How to Make a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot

The Instant Pot makes cooking a whole chicken so simple! Plus, there’s no sacrificing the tender texture and delicious taste that comes from an oven-baked chicken. This recipe is perfect for when you are busy and need to get dinner on the table. Follow the instructions below to learn How to Make a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot.

Did you know that you can also make The Best Instant Pot Bone Broth after cooking a whole chicken? This nutrient dense broth is a health superfood to incorporate into your family’s diet! Plus, its way more flavorful than the watered-down versions at the grocery store.

How to Make a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot

Tips:

The time listed below is based on cooking a 4-pound chicken . If you have a larger chicken, you will need to add about 10 minutes per pound.
You could set this for twice the amount of time and the chicken will still be tender, so no need to worry about overcooking.
Make sure to remove the giblets before cooking.
The oil can splash, so place the chicken in the oil gently.
This recipe can be made with a frozen chicken, but thawed is definitely better! You will need to cook the chicken for about 30-50 minutes longer if frozen.

Needed Supplies:

Instant Pot
Instant pot trivet
Tongs
Measuring spoons

Ingredients:

1 thawed chicken
1 cup of water
1 tsp of onion powder
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of herbs (Italian, oregano, parsley, thyme, etc.)
1 tsp of salf
1/2 tsp of pepper

Instructions:

Set your Instant Pot (IP) to the saute function.
Heat 2 TBS of olive oil in the Instant Pot
Once the oil is very hot, place the chicken breast side down into the pot.
Brown each side of the chicken for 4-5 minutes each. Use tongs to shift the chicken from side to side.
Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot, place the trivet on the bottom of the pot, and return the chicken inside. This allows the chicken to cook without sitting in the water.
Add one cup filtered water to the pot.
Season the top of the chicken with all the herbs and spices listed above (and additional ones of your liking)
Place the lid onto the Instant Pot (be sure that the silicone ring is in the lid).
Set the IP to high pressure for 30 minutes.
Let the pressure naturally release for about 20 minutes..
Remove chicken and pick from the bones.

If you make this recipe and love how it turned out, feel free to come back and comment about your experience. I’d love to see your creation and how you served it!

FAQ About Making a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot

Can I Cook a Frozen Chicken?

Yes, you can. I suggest thawing it first because it really does seem to result in a less dry and tough meat.

Here are the instructions for making a frozen whole chicken:

Pull from the freezer and cut off the plastic.
Place the chicken in the IP with a couple cups of water.
Season the top of the chicken with all the herbs and spices listed above (and additional ones of your liking)
Place the lid on and set to sealing.
Set it on high pressure for 60-90 minutes.
Allow the pressure to naturally release for 20 minutes.
Determine if chicken is completely cooked. I’ve done it as low as 60 minutes, but sometimes when I do this low amount of time, the chicken is not totally cooked.

How do You Naturally Release the Instant Pot?

Once the Instant Pot is done cooking, you just leave it to naturally release the pressure on it’s own. It will usually take 10-20 minutes to naturally release. Once it has completely released the pressure, the lid will turn with no effort and the pin should be down.

Follow your Instant Pot instruction guide to know exactly how to know the pressure is released.

How to Make a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot