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.
Robin Nayyar says
Looks fantastic. Planning on making this tonight. Since I have time, is it a good idea to marinate it with the rub and let it sit till the evening before throwing in the IP?
Thanks.
Robin says
Also, I have a 8 qt. IP. Should in up the broth quantity to 2 cups instead of 1. 5? Thanks!
Anna says
Yes, if the manual says to use at least 2 cups, I recommend following that.
Anna says
Hi Robin! That could work. I actually like that idea. Let me know how you like the chicken when it's done! Thanks so much!
Jan Steiner says
Why the need for more than 1 cup of broth/water?
Whalefreak says
Hi!! Made this last nite!! OMG! Absolutely Amazing! Thank U 4 an Amazing Recipe! 😁
Anna says
I am so glad it was a hit! Thanks so much!
Carmella says
any idea of what i should set it at if i have a cut up whole chicken and would like to put red skin potatoes under to then mash ? either way i can't wait to cook this tomorrow for my brother's visit! thanks!
Cathy says
The seasonings on this are perfection!
Steph says
I've never cooked chicken in the instant pot before but this was so easy and delicious...thanks!
Catalina says
Mouth watering! This chicken looks so crispy and tender! A must try recipe!
Melanie Bauer says
Looks absolutely perfect! Such an easy and delicious dish for dinner, need to make this!
Mahy Elamin says
I made this tonight and it was so tasty and tender. We loved it. This is a must try recipe.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Fantastic! Thank you so much, Mahy!
Chrissie Baker says
This looks really good for dinner tonight!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Thanks, Chrissie!
Natasha says
YUM! This would be the perfect Sunday dinner for when the inlaws come over!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Right? And so easy to make! 😀
Dee says
So delicious and flavorful! Made today and l loved it.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
That's wonderful! Thank you, Dee!
Julie Blanner says
This is a great recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Thanks, Julie!
Allyson Zea says
This was so good using my instant pot!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Perfect! Thanks, Allyson!
Mallory Lanz says
I love that a good roast chicken isn't so far away if you use the instant pot.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Me too! Thanks, Mallory!
krissy says
ive always wanted to roast a whole chicken but never had the confidence or just the right recipe! This turned out amazing!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Yay! I am so happy it was a hit! Thanks, Krissy!