Perfect Chicken Stock/Broth in a Pressure Cooker (Instant pot)

You don’t need me to tell you that homemade chicken stock or broth tastes good. In fact, so much better than anything store bought. And I make it without fuss in the instant pot. I have learnt that you just need chicken bone in and a few veggies and you are in business. Like my grandmother, I throw in a few fragrant spices. But really, it’s about good quality chicken, some veggies and a little bit of time. It is perfect for soups, stews and even rice dishes like a chicken biryani.

I have tried other methods. The slow simmering works on the stovetop works. The slow cooker works, although it does give my broth a somewhat darker tinge. Frankly all things considered, why spend 4 to 6 hours cooking something when about 45 minutes sort of does it for you. This is earth week. Possibly among other things a good time to think of how to best conserve energy in cooking.

My grandmother used stock more to season pilafs and such. She often made us drink her version of bone broth on cold days, I use chicken or vegetable broth for all kinds of stuff. BTW, most skeptics might not agree, but actually due to fact that all the flavors are sealed you might actually find that your pressure cooker broth/stock tastes richer.

Every person, finds their own routine in the kitchen, so from my grandmother I add the bay leaves, a star anise or two and a stick of cinnamon, I add celery and carrots from my Israeli friends grandmother’s recipe and I will soon share here favorite soup recipe very soon. I however felt that the broth should have its own space on my site as I use it for a base for all kinds of soups.

How do I get my broth working on short notice? Mow that is simple. In my Bengali kitchen, for all odds and ends the first dibs are for chorchori.  But then there are bits of onion, sad herbs, lone celery sticks and odds and ends of chicken . Think that last piece that you did not want to cook. All of these get into a large freezer bag that I call stock bag. Actually, I end up with 2 bags. One with and one without chicken, but today it is all about the chicken. About 1/2 a pound of chicken pieces and 1 pound of various veggies give me 4 cups of chicken broth/stock. Yes, I use the terms interchangeably and realize there is a slight difference.

That is usually what I need at most times. If you are concerned about the aromatics, you can skip the spices however, they really do not dominate the recipe just add a nice gentle fragrance that compliments the rich natural flavors of the chicken.

For the pressure cooker skeptic, this just might be the recipe that will cause you to dust off that pressure cooker and remember grandma. What I used this batch for was a matzoh ball soup, that hopefully will make you proud.

If you like this recipe and want more ideas, do join my Indian Instant Pot  and Air Fryer Facebook group .

Pick up a copy of my Instant pot cookbook Instant Indian  here, along with The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and Spices and Seasons.

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