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Creating your own meat stock from scratch is an essential skill if you are pursuing a holistic, ancestral lifestyle. I originally learned this method when making broths for the GAPS diet protocol but I still use it almost weekly because it is the best way to create a healthy broth that can be used in so many recipes. This post breaks down how to make a delicious homemade stock using chicken or beef.

What is Meat Stock?

Meat stock is a rich, flavorful liquid made by simmering bones, connective tissue, and meat, which extracts amino acids and nutrients from the ingredients. This traditional recipe can be made with various types of bones, including beef bones, chicken bones, fish bones, marrow bones, and meaty bones like beef knuckle and osso buco. It is known for its deep flavor and nutrient density.

This year, I have been working on improving my husband’s gut health. After taking multiple courses of antibiotics over the years and never having rebuilt his gut flora, he was suffering from a myriad of non-specific symptoms and I finally convinced him to let me incorporate some important nutrients into his already healthy, whole-foods diet. Whenever there are symptoms of inflammation, my first recommendation is to add fermented foods like kefir and sauerkraut, eliminate non-fermented grains and add in some good sources of collagen and protein.

I also started looking into the GAPS protocol as a way to help heal his gut and that’s how I learned the trick to making a delicious and super healthy meat stock!

What is the GAPS Protocol?

The GAPS Protocol (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) is a dietary and lifestyle approach designed to heal the gut and improve overall health, particularly for those with conditions related to gut dysfunction. It focuses on nourishing the gut lining and restoring the balance of gut flora through a combination of nutrient-dense, easily digestible foods and the removal of foods that are difficult to digest.

The GAPS Protocol was developed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, a Russian neurologist and nutritionist. She created the protocol after working with her own child, who had been diagnosed with autism. Dr. Campbell-McBride observed a link between gut health and neurological conditions like autism, ADHD, and dyslexia, as well as mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.

In 2004, she published the book “Gut and Psychology Syndrome,” which outlines the GAPS diet and explains the theory that many psychological and neurological disorders stem from an unhealthy gut, often referred to as “leaky gut.” By healing the gut through proper nutrition, Dr. Campbell-McBride believed that individuals could experience significant improvements in both mental and physical health.

As more and more patients adopted the methodology, they also saw immense improvement in other chronic conditions like Crohn’s disease, IBS, eczema, allergies, and asthma.

You can check out her books HERE and my favorite GAPS protocol cookbook HERE!

Why Make Your Own Meat Stock?

While store-bought stock is convenient, it lacks the nutrient density and richness of homemade stock. For years I bought organic, “free range” chicken stock from the store which is certainly a step up from cheaper broths or bouillon that are only flavored to taste like broth and have zero nutritional value.

However, even store-bought broths that claim to be bone broths must have certain additives to make the product shelf stable. There is also less guarantee that the chickens/beef have been raised humanely and fed a soy free, non-GMO diet.

Making your own stock allows you to control the quality of ingredients, like using knuckle bones, neck bones, and bone marrow for the best flavor and nutrition. Additionally, homemade stock is free from the preservatives (besides salt) often found in the store-bought version. Plus, it’s an economical way to repurpose proteins in many ways.

Health Benefits of Homemade Meat Stock:

After making this stock, you might notice a thick layer of what looks like congealed fat at the top of your jars. This is evidence of the prized GELATIN that makes homemade meat stock a superfood! Gelatin is a form of collagen and is derived from bones and connective tissue/joints of an animal. Here are the health benefits:

Benefits of Gelatin:

Gut Health: Gelatin can help improve digestion and gut integrity by restoring the lining of the stomach. It’s often recommended for healing leaky gut and supporting overall digestive health.
Joint Health: Gelatin contains amino acids like glycine and proline, which are crucial for maintaining healthy joints, tendons, and ligaments.
Skin Health: Gelatin supports skin elasticity, hydration, and repair.
Improved Sleep: The glycine in beef gelatin has been shown to improve sleep quality.
Bone Health: Gelatin contains important amino acids and minerals that support bone density and health. It can help maintain strong bones as part of a nutrient-rich diet.
Weight Management: Gelatin is often used in diets because it promotes satiety, or the feeling of fullness. It can help reduce appetite and cravings, making it easier to control calorie intake.
Nail and Hair Health: Regular consumption of gelatin can strengthen nails and improve hair thickness and shine due to the collagen proteins it provides.

