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Last updated on June 19th, 2025

Learn how to make easy homemade beef broth using meat off-cuts. This budget-friendly recipe is perfect for soups, stews, gravies, and more. Rich, flavorful, and simple to prepare—store it in your freezer for quick, delicious meals anytime.

You don’t need heaps of meaty bones or meat to make a rich, flavorful homemade beef broth—I found this out by accident! For years, I assumed you needed loads of bones to get that deep, savory taste. Turns out, you don’t! With just a few meaty off-cuts, you can whip up a delicious homemade beef broth that’s perfect for soups, stews and the best gravy you’ve ever tasted!

Why Make Your Own Homemade Beef Broth?

So glad you asked! Well, firstly, making your own beef broth is incredibly satisfying, and secondly, it’s miles ahead of any store-bought version. The flavor is just next-level goodness! I don’t think I’ll ever buy beef broth again if I can help it.

When you make beef broth from scratch, you also control the ingredients—no preservatives, no artificial flavorings, just pure, rich flavor. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to use up meat off-cuts or leftover bones that would otherwise go to waste. It’s frugal, sustainable, and using what would have been thrown out feels SO darn good!

Homemade beef broth is also budget-friendly and can be stored in your freezer for months, ready to be used in any soup, stew, or gravy with that deep, authentic taste. Once you try it, I’m pretty sure you’ll never go back to the boxed stuff again too. And, once you know how to make a beef broth, the process is pretty much the same for a chicken or veg broth, as well.

What is the difference between beef broth and beef stock?

So they are both meat-flavored liquids but there are some key differences. The main difference is that beef stock is made using mostly bones and is simmered for longer and broth is made using mostly meat and simmers for a shorter time.

A stock contains more gelatine (released from the bones) and gels when cooled. It also has a deeper, richer beef flavour and is mainly used to add flavour and richness to dishes such as stews and soups and is used as a base to make beef gravy.

Broths on the other hand typically have a lighter beef flavour as they are cooked for a shorter time. For this reason, they can be enjoyed on their own (kind of like a soup) but can also be used as a flavor enhancer in dishes such as stews, rice dishes and even gravies.

Personally, I use both as a base for stews, soups, and gravies. I will make a stock when I have lots of leftover bones and a broth when I have lots of meaty off-cuts.

Quick Guide to Making Homemade Beef Broth:

Brown the off-cuts – including meat, fat, and bones.
Add water and flavor enhancers – like celery, onion, herbs, and spices.
Simmer on low – for about an hour or until liquid is reduced by half.
Strain and store – divide into containers and freeze for later use.

The secrets to making a good homemade beef broth are:

Brown the meat beautifully – This step builds depth of flavor so always brown the meat!
De-glaze the pan – Use water or red wine to scrape up all those tasty browned bits from the bottom of the pan and incorporate i into your broth.
Simmer the broth on low until the liquid has reduced by half, concentrating the flavor.

How to Store Homemade Beef Broth

I like to store my beef broth in 250ml (1 cup) containers—this size is perfect since most recipes call for one or two cups at a time.
Be sure to label the containers as “Beef Broth” and include the date. That way, you’ll always know what it is, and you can easily use the oldest batch first. This is especially handy if you make broth often like I do.

What can I use Homemade Beef Broth for? Everything!

Base for stews, soups, and casseroles – The broth adds deep, rich flavor that you can’t get from store-bought versions.
Risottos and sauces – For that extra burst of savory richness.
Cook grains with it – Try rice, quinoa, or barley in beef broth instead of water for a flavor boost.
Homemade beef gravy – Just a cup or two of your broth makes it taste like it simmered all day long.

What else can I add to make my beef broth to make it taste even better?

¼ cup of red wine – always adds an extra depth of flavor!
A ripe tomato or handful of cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped – also adds a lovely richness to a broth.
Smear the meat with a tablespoon or two of tomato paste before frying!

Pro Tip:

For an even richer flavor, let the broth cool and refrigerate overnight. The next day, you can skim off any fat that solidifies on the surface for a cleaner, smoother broth.

Use the Recipe as a Guide

This is a rough guide for making a homemade beef broth and is definitely not something you need to follow very strictly. If you don’t have coriander seeds, you can leave them out. If you don’t have celery but have a whole bunch of leeks or spring onions, use those instead. If you don’t have Worcestershire sauce, use Soy sauce. I encourage you to play around and experiment with different herbs and spices.

How to Make Easy Homemade Beef Broth with Meat Off-Cuts

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Author: Louise – Just Easy Recipes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1-2 hours
Total Time: 0 hours

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Description

Ingredients

1–2 cups beef off-cuts (or more, if you have it)
1–2 tablespoons oil (olive oil or vegetable oil)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon salt (adjust to taste)
1 cup chopped celery
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 ripe tomato, chopped in half
2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
2 litres water (if you have 2 cups of meat and 1 liter if you have 1 cup of meat)

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Instructions

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef off-cuts (including any meaty bones if you have them) and fry until well-browned. Do this in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding, as too much meat at once will steam instead of sear.
Once you have browned all the meat, de-glaze the pan with a splash of water or red wine to get all the tasty bits from the bottom of the pan into the liquid.
Add all the other ingredients and simmer on low until the liquid has reduced by half. This could take 1-2 hours.
Taste the broth and add more salt if necessary.
Strain the broth using a colander and divide the broth into small plastic containers. I use 250ml (1 cup) sized containers as recipes typically ask for broth in 1-cup measures.
Label the containers “Beef Broth” and place in the freezer until needed.

Notes

Alternative Methods: Slow Cooker & Roasting

Slow Cooker:
If you prefer a more hands-off approach, you can also use a slow cooker to make your beef broth. Simply add your browned meat or bones, vegetables, herbs, and water to the slow cooker, and set it on low for 8 to 10 hours (you can even do this for 24 hours!). The long, slow simmering time extracts maximum flavor without you having to watch over the stove. Sometimes I do this and it works great!!

Roasting:
If you have a lot of leftover bones, you can roast them in the oven instead of frying. Spread the bones out on a baking tray and roast at 220°C (425°F) for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. This caramelizes the bones, bringing out even deeper flavors. After roasting, just transfer them straight into your pot or slow cooker with your herbs, spices and water.