!)
Ingredients
- 6 lb beef soup bones (see notes)
- 48 cups water (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the bones to a large pot and cover them with an inch of water. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Continue to boil the bones rapidly for 15 minutes. Dain the bones through a colander.6 lb beef soup bones
- Place the bones on a baking sheet and put them into the oven. Roast the bones for 45 minutes, or until they are well browned. Carefully remove the pan from the oven. (Tip: save the oil that is on the pan and use it for cooking!)
- Place the roasted bones in a stockpot and cover with 3-inches of water. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat so that the water is simmering very gently. Continue to simmer the broth (with the lid on!) for 12-48 hours. Check the pot occasionally and add water if the bones start showing.48 cups water
- Place a colander in a very large bowl. Carefully strain the stock to remove the bones.
- Place a fine-mesh sieve over another large bowl and strain the broth a second time to remove any small bits of bones.
- Let the broth cool slightly then put it into your fridge to cool completely. Letting it cool overnight is best.
- Carefully scrape off the layer of fat that has hardened on top. Underneath the fat, the broth will be thick and jello-like. (Tip: save this fat and use it for cooking, too!)
- Store the broth in the fridge for up to 4 days or in your freezer for 6 months.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Recipes that use beef bone broth
For more inspiration, check out all of our soup recipes!
Can I start with frozen bones or should they be defrosted before boiling?
They will thaw super fast when boiled so it should be just fine to add them frozen.
I followed the recipe completely and simmered the bones in a large pot on my gas stove but it didn’t thicken up. Any idea why it didn’t? I made this to use when making dog food. They like the taste and I’m sure it’s ok though
It only thickens up and become jelly-like when it’s cold, and it can vary a lot from batch to batch depending on the types of bones used. When I use the bones from leftover steak (for example) the broth is less thick than if I buy joint or knuckle bones. But either way it will have lots of flavor!
I love your recipe. This is my first batch and I put it in myFAVORITES
I’m so happy to hear you loved the recipe!
Hi, how long will the fat at the top be good for? How do you store it? I can’t wait to try this out! It’s hard to find a PLAIN recipe for the broth. Thanks a lot
I render the water from the fat by putting it into my crockpot on low heat with the lid off for about 18 hours. With the water removed, it will last months in your fridge. I store it in a glass jar. If you store it for a long time it will eventually start to smell rancid, like other oils or nuts. If you don’t want to render the water from the fat, store it in your fridge and use it within 5 days. Hope that helps!
I’ve never boiled then strained my stock before simmering it for hours and I wasn’t sure there was much of a point. But I followed the directions and they worked like a charm. No more gross stuff floating at the top of my stock! And I found the flavor cleaner, too. Thanks for the tip!
If I was making this to drink … would i just heat up on the stove? Add any water or just salt and pepper? Do you suggest adding veggies?
I like to add some salt and pepper to it if I’m drinking it. I wouldn’t add water to it unless you find the flavor too strong. And you can absolutely make it into a soup by adding veggies to it!
I’m going to disagree on the addition of veggies / herbs. Adding some roasted celery, carrots, onion, and garlic contributes greatly to flavor in my experience.
Can the beef bone Roth be used to make gravy?
Yes, you can! I suggest seasoning it with onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, salt, and pepper and then thickening it with either cornstarch mixed with water or making a roux with flour and butter. And Worcestershire sauce can add a little more depth if you find that it needs it. 🙂