Artificial Flavors Free Beef Bone Broth
Rich, slow-simmered bone broth has become a pantry staple for a reason, and this version is built entirely from whole, recognizable ingredients — no flavor packets, no powdered additives, nothing you can't pronounce. Store-bought broths and bouillons are notorious for sneaking in artificial flavor enhancers, yeast extracts, and "natural flavoring" blends that aren't always as clean as they sound, so making your own is genuinely the most reliable route. The process starts with oven-roasted beef bones — knuckles, marrow bones, or oxtail — which develop a deep, caramelized color that gives the finished broth its gorgeous amber hue and complex savory backbone. From there, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, fresh thyme, parsley, ginger, and a touch of turmeric do all the heavy lifting on flavor, while apple cider vinegar quietly works to pull collagen and minerals from the bones during a long, lazy simmer. After 10 to 12 hours on the lowest possible heat, you're left with something that smells absolutely incredible and gels firmly in the fridge — that wobble is your proof that the collagen extraction worked. Use it as a base for soups, braise with it, sip it from a mug, or freeze it in small portions so you always have something genuinely wholesome on hand.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 4 lb beef bones (knuckles, marrow bones, and/or oxtail)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 sprigs fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 12 cups cold water, or enough to cover bones by 2 inches
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Arrange the beef bones in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Roast for 25–30 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the bones are deeply browned on the cut surfaces.
- 2
Transfer the roasted bones to a large stockpot (12-quart or larger). Pour off and discard any rendered fat from the roasting pan, then add 1–2 cups of the cold water to the hot pan and scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Pour this liquid into the stockpot.
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