How to Make a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot: In less than 60 minutes, you can have a tender, perfectly roasted chicken made in your electric pressure cooker. This easy chicken recipe is flavored with a homemade rotisserie seasoning and is perfect for eating for an easy dinner or using in chicken recipes.
Raise your hand if you are a fan of Ina Garten?
I can’t imagine any of you would not have your hand raised high. Ina is the queen of simple recipes that always turn out spectacularly.
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She is also the queen of roasted chicken recipes.
Ina must be rubbing off on me, because my chicken game is on point–and you guys seem to becoming to me more and more for easy chicken recipes. I have mastered cooking chicken breasts in the instant pot, homemade rotisserie chicken, and slow cooker chicken drumsticks just to name a few. But of course those are just the basic chicken recipes–I love making more complicated chicken dishes like Chicken Marsala, Pretzel Chicken Cordon Bleu and Buffalo Chicken Tacos.
Want to know what else you guys are begging for me to create? More Instant Pot Recipes!
And so I predict this Instant Pot Rotisserie Style Chicken is going to quickly become a new favorite recipe at your house.
Instant Pot Whole Chicken
I held off making a whole chicken in the pressure cooker for a long time. I felt like I already had a great recipe for Oven Rotisserie Chicken, so why mess with a good thing?
Well, I am glad I decided to start experimenting, because rotisserie chicken in the pressure cooker is about the best thing since sliced bread.
Instant pot whole chicken is tender, incredibly moist and perfectly cooked. I could not get over how juicy the meat was after pressure cooking. You can see the meat pulling away from the bones as the whole chicken was tenderized as it cooked. My son actually asked me if I brined the chicken first because it was so incredibly flavorful and juicy. And yes, being the child of a food blogger, my son knows all about brining meat!
Step-by-step Directions for Cooking a Whole Chicken in an Electric Pressure Cooker:
Step one: Make sure your chicken fits into your instant pot. Don’t laugh! If your chicken is larger than your pressure cooker you will be cursing up a storm you can’t make Instant Pot Roasted chicken–if your chicken does not fit into your pressure cooker just use my oven roasted chicken recipe.
I have a 6 quart Instant Pot and I have made as large as a 5 1/2 pound whole chicken. And this is the time, when you can refer to Max fill line on your instant pot. If you remember, in my Instant Pot 101, I told you not to fill more than 2/3 full when pressure cooking–this is the exception to that rule.
Step Two: Place your trivet into your pressure cooker and pour in 1 cup water–you need liquid in order for pressure to build and pressure cooking to be possible.
Step Three: Stuff your cleaned chicken with an onion and lemon. And by cleaned, I mean clean out your gizzards, etc from inside your chicken–do not rinse your chicken. You can read more about why you shouldn’t rinse your chicken here.
Step Four: Place your chicken into your instant pot and season with the homemade rotisserie rub.
Step Five: Place the lid on your pressure cooker, set valve to seal and set cooking time according to how large your chicken is (see recipe notes.)
Step Six: Allow pressure to naturally release for at least 10 minutes (I prefer 20-25 minutes for more tender meat) and then remove chicken for serving.
Step Seven: Save bones from your roasted chicken to make Instant Pot Chicken Stock.
How long does it take to cook a whole chicken in the instant pot?
The length of cooking time for whole chickens will vary based on size of your chicken. A safe rule of thumb is to cook your chicken 6 minutes per pound and let naturally release for at least 20 minutes for perfectly cooked chicken.
- 3 pound chicken: 18 minutes on high pressure
- 4 pound chicken: 24 minutes on high pressure
- 5 pound chicken: 30 minutes on high pressure
- For every pound add 6 minutes, for every half a pound add 3 minutes to total cooking time for whole chickens.
My pressure cooker doesn’t have a Poultry setting–what setting do I use to cook chicken?
No worries! Poultry setting on your pressure cooker is just high pressure. Set to high pressure for suggested cooking time.
Can you cook a whole chicken that is frozen in the instant pot?
Yes and No.
You CAN cook a whole frozen chicken in the Instant Pot if your frozen chicken already has the innards/gizzards removed and has no plastic ties around the feet. You will not be able to remove a plastic insert or bag of gizzards from a frozen chicken. Therefore, you can not put a frozen chicken with either of those items into your pressure cooker.