Why You’ll Love This Meat Stock:

Simple and fast: I like to make it stove top in a stock pot. It’s basically one of those things that you can dump a bunch of things in a pot and forget about it. After about 3 hours you’re done. Simply drain the stock and put in glass jars for fridge storage!
Unmatched Flavor: This broth will totally transform any dish you use it in! Whether you just drink it plain or use in a variety of delicious soups or casseroles, the flavor is SO much better than a store-bought stock!
Multiple Uses for broth, meat, bones and beyond: This is my favorite thing about this meat stock recipe. After creating the stock, you are left with a decent amount of cooked meat (either pulled chicken or beef) that can be used in a variety of dishes, PLUS a multitude of bony carcasses. I immediately put the cooked bones into my crock pot and start a batch of bone broth. Cooking one chicken with this meat stock method yields me over a gallon of stock and usually close to a gallon of bone broth + meat to make 1-2 dinners. Incredible!
Gut healthy: This meat stock is packed with amino acids, minerals and gelatin. The nutrients derived from marrow bones, connective tissue, and meaty bones make this broth a gut healing super food!

Bone Broth Versus Meat Stock

Did you know meat stock and bone broth are two different things? I didn’t! This was confusing to me when I first learned the GAPS protocol. While bone broth and meat stock are both nutritious, they differ mainly in their cooking times and the extraction of nutrients. Here are the main differences:

Meat stock is made by cooking raw meat and bones in water over a relatively short period (2-5 hours) to create a flavorful, light-colored broth with a ton of collagen-rich gelatin. It is very easy to digest and one of the main building blocks of the GAPs Inro diet.

Bone broth utilizes already-cooked bones. In some cases the bones are even roasted prior to being covered with water + an acidic medium like apple cider vinegar. They are then simmered for much longer, usually 12-24 hours. This draws out a lot of gelatin, minerals, and important building blocks from the bones. Bone broth is not allowed in the beginning phases of the GAPS introductory diet as it is considered not as gentle on the gut as meat stock.

I personally find bone broth a bit heartier and more flavorful than meat stock. Both are fantastic for the immune system.

Check out my favorite way to cook anti-inflammatory bone broth in the crockpot.

Tips and Tricks for Making the BEST Meat Stock:

Chicken meat stock turns out SO much richer and more gelatinous if you use chicken feet or chicken heads. I fought this for a while because… ew. But once I found chicken feet at my local butcher shop for cheap, I decided to try it and it makes ALL the difference!
You need to use a combo of meaty bones, tubular bones with marrow and bones that contain fat, joints, tendons and connective tissues. If you are having trouble sourcing these bones, use what you have. You can always expand your bone usage down the road.
The thick layer of gel on the top of your meat stock after cooling is gelatin and it is the best part. This is how you know your meat stock has a good combo of bones and is filled with collagen!
Stock freezes well in ice cube trays or storage containers for later use in smaller portions. I usually store in the fridge because we go through it within 2 weeks.
I love cooking in a big stock pot on the stovetop BUT If you’re short on time, use an instant pot or pressure cooker to make stock in less time.

Multiple Ways to Cook Stock

Stove Top: The traditional method using low heat and gentle simmer in a large stock pot or Dutch oven yields a rich, flavorful stock over several hours. This requires a bit more supervision but I can usually make the largest amount because my giant stock pot holds more than my crockpot or instant pot.
Instant pot/pressure cooker: Cuts down the cooking process significantly while still delivering a nutrient-rich broth in high-pressure settings.
Slow cooker: Ideal for those who prefer the low-and-slow method; let it simmer for a day to really extract the nutrients. I prefer using this for my bone broths but it’s still an option when creating meat stock.

How to Make Meat Stock:

Making chicken or beef meat stock is very simple. Both recipes include the following essential building blocks:

1. Meaty bones with tendons, ligaments, soft tissues and muscle still attached.

Chicken Stock: I like to use a full chicken. I purchase a pasture-raised, organic chicken and rinse it out, removing the gizzard and other organs. Later, I add these organs to the pot as well. In addition to the whole chicken, I like to add 3-5 chicken feet if I have them. This makes a drastic difference in the amount of gelatin I end up with.

