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Home Recipes Ingredients Meat & Poultry Chicken

Instant Pot Whole Chicken

Name: Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 servings.
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons dried thyme; 2 tablespoons dried rosemary, crushed; 2 tablespoons rubbed sage; 1 tablespoon kosher salt; 1 tablespoon pepper; 1 small lemon, quartered, optional; 1 small onion, quartered, optional; 3 garlic cloves, smashed, optional; 1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 to 4 pounds); 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 1 cup chicken broth or water

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Test Kitchen Approved

Total Time

Prep: 10 min. Cook: 30 min. + releasing

Makes

6 servings

Updated: Sep. 13, 2023

We love rotisserie chicken, and now with an Instant Pot I can have it ready to eat in an hour or so. I combined several recipes to come up with this one, which is our favorite. If you are new to the Instant Pot, this is a perfect recipe to get started. —Joan Hallford, North Richland Hills, Texas

Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried rosemary, crushed
2 tablespoons rubbed sage
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 small lemon, quartered, optional
1 small onion, quartered, optional
3 garlic cloves, smashed, optional
1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 to 4 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup chicken broth or water

Directions

In a small bowl, combine first 5 ingredients. If desired, insert lemon, onion and garlic into the cavity of the chicken. Brush outside of chicken with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with herb mixture.

Select saute setting on a 6-qt. electric pressure cooker. Adjust for medium heat; add remaining 1 tablespoon oil. When oil is hot, sear chicken, breast side down, until browned, 4-5 minutes. Press cancel; remove chicken. Place trivet insert and broth in pressure cooker. Place chicken on top of trivet. Lock lid; close pressure-release valve. Adjust to pressure-cook on high for 25 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally.

Instant Pot Whole Chicken Tips

Can you use a frozen chicken to make Instant Pot whole chicken?

Absolutely! Frozen chicken works great in the Instant Pot. Frozen meat will take a bit longer to cook as well as build pressure within the Instant Pot, so add a few extra minutes to your cook time. You can also skip the searing portion of the recipe and get right to the pressure cooking with a frozen bird.

How do you adjust this recipe to cook a larger chicken in the Instant Pot?

All you need to do is add a few minutes to your cook time. You need about 8 minutes per pound when pressure cooking a whole raw chicken. So if your chicken is 2 pounds heavier than what is called for, just add about 15 minutes to your cook time. Find your most pressing Instant Pot questions answered here.

What can you serve with Instant Pot whole chicken?

Try a delicious gravy to serve with your Instant Pot whole chicken. It also pairs wonderfully with roasted carrots or Tuscan-inspired asparagus.

—Sarah Tramonte, Taste of Home Associate Culinary Producer

Nutrition Facts

5 ounces cooked chicken: 345 calories, 22g fat (5g saturated fat), 104mg cholesterol, 1051mg sodium, 3g carbohydrate (0 sugars, 1g fiber), 33g protein.