Instant Pot Roasted Whole Chicken Recipe - juicy and delicious whole chicken cooked in the pressure cooker. Great as a main dish or as a rotisserie chicken for other dishes.
I like to serve this chicken with Sweet Corn Casserole and Classic Waldorf Salad for a delicious yet easy meal, any day of the week or lazy weekends.
After the success of my Instant Pot Turkey Breast, I knew I had to try and cook a whole chicken in my favorite appliance. I am so happy with the results! The chicken is juicy and delicious, not to mention the Instant Pot does the work and I don't have to baste it and tend to it.
INSTANT POT WHOLE CHICKEN
This Instant Pot Whole Chicken is juicy and delicious every time. Another reason to love my Instant Pot! I can have the chicken done in ⅓ of the time it would take to roast it in the oven!
HOW TO COOK WHOLE CHICKEN IN INSTANT POT?
- Start by checking if your stainless steel insert is in your Instant Pot. To know why I always mention this step, read my Instant Pot Guide for Beginners.
- In a small bowl, mix the seasonings with olive oil. Remove the giblets from the chicken cavity. Pat chicken dry with paper towel. Rub seasoning all over the chicken, you can insert some of it under the skin, close to the cavity. Place lemon wedges and garlic cloves in the chicken cavity.
- Add 1.5 cups of water to the Instant Pot insert. Set the trivet inside. Place seasoned chicken on a trivet. Close the lid, make sure the IP is set to cook at HIGH pressure. Switch valve to "sealing" position. Set timer to 27 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. Once the timer beeps and the cooking is done, press "cancel/off" and DO NOT switch the valve to venting. Let the pressure release naturally to ensure juicy chicken.
- When the pressure pin dropped, carefully open the lid away from your face. Remove the chicken onto a baking sheet if you want to broil the skin or on a serving plate. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Make gravy with remaining liquid in the IP, if desired. Mix two tablespoons of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water. Simmer with liquid in the IP.
HOW LONG TO COOK WHOLE CHICKEN IN INSTANT POT?
The general rule for cooking a whole chicken in the Instant Pot, is to cook it for 6 minutes per pound. My chicken weighed 4.4lb so I cooked it for 27 minutes. It was absolutely perfect! Always check cooked meat with a thermometer to make sure it is cooked through. Always let the pressure release naturally to ensure juicy chicken. If you release the pressure quickly, the juices will escape the meat and your chicken will be dry.
WHAT SEASONING TO USE FOR WHOLE CHICKEN?
You can use simple seasoning, like a ready mix for poultry stirred with olive oil. I like to make my own, depending on what flavors I want. This time I made lemon garlic seasoning. I mixed olive oil, fresh garlic, lemon zest, dried celery flakes, paprika and dried onion. After the seasoning is mixed, rub it all over the chicken. Don't forget to pat it dry with a paper towel before applying the seasoning.
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WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS INSTANT POT WHOLE ROASTED CHICKEN?
If you are serving the whole chicken as a main dish, you can serve it with so many great side dishes: Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Honey Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions, The Best Sauteed Spinach and of course the gravy you can make from the liquid remaining after cooking the chicken.
If you want to use the chicken for other dishes, skip broiling the skin, remove it and slice the meat. Shred and keep in an air-tight container in the fridge to use in Chicken Noodle Soup, Spinach Dip Chicken Pasta, chicken salads, etc.
OTHER INSTANT POT RECIPES:
Instant Pot Turkey Breast (fresh or frozen)
Instant Pot Smothered Pork Chops
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes.
To learn more about the Instant Pot, check out my Guide for Beginners. If you experienced the “burn” message while using your IP, check out my Instant Pot Burn Message post to learn how to fix the issue and prevent it in the first place.
If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment!
Instant Pot Roasted Whole Chicken recipe
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken mine was 4.4 lbs
- 1.5 cups water or chicken broth
- 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon celery flakes
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ lemon quartered
- 3 garlic cloves
Instructions
- Check if your stainless steel insert is in your Instant Pot. To know why I always mention this step, read my Instant Pot Guide for Beginners.
- Remove the giblets from the chicken cavity. Pat chicken dry with paper towel.
