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Instant Pot Whole Chicken is an easy pressure cooker recipe for making tender, flavorful rotisserie chicken in a flash! No need to turn on your oven, this perfectly cooked chicken with herbed butter is so moist and delicious.
We love to pair this chicken with Fluffy Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus with lots of gravy poured on top!
Delicious roasted chicken is just a few steps away! Instant Pot chicken is a quick way to cook a whole chicken for dinner, or for using in other recipes, like Caldo de Pollo, Creamy Chicken Casserole, or on salads and in wraps.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Fast and Easy – It takes about 10 minutes of prep and an hour of total cooking time to make this delicious chicken recipe.
- No Oven Needed – We absolutely love roast chicken in the oven, but if you want something easier and faster (that won’t heat up your house), this Instant Pot recipe is my pick!
- Juicy Meat, Guaranteed – This Instant Pot chicken is always moist and juicy, like a rotisserie chicken, but in a fraction of the time.
What you need
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken – The chicken I purchased for this recipe, was roughly 4 pounds, but the recipe will work with anywhere from a 3-5 pound bird.
- Seasonings and Aromatics – The flavors and preparation are similar to my whole turkey recipe, with simple seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, and fresh herbs in butter rubbed into and under the skin. Stuffed inside the cavity are the aromatics: garlic, onion, lemon, and more fresh herbs.
- Liquids – Chicken broth and lemon juice fill the bottom of the pot and provide steam to keep the chicken moist and juicy. And finally, olive oil is brushed over after the chicken is done cooking, and just before broiling in the oven (broiling is an optional step).
How To Cook a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Prep and Season the Chicken – Pat chicken as dry as possible using paper towels. Use a spoon or your fingers to lift the skin away from the breast. Rub seasoned herb butter under the skin and smooth back down over the breasts.
Add Chicken and Herbs to Instant Pot – Place a trivet in the bottom of your Instant Pot and place the chicken breast-side up on the trivet. Stuff with fresh herbs, lemon, onion, and garlic. Pour in lemon juice and chicken broth.
Pressure Cook – Seal the instant pot and set for 6 minutes per pound at high pressure. Natural release for 20 minutes then quick release any remaining pressure.
Broil (Optional) – Preheat the broiler and position the oven rack in the lower ⅔ of the oven. Using oven mitts, lift the trivet out of the IP and place onto a baking sheet. Brush the chicken with canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil for 5 minutes to crisp up the skin. Rest before carving.
How to Make Chicken Gravy
Make the gravy: Melt butter and cook flour to make a roux. Strain liquid from the Instant Pot, adding packaged chicken broth if needed to make 2 cups, and add that to the roux.
Whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a boil, then simmer for a few minutes to thicken. Serve with chicken.
Cooking Times for Instant Pot Whole Chicken
It takes about an hour to cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot: 6 minutes per pound under high pressure, then 20 minutes to naturally release the pressure, plus about 10 minutes for the pressure to build.
- 3-pound chicken: 18 minutes high pressure, 20 minutes natural release.
- 3.5-pound chicken: 21 minutes high pressure, 20 minutes natural release.
- 4-pound chicken: 24 minutes high pressure, 20 minutes natural release.
- 4.5-pound chicken: 27 minutes high pressure, 20 minutes natural release.
- 5-pound chicken: 30 minutes high pressure, 20 minutes natural release.
FAQs
Yes, you always want to make sure there is liquid on the bottom of the Instant Pot to add moisture to the meat and to keep from getting a burn notice.
A fresh or fully thawed whole chicken will work best for the recipe. While you can cook chicken pieces safely from frozen, a whole chicken will take significantly longer (about an hour at high pressure). It will also be near impossible to separate the skin to flavor with the butter.
A 6-quart Instant Pot can fit up to a 5-pound chicken. An 8-quart Instant Pot will be able to accommodate larger chickens. Make sure to use a trivet for even cooking and easier removal.
Storage Tips
The Best Way to Store Leftovers
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe Tips
- Dried Herbs – You can use 1 teaspoon each of dried rosemary and thyme in place of the fresh.
- Remove The Giblets – Remember to remove the giblet bag if there is one and make sure the chicken is fully thawed before cooking, as this can alter cooking times.
- Make Extra Butter – You could also double the herb butter recipe and brush on the other half before broiling it in the oven, instead of brushing it with oil.
- Optional Step To Brown The Skin – You can use the broiler to brown the skin if you prefer. If your broiler is in the bottom drawer of your oven and the chicken won’t fit, preheat your oven to 475°F, brush the chicken with oil, and bake on a rimmed sheet pan for 5-10 minutes until skin becomes crispy. Be careful to not over-bake the chicken, it will dry out very quickly and become tough.
- Making Gravy – Be sure to save the drippings to use for gravy! It’s so simple to make it in the Instant Pot. All you need are flour and butter to make the most flavorful chicken gravy. See the instructions below.
- Make Chicken Stock – Use the leftover chicken bones to make homemade chicken broth! It makes for the absolute best soup and you can freeze it for later.
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Stew
- Instant Pot Pasta with Chicken
- Buffalo Chicken Sliders
- Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-5 pound Whole chicken
- 2 tablespoons Butter softened
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
- 2 sprigs Fresh rosemary divided
- 2 springs Fresh thyme divided
- Fresh parsley
- 1/2 Yellow onion quartered
- 4 Garlic cloves smashed
- 1/2 Lemon juiced
- 1 cup Low sodium chicken broth
- Canola or olive oil
Gravy
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups Chicken broth using cooking liquid from the pot plus additional as needed
Instructions
- Strip a few leaves from rosemary and thyme and finely mince. In a small bowl, mix butter with the dried seasonings and the chopped fresh herbs.
- Pat the chicken dry using paper towels and remove the giblet bag. Discard or save to make broth another time. Lift the skin away from the breast using the back of a spoon. Rub the butter mixture under the skin, and smooth out evenly over the breast meat.
- Add 1 cup broth into the bottom of the Instant pot. Place chicken on a trivet breast side up and lower chicken into the pot.
- Stuff the chicken cavity with 1 sprig of rosemary, 1 sprig of thyme, half of the parsley, half of the onion, half of the garlic, and the lemon half. Pour the lemon juice over the chicken and stuff remaining herbs, onion, and garlic down around the chicken.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and seal. Set to high pressure, cook for 6 min per pound, then allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes. Release any remaining pressure. (Note that it will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure before the cook time starts).
- Optional (but delicious): Meanwhile, preheat the broiler on low, position the oven rack in the lower ⅔ of the oven.
- Using oven mitts, carefully lift the chicken out of the pot using the handles of the trivet and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the chicken with oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Broil until the skin is crispy, about 5 minutes, watching it closely so it won't burn.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
- Strain the liquid from the instant pot. Add packaged chicken broth to the juices to make 2 cups total. Set aside.
- While the chicken is resting, make the gravy (optional). Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in 2 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and let the gravy simmer for a few minutes or until thickened, whisking occasionally. Serve with chicken.
Notes
- A 6 quart Instant Pot can fit up to a 5 pound chicken. An 8 quart Instant Pot will be able to accommodate larger chickens.
- If your broiler is in the bottom drawer of your oven and the chicken won’t fit, preheat your oven to 475℉, brush the chicken with oil and bake on a rimmed sheet pan for 5-10 minutes until skin becomes crispy. Be careful to not over-bake the chicken, it will dry out very quickly and become tough.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
