This Instant Pot whole chicken recipe makes perfectly juicy and tender chicken in less than 45 minutes. This is by far the most succulent, tender, fall-of-the-bone chicken you’ll ever make.
Jump to:
- Why you should cook whole chicken in instant pot
- Ingredients notes
- Step-by-step instructions
- Serving suggestions
- How long does it take to cook a frozen whole chicken in the instant pot
- Cooking time for whole chicken in Instant pot
- Useful tips
- Recipe FAQs
- Other chicken recipes for quick dinner
- 📋Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Why you should cook whole chicken in instant pot
- Hands down, the most tender, juicy, whole chicken you’ll ever make.
- Golden crispy skin and super succulent and moist chicken inside.
- Chicken meat is so moist and juicy it literally falls off the bone.
- Pressure cook method locks all the flavors of the chicken.
- It’s ready in 45 minutes!
- Pressure cook a whole chicken and use meat in so many ways like soups, pot pie, chicken tacos, or burritos or for weekly meal prep.
- Minimal prep work (seasoning the chicken).
- No pre-planning is needed, just season the whole chicken well and dump it into the pot. The pressure cooker recipe method works well even for a frozen whole chicken.
- Freeze those bones from whole chicken, to make bone broth. Bonus points for zero food wastage!
Ingredients notes
Whole chicken – Make sure to choose the size of the chicken that will fit inside your pressure cooker. I used 7-quart pots and I could fit in 4-pound whole chicken. While picking, pick chicken with skin on, so the chicken is juicy and moist.
Spice rub – I have used Rotisseries style spices like – onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, oregano, and thyme. Feel free to switch things up by using your favorite spice mix and herb mix. Cajun seasoning, Creole seasoning works when you cook whole chicken.
Butter – don’t skim on butter. It helps keep chicken moist when it cooks and prevents it from drying. Unsalted butter is ideal, salted butter works too (just remember to taste first before adding any extra salt). If you have leftover garlic herb butter, feel free to use it. Works like a charm.
Fresh herbs – always use fresh herbs, chicken tastes better with fresh herbs. Use a mix of your favorite herbs, I used fresh thyme, fresh oregano, fresh rosemary, and fresh parsley. I highly recommend you use fresh herbs only, in case you can’t get fresh herbs you may substitute it with dried herbs or use our Italian seasoning mixed with softened butter and rub it over chicken.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl, add fresh herbs thyme, rosemary, oregano, garlic granules, salt, and pepper. Mix well, keep aside.
Step 2: Place whole chicken on a tray. Loosen the skin of the chicken carefully using the back of a spoon. Be gentle, don’t tear the skin.
Step 3: Pour buttery herb mix inside the chicken, under the skin all over. Use the mix generously. If needed use your hands to spread the butter mix under the skin.
Step 4: Insert half a lemon, a small whole garlic head, fresh thyme leaves, fresh rosemary sprigs, and fresh oregano spring inside the cavity of the chicken.
Step 5: Tie the legs of the chicken with thread and fold the wings beneath the body.
Step 6: pour chicken stock or bone broth into an instant pot. Place the wire trivet inside. Lift the chicken from the tray and carefully place it on the trivet.
Step 7: Secure the lid and ensure the pressure release knob is in the sealing position.
Step 8: Select HIGH PRESSURE mode and adjust the timer to 18 minutes (Note I have shown 20 minutes in the video and photo, and I found chicken pieces were ‘almost’ falling off the bones(was difficult to handle). So adjusted to 18 minutes for the second time testing. It’s worth noticing that I double-cooked chicken, and pressure-cooked chicken was broiled too, so it made sense to reduce the cooking time in an instant to adjust the overall cooking time.
Step 9: Once the cooking timer is complete, let the instant pot release pressure on its own with Natural Pressure Release for 10 minutes. Do manual pressure by turning the pressure valve to the venting position to release the leftover pressure. Open lid.
Step 10: Carefully remove the chicken by lifting the trivet out of the instant pot. Let the chicken cool a bit so it’s safe to handle. Then carefully lift the whole chicken and transfer it back to a baking tray.
Step 11: In a small bowl whisk olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and cayenne pepper. Rub this generously over the chicken(placed breast side up)
Step 12: Broil in a preheated oven at 165F for 5-6 minutes. Remove the baking tray from the oven 2 to 3 times during broiling time and baste chicken with its fat and liquids that ooze out of the chicken. This is a very important step to keep chicken moist and juicy.
Once the skin on the chicken is crispy and brown, remove it from the oven. Allow it to rest for a few minutes. Serve as a meal, shred chicken and use it in tacos, soups, pot pies, sandwiches, and more.
