Artificial Food Coloring Free Instant Pot Bone Broth
Rich, deeply savory, and made entirely from whole ingredients you can see and name, this bone broth is the kind of thing that makes you feel genuinely good about what you're putting in your body. Store-bought broths and stocks are notorious for sneaking in caramel color, annatto, or other synthetic dyes to achieve that golden, appetizing hue — but here, every drop of color comes naturally from roasting the bones at high heat and simmering them with carrots, onion, celery, and garlic. That oven step is the real secret weapon: deeply browning the bones before they ever hit the Instant Pot builds a flavor foundation that's complex, meaty, and completely additive-free. The apple cider vinegar helps draw minerals and collagen out of the bones during the pressure cook, giving you a broth that gels beautifully once chilled — a sign you've done everything right. Using the Instant Pot cuts down the time dramatically compared to a stovetop simmer, without sacrificing any of that slow-cooked depth. Strain it, chill it, skim the fat, and you've got a clean, nourishing base ready to sip straight from a mug or use in soups, grains, and sauces all week long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 3 lb beef bones (knuckles, marrow bones, or a mix), cut into 2–3-inch pieces
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
- 3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 cups cold water, or enough to reach the instant pot's max fill line
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Arrange the beef bones in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 25–30 minutes, until deeply browned on the surface.
- 2
Transfer the roasted bones to the Instant Pot insert. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt, and thyme (if using). Pour in the apple cider vinegar and enough cold water to reach just below the max fill line — do not exceed it.
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