If you have a chicken that comes without the gizzards or plastic clamp around the legs, you would need to increase time by 5 minutes per pound, for a total of 11 minutes per pound and for frozen chicken, let pressure release for at least 20 minutes.
- 3 pound frozen chicken: 33 minutes on high pressure
- 4 pound frozen chicken: 44 minutes on high pressure
- 5 pound frozen chicken 55 minutes on high pressure
- For each pound increase by 11 minutes, for each half a pound increase by 6 minutes for frozen whole chickens.
Can I make chicken stock while cooking a whole chicken in the electric pressure cooker?
Yes, you can make stock at the same time as cooking a whole chicken in your instant pot–with a few cautions.
- First of all, your skin will NOT be able to be crisped up, as the whole chicken will cook submerged in liquid.
- You will need to cook a smaller chicken, as you do not want to exceed filling your pressure cooker more than 2/3 of the way full.
- You will not need to use your trivet if making a whole chicken and stock at the same time.
- Omit rotisserie seasoning, so your chicken broth is not overly salty.
- Your chicken stock will be more greasy as the skin will render quite a bit of fat while cooking.
- You will need to allow chicken stock cooked with a whole chicken to naturally release pressure on it’s own, as when pressure cooking this much liquid, it would be dangerous to release the pressure prematurely.
I recommend making Instant Pot Whole Chicken as this recipe suggests and then following my recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Stock with the leftover carcass from your chicken. But if you want to cook the whole chicken and make stock together, place your chicken into your instant pot, along 1 diced onion, 1 carrot, 1-2 stalks of celery and 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Cover with water and cook according to size of your whole chicken. Let pressure release naturally and then remove chicken and strain broth. Use cooked chicken and stock as desired.
Does this roasted chicken for the instant pot have crispy skin?
When cooking whole chickens in the pressure cooker, the chicken skin will not have a chance to crisp up. For me, that is not a problem because I remove the skin before eating or using in recipes that call for pre-cooked chicken. BUT if you would like crispy skin on this chicken, follow these instructions:
- Cook the chicken as directed in your pressure cooker.
- After removing the chicken for your instant pot, transfer to a baking sheet.
- Brush with oil and place under broiler for 2-4 minutes, watching closely as to not burn the chicken.
Can I brine my chicken before cooking in my electric pressure cooker?
Yes, you can brine your chicken before cooking in your pressure cooker. Use your favorite brine recipe (or my Turkey brine recipe) and then omit salt from the seasoning blend. Cook as recipe states for a brined chicken.
I don’t like the homemade rotisserie seasoning? What else can I use?
If you don’t happen to like this rotisserie seasoning blend, you can simply sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper or your favorite spice blend before cooking.
Let’s make Roasted Chicken in the Instant Pot:
Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Make a perfectly juicy rotisserie style chicken in your electric pressure cooker. This recipe is Gluten-Free, Paleo, Whole 30, Keto-Friendly and Sugar Free.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken innards removed
- 1 lemon cut in half
- 1 onion cut in half
- 1 recipe Rotisserie blend
Rotisserie Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- dash of cayenne pepper
Instructions
Homemade Rotisserie Seasoning
-
Mix together all ingredients well.
For Pressure Cooker Whole Roasted Chicken
-
Place trivet in instant pot pan and pour in 1 cup water into instant pot.
-
Place cut lemon and onion inside cavity of chicken and place chicken on trivet in instant pot.
-
Sprinkle seasoning evenly over chicken.
-
Place lid on pressure cooker and be sure valve is turned to sealed.
-
Set on high pressure for 6 minutes per pound of chicken.
-
Once cooking time is finished, allow pressure to release naturally for at least 10 minutes, preferably closer to 20 minutes.
Recipe Notes
- 3 pound chicken: 18 minutes on high pressure
- 4 pound chicken: 24 minutes on high pressure
- 5 pound chicken: 30 minutes on high pressure
- For every pound add 6 minutes, for every half a pound add 3 minutes to total cooking time for whole chickens.
- Be sure to allow pressure to naturally release for at least 10 minutes, preferably 20 minutes.