Serving suggestions
My family loves chicken drumsticks and chicken breasts sliced off the whole chicken and served with cranberry sauce, sautéed green beans, and honey glazed carrots on the side.
Easy gravy from leftover broth
The leftover broth in the instant pot is not to be wasted. It’s jam-packed with flavors and you can use it to make an easy flavorful gravy.
Pour leftover broth from IP into a saucepan. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to ¼ cup water, whisk until lump-free, and pour it into the saucepan. Add extra flavor with a little BBQ sauce, whisk, and cook on low heat until the sauce thickens and turns into a delicious gravy.
Pour gravy over chicken when serving.
How long does it take to cook a frozen whole chicken in the instant pot
The time to cook a frozen chicken depends on the size of the chicken.
I tested this recipe with 4 lbs of frozen chicken. It took 65 minutes on high pressure as opposed to 20 minutes for fresh chicken using a 7 Qt Instant Pot.
If the whole frozen chicken does not get fully cooked in 65 minutes, put it back inside IP and cook further for 15 minutes.
The issue with cooking frozen whole chicken is that chicken might not cook evenly, also you won’t be able to pour the butter herb seasoning under the skin and over the chicken. Cooking it when frozen means there’s no way you can season the chicken and the result is bland chicken.
I do not recommend cooking frozen whole chicken. Fresh is best, or thaw it completely in the refrigerator and then cook.
Cooking time for whole chicken in Instant pot
Duration of the cooking time for whole chicken is determined by the size of the chicken. Remember time mentioned here are for whole chicken only, individual parts of chicken like breasts, drumsticks, chicken legs, wings will cook at different time durations.
This guideline is for cooking whole chicken fresh or thawed (NOT FROZEN). Chicken needs to be placed on a trivet with water or stock at the bottom, it’s not advised to cook whole chicken in the pan directly, it will stick and fall apart when you try to lift it after cooking. If not using a trivet you can cook chicken placed on rice or beans instead pot.
A general thumb rule is to cook whole chicken on high pressure for 6 minutes for every pound, and natural pressure release for 15-20 minutes before manually releasing remaining pressure for perfectly cooked chicken.
- 3-pound chicken – 18 minutes on high pressure with 15 minutes natural pressure release
- 3 ½-pound chicken – 21 minutes on high pressure with 15 minutes of natural pressure release
- 4-pound chicken – 24 minutes on high pressure with 15 minutes of natural pressure release
- 5-pound chicken – 30 minutes on high pressure with 15 minutes natural pressure release
Useful tips
- Make sure you buy whole chicken that will fit inside your pressure cooker. I used 7-quart pot and I could use a 4-pound whole chicken that fit inside the pot.
- Remember the pressure cook time set on IP is the actual cooking time, Instant pot always takes some extra time for the pot to build pressure.
- Ensure to season the bird both inside and outside. It’s better if you can loosen the skin and season under the skin too.
- Cooking chicken in the instant pot will result in soft, juicy chicken. If you want to get crispy skin, you need to do an additional step. Broil in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes in broiler mode.
- Suggested seasoning for Rotisseries style includes onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, oregano, and thyme. Feel free to use your favorite spice mix and herbs in the recipe.
- Feel free to switch things up by using your favorite spice mix and herb mix. Cajun seasoning, Creole seasoning works when you cook whole chicken.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can but keep in mind that frozen chicken will take significantly longer time to cook. The instructions mentioned in the recipe are for fresh or thawed chicken. For more details on how long to cook a frozen whole chicken, I recommend you scroll up to read the section “How long does it take to cook a frozen whole chicken in the instant pot”.
You have to broil it in the oven or use an air fryer to get crispy skin. This will be an additional step.
It’s worth noticing that I double-cooked chicken, first-pressure-cooked chicken, second- broiler it for a few minutes to get crispy brown skin. So it made sense to reduce the cooking time in an instant to adjust the overall cooking time.
If you choose to skip the broiler step – then I recommend you add all the seasoning – fresh herbs, butter, and spice powders together, add it to the chicken inside the skin and on top, and cook on high pressure for 24 minutes.
The leftover broth in the instant pot is not to be wasted. It’s jam-packed with flavors and you can use it to make an easy flavorful gravy. I recommend you scroll up to read the section “Easy gravy from leftover broth“.
Other chicken recipes for quick dinner
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📋Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 4 lbs whole chicken
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Half lemon
- 1 small Whole garlic head
- 2 sprig fresh thyme (for stuffing inside the cavity)
- 2 spring fresh rosemary (for stuffing inside the cavity)
- 2 sprig fresh oregano (for stuffing inside the cavity)
- 2 oz. unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules (or use garlic powder)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano chopped
- 2 teaspoon fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by adding to melted butter fresh herbs thyme, rosemary, oregano, garlic granules, salt and pepper. Mix well, keep aside.
