Chinese Herbal Bone Broth: A Slow Cooker Recipe for Recovery

Bone broth has been a staple of Chinese medicine kitchens for longer than anyone thought to write it down. Not because it is trendy. Because bones cooked low and slow release something that food, in general, doesn’t deliver easily: concentrated essence.

In Chinese medicine that essence has a name. Jing. It sits in the Kidney system and governs energy reserves, recovery speed, reproductive health, and how gracefully you age. You cannot manufacture Jing. You can only protect what you have and replenish it slowly through rest, sleep, and food that is dense enough to actually feed it. Bone broth is one of those foods.

This version adds a small handful of Chinese herbs available at any Asian grocer. Each one has a specific job. None of them are hard to find or expensive. Together with a slow cooker and eight hours of patience you don’t actually have to be present for, they turn leftover bones into something your body will notice.

Two ways to make it. Slow cooker (the default) or oven (for those without one).

Jump to recipe ↓

When This Broth Is the Right Fit

This is a deep-nourishing recipe. The pattern it suits best:

• You are recovering from illness, a big surgery, childbirth, or a long period of depletion. The body is asking to rebuild from the bottom up. Bone broth and herbs are precisely for this.
• You are chronically tired. Not tired from a bad week. Tired in the bones. The kind that doesn’t fully lift with rest. Low Kidney Qi or Jing.
• You are working too hard and not recovering well. Eating on the run, not sleeping enough, burning through reserves. This is the long-game recipe for that.
• You want a stock base that does more than add flavour. Use it as the liquid for congee, soups, or anything that calls for stock. You get medicine for free.

It is less suited if:

• You are running hot. Fever, inflammation, hot flushes, burning sensation, red face, thirst. This broth is warming and nourishing, not cooling. It can make heat patterns worse.
• You have a heavy, congested, damp presentation: thick phlegm, foggy head, heavy limbs, no appetite, bloating. Add aromatic herbs (ginger generously, dried tangerine peel) and reduce or skip the red dates temporarily.

If you are not sure what pattern you are in, the post on Spleen Qi Deficiency is a good starting point for understanding your energy pattern.

The Herbs: What They Do and Where to Get Them

These four herbs cover the core bases of Qi, Blood, and Essence nourishment. All are available dry at any Chinese or Asian grocery store, usually in the dried goods or tonic herb section. If your local grocery doesn’t carry them, any Chinese herbal shop will. You can also order them online from Australian TCM suppliers.

Huang Qi (Astragalus Root)

Long, flat, pale yellow slices with a slightly sweet, grassy flavour. One of the most widely used tonic herbs in Chinese medicine. Tonifies Qi, supports the Wei Qi (defensive energy, roughly analogous to immune function), and helps the body extract nourishment from food more efficiently. In broth it adds a gentle sweetness and depth.

Huang Qi is sold in most Asian grocery stores in the dried goods section, usually near the red dates and wolfberries. Ask for “huang qi” or “astragalus slices”. Avoid powdered forms for this recipe: the whole dried slices are what you want.

Hong Zao (Red Dates / Jujubes)

Wrinkled, dark red-brown dried fruit, sweet and soft when cooked. Tonifies Qi and Blood, calms the Shen (spirit), supports the Spleen, and has a harmonising quality that makes it compatible with almost every herb and most constitutions. It also adds a gentle natural sweetness to the broth that makes it more palatable to drink on its own.

Red dates (also called jujubes or Chinese red dates) are widely available at Asian grocery stores, health food stores, and increasingly in mainstream supermarkets. Get the dried whole variety, not the candied or fresh version.

Gou Qi Zi (Goji Berries / Wolfberries)

Bright red, chewy, mildly sweet dried berries. Nourishes Liver and Kidney Yin, supports Blood, and is particularly known for supporting the eyes and overall vitality. The broth turns slightly reddish-orange once they’ve cooked in. They become edible and can be eaten with the broth.

Goji berries are sold everywhere: supermarkets, health food stores, Asian grocers. For this recipe, the basic dried variety sold at the Asian grocer is identical to the premium packets at health food stores and costs a fraction of the price.

Dried Shiitake Mushrooms

These are not a TCM herb in the classical sense, but they belong here. They add significant Qi-nourishing depth, a rich umami base, and are clinically documented for immune-supportive properties. In Chinese medicine they are considered warming and nourishing to Qi. Soak them before adding and use the soaking water in the broth: it carries much of the flavour and nutrition.