- Total time: 10-15 minutes to come to pressure + cooking time based on size of chicken + 10-20 minutes pressure to release
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Chris says
Oh wow, i’ve never thought of cooking a how chicken in the instant pot before, but after reading this I’ll definitely be giving it a go!!
Kristen Chidsey says
I hope you do Chris–it is incredibly easy with huge delivery!
Rebecca Hubbell says
Wow, who knew it was so easy! I bet this is better than the rotisserie chickens at the grocery store! Can’t wait to try this recipe out in my instant pot!
Kristen Chidsey says
Rebecca, It is so much better tasting AND better for you than what you find at any store!
Dana DeVolk says
Literally drooling. That seasoning blend sounds amazing!
Kristen Chidsey says
It really knocks it out of the park in flavor!
Julia says
Love all your instructions and useful tips! Haven’t tried cooking a whole chicken in my IP but will give it a go now it looks pretty simple 🙂
Kristen Chidsey says
Julia, it is REALLY simple and quite delicious!
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy says
Well all the Instant Pot lovers should like this easy and delicious recipe. No more store bought chicken. This would be so much better.
Kristen Chidsey says
Much better indeed Gloria 🙂
Beth says
That looks so delicious! I have yet to have purchased an insta-pot! I love a nice juicy chicken! Sometimes they get dry in the oven!
Kristen Chidsey says
Beth, you really need to get an instant pot–they are AMAZING!! And this chicken is ANYTHING but dry!
Shashi says
Dang lady! You blew my mind with this recipe! A whole chicken in an instant pot!? WOW! And it looks amazing – no shriveling at all! WoW – JUST WOW!!! I bet Ina hasn’t tried a whole chicken in an instant pot – maybe you could go on her show and show her?! 🙂
Luv this recipe! Now I need to get me an IP!
Kristen Chidsey says
LOL!! Thanks girl! Wouldn’t that be grand if Ina invited me over to show her my IP chicken?!! It would be a dream come true! And yes, you really do want to get an Instant Pot–they are amazing!
Julie Pollitt @ Back To My Southern Roots says
I don’t have an Instant Pot yet, but I need to get one! That’s on my birthday list. I am constantly amazed at the cooking times. I can’t believe you can cook a frozen chicken in 55 minutes. Thanks for sharing all of this! I hope you have a great evening.
Kristen Chidsey says
Julie, I hope you get an instant pot for your birthday–they really do make weeknight cooking a breeze.
And I hope you are having a great weekend as well 🙂
Lauren says
To quote my 4 year old daughter: “why is this chicken so soft and fluffy?”. Fluffy it was not, but soft and juicy it was! Yum. A good, solid, staple recipe.
Kristen Chidsey says
YAY! Instant Pot success and winner winner chicken dinner for your daughter! Thanks for sharing your success Lauren!
Dayna says
I tried this recipe tonight and the chicken came out so moist and delicious. I like how the lemon adds flavor to the meat. Overall, dinner was a success!
Kristen Chidsey says
Yay Dayna!
I love to help you buy a successful dinner on the table. So glad you enjoyed.
Have a great weeken!
Penny McDonough says
Holy cow! Awesome recipe and awesome Instant Pot!! Hubby bought me a 6 qt IP yesterday, told him to bring home a whole chicken and he brought home a 9 lb chicken!! It fit! I was worried that it wouldn’t cook evenly since it totally filled the pot. I love my IP! The chicken turned out so moist and juicy, it was so tender that it fell apart as I pulled it out of the pot, and holy cow the stock it made is wonderful! I love that I chose the whole roasted chicken as my first dish. Thinking about maybe shredded chicken enchiladas with the left overs using a PIP method.
Kristen Chidsey says
YAY!!! Oh Penny you are going to LOVE your instant pot. I am so excited for you. Chicken enchiladas sound amazing–I bet my recipe for them would work perfectly in IP. Just cook n high pressure for 10 -15 minutes (and cover pot with foil), place on inner rack with 1 cup water on bottom of instant pot. https://amindfullmom.com/chipotle-chicken-enchiladas/
Enjoy 🙂
Holly says
I absolutely love cooking whole chicken in my Instant Pot! With a family of 8, the Instant Pot is a Savior. The fuse blew on my first one, this is common from what I read. Beware, do not overheat your IP. They replaced it though, no charge. I always set it on saute and brown my chicken first, about 5 minutes on each side(makes it’s own juice) then I pressure cook it. I use a 2 types lime marinades, chicken broth(instead of water)butter, garlic, onion powder, chicken rub and an onion. My family loves it! I have an 8 qt, sometimes I cook 2 small chickens. Makes great chicken salad.
