Common Mistakes When Making Bone Broth at Home

Making bone broth at home can completely change the way you build flavour into your meals, especially if you follow a meat-based way of eating. It’s rich, full of depth, and works across a wide range of dishes, from soups and stews to braised meats and sauces. It’s also a great way to use up bones that might otherwise go to waste.

For people eating carnivore or nose-to-tail, bone broth can offer more than just taste. It’s often valued for its high collagen content from long-simmered bones and the comforting warmth it brings on colder days. Whether you’re sipping it solo or using it as a base to lift the flavour of your meals, there's real value in making your own.

Still, it’s easy to slip into habits that hold your broth back. If your broth’s coming out bland or thin, a few small tweaks could turn it into something rich and satisfying.

Using The Wrong Bones

Not all bones suit broth-making equally. If you’ve ever ended up with watery broth that doesn't gel or feels thin on the palate, the bones you chose might be to blame. The mistake many fall into is using bones lacking connective tissue, like leftover roast bones with meat stripped away.

The best broths come from mixing bones with cartilage, tendons, and marrow. Good options include:

- Beef knuckles

- Chicken feet and wings

- Lamb neck or shoulder bones

- Oxtail

- Split marrow bones

Bones packed with collagen and connective tissue break down during cooking to give broth its gel-like texture. Split marrow bones provide richness, and even a bit of meat left on the bone boosts the flavour. Instead of grabbing random bone scraps, be intentional with what you’re using.

Grass-fed or pasture-raised animal parts are a better pick if available. They’re often more nutrient-dense and provide a cleaner finish to the broth. Local butchers or shops that specialise in meat-based diets might even offer cuts specifically for broth. If you’re unsure, don’t hesitate to ask them what would work best.

Pay attention to what rises to the top early in the cooking stages too. A layer of grey foam doesn’t mean it’s ruined. That’s just protein and impurities lifting out. Skim it off or rinse the bones before cooking if it bothers you.

Skipping The Roasting Step

Raw bones make broth, but roasted bones make better broth. Too many people miss this step either because they think it’s not needed or they’re short on time. The truth is, it pays off in flavour and colour.

Roasting bones at a high temperature brings out deeper notes most expect when they sip or cook with broth. Here’s how to get the most from roasting:

1. Heat the oven to about 200°C.

2. Spread bones in a single layer on a baking tray.

3. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, turning once halfway.

4. Look for golden brown edges and avoid burnt, blackened bits.

The tray will collect browned bits referred to in kitchens as fond. Don’t let it go to waste. Add a splash of water while the tray is hot and scrape it with a wooden spoon. Tip that liquid into your stock pot for an instant boost.

Roasting builds flavour that water alone just can’t unlock. Once you add this to your routine, skipping it won’t cross your mind again. The smell alone is worth the extra step.

Not Adding Enough Acid

Good broth should be rich, maybe even a little jiggly when cool. That thick texture is a strong sign of collagen breakdown. But if your broth is coming out watery despite a long cook, it might be missing acid.

Acids like apple cider vinegar help draw out key minerals from the bones. They work in the cold water stage to soften and break down cartilage before the heat even begins.

To do it right:

- Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar per litre of water.

- Pour the mix over the bones and let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes before bringing it to heat.

- Then start cooking low and slow.

A common fear is that vinegar will leave your broth sour. It won’t. Those sharp notes mellow out during the long cook and won’t show up in the final taste.

Don’t overdo it either. Just a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice does the trick. Add too much and it could turn bitter. Done right, it's barely noticeable to taste but makes a world of difference to how your broth turns out.

Rushing The Cooking Process

Bone broth isn’t a quick recipe. Cooking it fast reduces its nutritional impact and tends to make the finished product weaker in both flavour and consistency. The long, slow cook is how the good stuff gets drawn out of the bones.

If you’re using chicken or other small bones, cook for 8 to 12 hours. For beef or lamb bones, you’re looking at 18 to 24 hours. Some slow cooker users go for even longer stretches. The important bit is low, gentle heat – never a rolling boil.

Start with cold water, not hot, and combine it with your bones and vinegar. Bring it up gradually. Once it’s nearly boiling, turn it down and keep it at a bare simmer. A fast boil will break things up too quickly and can leave your broth murky or oily.

One regular customer told us he sets his broth to cook overnight on his outdoor burner during the cool months and lets it go until morning. The soft heat does most of the work. It’s the slow pace that turns a pile of bones into something worthy of sipping.

Perfecting Your Bone Broth Routine

Once you’ve learned to avoid the main mistakes, the next move is turning broth-making into a habit. Making it regularly saves time, sets you up for better meals, and means you'll always have a batch on hand. Here are some ways to keep things running smoothly:

- Keep a freezer bag where you toss in leftover bones as you go.

- Roast bones ahead of time and freeze them so they’re ready when needed.

- For added flavour, throw in whole veg like carrot, onion, or celery. Or skip it completely for a pure carnivore-style broth.

- Once your broth is done, cool it before storing and scoop off the fat for cooking later.

Bone broth can be sipped warm, like tea, or used to soften tougher cuts of meat. Serve it over grilled ribs, stir it into minced beef, or pour it into your slow cooker with your favourite meat and spices. It adds taste without cluttering a dish with anything sweet, starchy, or artificial.

It also plays really well with snacks friendly to carnivores. Use it for heating meat snacks without drying them out, dip slices of rare steak in it, or stir into leftover meals for extra moisture and taste. Some even freeze it in blocks and pop them into recipes as needed. Once it becomes a standard part of your food prep, you won’t want to skip it again.

Make Your Next Broth Your Best Yet

Bone broth is simple in theory but brings great results when treated with care. It takes time, but so does most food worth eating. Whether you’re sipping it from a mug or using it to cook your favourite meats, that one pot can go a long way when made right.

Avoid the common missteps like choosing weak bones, skipping the roasting pan, or rushing your cook. Give it time, give it the right bones, and fold it into the way you prep meals. Your tastebuds will notice, and your body might thank you too.

And if you’re already brewing pots at home, try pairing your broth with snacks friendly to carnivores. You might be surprised how much more flavour a good match can bring to the table.

Enhance your bone broth experience by adding snacks friendly to carnivores into your routine. These pair perfectly with rich, homemade flavour and make it easy to enjoy broth-based meals any time of day. Browse the handpicked range at Carnivore Store and keep your meat-based meals satisfying and simple.