Dried shiitake are available at any Asian grocer and most mainstream supermarkets.

Choose Your Variation

The base recipe above is a general Qi and Blood tonic suitable for most people. Once you have made it a few times, you can tune it to your specific TCM pattern by adding one of the four herb sets below. Each variation keeps the base herbs and adds or adjusts the extras.

Not sure which pattern you are in? The post on Spleen Qi Deficiency is a good starting point. Or book a consultation if you want to work it out properly.

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Variation 1: Dampness

For: bloating, heaviness, foggy head, sluggish digestion, thick phlegm, fluid retention, feeling heavy and tired after eating.

Bone broth can feel too rich for a damp constitution on its own. This variation adds herbs that drain and move while the broth nourishes, making it more digestible and less cloying.

• Add Yi Yi Ren (Job’s tears / coix seed), half a cup. The primary dampness-draining herb in food medicine. Mild flavour, widely available at Asian grocers in the grain section.
• Add Chen Pi (dried tangerine peel), one small piece. Moves Qi, transforms phlegm, stops the broth from sitting heavily in the stomach.
• Add Fu Ling (poria mushroom), a small handful of dried slices. Leaches dampness, calms Shen, very neutral flavour. Available at Chinese herbal shops.
• Reduce red dates to 3 or 4. They are too sweet and nourishing for heavy damp constitutions. A small amount is fine; a full serving can worsen dampness.
• Add extra ginger, use 8 to 10 slices. Ginger is warming and drying and helps counteract the moistening nature of the broth.

Where to source: Yi Yi Ren and Chen Pi at any Asian grocer. Fu Ling at a Chinese herbal shop.

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Variation 2: Blood Deficiency

For: pale complexion, dizziness on standing, poor sleep, anxiety or a tendency to worry, light or scanty periods, dry hair or skin, numbness or tingling in the extremities.

The richest and most nourishing version of this broth. Bone broth already builds Blood; this variation adds the herbs that specifically fill the Blood vessels, calm the Heart, and support the Liver.

• Add Dang Gui (Chinese angelica root), 3 to 5 slices. The classic Blood tonic in Chinese medicine, slightly sweet and aromatic with a distinctive medicinal smell that softens during the long cook. Deeply nourishing to Blood, regulates menstruation, supports Liver Blood.
• Add Long Yan Rou (longan fruit, dried), 8 to 10 pieces. Nourishes Heart Blood, calms Shen. Good for people who are anxious or have troubled sleep alongside their fatigue. Available at Asian grocers.
• Add Bai Shao (white peony root), 3 to 5 slices. Nourishes Blood, softens Liver, relieves cramping. Particularly useful for Blood deficiency with muscle tension or period pain.
• Keep all the base herbs, especially the red dates. Increase them to 10 to 12 if you like: red dates are one of the best food-grade Blood tonics available.

Where to source: Long Yan Rou at any Asian grocer. Dang Gui and Bai Shao at a Chinese herbal shop. Ask by their Chinese names.

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Variation 3: Kidney Yang Deficiency

For: feeling cold, especially in the lower back and knees; fatigue that is worse in cold weather; frequent clear urination; low libido; poor motivation or drive; slow recovery from illness.

The warmest and most fortifying version. Kidney Yang is the root of all warmth and drive in the body. When it is low, everything slows down. This variation adds herbs that stoke the Ming Men fire (the gate of vitality) while the broth nourishes the Kidney Jing that Yang depends on.

• Add Du Zhong (eucommia bark), 6 to 8 strips. Tonifies Kidney Yang, strengthens sinews and bones, specifically addresses lower back and knee weakness. One of the best-known herbs for bone and joint support.
• Add Rou Gui (cinnamon bark), one small piece, about 5 cm. Not cinnamon powder: the dried bark piece. Warms the Ming Men, circulates Yang Qi to the extremities. Use a small amount: too much and the broth becomes overpoweringly spicy.
• Add black beans, a small handful, rinsed. Not a TCM herb in the classical sense, but black-coloured foods have a traditional affinity with the Kidney system. They add body to the broth and a mild, earthy depth.
• Use extra ginger generously, Kidney Yang deficiency and cold patterns both respond well to warming aromatics.

Where to source: Black beans and cinnamon bark at the supermarket. Du Zhong at a Chinese herbal shop.