- Place whole chicken on a tray. Loosen the skin of the chicken carefully with the back of a spoon. Be gentle and don't tear the skin.
- Pour buttery herb mix inside the chicken as well as under the skin and on both sides on the outer. Be generous with the mix. Spread it evenly with your hands and rub the herbs under the skin carefully.
- Insert half lemon, half whole garlic head, fresh thyme leaves, fresh rosemary sprigs, fresh oregano spring inside the cavity of chicken.
- Tie both legs of the chicken with thread and fold the wings beneath the body.
- Into the instant pot pour 1 cup chicken stock. Place the wire trivet inside.
- Lift chicken from the tray and carefully place it on trivet.
- Secure lid ensure pressure release knob is in sealing position.
- Select HIGH PRESSURE mode and adjust timer to 18 minutes (Note I have shown 20 minutes in the video and photo, and I found chicken pieces were ‘almost’ falling off the bones(was difficult to handle). So adjusted the next time to 18 minutes.
- Once cooking timer is complete, let instant pot release pressure on it’s own with Natural Pressure Release for 10 minutes.
- Do manual pressure by turning pressure valve to venting position to release the left over pressure.
- Open lid.
- Carefully remove the chicken by lifting the trivet out off the instant pot. Let chicken cool a bit so it’s safe to handle.
- Then carefully lift whole chicken and transfer it back to a baking tray.
- In a small bowl whisk olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, cayenne pepper.
- Rub this generously over the chicken(placed breast side up)
- Broil in pre heated oven at 165 F for 5-6 minutes.
- Remove tray from oven 2 to 3 times during broil and bast it with liquids and fat released from chicken
- Serve
Video
Notes
- Make sure you buy whole chicken that will fit inside your pressure cooker. I used a 7-quart pot and I could use a 4-pound whole chicken that fit inside the pot.
- Remember the pressure cook time set on IP is the actual cooking time, Instant pot always takes some extra time for the pot to build pressure.
- Ensure to season the bird both inside and outside. It’s better if you can loosen the skin and season under the skin too.
- Cooking chicken in the instant pot will result in soft, juicy chicken. If you want to get crispy skin, you need to do an additional step. Broil in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes in broiler mode.
- Suggested seasoning for Rotisseries style includes onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, oregano, and thyme. Feel free to use your favorite spice mix and herbs in the recipe.
- Feel free to switch things up by using your favorite spice mix and herb mix. Cajun seasoning, Creole seasoning works when you cook whole chicken.
Nutrition
Created by Jyothi Rajesh
Thank you for stopping by.
I’m Jyothi Rajesh (Jo for short) and i’m the founder of the food blog, Curry Trail where I share my culinary Adventures. I live in Bangalore, India. I’m a mom of two beautiful kids. My passion is creating and sharing delicious and easy recipes for the home cook. I have been blogging since 2007 and many of my recipes have appeared in both online and print publications over the years. Learn more about Jyothi Rajesh.
Comments & Reviews
MJ says
I just tried this and pressure cooked for 18 minutes as recommended and broil for 10 minutes (basting every so often). When it was time to serve the meat, the chicken was still raw 🙁 it was horrible. I ended up baking the chicken again at 400f until the meat is cooked. For the amount of effort it took, I should have just baked the thing. The spices recommended were flavorful tho
jyothirajesh says
Did you use frozen chicken? And what was the size of the chicken? Chicken truly should get cooked (in fact some say it cooks to extend of fall off the bones it gets cooked) in 18 minutes. Please check the size of the chicken and hopefully the settings.
Jen says
So I made this last night. It was very simple but turned out tasting like boiled chicken. Is that how it’s supposed to be? Definitely not what I was hoping for.
jyothirajesh says
Did you broil the chicken afterwards as mentioned in the recipe? If you follow the recipe you will get crispy outer skin, full of flavor loaded chicken. Definitely won’t taste like ordinary boiled chicken
Jen says
Yes, I did. Some of the skin crisped up, but the texture of the chicken was the same as boiled. This was the first thing I’ve made in the instant pot. Could I have done something wrong? Thanks for your reply!
jyothirajesh says
I’m sorry I can’t figure out what went wrong. But it definitely taste so much more better, not at all boiled chicken. Many of my readers have tried this recipe and really liked it.
Carol says
I am not cleared on the instructions. Did you say after closing the lid put the nozzle in the sealing position? Your rotisserie chicken looked yummy!
jyothirajesh says
I mean the pressure knob should be in sealing position when you put on the lid to pressure cook!