Make this juicy, tender Instant Pot whole chicken for dinner tonight, plus extra cooked chicken for more meals! No need to thaw – you can even cook it from frozen! Let your IP chicken cook while you do something else.
I love having cooked shredded chicken – it makes it easy to cook any one of these 38 meal ideas that use leftover rotisserie chicken.
The problem is, I need this chicken DONE to get those meals on the table fast!
Instant Pot Whole Chicken to the rescue! I make cooking a whole chicken in the Instant Pot part of my regular meal prep, because then I have that cooked shredded chicken ready to go! It also makes a great Sunday dinner, and then you have leftover chicken to use during the week.
IP CHICKEN
I love cooking chicken in the Instant Pot because:
- Cooks in as little as 30 minutes!
- You don’t have to thaw the chicken!
- IP chicken is a great way to stock the freezer.
- Cook while you’re away from home (or sleeping, or doing something else).
INSTANT POT WHOLE CHICKEN RECIPE
You really need just one ingredient: Chicken!
I like to use a simple seasoning blend on my chicken as well (salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and maybe some thyme or oregano) or try my REALLY easy Homemade Poultry Seasoning. Both are optional but make for chicken that’s delicious on its own and still ready to add to other recipes.
OTHER OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
- Vegetables. Anything you add with the chicken will increase the flavor. Therefore, this is a great time to use up scraps when you have just a half onion or a few baby carrots left.
- Citrus. Add sliced or quartered lemons or oranges to the pot to brighten the flavor.
- Fresh or Dried Herbs. They truly make this Instant Pot rotisserie chicken recipe AMAZING, but they’re not cheap. I usually use dried herbs without a problem and only use fresh herbs if I find them marked down (and I make sure to freeze any extras!).
- Spice blends. Use your own homemade spice blends to add exceptional flavor! Poultry seasoning, Jerk seasoning, or even ranch seasoning are great on chicken.
Psst! Wanna kick this IP chicken up a notch? Try finishing this recipe with a pinch of finishing salt! Just wait until the chicken is fully cooked so the salt doesn’t dry out your beloved bird! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!) Just sprinkle some on after shredding and serve!
A QUICK WORD ABOUT THE CHICKEN
Quality meat is a priority for my family, so we choose to buy organic. Organic chicken is becoming easier to find, but if you can’t find it locally, check out Butcher Box. They offer organic chicken, heritage-breed pork, and grass-fed beef delivered to your door EVERY MONTH!
I’ve shared my experiences with them a few times:
Click here to take advantage of the current offer.
HOW TO COOK CHICKEN IN INSTANT POT
Step 1: Add water and chopped vegetables (if you’re using them) to the bottom of your Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker. Place the trivet on top. (Note: Check the size of your Instant Pot compared to your bird. I highly recommend checking to see if you can fit your whole chicken in Instant Pot BEFORE cooking – if it’s too big, try this Oven-Roasted Chicken instead).
Step 2: Place the whole seasoned chicken on the trivet, breast side up.
Step 3: Close the lid. Ensure the seal is in place and the pressure valve is on “sealed.”
Step 4: Pressure cook on high pressure for 6 minutes per pound of bird.
For example:
For a 4 lb chicken, set the timer for 24 minutes
For a 5 lb chicken, set the timer for 30 minutes
For a 6 lb chicken, set the timer for 36 minutes
Step 5: Let the pressure release naturally (i.e. do nothing) until the pressure valve falls down.
Step 6: Open the lid carefully and remove the chicken. Serve as is or shred the chicken and portion for later.
Note: Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165F. You can use a meat thermometer stuck in the thickest part of the breast to check. If your chicken has not reached 165F, close the Instant Pot and cook for an additional 2 minutes for every 5 degrees below 165F.
Tip: You can use a KitchenAid stand mixer to shred the chicken for you in minutes!
Step 7: Save the bones for chicken broth.
Homemade chicken broth is FREE and super easy – here’s the tutorial for the Instant Pot, and here’s how to make slow cooker chicken broth as well.
TO SERVE INSTANT POT WHOLE CHICKEN
Try these sides with your Instant Pot chicken recipe:
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Dinner Rolls
- How to Make Cauliflower Rice
- Lemon Butter Asparagus
- Caramelized Onions and Swiss Chard
- Crash Hot Sweet Potatoes
WHOLE CHICKEN INSTANT POT FAQS
How long do I put the whole chicken in instant pot?
FOR A THAWED CHICKEN (NOT FROZEN), allow 6 minutes per pound of chicken to cook in the Instant Pot.