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Variation 4: Kidney Yin Deficiency

For: feeling warm in the afternoon or evening, night sweats, dry mouth or throat at night, restless sleep, low back ache that feels deep and achy rather than cold, tinnitus, feeling wired but tired, dryness (skin, eyes, hair).

The opposite of Variation 3. Where Yang deficiency is cold and slow, Yin deficiency is warm and restless. The body is overheating because it has run out of the cooling, moistening substance that keeps Yang in check. This broth is gentler, cooler, and more moistening than the base recipe.

• Add Shu Di Huang (prepared rehmannia), 3 to 5 slices. The primary Kidney Yin tonic in Chinese medicine. Sweet, dark, deeply nourishing to Yin, Blood, and Essence. Gives the broth a deep, slightly sweet flavour.
• Add Bai He (lily bulb, dried), a small handful. Nourishes Lung and Heart Yin, calms Shen, particularly useful when there is restlessness, anxiety, or a dry cough alongside the fatigue.
• Keep the goji berries (already in the base). They nourish Liver and Kidney Yin directly.
• Reduce or remove the ginger. Ginger is warming and drying. Yin deficiency patterns already run warm and dry: adding more heat makes it worse. One or two slices is enough for flavour.
• Remove cinnamon and any warming spices. The same reason: warming herbs aggravate Yin deficiency.

Where to source: Bai He (dried lily bulb) at most Asian grocers in the dried goods section. Shu Di Huang at a Chinese herbal shop.

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How to Make It

Servings: Approximately 1.5 to 2 litres of broth

Prep: 20 minutes (including blanching the bones)

Cook: 10 to 12 hours on low (slow cooker) or 3 to 4 hours (oven)

Tools: Slow cooker or large lidded oven-safe pot or Dutch oven

Ingredients

Bones:

• 1 to 1.5 kg chicken carcasses, backs, or wings (or beef marrow bones, or a mix)
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar (draws minerals from the bones)

Aromatics:

• 5 cm fresh ginger, sliced (no need to peel)
• 4 to 5 garlic cloves, smashed (optional)
• 2 spring onions, roughly chopped

Herbs:

• 6 to 8 slices Huang Qi (astragalus root)
• 6 to 8 Hong Zao (red dates), pitted or whole
• 2 tablespoons Gou Qi Zi (goji berries)
• 4 to 6 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked 20 minutes, soaking water reserved

Liquid:

• Cold water to cover (approximately 2 to 2.5 litres)
• The shiitake soaking water (add to the pot)

To finish:

• Salt to taste (add after straining, not during the cook)

Optional herbs (add any or all):

• 1 stick Dang Shen (codonopsis), about 10 cm
• 6 to 8 Long Yan Rou (longan fruit)
• 1 small piece Chen Pi (dried tangerine peel)

Step 0: Blanch the Bones (Don’t Skip)

This is the step that separates a clear, clean broth from a grey cloudy one. Put the bones in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. You will see grey foam and impurities rise to the surface. Drain, rinse the bones under cold water, and rinse the pot. This takes 10 minutes and makes a significant difference to the final broth.

Method 1: Slow Cooker (Recommended)

1. Load the slow cooker. Add the blanched, rinsed bones. Add the ginger, garlic (if using), spring onion, all the herbs, and the soaked shiitake mushrooms plus their soaking water.

2. Cover with cold water. Fill to about 2 cm below the rim. Add the vinegar.

3. Cook on LOW for 10 to 12 hours. Overnight works well. If you have a keep-warm function it will hold safely after the cook is done.

4. Strain. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl or pot. Discard the bones and spent herbs (the goji berries and longan, if used, can be eaten).

5. Season after straining. Salt to taste. Do not salt during the cook: it concentrates and can become too salty as the liquid reduces.

6. Cool and store. Let the broth cool, then refrigerate. Fat will solidify on top overnight: skim it off or stir it back in depending on your preference.

Method 2: Oven (If You Don’t Have a Slow Cooker)

1. Preheat the oven to 120 degrees Celsius (fan-forced) or 140 degrees conventional.

2. Load a large Dutch oven or oven-safe stockpot. Same ingredients as above.

3. Bring to a simmer on the stovetop first, then transfer to the oven with the lid on.

4. Cook for 3 to 4 hours. Check at 3 hours: the broth should be golden, fragrant, and slightly reduced. If using chicken bones, 3 hours is usually enough. Beef bones benefit from a full 4 hours.

5. Strain, season, store as above.

The oven method produces a slightly richer, more gelatinous broth because the heat is more even than a slow cooker. It is less hands-off (you need to preheat and monitor the liquid level) but the result is excellent.

