Instant pot Whole Chicken

Name: Instant pot Whole Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 cup chicken broth; 1 large onion (chopped); 3 tsp kosher salt; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp cayenne pepper; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper; 1 large (5 lb whole chicken)

This Instant Pot Whole Chicken is reminiscent of the flavorful rotisserie chicken from your favorite deli. It’s extra tender, juicy, and packed with flavor.

Published February 11, 2022
7 ratings
16 comments
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Instant Pot Whole Chicken

You know how whole chickens often go on sale for unbelievably great prices? Go ahead and grab a couple of them. Once you try this Instant Pot Whole Chicken recipe, you’ll want to have a whole chicken in your freezer at all times. Your homemade whole chicken will be so much better than rotisserie chickens from the grocery store deli.

What You’ll Love About this recipe

It’s extremely budget-friendly
It feeds a large family or allows for delicious leftovers
You only need a handful of simple ingredients
You’ll be rewarded with a delicious au jus sauce to pour over the entire plate afterwards
It’s way faster than oven baking a whole chicken

whole chicken seasonings — smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, onion powder

instant pot whole chicken onions and broth — smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, onion powder

How to make instant pot whole chicken

Prep Ahead: if you’re a lover of time-saving strategies, make the easy spice mix in advance. I make a few small batches of the seasoning mix to keep in airtight baggies or containers for future dinners.
Always dry the chicken well with paper towels – excess water/moisture should always be minimized.
Lay your seasoned chicken over the Instant Pot roasting rack, as this ensures even cooking and prevents a mushy underside.

instant pot whole chicken on a marble cutting board — Tender, Juicy, Flavorful Instant Pot Whole Chicken – let it sit for 5 minutes prior to cutting.

Instant Pot Whole Chicken Commonly Asked Questions

How long does it take to cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot?

3-pound bird: high pressure for 15 minutes,.
4-pound bird, high pressure for 25 minutes.
5-pound bird, high pressure for 25 minutes.
Always do a 10-minute natural release, followed by manual release.

How do you get flavors to soak into the chicken itself?

Season the chicken underneath the skin – wear disposable gloves if you need to, but do use your fingers to gently pry skin from thicken all around so seasoning is in direct contact with chicken itself.

Can I cook a frozen chicken directly in the Instant Pot?

You can cook from frozen, but you won’t be able to get the seasonings underneath the skin. Know that with seasonings sitting on top of skin, the chicken itself won’t be as flavorful. If you choose to use frozen chicken, a 4-pound bird takes about 60 minutes.

More to cook and eat

Instant Pot Chicken Curry – it’s got all the curry goodness, in a fraction of the time
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes (5 Ingredients) – a perfect side dish with any meal
Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings – favorite comfort dish of family and friends
Easy Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken – super easy and tasty for busy weeknights
Slow Cooker Roast Chicken – slow cooker version rotisserie style whole chicken

Instant pot Whole Chicken

4.86 from 7 ratings

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his Instant Pot Whole Chicken is reminiscent of the flavorful rotisserie chicken from your favorite deli. It’s extra tender, juicy, and packed with flavor.

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Servings:

Ingredients

1 cup chicken broth
1 large onion, chopped
3 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 ½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 large, 5 lb whole chicken

Instructions

Onions and Broth: Add chopped onion and chicken broth in bottom of the Instant Pot.
Prepare Spice Mix: In a small bowl, add kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, and black pepper.
Prepare Chicken: Remove giblets from chicken and use paper towels to dry it well, inside and out. Using clean fingers (you can wear disposable gloves, if desired) gently pry skin away from chicken all around, so you’ll be able to season chicken underneath the skin.
Season Chicken: Evenly press two-thirds of your prepared spice mixture directly onto the chicken, underneath the skin. Include all areas such as legs, back, thighs, etc. Press remaining spice mixture on top of the skin all around.
Cook: Place seasoned chicken on top of roasting rack/trivet in the Instant Pot. Secure lid tightly and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes. Do a Natural Release for 10 minutes, immediately followed by Manual Release until all steam is let out.
Rest and Serve: Let whole chicken rest on cutting board at room temperature for 5-10 minute in order to retain the juices within. Slice and serve with juices still in bottom of Instant Pot.

Notes

An 8-quart Instant Pot easily accommodates a 5 pound chicken; a 6-quart Instant Pot would be a tighter, but may work.

See original article for cook times if your chicken is smaller. The key is not to overcook; you want internal temperature of 165F after resting on cutting board for the dark meat portions and 160F for white meat portions.

If desired, place chicken under the broiler in your oven for 3-5 minutes for crisp/browned skin.

For thicker gravy-like sauce from the natural juices: skim the fat and adjust sauce/juices to taste (add more salt or water, depending on how salty it is.) Fully dissolve 1 TB cornstarch with 1 1/2 TB cool water in a small bowl. Add this to the sauce in Instant Pot and turn to Sauté mode; stir until a gravy-like consistency forms. Remove from heat immediately and serve.

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