Expect more Instant Pot recipes because I AM IN LOVE WITH MINE!
I just recently got my very first Instant Pot and, after a bit of a learning curve, I have come to really love using it especially for chicken, beans, rice, and stock!
This is my new favorite way to cook up a whole chicken in no time for whatever I am needing it for.
It saves so much time!
Do know this is with a THAWED chicken, not a frozen one. I find the meat doesn’t come out as well if the chicken is frozen.
When it comes to chicken…I season with my heart lol These are my best guesses when it comes to how much I use. It is SO easy and it’s using ingredients you always have on hand!
Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Easy way to cook an entire chicken in the Instant Pot!
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot or other Electric Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken doesn't matter the size, see notes to adjust the time depending on size of bird
- 1 TB garlic powder
- 1 TB onion powder
- 1 TB paprika
- 1 TB salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 4 TB butter softened
- water
Instructions
- Weigh your whole chicken if you don't already know the weight. Take whole chicken and dry well with paper towels
- Once chicken is dry, take softened butter and slather it all over the chicken. Give it a good buttah massage. It will love you for it. If you do not wish to do this, you can slide butter up under the skin, place it inside the chicken, or cut it up and place over chicken after seasoning it and before cooking. But chickens like butter massages.
- Sprinkle half of onion, garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper on one side of the chicken. Turn over and sprinkle the rest. You may want more or less. I actually never measure my seasonings. I go by my heart.
- Place chicken on trivet (probably came with your electric pressure cooker) breast side down in electric pressure cooker.
- Add 1 cup of water or stock to the pressure cooker for the 6qt or 2 cups of water/stock for the 8qt pressure cooker.
- Select "custom" setting and set the cook time at 6 minutes per pound of chicken. For a 3 pound chicken, 18 minutes. 5 pound chicken, 30 minutes, etc.
- Once cooked, allow to vent on its own for 15 minutes. Then manually release pressure.
- Gently lift chicken out of pressure cooker and either serve whole, cut up into pieces, let cool and pull of meat, whatever. Save your bones for delicious bone stock! You can take the juices that are left over and make a great gravy as well!
Notes
This is my favorite way to cook chicken if I need chicken especially for chicken salad, soups/stews, etc.
If I want a bird to look super pretty to place on table whole, I usually opt to bake in the oven as usual. If you want to use the pressure cooker and keep the chicken whole, be careful taking it out so it doesn't all fall apart.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
