How to Make Beef Bone Broth in an Electric Roaster (Large Batch, From Scratch)
Homemade beef bone broth is easier than you think—anyone can learn to make this nutrient-rich, gelatinous broth with my step-by-step guide. Perfect for drinking, using in soups, and for preserving by freezing or canning—this recipe shows you how to make beef bone broth in an electric roaster using a large-batch method.
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Bone broth may sound trendy, but it isn't a new fad. It's an ancient, traditional food that has been around for a long time. Bone broth is made by simmering animal bones and connective tissue in water for a long time, anywhere from 12-48 hours. Typically, vegetables and spices are added for more nutrition and flavors. The long cooking time helps to pull out the minerals and collagen from the bones.
According to one of my favorite health experts, Dr. Josh Axe, bone broth has over 19 easy-to-absorb essential amino acids and non-essential amino acids. Bone broth is rich in minerals and nutrients and collagen/gelatin. Many people enjoy drinking bone broth to support gut health, support joints, boost detoxification, promote better sleep, and to support healthy skin. For even more health benefits and nutritional information check out Dr. Axe's article here. He always explains things in a way that's full of details and easy to understand.
For our family, the easiest way to get all the benefits of this beef bone broth is to add it into whatever I'm cooking for dinner. I love adding it to my soup recipes anytime I can to ensure that my whole family gets all the goodness from this homemade bone broth. I doubt that I could get my kids to drink a glass of bone broth regularly, but they have no problem enjoying it mixed into our dinner! In fact, they usually ask for extra broth in their bowls of soup, (like my From-Scratch Beef Borscht) so I'd say it's also kid approved!
Cooking from-scratch foods, like beef bone broth can sound intimidating. It can be easy to feel like you need to be an experienced cook—trust me, I've felt the same way in the past, but I'm here to take the intimidation away. Whether you're a beginner cook, experienced or anything in between, you absolutely can make bone broth! I'll teach you how to make this large batch beef bone broth in an electric roaster and you'll master it in no time!
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Large Batch Beef Bone Broth Recipe
Mostly hands off-after you prepare all of the ingredients, you set the temperature on the roaster and just check in on it every now and then.
Big batch-makes a large batch of beef bone broth that is perfect for canning or freezing later.
Allows for longer simmer time-using an electric roaster allows for a longer simmer time compared to using the stovetop method.
Frees up your stove-cooking bone broth in an electric roaster doesn't require using your stovetop, so there's no interference with cooking dinner!
Nourishing-rich in minerals, nutrients, and collagen. Bone broth also has a good amount of protein—with each cup containing 8-10 grams of protein.
Best Bones for Beef Bone Broth
For the best broth use a mixture of collagen-rich and marrow bones. Combining bone types will help you achieve a gelatinous broth while creating a rich flavor.
- Knuckle bones-very high in collagen which helps create a gelatin-rich broth
- Marrow bones-adds deep flavor
- Oxtail-excellent for gelatin
- Short ribs-adds both flavor and collagen
While a mixture of these different bone types is optimal, any type of bones that you can get will still work and will produce a delicious broth.
What You'll Need to Make This Beef Bone Broth in an Electric Roaster
Kitchen Supplies You'll Need
- Electric roaster oven-minimum 18-quart capacity
- Sheet pan or 9x13 Pyrex dishes (for roasting bones)
- Parchment paper-optional but saves a lot of cleanup time
- Tongs
- Soup ladle
- Fine mesh strainer
- Large bowls
- Skimmer-optional, but can be helpful when removing the fat layer from the top of the broth
Ingredients
- Beef bones-For information about the best types of bones, see the section above in the post with more details. For sourcing bones, the best and most affordable way to get a lot of beef bones is to buy a share of beef from a local farmer. Another great option is to check with a local butcher or ask meat venders at your local farmer's market. High quality bone broth starts with high quality bones from healthy animals, so it's always best to try to source bones coming from grass-fed and grass-finished cows. If you live on the east coast of the USA, a great online source is Watson Farms. We have personally toured their farm and learned about their regenerative practices.
- Celery
- Carrots
- Onions
- Apple cider vinegar-helps to draw out the minerals and collagen from the bones
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Parsley
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Filtered water
How to Make This Beef Bone Broth in an Electric Roaster
Start by roasting the bones in the oven—technically this step is optional, but I highly recommend roasting the bones for the best flavor. Preheat the oven to 400℉. Line a sheet pan or (2) 9x13 Pyrex dishes with parchment paper (optional, but helpful for faster cleanup). Then, place the bones in a single layer on the pan and roast them in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour. Using tongs, turn the bones about halfway through the roasting time.
While the bones are roasting, prepare the vegetables by chopping the carrots, celery, and onions.
Remove the roasted beef bones from the oven once they look browned and caramelized—just be careful not to burn them. They should look similar to the picture below.
Place the roasted bones into the electric roaster oven.
Add the carrots, celery, onions, dried herbs, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper.
Add filtered water to the roaster oven until everything is covered, leaving about an inch of space from the top, so that it doesn't boil over. (I've learned from experience).
Place the lid on the roaster and set the temperature to 350℉ for 30-60 minutes or until the broth reaches a gentle boil. Then reduce the temperature to 200℉ and simmer for 12-48 hours. I personally aim for at least 24 hours.
*Note-You may want to add extra water back into the roaster oven, as some water will evaporate while cooking. I typically need to add more water after about 12 hours of cooking.
Once finished cooking, now it's time to strain the bone broth. Place a fine mesh strainer over the top of a large bowl. Ladle the broth into the strainer collecting the vegetable scraps and any pieces of meat, fat, or bones.
* (If you are going to be pressure canning this broth, you need to be sure not to get any vegetable pieces in your bone broth because canning times for bone broth are altered when vegetables are in the broth verses a clear broth).