Kristen Chidsey says
I am with you Holly–the Instant Pot makes INCREDIBLE chicken!!! And I love that you browned the chicken first–great idea! I have a recipe for honey lime chicken marinade that I am going to try ASAP for my IP chicken. Thanks for the idea Holly! Take care and happy pressure cooking.
Becky says
Can I throw carrots and slices of potatoes in with the chicken like I do while baking chicken?
Kristen Chidsey says
Hi Becky! You COULD place potatoes and carrots in the IP with the chicken, but they would get really soft in the time it takes to cook a full chicken. What I would do is cook the chicken as directed. Do a quick release after 10 minutes and let the chicken rest on a cutting board tented with foil. Then I would add 1-2 inch carrot chunks and potatoes to the chicken juices left in inner pot and cook those on high pressure for 5 minutes. Let NPR for 3-5 minutes then manually release and serve with your chicken that will still be warm. Enjoy!
Tracy says
I made this today and it was awesome! I can’t belive a whole 1.8kg chicken can cook in 24 mins. It was so juicy! And i followed your tip for removing the chicken and cooking potatoes and carrot chunks for 5 mins afterwards… SO GOOD! Thank you! Xx
Kristen Chidsey says
Thank you for sharing your success Tracy!! I love this recipe SO much and I am so glad you did as well!
BhaktiGirl says
Quick question: What to do with remaining liquid? Use as a rich stock? Or is there some reason not to use it? Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey says
You can absolutely SHOULD use the cooking liquid to make a rich stock. It will be heavy in fat, but you can strain it or cool it and skim the fat off, or just go ahead and use the rich stock.
Sues says
Amazing tutorial!! I’ve had my Instant Pot for almost 2 years now and have never attempted to cook a whole chicken in it, so this is just what I needed! Who knew the Instant Pot could make such a delicious chicken??
Kristen Chidsey says
Oh I am so glad this helped you out Sues!
Erica Acevedo says
I have ALWAYS had such trouble with the whole chicken in the Instant Pot – maybe I should have had you teach me before I tried it out!
Kristen Chidsey says
Well, now you can always have success Erica 🙂
Stephanie says
Could I successfully cook two whole chickens (3/3.5 lbs each) in my 8-qt IP? How would the directions need to be changed? Thank you!
Kristen Chidsey says
Hey Stephanie! As long as you can fit both chickens in your instant pot on the rack and close the lid, you can cook BOTH chickens and timing will be based on the largest chicken (so you don’t need to cook for 7 pounds total–but 3.5 pounds) and that would be for 21 minutes on high pressure. Enjoy!
Lisa says
I just started this in my IP for our dinner tonight! I am excited to see how it turns out!! It was super easy to put together! Probably going to be a regular recipe around here!
Kristen Chidsey says
Oh I sure hope this does become a regular recipe at your house. We love it here. Enjoy Lisa.
Esther says
I made my first Instant Pot whole chicken today and it came out perfect! I did use salt and pepper instead of the Rotisserie seasoning and it is very tasty. I love your narrative as much as your actual recipe. I made your chicken stock right after and it came out great too! Thank you for your awesome recipes.
Kristen Chidsey says
Good Morning Esther! Nothing makes my heart happier than to hear how others enjoyed my recipes, so thank you for sharing. I also love hearing you enjoy my writing, I love letting you all in my life through these recipes. Take care!
Dawn Scannell says
Oh my gosh. I have only had my IP a week but I am in love! Made this whole chicken recipe last night and using the rich broth to make a sausage and bean soup today for dinner. Waiting on my mesh steamer basket so I can do my first batch of bone broth in it. I have always used my stove top pressure cooker for making bone broth and then emptied into another pot through a colander, then run that through a mesh strainer, etc! This IP is going to eliminate so many extra steps and extra cleanup. WTH took me so long to buy one, lol.
