Instant Pot Whole Chicken

Name: Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 3 lbs whole chicken; 3 tablespoons cajun seasoning; 3 cloves garlic; 1 onion (wedges); 1 lemon; 3 rosemary spigs; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 cup water; salt and pepper; 2 cups basmati rice (or long grain rice)

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By: Diana Posted: 9/29/19 Updated: 11/20/21

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Cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot to get rotisserie-style juicy and tender chicken that you’re going to love! Easy, quick, and delicious!

A whole cooked chicken inside the Instant Pot.

The best thing about the Instant Pot is being able to perfectly cook meat, and poultry in it quickly and effortlessly. Try this recipe and you will never roast chicken in the oven ever again!

When I first heard that you can cook a roast chicken in the Instant Pot, I was skeptical about trying it. I thought that it will turn out like boiled chicken, but I was wrong! When the chicken is properly seasoned and then pressure cooked, it cooks in hot steam which makes the meat so moist and tender!

Cutting through the roast chicken breast, showing the doneness of the meat.

Things and Ingredients That You Will Need to Make This

An Instant Pot (this is the one that I have and love!)
Kitchen tongs.
A whole chicken, the one that I cooked in this recipe is around 3 lbs in weight.
An onion, lemon, olive oil, rosemary, cajun seasoning, and water.

How to Make Instant Pot Whole Chicken – Step by Step

Rinse the chicken and pat it dry with kitchen towels. Lay it on a cutting board, and season it with cajun (or any other seasoning that you like), salt, and pepper and make sure that it’s well seasoned from all sides. The seasoning needs to go inside the chicken cavity as well.

On the Instant Pot press on SAUTE and set on 16 minutes. Add oil, and only add the chicken when the Instant Pot displays the HOT message. You want to put the chicken in hot oil. Start by cooking the chicken breast side down.

Flip the chicken and brown the chicken on all four sides (about 4 minutes on each side), then turn off the SAUTE setting.

After browning, squeeze a lemon over the chicken. This won’t wash away the seasoning since the chicken was browned.

How to cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot - A collage with 4 images

Stuff the chicken with onion wedges, garlic, lemon (you can use the same lemons that were squeezed over the chicken) and fresh herbs (I use rosemary and thyme), and then secure the chicken with toothpicks as shown in the picture below.

Then add water, you will need 1 cup of water. No need for a trivet or anything.

Press on MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK and set for 25 minutes on high pressure. Allow the Instant Pot to come to pressure, then quickly release the steam once it’s done cooking.

Instant Pot set on pressure cook on high for 25 minutes

Take the chicken out of the Instant Pot, and put on a baking tray (as shown in the picture below) if you wish to brown the skin. If not, you can just let it rest for 15 minutes and then carve it.

If you decide to brown it under the broiler, then spray it lightly with oil and broil for 5 minutes but keep watching it so it doesn’t get burnt.

Natural or Quick Release?

When cooking meat and poultry, a natural release is always recommended so that the meat does not turn out dry and tough. However, this recipe uses quick release which works great for this specific recipe.

Can I Brine My Chicken Before Cooking in the Instant Pot?

Yes, you can! Just make sure not to add salt when seasoning the chicken.

Golden chicken skin that was browned under the broiler

How to Tell When the Chicken Is Done Cooking

If you follow this Instant Pot recipe, then your chicken will be properly cooked and safe to eat. However, if you would like to double-check, then this is how we check this chicken:

Using a kitchen thermometer (recommended method): You can use a thermometer to check if your chicken is cooked. The internal temperature of the breast should be around 75c/165f.
Slice the chicken between the breast and the leg and look at the juices, if they’re running clear then it means that the chicken is cooked. If they have a slight pink tinge to it, you need to cook it for longer. So put it back in the oven, and cook for 10 more minutes then take it out and check again.
Also, look at the meat and check if it feels firm. When it’s cooked, it will be firm. If it’s still undercooked, then it will feel rubbery and jiggly.

cutting through the instant pot whole chicken to show the doneness of the meat

Cook’s Tips

Make sure that your chicken fits in your Instant Pot. The largest bird that we could fit in our 6qt was 5lbs. So I recommend that you choose a bird that’s between 3-5 lbs in weight.
This recipe was tested using a 6qt, if you have 8qt Instant Pot then you will need to add 2 cups of water instead of 1.
Make sure that the chicken is well coated in seasoning before browning it in the Instant Pot.
When you brown the chicken, start by browning in HOT oil breast side DOWN.
If your chicken is smaller/bigger than the one in this recipe, the cooking time will be different. 3 lbs will cook in 25 minutes, 4 lbs will cook in 30 minutes, 5 lbs will cook in 35 minutes and so on.
Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Use the leftovers for other recipes such as this Instant Pot chicken noodle soup, Rasta pasta, Caesar pasta salad, or meal prep for the week!

How Long to Cook a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot?

Cooking time for Instant Pot FRESH whole chicken:

3 lbs – 25 minutes on high pressure and quick release
3.5 lbs – 28 minutes on high pressure and quick release
4 lbs – 30 minutes on high pressure and quick release
4.5 lbs – 33 minutes on high pressure and quick release
5 lbs – 35 minutes on high pressure and quick release

What to Serve Whole Chicken With

Rice made in the Instant Pot using chicken broth (see recipe below), or Instant Pot basmati rice.
Instant Pot buttered potatoes
Instant Pot garlic green beans
Cheesy scalloped potatoes
Mashed potatoes
Smashed potatoes

Instant Pot Whole Chicken and Rice

Once you take the chicken out, do not discard the juices! You can use the broth to make gravy or to use later in other recipes as chicken broth. It’s full of flavor and I normally use it to make rice to serve with my Instant Pot whole chicken. It works great every time!

How to Make Rice Using the Whole Chicken Broth in the Instant Pot?

After you take out the chicken from the Instant Pot, leave the juices there and add long grain rice (or basmati rice) that was previously washed and soaked in cold water for 15 minutes.

Add a knob of butter for more flavor if you like. No need to add salt as the broth is already salted from the chicken seasoning. Just make sure that the rice is fully covered by half-inch of broth. If the rice is not covered by half-inch, then feel free to add water to cover it.

How to Make Rice Using the Whole Chicken Broth in the Instant Pot - a collage with 4 images

Give the rice a quick stir, cover with the lid and set the vent on SEALING position. Press on MANUAL or HIGH PRESSURE (this depends on which model of Instant Pot you have), and set at 4 minutes on high. Allow the Instant Pot to come to pressure, and once it’s finished allow the steam to naturally release for 15 minutes.

Perfectly cooked instant pot rice in a serving spoon

Carefully open the lid, and fluff the rice with a fork (rice should look fluffy as in the picture above). Serve with the Instant Pot chicken on the side.

Perfectly cooked chicken sliced that were cooked in the instant pot, served with rice

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