Pressure Cooking Whole Chicken Recipes

Instant Pot Whole Chicken is the fastest way to cook a rotisserie chicken. Cooking Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot is so juicy and you'll love the easy 3-ingredient chicken gravy made from the drippings.

We love the instant pot not just for the speed of making dinner, but because it comes together in one pot. One and done – just like our Instant Pot White Chicken Chili and Instant Pot Chicken and Rice. Explore our best Instant Pot Recipes Here.

Whole chicken cooked in instant pot with chicken gravy

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Instant Pot whole Chicken Recipe:

The ingredients here are so simple and you probably have everything you need in your refrigerator and pantry. We used 1 whole chicken (4 to 4 1/2 lbs), chicken broth, fresh garlic, thyme, rosemary and lemon juice, butter and a few dried spices (salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder and paprika).

The combination of seasonings makes for the best taking gravy made from the pan drippings and prepared right in the instant pot. The gravy is amazing poured over mashed potatoes and the sliced chicken.

Ingredients for instant pot whole chicken recipe

Tips for the Best Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken:

Cook the chicken for 6 minutes per pound and allow a 15-minute natural pressure release. Releasing the pressure gradually will ensure your chicken is fully cooked through and rested for the juiciest chicken. It also prevents foam from shooting out of the valve.
Weigh the chicken to ensure the proper cooking time (see timing chart below). Overcooking the bird will cause it to fall apart and will make it difficult to transfer.
Make sure your chicken fits your instant pot size. Our 6 qt instant pot fits up to a 5 lb chicken. An 8 qt pressure cooker is better for the larger sized chickens.
Use a Trivet for even cooking and to help remove the chicken from the instant pot.
Broil the chicken for a crisp salty skin
Do not discard the drippings – they make the best gravy to pour over your chicken.
Keep the carcass and bones for Instant Pot Chicken Broth.

Chicken gravy poured over instant pot whole chicken

How to Cook a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot:

Prepare Chicken: Separate the skin over the chicken breast using a spoon.

Set up Instant Pot: Place the trivet inside the instant pot and pour in 1 cup chicken broth. Add the chicken breast-side-up and stuff the cavity with garlic cloves and half of the squeezed lemon.

Make Butter Sauce: Combine melted butter with all of the seasonings. Pour half of the mixture under the skin and pour the remaining mixture all over the outside of the chicken.

Pressure Cook Chicken: Cover with the lid, set the lever to "sealing" position, cook on high pressure for 6 minutes per pound followed by 15-minute natural pressure release before manually releasing remaining pressure.

Broil for Crisp Browned Skin: Transfer chicken to a foiled lined baking sheet, season with more salt, pepper, and paprika and broil in the center of the oven 4-5 minutes or until the desired color is reached.

How to make a whole chicken in the instant pot cooked and served on a platter

Cooking Times for I.P. Whole Chicken:

As a general rule of thumb, cook your chicken on high pressure for 6 minutes per pound, then do a natural pressure release for 15 minutes before manually releasing remaining pressure.

3 lbs = 18 minutes on high pressure with 15-min natural release
3 1/2 lbs = 21 minutes on high pressure with 15-min natural release
4 lb = 24 minutes on high pressure with 15-min natural release
4 1/2 lb = 27 minutes on high pressure with 15-min natural release
5 lb = 30 minutes on high pressure with 15-min natural release

Perfectly cooked chicken in the instant pot is tender and juicy at 6 minutes per pound

Can I Cook a Frozen Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot?

For this recipe, a fresh or thawed chicken works best. You can cook a frozen whole chicken but it will take significantly longer (60-70 minutes on high pressure) and we found a thawed or fresh chicken will cook more evenly. Also, you won't be able to pour the flavored butter under the chicken skin.

If you want to use a frozen chicken, a dry rub would work better like in this Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Recipe from my friend Olena of Ifoodreal. She also shares some great tips like what to do with the bag of giblets that are stuck inside the chicken and timings for different sized frozen chickens.

Recipes for Leftover Rotisserie Chicken:

We love cooking a whole chicken because the options are endless for easy dinners using leftover chicken. Don't forget to keep the carcass to make the best homemade chicken stock.

Avocado Chicken Salad – our most viral salad
Chicken Fried Rice – our favorite recipe for leftovers
Autumn Chopped Chicken Salad – you'll love this dressing
Chicken Bacon Avocado Sandwich – restaurant favorite
Chicken in Gravy – combine shredded chicken with gravy and you have a fresh new meal
Chicken Noodle Soup – even easier with shredded rotisserie chicken!

Watch Natasha Make Instant Pot Whole Chicken:

I hope this Instant Pot Whole Chicken recipe becomes a new favorite Instant Pot recipe for you. It will change the way you make chicken. If you enjoyed this video tutorial, please subscribe to our Youtube Channel and click the bell icon so you can be the first to know when we post a new video. THANK YOU for subscribing!

Instant Pot Whole Chicken

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 24 minutes

Natural Pressure Release: 15 minutes

Total Time: 59 minutes

Whole chicken cooked in the instant pot served on a platter with gravy

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $6-$10

Keyword: Instant Pot Whole Chicken

Cuisine: American

Course: Chicken, Main Course

Calories: 459

Servings: 6 people

Instant Pot Whole Chicken:

4 lb whole chicken
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
4 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
2 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 sprig of rosemary, leaves stripped and minced
1 sprig of thyme, leaves stripped and minced
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 lemon, (squeeze 1 Tbsp juice and use same lemon to stuff chicken)

How to Make Instant Pot Whole Chicken:

Take out the giblets bag from inside the chicken. Pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Place chicken breast-side-up. Starting from the drumstick side, loosen the skin from the breast, using the back of a spoon to help. Set aside.
In a small bowl combine: all of the seasonings, the minced rosemary and thyme and 1 Tbsp lemon juice and one stick of melted butter. Stir to combine. Set aside.
Place a rack in the inner pot of your instant pot and add 1 cup of chicken broth. Add chicken breast-side-up. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with crushed garlic cloves and half a lemon.
Pour half the butter mixture under the skin, (you can use your fingers to massage the chicken and distribute the mixture) then spread the remaining butter mixture evenly over the top of the chicken.
Pressure cook for 24 min with 15 min natural pressure release, remove the chicken with trivet, allowing any excess juice to drip into the pot (keep that liquid for gravy).
Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet, season with more salt and pepper and paprika if desired for a little color then broil at 500˚F, or air fry 5 min or until the skin is browned. Rest 10 minutes before slicing.

To Make the Chicken Gravy:

Pour all of the liquid from the pot into a bowl or measuring cup and skim off the excess fat at the top. You should have about 2 cups after straining off the fat.
Set the instant pot to the sauté function and melt in 3 Tbsp butter. Whisk in 3 Tbsp flour, whisking for 1 minute until golden. Add the remaining drippings and whisk until simmering and thickened then remove from heat. Serve with chicken.

As a general rule of thumb, cook your chicken on high pressure for 6 minutes per pound, then do a natural pressure release for 15 minutes before manually releasing remaining pressure.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Whole Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 459 Calories from Fat 315

% Daily Value*

Fat 35g 54%

Saturated Fat 15g 94%

Cholesterol 144mg 48%

Sodium 892mg 39%

Potassium 335mg 10%

Carbohydrates 6g 2%

Fiber 1g 4%

Sugar 1g 1%

Protein 29g 58%

Vitamin A 693IU 14%

Vitamin C 8mg 10%

Calcium 26mg 3%

Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.