3 pound chicken = 18 minutes on high pressure
3 ½ pound chicken = 21 minutes on high pressure
4 pound chicken = 24 minutes on high pressure
4 ½ pound chicken = 27 minutes on high pressure
5 pound chicken = 30 minutes on high pressure
Why is my instant pot whole chicken tough?
This means that the chicken needed to be cooked in the Instant Pot longer. (When cooking frozen chicken breasts, use natural pressure release.) This will help with the texture.
Can you make FROZEN whole chicken in the Instant Pot?
Yes! You should allow 11 minutes per pound for cooking time. Be sure to remove the innards from the chicken cavity (that are wrapped in plastic or paper) BEFORE cooking.
What is the best Instant Pot for cooking a whole chicken?
I have this 8-quart Instant Pot DUO. I love using it for kitchen staples like brown rice or “fancy” meals like Beef and Broccoli! If you use the trivet that comes with the machine, you don’t need any other accessories!
(PS – Be sure to read these 20+ things to know before you buy an Instant Pot and here’s how the Instant Pot saves money.)
How to get crispy skin on my Instant Pot whole chicken?
The one downfall of the Instant Pot is that it doesn’t make things super crispy. Luckily there’s an easy fix if you want crispy skin on your IP chicken: Just pop the chicken in the oven to broil for up to 7 minutes to get crispy skin.
SAVE TIME & MONEY WITH INSTANT POT WHOLE CHICKEN
We’re all looking to save money on healthy food, and here’s how you can do that with Instant Pot whole chicken:
- If you need leftover chicken, portion that out FIRST and set it aside. Portion leftovers or lunches before serving dinner, accordingly.
- Aim to get 3 meals out of one bird. One 5-6 lb chicken yields about 6 cups of shredded chicken. For most meals, 2 cups of chicken is enough.
- Always save the bones! Homemade chicken stock is DELICIOUS and so easy to make. All you need are chicken bones!
- Don’t have a whole chicken on hand? Use this recipe to cook Instant Pot Chicken Breast. And this recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs.
Cooking an Instant Pot whole chicken will save you money, and it can also save you time while you’re at it!
- Cook more than one bird at a time. If you have a larger Instant Pot and 2 smaller chickens, you can do two at once.
- As soon as the chicken is done, leave the drippings inside the Instant Pot and immediately make Instant Pot chicken broth.
- If you don’t need chicken broth, remove the juices from the Instant Pot and pour the liquid into a jar for later! You can use these in place of chicken broth in recipes.
MORE RECIPES FOR YOUR IP CHICKEN
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Chicken Southwest Salad
- Bacon Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap
- Chicken Pot Pie
- 15-Minute Kung Pao Chicken with Vegetables
- Homemade Buffalo Chicken Pizza
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Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Make this juicy, tender Instant Pot whole chicken for dinner tonight, plus extra cooked chicken for more meals! No need to thaw – you can even cook it from frozen! Let your IP chicken cook while you do something else.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes (up to 60 minutes)
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
- Category: Main Meal
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (thawed or frozen*), about 3–4 lbs (600g)
- 1 cup water (237g)
- 1 onion, quartered (optional)
- 2 carrots, cut into 2″ pieces (optional)
- 2 celery ribs, cut into 2″ pieces (optional)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp dried seasonings as desired (Italian seasoning, oregano, basil and coriander are all good options)
Instructions
- Place the vegetables in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place the wire rack that came with the IP on top.
- Place the chicken on the wire rack.
- Add water to the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Sprinkle the chicken liberally with seasonings.
- Turn the pressure valve to “sealed.” Press “manual” or “pressure cook,” make sure the setting is on “high” and cook for 6 minutes per pound of bird. My bird was just over 5 pounds, so I set the timer for 30 minutes.
- Make sure the “keep warm” function is NOT set and use the natural pressure release method. When the pressure valve is down, the chicken is done.
- Shred the chicken with two forks and serve as desired!
Notes
- If using a frozen chicken double the cooking time per lbs.
- Nutrition information does not include optional vegetables.
As a new instant pot owner and user, I was particularly appreciative of the step by step instructions.
Looking forward to enjoying the contents of the pot. Chicken is very tender and juicy.
Cooked this in a classic pressure cooker, don’t own a instapot – translated fine, after it came to pressure I cooked six minutes per pound then allowed it to depressurize naturally as the recipe directed, then put it in the broiler on a baking sheet for two minutes to make it look appetizing. Texture was fall-off-the-bone perfect moistness. Flavor was blah, I will pair this technique with other flavoring strategies – brining maybe, or throwing the meat back in the upseasoned broth.