Remember when we as a society lost our collective marbles for bone broth? The fad felt like it lasted for approximately six months in 2014. “Doctors” started recommending the stuff, and then bone broth showed up everywhere. Everyone who was anyone was sipping it. Myself? I was ahead of the curve. I’ve been a fan of bone broth since way before it was cool, and I still am. When I’m not adding it to home cooked meals as a magic flavor enhancer, I’m sipping it straight up.
So, allow me to flex a bit here: I feel like I know good broth. I used to make it when I worked in restaurants, and I still regularly make it at home. So what did I look for in this taste test? To me, the meat flavor has to be deep, rich, and flavorful. Good broth tastes almost luscious. And when a bone broth is cold, it should be gelatinous. Gelatin means collagen, and collagen equals protein. Bone broth can also have seasoning, but it’s not a prerequisite. We didn’t grade these on the same scale as soup. Extra notes of lemon, turmeric, and ginger can help enhance that flavor and drinkability. But first and foremost, bone broth should be like Arby’s and have the meats.
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- Epic Bone Broth Tuscan Chicken
This jar of broth is made with 100% free range chicken and carries 12 grams of protein per serving. This meaty, collagenous broth is deliciously savory, with some herbs added in that really make it sing. The spices include thyme, basil, rosemary, marjoram, fennel, and oregano, blending together to provide a lovely, aromatic flavor. This is everything a bone broth needs to be: It’s meaty and so flavorful that you can eat it on its own like soup. It’s great if you’re sick, or just trying to be a little healthy. Big points for flavor here.
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- Imagine Bone Broth Chicken, Beef, and Turkey
This one stuck with me. I didn’t even have to look at my notes to remember what it tasted like. The trifecta of chicken, beef, and turkey work together to provide an excellent savoriness. The turkey really shines brightest, though. Turkey is higher in fat and richer in protein than chicken, so this tastes extra fatty like dark meat, with warm and nostalgic Thanksgiving notes. It contains three different types of animal product, making it the meatiest of the broths we tried. Teamwork makes the dream work.
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- Osso Good Organic Chicken Sippable Bone Broth
This broth comes frozen, and it’s highly rated by others—for good reason. Osso Good’s bone broth has a deep chicken flavor and is super gelatinous, so you know they used a lot of bones and good collagen. Each serving has 24 grams of protein (compared to Epic’s 12). It’s got a bit more broth than Epic, but that still works out to a lot more protein per serving. Drink this straight, or add some vegetables and aromatics to it to make an excellent chicken noodle soup. Also, you can do what I do: Add it to pasta, vegetables, rice, etc. to enhance the flavor of your meals. I love cooking with chicken broth, and this would be my first choice on this list for cooking. It’s as gelatinous as the stuff I make at home.
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- Swanson Bone Broth Chicken Ginger and Turmeric
This one is interesting, because I think it’s more of a regular broth than a bone broth. It’s a bit on the lighter side of the bone broth spectrum, meaning that rich, umami flavor is lacking. That said, Swanson does a lot right with this—mainly, it’s refreshing as hell. The ginger and turmeric really add a lot, and it comes in a portable cup, like a sippable little coffee mug. It’s convenient, light, and carries just enough protein (nine grams). If I were sick, this would hit the spot.
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- Fond Tomato Thyme and Garlic Beef Bone Broth
The meat flavor here is intense, and the tomato helps magnify the singular beef flavor. Flavor wise, Fond’s broth is a little basic (the garlic and thyme don’t come through very strongly), but Fond does two things really well: beef and salt. On top of that, you don’t need much else. Personally, I prefer chicken broth to beef broth, but if you love that beefy taste, you’ll enjoy this.
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- Kettle & Fire Lemongrass Ginger Beef Bone Broth
The lemongrass and ginger complement the savory beef flavor of this broth in a lovely way. It’s quite citrusy but balanced enough that you can cook with it or drink it straight. Obviously, this would work well with a pho, but really, you could add any type of noodle and it’s going to be great. This would make a fortified and invigorating chicken noodle soup, if you feel so inclined. Managing editor Gwynedd Stuart tasted some anise, and my palate picked up on some Thai basil flavor, too. This broth is complex, bright, and packed with 20 grams of protein. It’s sixth on the list, but don’t sleep on it.
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- Epic Jalapeño Beef Bone Broth
This one may be last, but I still gladly took it home and drank it out of my yellow polka-dotted soup mug. It smells deliciously like beef and the flavor is on point, too. It’s rich and meaty just like a homemade broth should be. Epic just makes good broth, yo. Plus, the jalapeño flavor is subtle and adds a nice extra layer of flavor. It’s also got some thyme, garlic, carrots, and celery. And, get this, there are mushrooms listed in the ingredients. They really went for an umami-forward broth here, and I love it.
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Walmart
Best of the Best
Best Mixed Broth
Best Protein
Best for When You’re Sick
Best Beef
Best Citrusy
Best Flavored Beef
Other products we tried: Bonafide Provisions Chicken Bone Broth, Pacific Foods Chicken, Kettle & Fire Chicken Bone Broth, Kettle & Fire Chicken and Mushroom Bone Broth, Kitchen Basics Chicken Bone Broth, Roli Roti Butcher’s Beef Bone Broth, Bonafide Provisions Beef Bone Broth, Bonafide Provisions Chicken and Mushroom Bone Broth, Fond Lemon Chicken Bone Broth, Brodo Chicken Broth with Chicken and Turmeric, Bare Bones Chicken Broth, Bare Bones Beef Broth, Trader Joe’s Chicken Bone Broth, Trader Joe’s Beef Bone Broth.
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I live in Michigan, and around here we have a restaurant chain called Zoup! They have a rotating menu of soups that change every day, it’s really good. At a lot of grocery stores around here you can get their broth in jars or concentrated bone broth. I think it is by far the best bone broth I’ve had. I’m guessing you guys don’t have access to Zoup!’s broth out there in California though? Hope they make their way out their one day, but for anyone who does live near a Zoup! make sure to keep an eye out at your local grocery store for it!