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Yes, it’s true, you really can make a gelatin-rich bone broth on the stovetop in 30 minutes.
Now, this stovetop method is a little bit of a quasi-bone broth, so to speak, but it’s a much better option than using commercially prepared store-bought broths which are often full of chemicals and flavorings.
And let me head off all you pressure cooker Instant Pot freaks right now who might be saying, “Well duh just use the Instant Pot!” Well, I hate to shock you but I’m not thrilled with the taste of Instant Pot bone broth, among other things. Nor have I ever made a gelatin-rich bone broth at the 30-minute setting on the Instant Pot.
The recipe I’m going to share is inspired by a recipe called “fake chicken stock” in the cookbook called Soup: A Way of Life by Barbara Kafka.
I found this great cookbook recently in a used bookstore and would highly recommend it if you’re looking for some great new soup recipes and some interesting perspectives on broth and stock. You can check it out here on Amazon.
Basically, her “fake chicken stock” is a quick stovetop version of bone broth when you don’t have time to make the longer slowly simmered version.
While I’m using Kafka’s recipe as inspiration, I’ve amended it in two important ways. First, her recipe recommends simmering chicken bones with a commercially prepared canned broth (blech) or bouillon cubes (ugh) dissolved in water.
Please don’t use that fake stuff! Just use water.
In my experience, you can get a nice flavorful broth even from a short simmer time. The key is to use some meaty bones and parts as meat imparts flavor into the broth. In fact, when I was in Thailand, many of their broths call for a very short simmer time. I’ve found this in many other Asian broth and stock recipes as well. Another helpful hint is to use previously cooked or roasted bones as they’ll also impart more flavor than raw bones.
Of course, with a short simmer time you won’t get a gelatin-rich bone broth. And that’s where the “quasi” part of this comes in.
You might want to sit down for this.
The key ingredient is…
Gelatin.
I know. Totally earth-shattering, isn’t it?
But to be more specific, powdered gelatin.
Gelatin is what gives bone broth its many potential health benefits including skin, joint, immune and gut health. However, bone broths (or bone stocks) need to be simmered for a long time to get a nice gelatin-rich bone broth. Over time, the gelatin leaches out from the bones and other added collagen-rich parts (collagen breaks down into gelatin during the simmering process). For chicken and pork this could be 12 – 24 hours and for beef it could be as long as 24 – 72 hours.
While a long simmer time is always the best way to do it, not everyone is able, willing or ready to do this for many reasons.
The recipe below for a quick 30-minute stovetop version is a much healthier version than commercially prepared canned and boxed bone broth which are chock full of added flavorings (including the organic versions) that mimic the flavor of a real, traditional, slow and long-cooked broth.
And they NEVER contain gelatin. Ever.
Please use a good quality gelatin powder from grass-fed and pastured animals. Don’t just get any commercially prepared gelatin powder. These are almost certainly coming from factory-farmed sources.
Many people report that even with a long, slow simmer in the traditional manner, bones from grain-fed, confined animals don’t gel well. That’s especially true for chicken bones which have naturally less collagen (which turns into gelatin during the simmering process) than larger animals.
Quality matters! By purchasing good quality products you’re helping support a more sustainable agricultural system which in turn helps sustain our health.
While there are many good gelatin powder products now emerging on the market, the one I highly recommend is Perfect Supplement’s Bovine Perfect Gelatin.
This is Perfect Supplement’s new powdered gelatin product. Here’s why I recommend it:
Unlike most supplement companies they really do care about their products. Here are a few more details about Perfect Supplements:
Perfect Supplements is offering this special discount ONLY for Fearless Eating readers. And if you’re reading this, that means YOU!
Please note that this offer can’t be combined with other coupons and/or offers.
You can also get 10% off any of their other top-notch products which include fish oil, probiotics, desiccated raw liver, herbs, and minerals. This discount never expires!
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This is a quick stove top version of bone broth when you don’t have time to make the longer slowly simmered version.
Note: if you’re adjusting the amount of water in this recipe, use about one scoop of gelatin per 16 ounces of broth. Since we’re using 2 quarts in this recipe (64 ounces), we’re using 4 scoops.
How Bone Broth Benefits Your Health: 6 Common Claims Backed by Science
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When Bone Broth is Bad for You
Instant Pot Bone Broth: 5 Things You Should Know
5 Reasons You Should Start Drinking Broth
Three Reasons to Supplement with Perfect Hydrolyzed Collagen
Craig Fear is the creator of Fearless Eating and the author of three books, The 30-Day Heartburn Solution, Fearless Broths and Soups and The Thai Soup Secret. After years helping clients with digestive issues, Craig decided to pursue writing full-time. He intends to write many more books on broths and soups from around the world! Click here to learn more about Craig.