- In a small bowl, mix the seasonings with olive oil. Rub seasoning all over the chicken, you can insert some of it under the skin, close to the cavity. Place lemon wedges and garlic cloves in the chicken cavity.
- Add 1.5 cups of water to the Instant Pot insert. Set the trivet inside. Place seasoned chicken on a trivet. Close the lid, make sure the IP is set to cook at HIGH pressure. Switch valve to "sealing" position. Set timer to 27 minutes (6 minutes per pound!). It will take about 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. Once the timer beeps and the cooking is done, press "cancel/off" and DO NOT switch the valve to venting. Let the pressure release naturally to ensure juicy chicken.
- When the pressure pin dropped, carefully open the lid away from your face. Remove the chicken onto a baking sheet if you want to broil the skin or on a serving plate. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Adeline B says
Cooking a whole chicken in the Instant Pot was so simple and juicy. Perfect for a family dinner, and the leftovers are great too
Mary P. says
This recipe is masterful. The chicken came out incredibly juicy and full of flavor hard to believe it was made in the Instant Pot. The blend of spices and the touch of lemon and garlic made it taste like a restaurant-quality dish. I also really appreciated the clear, step-by-step instructions super easy to follow even for someone new to pressure cooking. This will definitely become a regular meal in our house. Thank you, Anna!
Jola says
I made it according to your recipe and broiled the chicken in the oven! Everyone loved it!
Belle says
Tried this tonight and it was delicious. I added a few stems of fresh thyme in the cavity along with the lemon wedges and garlic and the smell was heavenly....brought everyone into the kitchen. Hubby and kids loved it.
Thank you for sharing!
Connie Summers says
Omg the bestest chicken ever. So moist and good.
Anna says
Yay! Thank you, Connie!
Angela says
Is the chicken used cold from the refrigerator ? Or do you let it sit out for a bit?
C. Wallace says
I just made this with a chicken cold from the refrigerator, worked just fine =)
Cat says
My very first recipe in my brand new Instant Pot! (I steamed some brown rice but that doesn't count)
Very tasty and easy! I made up my own marinade.
Thank you!
Anna says
That's wonderful! I am so glad it was a hit!
james genua says
I am an IP newbie. I have a question unrelated to the recipe. If there is a preset button for poultry, why does the recipe not use it?
Peppi Kramer says
I made this for dinner tonight and was impressed. After a number of attempts for a whole chicken, I gave up. Most came out with mushy meat. so I cut the time back to 20 minutes on a 5.5# bird. Came out perfect, great flavor and 2 cups of gravy.
Candice says
I don't have a trivit... Can I put in without, or do I need to buy one?
Anna says
Hi Candice! Your Instant Pot should have the trivet (wire rack) included. If not, you can use forks or balls of aluminum foil. The chicken should not be in the liquid so it is recommended to use a trivet.
Kathy Rae says
I was hoping to add potatoes and sweet potatoes to this recipe. Can I do that and if so do I need to increase the cooking time?
Brooke says
If it is frozen does that change cooking time??
Hoping to make this tonight
Anna says
Hi Brooke! I didn't test this recipe with a frozen chicken so I can't guarantee how it will turn out. In general, the Instant Pot will take longer to come to pressure since the bird is frozen. I would add at least 5 min to cooking time. Hope this helps!
Haley says
I was wondering the same thing about a frozen whole chicken. Didn’t realize that the hubs had put it in the freezer! Was planning on trying this tonight.
Jared says
Hello! Thank you so much for posting this recipe! I just tried it for the first time and it was absolutely delicious! I added just a bit of apple cider vinegar to the mix as well!
Anna says
Hi Jared! That's awesome! I am so glad you like the chicken. Thank you for trying my recipe!
Tara Jones says
Can you cook the giblets in the bottom of the instant pot with your water? We love giblet gravy and it would be nice not to have to use a separate pan for it. Thank you!
Anna says
Hi Tara! It should be just fine. Let me know if you try it!
TONI YACOBONI says
how long do I cook a 7lb bird?
Robin says
So ended up marinating and putting away for a few hours. My bird was 3.5 lbs so set it for 21 minutes.
I felt the seasoning was lacking as it was quite bland for our taste. Also, it was so well done that as I was carving it up, the drumstick just came off the meat. Thank you though.