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This Instant Pot Whole Chicken is the fastest and easiest way you can cook a whole rotisserie style chicken at home. Super easy to make and you can even turn the juices into gravy!
The Instant Pot can be a lifesaver for busy families wanting home cooked meals. It is the perfect way to get a flavorful and hassle-free whole chicken, prepared in minutes. This Instant Pot whole chicken recipe will give you a tasty, moist, and perfectly cooked chicken with minimal effort. By pressure cooking the chicken, you’ll save both time and energy while retaining all the delicious flavors and juices. The recipe requires only a handful of ingredients, making it an affordable option for a weeknight dinner or a weekend family feast. Whether you’re an experienced Instant Pot user or a newbie, this recipe is a a must try, that is going to make it onto your regular rotation.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Recipe
- Easy – The only thing that you really have to do for this recipe is prep the chicken. You will need to take out the insides (if they are included in your whole chicken) and then season it. The Instant Pot does all of the rest!
- Fast – The average chicken will cook in just over 20 minutes! There will be time for it to come up to pressure and release, but all-in, it is under an hour and you have a whole chicken cooked to perfection.
- Versatile – This is a great base recipe that you can get creative with the seasonings and make your own. Use whatever herbs you like, skip the butter and drizzle with a little oil. Lots of options to make what you enjoy.
What You’ll Need
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Whole Chicken
- Lemon
- Garlic Cloves
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Butter
- Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Dried Parsley
- Salt and Pepper
Want to Make Gravy?
You will need just a little butter and flour as well to help thicken your gravy and give it a smooth and luxurious texture.
How To Make Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Season Chicken. Mix together the butter, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and dried parsley until everything is well blended. After you have removed the giblets (if they are in your chicken, they aren’t always included, depending on the brand), take about half of the butter mixture and work it under the skin, so it is pressed directly onto the meat. Take the remaining butter and spread it over the top of the skin of the chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over the top of the entire chicken.
- Stuff Chicken. Fill the center cavity with your lemon, garlic cloves, rosemary and thyme.
- Cook. Fill the base of the Instant Pot with chicken broth. Place the whole chicken on the trivet and gently lower into the Instant Pot. Cover, lock the lid in place, and set the timer for 24 minutes. After the timer goes off, let it naturally release for 15 minutes before quick releasing to finish.
- Brown. The chicken is perfectly fine to eat at this point, but if you would like to get a crispy skin, place the chicken on a baking sheet and place under the broiler for about 5 minutes, until the skin is nicely golden brown.
How To Make Gravy
One of the best things about this recipe is you can use the liquid in the base of your Instant Pot to make gravy!! I love this Easy Homemade Gravy Recipe for when I don’t have pan drippings, but since we have them, this is what you will do.
- Pour all of the liquid in the base into a separate bowl. You can skim away any excess fat or grease that is on the top.
- Set your Instant Pot to saute, add in the butter and let it melt. Once it has melted whisk in the flour until it forms a paste and is no longer white.
- Pour the juices back into the Instant Pot and stir until the mixture has thickened, You can add additional seasonings if necessary, but the chicken was well seasoned, so it shouldn’t be necessary.
Whole Instant Pot Chicken Cooking Times
The time you need to cook is going to vary based on the size of your chicken. Most chickens you buy are about 4 pounds, which will take 24 minutes. But if your chicken is different, here are suggestions for how to figure out how long to cook it. A general rule is 6 minutes per pound, with a 15 minute natural release.
- 3 lbs – Cook 18 minutes, 15 minutes natural release
- 3 1/2 lbs = Cook 21 minutes, 15 minutes natural release
- 4 lb = Cook 24 minutes, 15 minutes natural release
- 4 1/2 lb = Cook 27 minutes, 15 minutes natural release
- 5 lb = Cook 30 minutes, 15 minutes natural release
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- See the cooking chart above for your correct cooking time. It is important that you cook for the right amount of time, no one wants dry over done or raw chicken.
- Mix up the spices! Rosemary and Thyme are my favorite herbs, so that is what I used in the center of the chicken, but you can use anything you have an enjoy. Tarragon, Basil, Oregano etc. The herbs on the chicken can be whatever you want as well. Use Lemon Pepper seasoning if you like, go for a Dry Rub that is more barbecue flavor. Lots of possibilities.
- If you like crispy skin, make sure to put the chicken under the broiler. Just keep an eye on it, you really don’t want it to burn.
What Goes With A Whole Chicken
The best thing about this recipe is you can serve the whole chicken as a meal for dinner, or you can carve the chicken and use the meat for a million different recipes. If you are serving it as a meal, anything goes. But here are a few of my favorites to make a delicious feast
What To Do With Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Rotisserie chicken is a very versatile and great protein to have in your fridge or freezer for quick meals. You can add it to soups or pasta and they are ready in minutes.
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Avocado Chicken Salad
- Sour Cream Enchiladas
- BBQ Chicken Wrap
- Chinese Chicken Salad
- Curry Chicken Salad
Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 4 pound whole chicken
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 whole lemon, cut in half
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
Gravy
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Mix together the butter, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and dried parsley until everything is well blended. Set aside.
- Remove giblets if they are in your chicken. Using a paper towel, pat the chicken dry.
- Using your hands, lifting the skin from the chicken breast, work about half of the butter mixture under the skin and all over the meat. Spread the remaining butter over the top of the outside of the chicken.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over the outside of the chicken
- Fill the inside of the chicken cavity with the lemon halves, sprigs of rosemary and thyme as well as the crushed cloves of garlic.
- Fill the base of the Instant Pot with chicken broth. Place the whole chicken on the trivet and gently lower into the Instant Pot. Cover, lock the lid in place, and set the timer for 24 minutes. After the timer goes off, let it naturally release for 15 minutes before quick releasing to finish.
- If you want to brown the skin, place the whole chicken onto a baking sheet and place under the broiler for 5-7 minutes, keeping an eye on it so it doesn't burn.
To Make The Gravy
- Pour all of the liquid in the base into a separate bowl. You can skim away any excess fat or grease that is on the top.
- Set your Instant Pot to saute, add in the butter and let it melt. Once it has melted whisk in the flour until it forms a paste and is no longer white.
- Pour the juices back into the Instant Pot and stir until the mixture has thickened, You can add additional seasonings if necessary, but the chicken was well seasoned, so it shouldn't be necessary.
Notes
- 3 lbs – Cook 18 minutes, 15 minutes natural release
- 3 1/2 lbs = Cook 21 minutes, 15 minutes natural release
- 4 lb = Cook 24 minutes, 15 minutes natural release
- 4 1/2 lb = Cook 27 minutes, 15 minutes natural release
- 5 lb = Cook 30 minutes, 15 minutes natural release
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I love the seasoning on this chicken, and it cooks so fast and turns out so tender and juicy. So good.
I tried and turned out really amazing! Thanks so much for the recipe!
This is so moist and delicious!
Everything is so easy with the Instant Pot! I need to make this recipe soon!