Cooking an Instant Pot whole chicken is so fast and easy!
The chicken comes out evenly cooked, tender, and juicy. It couldn’t be more simple to get a hearty and wholesome entree on the table.
So break out the Instant Pot again, and discover just how tender chicken can be!
Easy Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Instant Pot whole chicken is the best way to cook a whole chicken as an entree or use it to meal prep for the week. It makes flavorful chicken for fajita bowls, shredding and adding to tacos, and cold salads.
- Freeze portions for future meals, like chicken soup. The bones can be used for broth or stock!
- The Instant Pot is perfect for making one-pot meals with the meat and vegetables all cooked together, making dinner time easy.
- Placing the chicken on a bed of onions, potatoes, and carrots keeps the chicken from overcooking and infuses the veggies with delicious chicken flavors!
Ingredients and Variations
CHICKEN: Look for fresh whole chickens with intact skin. Remove any neck bones or giblets inside the cavity before cooking. To cook from frozen, simply add extra minutes to the cooking time!
VEGETABLES: Dense vegetables like potatoes and carrots will cook at the same rate as the chicken, cut them in uniform sizes. Other vegetables to try are Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, broccoli, or cauliflower.
SEASONINGS: A little Italian seasoning and some white wine give the chicken and vegetables a light and savory flavor. Add some fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary, if desired.
How To Cook a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot
- Place oiled and seasoned chicken on top of vegetables with wine (or broth).
- Cook (per the recipe below). Then broil the chicken until the skin is crispy.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Tips & Time Savers
- Cut vegetables up to a day ahead and keep them in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Leftover bacon grease can be used in place of olive oil to impart more flavor (and save money)!
- Cooked chicken should have an internal temperature of 165°F, insert the thermometer in the breast away from the bones.
- Always let chicken ‘rest’ once it’s pulled from the Instant Pot. This helps the juices redistribute back into the meat keeping it extra juicy.
Favorite Chicken Recipes
Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken 4-4 ½ pounds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup broth
- ½ cup white wine or additional broth
- 2 carrots chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 potatoes chopped
Instructions
- Rub the outside of the chicken with olive oil, and then season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, to taste.
- Add the trivet to the bottom of a 6QT Instant Pot, this is optional but makes it easier to remove the chicken.
- Place the chopped vegetables on the trivet and add the broth/wine. Gently place the chicken over top.
- Select the manual setting, set to HIGH pressure, and increase the time to 25 minutes.
- Natural release for 10 minutes to let the chicken rest and then quick release until the pressure is released.
- Set the oven to broil and place the chicken under the broiler for 2 minutes to crisp up the skin.
- Rest the chicken for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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REPIN this Instant Pot Whole Chicken
How many pounds should the chicken be to fix in the 6qt Instant pot?
I use a 4-4 ½ pound chicken. Enjoy Pam!
What can I use in place of the White wine?
More chicken broth would be fine.
What size IP? I have a 6 qt. Will this fit in there?
I have a 6 qt too so you should have no problem!