The Bluster and the Burrow
Instant Pot Beef Stock
This Instant Pot beef stock is deeply flavorful, roasted, and completely hands-off, giving you rich, restaurant-quality results without babysitting the stove. Made without salt, it’s designed to be flexible and freezer-friendly, ready to support soups, sauces, gravies, and everyday cooking.
Print Recipe
Equipment
- Half Gallon Mason Jars
- Freezer Containers 1 cup portions
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef bones
- 2 carrots rough chop
- 2 celery stalks rough chop
- 1 onion cut in quarters
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 peppercorns
- 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- water
Instructions
- Roast 2 pounds beef bones2 carrots, 2 celery stalks1 onion and vegetables at 425°F for 40 minutes, flipping the bones halfway through.
- Transfer everything to the Instant Pot.
- Add 1 bay leaf, 10 peppercorns, 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar , and water, staying about ½ inch below the max fill line, or the 4 L line.
- Cook on High Pressure for 120 minutes.
- Allow a full natural pressure release.
- Strain the solids and transfer the stock to jars or freezer containers.
Notes
Don’t skip the roasting. Roasting triggers the Maillard reaction. That is where deep, savory flavor is born. Without it, beef stock tastes thin and flat. Chicken stock can get away with being light; beef stock cannot. Roasting gives you color, complexity, and the “this tastes expensive” effect.
Avoid burnt bits. When you flip the bones halfway through roasting, take a moment to check the vegetables. If anything is getting too dark, pull it early and move it to the Instant Pot. Even small burnt spots can tip the stock toward an acrid, bitter flavor.
Don’t overfill the water. Water should stay ½ inch below the max fill line. Overfilling can prevent proper sealing and cause error messages. More water does not mean better stock; it means diluted flavor.
Skip the salt. Leave your stock unsalted. This keeps it versatile for sauces, soups, and reductions. You can always season later; you cannot take salt out once it is there.
Save and reuse the bones. Beef bones can typically be reused 2 to 3 times.
- First batch: deeply flavorful and dark
- Second batch: lighter but still excellent for soups
- Third batch: mild, best for cooking grains or blending into sauces
- Refrigerator: 5 to 7 days
- Freezer: up to 6 months
- Ice cube trays, which hold about 2 tablespoons each, for small flavor boosts
- One-cup or two-cup portions for soups and sauces
Nutrition
Calories: 34kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 32mg | Potassium: 199mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 6810IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 0.3mg
