The Instant Pot makes it so easy to cook a delicious, juicy whole chicken! This recipe is simple and versatile– use your favorite seasoning blend and enjoy it right away, or season with salt and pepper so you can save the meat to use for meals during the week. Making Instant Pot whole chicken is one of the most convenient ways to save time and money in the kitchen!
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We are on day 5,206 of staying home and avoiding people and grocery stores. Like many others, I bounce back and forth from enjoying the slow days at home and being ready to be out and about among people again.
I am also so thankful for all the healthcare and essential workers who don’t have the luxury of staying home. Praying for strength and safety.
Grocery shopping is completely different right now. It can be difficult to find what we need, while at the same time, every time I’m in a store, I feel like I need to get all.the.things. to feed our family of seven for as many days as we can before risking another venture out.
If you are trying to feed your family and save money right now (so basically all of us), this super simple recipe for Instant Pot whole chicken is going to be a huge help.
Cook a chicken in the Instant Pot, use the meat for several meals during the week, and make a giant batch of chicken stock right away to use for soups, rice, ramen, sipping, and so on. So much goodness for so little effort!
Instant Pot Whole Chicken
I like the ease of cooking a whole chicken in the Instant Pot, but it’s not the only way that I make them. The Instant Pot version makes a delicious, juicy, tender chicken, but it doesn’t quite have the look of an oven-roasted chicken.
I’ve done a side-by-side comparison of the two methods, and they generally take the same amount of time and they are both delicious. There are a few difference though…
Pros/Cons of Oven Roasting
- PRO: done in about an hour
- PRO: 5 minutes of prep, about 55 minutes of hands-off
- PRO: golden, crispy skin (looks great)
- CON: tendency to make a mess in the oven
- CON: heat the oven = heat the kitchen
Pros/Cons of Pressure Cooking
- PRO: done in about an hour
- PRO: 10 minutes of prep, about about 50 minutes hands-off
- PRO: doesn’t heat the kitchen
- PRO: can use the dirty pot immediately to make stock
- CON: more prone to falling apart
- CON: less crispy/browned skin (looks “wetter”, even after broiling)
Typically, if I am making a whole chicken to serve for a special occasion or I don’t mind heating the kitchen, I will roast a chicken in a cast iron pan in the oven using this method.
If I am cooking a chicken to use meat for the rest of the week, or because I need to make stock right away, or I want to eat it right away for an easy family dinner, I will cook it in the Instant Pot.
You can find a simple recipe for Instant Pot whole chicken below. I included a basic recipe for salt and pepper with olive oil. Most often, this is the method I use because I add additional seasoning when I use the chicken in other recipes.
However, I did include a recipe for a flavorful spice blended in the notes on the recipe card, if you wanted to enjoy the chicken immediately for a meal.
20 Meals to Make with A Whole Chicken
Instant Pot Chicken Stock
If you are going to cook a whole chicken (in your Instant Pot or in a skillet), making stock with the bones is an obvious next step. I promise, it is so easy and will make your soups and recipes so much more flavorful and nutritious!
Watch how I make stock below, and get the full recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Stock here.
Recommended Tools:
- Instant Pot ULTRA
- Steamer Basket (amazing for stock)
- Victorinox Chef Knife
More “From Scratch” Essential Recipes:
- 12 Easy Homemade Bread Recipes
- 12 Homemade Pantry Staples
- Mega List of Easy Dinner Ideas
- 10 Easy Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners
- 75+ Frugal Dinner Ideas
Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
Description
The Instant Pot makes it so easy to cook a delicious, juicy whole chicken! This recipe is simple and versatile– use your favorite seasoning blend and enjoy it right away, or season with salt and pepper so you can save the meat to use for meals during the week. Making Instant Pot whole chicken is one of the most convenient ways to save time and money in the kitchen!
Ingredients
- 3–4 lb whole chicken, giblets removed
- olive oil
- kosher salt*
- fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot on to Saute and let it preheat. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, then drizzle olive oil on the top and the bottom of the chicken. Use your hands to evenly spread the olive oil over the chicken. Liberally season the chicken with salt and pepper all over the chicken.
- When the Instant Pot reads “HOT”, add the chicken to the Instant Pot, breast side down. Brown the chicken for about 5 minutes, then flip and brown it again on the bottom for another 5 minutes.
- At this point you can add a cup of water and cook the chicken while it rests on the bottom of the Instant Pot, or you can cook it while it sits on the trivet (that came with your Instant Pot). I prefer to cook it on the trivet so that it is easier to lift out of the Instant Pot once it finishes cooking.
- Use a pair of tongs to lift the chicken up and place the trivet in the Instant Pot. Set the chicken on the trivet breast side up. Pour in one cup of water along the side of the pot (not on to the chicken).
- Set a cook time for 25 minutes on high pressure. When the cook time is complete, let the pressure naturally release for at least 10 minutes.
- Lift the chicken out of the Instant Pot and transfer to a cutting board. If you are planning to eat it right away, loosely tent it with foil and let it rest 10 minutes before serving. If you are planning to save the meat for future meals, let the chicken cool slightly before cutting up**. (It is easier to cut while hot, but you don’t want to burn yourself!)
Notes
*I usually just use salt and pepper when I am cooking a whole chicken to use for future meals because I will further season the chicken more then. However, if we are planning to eat the chicken for dinner right away, I will make a spice mixture with which to season the chicken: (2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp freshly ground pepper, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp dried whole thyme, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp paprika).
**Be sure to save the chicken carcass and the cooking liquid for making chicken stock!
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I just tried this for the first time in my new Instant Pot, and it was so easy! We grow our own meats birds, and they often end up being double the weight of this recipe. I cut the chicken in half and cooked it in two batches. Should I reduce the time at all? The chicken has good flavor but seems a bit overcooked. Thank you!
★★★★
If it seemed overcooked, definitely try reducing the time a bit.
Hi Lisa, thank you for the recipe. Where do you buy whole chickens? I could see myself doing this but I find whole chickens are expensive – more than just buying a rotisserie chicken already cooked. I like the flavor of home cooked better but it’s hard to spend the extra time and money.
I get organic whole chickens at Costco. It is a little more expensive than buying a rotisserie, but because I use the carcass to make stock, I don’t mind spending a little more on it. We do still buy rotisserie chickens occasionally.