Making Beef Broth at Home Using Bouillon Cubes: A Step-by-Step Guide

A rich, savory beef broth is a kitchen staple used to make soups, stews, gravies, and sauces. While you can buy beef broth at the grocery store, making your own allows you to control the ingredients and get the best flavor. An easy shortcut for homemade beef broth is using bouillon cubes.

Bouillon cubes are concentrated cubes of dehydrated broth that you simply dissolve in hot water to get an instant flavorful liquid Follow this simple guide to learn how to make delicious beef broth with bouillon cubes right in your own kitchen.

Benefits of Homemade Beef Broth from Bouillon

There are many good reasons to make your own beef broth rather than buying it pre-made:

Cost savings – Broth made from bouillon cubes is much cheaper than store-bought.
Customization – You control the strength and flavor by adjusting the amount of cubes.
Richer taste – Homemade broth is more full-bodied than commercial broths.
Versatility – Use your broth for cooking gravies soups, braising meats, and more.
Ingredients – You can avoid unwanted additives and preservatives often found in store-brought broths.
Long shelf life – Bouillon cubes last over a year in the pantry until you need them.

Tips for Choosing Bouillon Cubes

With so many options on the grocery shelves, how do you pick the right bouillon cubes for making beef broth? Here are a few tips:

Select cubes with short ingredients lists and no artificial additives.
Look for low-sodium or reduced sodium on the label if limiting salt intake.
Opt for non-GMO and gluten-free certified bouillon if you have dietary restrictions.
Choose organic bouillon cubes when possible for a high-quality option.
Beef or beef consommé flavors are ideal for beef broth. Avoid chicken and vegetable cubes.
Buy cubes in bulk or multi-packs for cost savings and convenience.
Stick to reputable brand names like Better Than Bouillon, Massel, and Edward & Sons.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Beef Broth

Once you’ve selected the bouillon cubes, making beef broth takes just a few easy steps:

Ingredients

4 cups water
3-4 beef bouillon cubes
Seasonings of your choice (optional)

Directions

In a medium pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil over high heat. The amount of water determines the broth strength.
Once rapidly boiling, add 3-4 beef bouillon cubes and stir constantly until fully dissolved, about 1-2 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and let the broth simmer for 10 minutes to develop flavor.
Taste and add more cubes if a stronger beef taste is desired. Simmer 5 minutes more after adding.
Optional: Add herbs, pepper, Worcestershire, or other seasonings for extra flavor.
Use the finished broth immediately or let cool completely before refrigerating or freezing.

And that’s all it takes to make a robust and flavorful beef broth using bouillon cubes!

Troubleshooting Tips

If your homemade beef broth doesn’t turn out quite right, here are some troubleshooting tips:

Broth too weak? Simmer longer and add more cubes.
Broth too salty? Dilute with more water.
Off flavors? Don’t over-simmer, 10 minutes max.
Greasy surface? Skim fat before use.
Cloudy broth? Strain through sieve before using.

Customizing Your Beef Bouillon Broth

While the basic broth is tasty on its own, you can also customize it to suit your cooking needs:

Sauté aromatic veggies like onions, carrots, celery, and garlic before adding cubes.
Toast the dry bouillon cubes in a skillet first to intensify their flavor before adding to water.
Simmer cubes with fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, parsley or bay leaves.
Add a splash of red wine, sherry, or balsamic vinegar for extra depth.
For a clear consommé-style broth, blend cubes with tomatoes and simmer gently.
For more body, roast beef bones before making broth with the cubes.

Storing and Using Your Beef Broth

Properly stored, homemade beef broth made with bouillon cubes will stay fresh for 4-5 days in the fridge or several months in the freezer. Here are some delicious ways to use your broth:

Braise chunks of beef chuck roast and vegetables in broth for stew.
Add broth to rice along with sautéed veggies for a quick pilaf.
Make a risotto with mushrooms or butternut squash using broth for the cooking liquid.
Use as the poaching liquid for chicken breasts, fish fillets, or shrimp.
Thicken with cornstarch or flour to use as gravy over mashed potatoes or meats.
Add cream and broth to pan drippings for an easy, rich beef gravy.
Use as the base for any soup recipe like minestrone, vegetable, tomato, or noodle soup.

Making your own beef broth at home using bouillon cubes is easy, economical, and lets you create a customized broth. Follow the simple directions for boiling cubes in water with any added seasonings. Use the flavorful result in all kinds of delicious recipes. With this broth on hand, you’ll always be ready to prepare quick soups, gravies, braises, and more!

how do i make beef broth with bouillon cubes

Bouillon for Broth

You can make broth with bouillon cubes or granules if you don’t have any other kind on hand. Mix 1 cube or 1 teaspoon of granules with 1 cup of boiling water until the bouillon dissolves. This will make the same amount of broth as 1 cup. Scale the recipe up to make as much as you need using these ratios.

Remember that bouillon is usually saltier than broth, so you may want to leave out or reduce the amount of salt that the recipe calls for. Also, don’t just sprinkle the bouillon granules into the recipe—the water is what turns the bouillon into broth.

One Broth for Another

Some broths are more interchangeable than others. Chicken broth doesn’t mix as well with beef or vegetable broth as vegetable broth does with chicken broth or beef broth. You can use beef broth instead of chicken broth if you need to in a hurry and the recipe calls for it. The dish will still turn out fine. The dish will have slight changes in color or taste when it’s done, but it will still taste great and be ready on time for dinner.

How to make Stock/Broth from Bouillon cube l Tip#1

FAQ

What is the ratio of beef bouillon cubes to water?

Add 1-2 (or more) cube to hot water to make a quick beef stock. Add a cube to the water when you’re making rice for a flavorful beef broth rice. Use 1-2 cubes in sauces that you want to have a deeper flavor.

Can I use beef bouillon cubes instead of broth?

Are those ingredients interchangeable? Yes, they are. Sometimes speedy recipes will call for broth or granules since they’re quicker than bouillon cubes. However, one bouillon cube or 1 teaspoon of granules dissolved in 1 cup of boiling water may be substituted for 1 cup of broth in any recipe.

Is beef bouillon the same as beef broth?

The terms bouillon and broth are often used interchangeably. Both refer to the translucent, flavorful liquid that is made by simmering beef, chicken, vegetables, and other ingredients. Colloquially, bouillon is often meant to describe the resulting broth from cubed and powdered forms of bouillon.