How to Use It

Drink it straight as a warm tonic: a mug in the morning or last thing at night. Season with a pinch of salt and a few drops of sesame oil if you like.

Use it as the liquid for congee (see the leftover roast chicken congee recipe for how). The combination of herbal broth and soaked jasmine rice is about as close to a complete Spleen and Kidney tonic as food gets.

Use it as a base for soups, noodles, or anywhere stock is called for. The medicine travels with the broth.

Make It Easier and Faster

No time to blanch the bones? Skip it. The broth will be slightly cloudier but completely safe and still nutritious. Skim the foam during the first hour of cooking instead.

No fresh ginger? A teaspoon of ground ginger works. Less nuanced but the job gets done.

Can’t find all four herbs? Use what you can get. Astragalus and red dates are the most important. Goji berries and shiitake are the easiest to find anywhere. You don’t need all four.

Make it in an Instant Pot: Pressure cook on high for 3 hours with natural release. The broth will be rich and well-extracted. The herbs don’t need as long under pressure. This is the fastest method.

Make a large batch and freeze: Double or triple the recipe. Freeze in 500 ml portions in zip-lock bags or containers. Stack flat in the freezer. Pull out and defrost overnight in the fridge or in a pot on the stove when you need it. This is the real sick-day insurance: you freeze it when you are well and have it ready when you are not.

Storage and Reheating

• Fridge: 5 days in a sealed container.
• Freezer: 3 months. Freeze in portions before adding salt (easier to adjust when reheating).
• Reheat: Gently on the stove or in the microwave. Do not boil vigorously: a gentle warm is enough.
• The fat layer: Refrigerated broth develops a solidified fat layer on top. This is natural. Skim it off for a cleaner broth or stir it back in for a richer one. Personal preference.

How Often to Have It

As a tonic drink: one cup a day is a reasonable starting point. More during recovery from illness or a depleted period.

As a cooking base: use it freely.

This is food, not a prescription. There is no upper limit for a constitution that runs cool, tired, or dry. For hot or damp constitutions, moderate and add Chen Pi (dried tangerine peel) to make it more digestible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use beef bones instead of chicken?

Yes, and beef marrow bones make an even richer, more gelatinous broth. The TCM character is similar: warming, nourishing, Kidney-supportive. Beef bones benefit from roasting first (30 minutes at 200 degrees in the oven) for deeper colour and flavour. Increase the slow cooker time to 12 to 18 hours for beef.

Do I need to use all four herbs?

No. Astragalus and red dates are the most important. Goji berries are an easy addition available everywhere. Shiitake adds flavour and depth. If you can only find one or two, use them. The broth is still nourishing without the full set.

Is this safe during pregnancy?

The herbs in this recipe, at these quantities, are generally considered safe for pregnancy. Red dates, goji, and shiitake are food-grade. Astragalus (Huang Qi) is commonly used in Chinese medicine during pregnancy for Qi support. That said, every pregnancy is different. Check with your practitioner before adding herbal quantities beyond food amounts, especially in the first trimester.

Can I give this to children?

Yes. The broth itself is nutritious and gentle. Reduce or omit astragalus for children under 5 (not harmful, just unnecessary at food-quantity doses). Red dates, goji, and shiitake are suitable for all ages.

The broth didn’t gel. Did I do something wrong?

A gelled broth (like jelly when cold) means high collagen extraction. Chicken feet and joints produce the most gel. Carcasses and backs produce less. If your broth doesn’t gel, it is still nutritious: it simply has less collagen. Adding a chicken foot or two (available at most Asian butchers) is the easiest fix for a thicker, more gelatinous result.

When to Get Some Help

Bone broth is food. It is not a substitute for medical care.

If your fatigue is severe, has lasted more than a few weeks, or comes with other symptoms (weight loss, night sweats, unexplained pain, changes in appetite or digestion), see your GP first. There are medical causes of depletion that need investigation before you start a recovery programme.

If your fatigue is ongoing and you have ruled out medical causes, a consultation will help work out what pattern is driving it and what food and lifestyle changes will actually move the needle for your specific situation. Book a time here if you would like some direction.

And if you want to understand the deeper framework behind this style of eating, including why Jing matters and what other foods protect it, that is exactly what the book is about. Before the Needles is the long version of everything on this blog. Sign up for early access and you will get a free chapter when it is ready.