Kristen Chidsey says
YAY!!! Oh this makes me so so happy! Thank you for sharing. I am so glad you joined in on the IP Bandwagon ; )
Allison says
I made this last night, and it came out alright, but I will definitely have to attempt it again. My chicken was 5 pounds, and I cooked it for a full 30 minutes, allowing the pressure to release naturally for about 15 minutes. The bird was very tender and juicy, but the breasts were slightly under cooked. I ended up finishing those off in the microwave because it was getting late for dinner. Now, here’s the kicker: My husband doesn’t like juicy meat. The dryer the better for him. Ugh! Regardless of his preferences, I’ll attempt this recipe again.
Kristen Chidsey says
Good Morning Allison! I am shocked the chicken was not fully cooked for you. The breasts should have been the first to reach 165 degrees. Did you happen to take the internal temp? Sometimes, a slight pink hue does NOT mean the meat is under cooked. Just curious…
As for your husband–HA! That is funny! I hope you served him the dried out chicken breasts after you microwaved them 😉
Best of luck next time 🙂
Jo Marie says
I have to say, I had high hopes finding this recipe. I am disappointed though. Cooked a 4 lb. chicken for 24 minutes as the recipe called for. Let it release naturally for 20 minutes. The breasts were still raw. The chicken wasn’t tender at all. It’s past our dinnertime, but trying to cook it a little longer in my Instant Pot. Hopefully it will taste okay.
Kristen Chidsey says
Oh man Jo Marie! I hate hearing this did not live up to your expectations. I am wondering if your chicken was partially frozen? I have been noticing lately that a lot of whole chickens have been previously frozen and not fully thawed when sold. That definitely would change the cook time–as 24 minutes is more than enough time to cook a 4 pound chicken.
I hope that you were able to cook for 5-10 more minutes and have it taste good for you. Sorry you had to wait–that is never fun!
J says
Does this chicken reheat well the next day if it’s not all finished in one sitting? It looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it!
Kristen Chidsey says
Hi!!! Yes, this chicken reheats well the next day. You can place on broiler pan and crisp up in oven and enjoy. Or place back in IP with 1 cup chicken stock for 5 minutes and enjoy that way. I also like to shred the meat and use in recipes as well. Enjoy!
Melanie says
I have a 5 lb chicken. After I cook it for 30 minutes, do I immediately press cancel and then wait 20 minutes to take it out? Or do I press nothing and wait 20 minutes and then take it out? The manual says there is natural release and a 10 minute natural release (which I would wait 20 per your instructions) which seem the same to me so I’m confused. Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey says
Hi Melanie! I would do nothing and then do a release after 20 minutes, if still needed. And the IP manual is SO confusing for everyone 😉
Katie Berry says
This turned out wonderfully!
Kristen Chidsey says
Yay! Thanks for sharing your success.
DONNA LYNN Hall says
I am definitely trying this. If I make it in the morning before I go to work so my family has dinner before I get home could I keep this on warm? If I kept this on warm for 6-8hours would that be to much and fall apart? Any suggestions?
Kristen Chidsey says
Hi Donna! The Instant Pot will hold your food warm for up to 10 hours, so it will be SAFE to cook BEFORE work. It may be a bit more tender, and may fall apart, but it will still be oh so juicy and tasty! Enjoy!
Marty says
I’m confused. First you say to use the max fill line (exception to the rule) then you say to add one cup of water. How much water do I put in the Instant Pot to cook a whole chicken? I’m an Instant Pot newbie so I’m a little intimidated already so don’t want to burn something up.
Kristen Chidsey says
Hi Marty! I am sorry for your confusion.
You fill to the max line if making STOCK at the same time you are cooking your chicken.
If you just want to cook your chicken–use only 1 cup of water.
Enjoy!
Tony says
Thanks for the easy to follow the recipe for the roast chicken.
I also do not eat the skin. Do you still need to use the rotisserie rub?
Kristen Chidsey says
Hi Tony! I actually would rub use the rub still to add flavor–or even better, rub the blend UNDER the chicken skin (I do this with plastic gloves) Enjoy!