Instant Pot Whole Chicken
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Cooking a whole chicken is fast and easy with the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker. I love that you can quickly rub some spices on the chicken, throw it in the instant pot, and have a filling dinner (plus leftovers) ready in under an hour.
New to the instant pot? Check out our instant pot guide here.
I am a big fan of buying whole chickens when they are on sale and stretching them into multiple meals. I have cooked whole chickens in the slow cooker for years (just like how I make my crockpot whole chicken), and now you can have that tender, fall of the bone meat ready in way less time. The Instant Pot truly is an awesome appliance (this is the IP I have)! Also, if you a Ninja Foodi or a pressure cooker with a crisp lid, you should try our recipe for Ninja Foodi Whole Chicken.
To make this Instant Pot Whole Chicken, start with a thawed raw chicken. Remove the giblets if there are any and discard. Mix together salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Rub it on the chicken.
Set the Instant Pot to saute and brown your chicken on both sides with a little bit of olive oil – about 30 seconds per side. Turn off the instant pot, add 1 cup of water, and place the chicken on top of a trivet inside. Start the instant pot and walk away.
While you’re waiting: relax and watch a favorite TV show or make a couple of side dishes to go with it (I recommend roasted cauliflower, zesty potatoes, Instant Pot Butternut Squash or roasted zucchini and yellow squash). Before you know it, your Instant Pot Whole Chicken will be ready.
Remember to hold on to those bones so you can make Instant Pot Chicken Stock and turn it into a fabulous soup like Instant Pot Loaded Baked Potato Soup or Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup.
Serve this with Air Fryer Cauliflower or Crispy Asparagus
Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Ingredients
- Whole raw chicken thawed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Remove giblets from chicken.
- Mix together salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Rub on bird.
- Pour olive oil in the bowl of the Instant Pot and set it to saute.
- Brown both sides of the chicken in the instant pot, about 30 seconds per side.
- Turn off Instant Pot and remove chicken.
- Pour in 1 cup water and add trivet to Instant Pot.
- Place chicken on top of Instant Pot and calculate cook time.
- Cook time: 6 minutes per pound of bird + 2 minutes (a 6 pound bird would be 38 minutes)
- Natural pressure release for 15-20 minutes.
- Serve.
Nutrition
Other Instant Pot Recipes:
- Instant Pot Salsa Chicken Tacos
- Instant Pot Spare Ribs
- Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup
- Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken and Vegetables