Discard the remaining vegetable scraps and bones or compost them.
Allow the bowl/bowls of the strained broth to sit on the counter to cool off slightly for 30-60 minutes, then place the bone broth in the refrigerator. Chill overnight.
Once the broth is fully chilled the fat will rise to the top and solidify in a solid layer. Using a skimmer or a spoon, gently lift the fat off the top of the broth. You can discard this or save it and use it for cooking. Now all that's left is a beautiful gelatinous beef bone broth!
Your beef bone broth is now ready to be used right away, freeze for later, or pressure can for shelf stable storage.
How to Make Beef Bone Broth in an Electric Roaster (Large Batch, From Scratch)
Equipment
- Electric Roaster Oven 18 quart capacity or larger
- Fine Mesh Strainer
- Skimmer
- Large Bowls
- Ladle
- Sheet pan or 9x13 Pyrex dishes
- Tongs
- Parchment paper Optional
Ingredients
- 8 pounds beef bones (Marrow, Knuckle bones, Oxtail work well)
- 4-5 large carrots cut into 2–3-inch chunks
- 4-5 celery stalks cut into 2–3-inch chunks
- 2 cooking onions quartered (skins on or off)
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons dried thyme
- 2 Tablespoons dried rosemary
- 3 Tablespoons dried parsley
- 1 Tablespoon mineral salt plus, more to taste
- ½ Tablespoon black pepper plus, more to taste
- filtered water (enough to cover bones and vegetables) between 10-13 quarts
Instructions
- Roast the BonesPreheat oven to 400°F.Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and arrange the beef bones in a single layer. Roast for about 45 minutes-1 hour until browned and caramelized (not burnt). Roasting gives a rich flavor in the broth.
- Prep the VegetablesWhile the bones are roasting:• Cut carrots and celery into 2-3 inch chunks• Quarter the onions (leave skins on for a deeper color if desired)
- Load the Electric RoasterTransfer roasted bones to an 18-quart electric roaster.Add the chopped vegetables on top. Pour in the apple cider vinegar. Sprinkle in thyme, rosemary, parsley, salt and black pepper.Add filtered water until everything is fully covered and the roaster is full.
- Bring to TemperaturePlace the lid on the roaster and set the temperature to 350℉ until the broth begins to steam and reaches a gentle boil, this takes about 30-60 minutes.
- Long SimmerReduce the temperature to 200-225℉.Allow the broth to gently simmer for 12-48 hours.For best results, aim for 24 hours or more for a rich, gelatinous broth.Check after about 12 hours. If too much liquid has evaporated, add additional filtered water to keep the bones covered and the roaster full. This may need to be done several times throughout the cooking process.
- Strain the BrothTurn off the roaster.Using a ladle, carefully pour the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl or stockpot. Discard the bones and vegetables or compost.Strain thoroughly so only clear broth remains. This is especially important if you plan to pressure can your broth, as processing times for canned broth do not allow for vegetable pieces and the processing time would need to be altered.
- Cool and SkimAllow the broth to cool slightly at room temperature (about 30-60 minutes), then transfer to the refrigerator.Chill several hours or overnight. Once fully chilled, use the skimmer or a spoon and skim the solidified fat from the top.
- Store or PreserveYour bone broth is now ready to:• Use immediately• Freeze for later• Pressure can for shelf-stable storage
Notes
Helpful Tips for the Best Bone Broth
- Use a mix of marrow and knuckle bones for maximum collagen
- Add vinegar to help extract minerals and collagen
- Use high quality bones from grass fed and grass finished cattle
- Gentle simmering prevents cloudiness
- Roast the bones before simmering
How to use Beef Bone Broth
Homemade beef bone broth can be used in many simple everyday recipes; here are a few ways to enjoy it.
- Use it as a base for soups and stews, like my borscht recipe
- Cook rice or grains in bone broth for extra flavor
- Add it to sauces and gravies
- Sip a warm mug of broth on its own
How to Store Beef Bone Broth
- Refrigerator: 4-5 days
- Freezer: 6 months for best quality, up to 12 months maximum
- Pressure canning
Frequently Asked Questions About Beef Bone Broth
How long do I need to simmer beef bone broth?
Simmer the broth for a minimum of 12 hours, but for beef bones, it's best to simmer for at least 24 hours or longer. Beef bones generally take longer than something like chicken bones—which is why at least 24 hours is recommended. You're likely to get more gelatin and better flavor from a longer simmer.
Why didn't my bone broth gel?
Gel formation primarily depends on the release of collagen, because collagen (in bones) converts to ➡️gelatin (in the broth).
A few reasons bone broth may not gel.
•Not using enough collagen-rich bones (like knuckle bones, oxtail)
•To short of simmer time.
•Water to bone ratio was too high. (This can also happen by adding to much water back into the broth from evaporation, which dilutes the gelatin.)
•Not using apple cider vinegar, which help to maximize collagen extraction from the bones.
Do I need to roast the bones first?
Roasting the bones really helps the flavor of bone broth. You can skip this step if desired, but I feel it really helps to enhance the flavor of the finished broth.
How long does beef bone broth last in the refrigerator?
Homemade beef bone broth will keep in the refrigerator for about 4-5 days. For longer storage freeze or pressure can.
Can I freeze bone broth?
Yes. Allow the broth to cool, then transfer broth to an airtight freezer container, leaving a little extra room for expansion. Frozen broth can be stored for 6-12 months. (*12 months only if stored in a deep freezer that holds a temperature of 0℉ or colder.)
Can you make bone broth in an electric roaster?
Yes! Roasters work great for making large batches because they hold more bones and water than stockpots. It's also easier to simmer bone broth for extended amounts of time compared to using the stovetop method.