Beef Stock: I like to use a meaty + bony cut of meat like osso buco (also known as beef shank). This cut has a good amount of meat on the bone and includes a marrow-rich bone in the center. In addition to the meaty cut, I like to add 1-2 tubular bones like canoe bones. Canoe bones, also known as canoe-cut marrow bones, are beef bones that have been cut lengthwise to expose the marrow. I also will throw in 1-2 beef soup bones if I have them. Oxtail is another fantastic source of gelatin and would be a great addition to the more meaty cuts.

Depending on where you get your groceries, you will very likely have access to beef soup bones but have a harder time finding bones like canoe bones or oxtail. I have been able to find some of these more exotic cuts at a local butcher but not my supermarket.

Another great source for these cuts/bones is a local farm. Fresh grass fed and pasture-raised meat is always preferable and a smaller farm may also have a large amount of these cuts and little interest from consumers, so be sure to look around!

2. Filtered Water

Using filtered water creates the best base for this stock. I love using water from my Berkey water filter for the purest source.

3. Salt + Veggies

It’s got to be seasoned. I love using Redmond Real Salt for the best mineral compounds. Ground black pepper is not allowed in the GAPS intro diet but you can add whole black peppercorns to get that same peppery flavor!

Adding an assortment of veggies will create a deeper flavor plus the cooked veggies can be strained out and added to soups and broths. I like to use a simple combo of peeled, roughly chopped carrots, roughly chopped celery, garlic and onion.

Supplies

Large stockpot, Instant Pot, or crock pot
Fine-mesh strainer
Wooden spoon
Storage containers like mason jars with screw on lids

Meat Stock: Step By Step

Prepare your ingredients

To begin, wash your veggies. Make sure the meat and bone cuts you plan to use are thawed. I like to peel my carrots and celery and set aside the peels + tops/bottoms. I place the scraps in a ziploc bag to use later for bone broth. Roughly chop carrots and celery and slice onion in half and remove the papery outer layer.

If using chicken: Rinse chicken, setting aside gizzards and other organs to add back later.

Add meat + bones of choice to a large stock pot. Add coarsely chopped vegetables and salt and cover everything with filtered water.

2. Cook Stock

Bring the pot to a rolling boil.

For chicken: Reduce heat to a simmer and allow to cook for about 2 hours.

For beef: Reduce heat to a simmer and allow to simmer for 3-5 hours.

If you wish to add fresh herbs for added flavor, add them during the last few minutes of cooking. The stock will have some scum on top which you can skim off.

3. Strain and Store

Place a large bowl in the bottom of your sink and place a large colander or strainer over it. Very carefully pour the contents of the stock pot into the strainer, being careful to not spill or lose any stock.

The strainer will be filled with cooked bones and meat. Once cooled slightly, pick the meat off the bones and set it aside for future meals. Set aside bones to make bone broth. They can be placed in a freezer bag and frozen until ready to use.

Allow stock to cool slightly before pouring into glass jars. I like to use gallon glass jars with screw-on lids.

Store stock in the refrigerator for up to a week. Stock can be frozen in ice cube trays or freezer bags and thawed out as needed.

How to Use Meat Stock:

Homemade meat stock is perfect for a variety of recipes, from hearty soups to stews, and sauces. It’s also absolutely delicious on its own.

For the GAPS protocol, during the introductory diet, you will want to enjoy stock mostly by itself, but you can add a bit of the soft meat and lower-fiber veggies to get a bit more sustenance from it. You are not supposed to eat herbs in the beginning phases but you can add a bouquet to your stock to infuse the flavor.

I love to store and freeze the stock to use in all my soups, and casseroles and as a cooking liquid for rice. It’s SO good. By making your own rich beef stock and chicken stock, you ensure a nutrient-dense, delicious base for all your cooking needs, far surpassing the store-bought version in flavor and nutrition.

Enjoy this good meat stock in your next recipe and reap the benefits of this good news for your body and soul!

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