Learn to make a whole chicken right in the Instant Pot with this easy recipe! Made with homemade rotisserie seasoning, this recipe for Instant Pot Whole Chicken results in a tender, juicy, perfectly cooked chicken in under 60 minutes.
This Instant Pot "Rotisserie-Style" Chicken is a favorite Instant Pot Chicken Recipe. It is perfect to enjoy for a family dinner or to use in leftover rotisserie chicken recipes.
I held off making a whole chicken in the Instant Pot for a long time. I love my recipe for Homemade Rotisserie Chicken made in the oven, so why mess with a good thing?
I am so glad I decided to start experimenting because Instant Pot Whole Chicken is about the best thing since sliced bread. Just like my recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Breast and Instant Pot Chicken Thighs making a whole chicken in the Instant Pot results in the most flavorful, tender, juicy chicken you will ever have. The meat literally falls off the bone and each bite of chicken is oozing with juiciness.
I predict this Instant Pot Rotisserie-Style Chicken is going to quickly become a new favorite recipe at your house. It is a simple, economical recipe that is worthy of a Sunday family dinner, or it can be used for any recipe calling for leftover rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken.
What you Need
- Whole Chicken: This recipe is designed for a fresh or thawed whole chicken. The one important note to consider is to make sure your chicken fits inside the instant pot. I have found that for a 6-quart model, you can prepare up to a 5-½ pound whole chicken, and for an 8-quart model, you can typically fit a 6-½ pound whole chicken. If you find that your chicken does not fit inside your inner pot, use my oven-roasted chicken recipe.
- Onion & Lemon: I add lemon and onion to the cavity of the chicken to help add flavor to the meat. However, you can omit one or both if you don't have an onion or lemon on hand.
- Homemade Rotisserie Blend: This spice blend is made with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Feel free to omit the cayenne pepper if you are sensitive to heat, but the blend itself is not spicy, as very little is used. You can replace the seasoning blend with your favorite spice blends, such as Homemade Poultry Seasoning, Seasoned Salt, or a Cajun seasoning.
- Water: As you know, you need liquid to reach and maintain pressure. I recommend using water when cooking a whole chicken in the Instant Pot, as there are minimal differences in flavor when using a liquid such as broth or beer.
- Trivet: It is best to cook a whole chicken on the metal rack or trivet that came with your electric pressure cooker. This will keep the skin from becoming soggy AND prevent a potential burn notice.
How to Cook a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot
This chicken recipe is one of the easiest Instant Pot Recipes you can make. However, if you are new to using an Instant Pot, you may first want to check out How to Use an Instant Pot to familiarize yourself with some of the terms and steps.
- Place the trivet or rack inside the pressure cooker.
- Pour in 1 cup water of cold water for a 6-quart model and 1-½ cups for an 8-quart model. Be sure to use cold tap water, not warm water. Using warm water will cause the instant pot to come to pressure faster, which ultimately changes the cooking time needed.
- In a small bowl combine the seasonings for the spice rub.
- Remove any plastic or metal pieces from the chicken and the giblets from inside the cavity of the chicken. Pat dry with a paper towel.
- Generously sprinkle the spice rub over the chicken, using your hands to rub the spice blend into the skin of the chicken. Be sure to season both sides of the chicken.
- Place the chicken, breast side up on the rack inside the prepared Instant Pot.
- Wash your hands well, and then place the lid on the Instant Pot, being sure to set the vent knob to the sealed position.
- Set to cook on High Pressure for 6 minutes per pound, by using the manual or pressure cook button, and then hitting the +/- buttons to adjust the cooking time.
- After the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to naturally release for at least 15-20 minutes. This will ensure the meat stays tender and juicy.
- After 10 minutes of natural release. you can do a quick release of remaining pressure by using a long utensil to hit the vent knob valve from sealing to venting. Just be sure to stand away from the valve to prevent being burned by steam.
- Use a digital thermometer, inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, to check to ensure the temperature of the chicken has reached 165 degrees F. If the temperature is below 165 degrees F, place the lid back on the pressure cooker and cook for an additional 2 minutes for every 5 degrees below 165 degrees.
Note: It is NORMAL for the meat to pull away from the bones after pressure cooking. It will still be incredibly juicy and delicious.
- If desired, you can crisp up the skin by placing the chicken onto a sheet pan, brushing the skin with oil, and broiling for 2-4 minutes, watching closely so as to not burn the chicken.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes. This will allow the juices to redistribute.
- Slice the chicken into pieces and serve as desired. And don't forget to save the bones to make Instant Pot Chicken Stock.
Instant Pot Whole Chicken Video
If you learn better through a step-by-step video, watch me prepare this whole chicken in my kitchen.
Serving Suggestions
Instant Pot Whole Chicken is perfect for serving as the star of dinner along with a side of Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Carrots or a side salad. This Instant Pot Chicken is perfect for any recipe that calls for cooked chicken. Some of my favorite recipes are shared below.
- Creamy Chicken and Rice
- Creamy Parmesan Chicken Casserole
- Chicken Waldorf Salad
- Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
- Easy Chicken Enchiladas
Determining Cooking Time
The length of cooking time for a whole chicken in the Instant Pot will vary based on the size of your chicken. A safe rule of thumb is to cook your chicken on HIGH pressure for 6 minutes per pound with a natural pressure release of at least 15-20 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
To account for an additional ½ pound, add an additional d 3 minutes to the total cooking time. For example, if you were cooking a 3-½ pound chicken cook for 21 minutes (6 minutes per pound + 3 minutes per half a pound).
Please Note: If your chicken seems like it is really thick (the chicken breasts are on the larger side) you may want to increase the time to 7 minutes per pound.
Air Fryer Option
If you happen to have an air fryer lid that fits on your Instant Pot, you can use your air fryer lid to crisp up the skin right inside the Instant Pot. After pressure cooking, use an air fryer lid on your pressure cooker to crisp up the skin. Set to 400 degrees F and air fry for 3-4 minutes or until the skin is crispy.
Instant Pot Frozen Whole Chicken
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 the time by 5 minutes per pound, for a total of 11 minutes per pound, with a natural pressure release of 20 minutes.
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
Looking for more Instant Pot Chicken Recipes? These are a few fan favorites!
- Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
- Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
- Instant Pot Chicken Wings
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
If you make and enjoy this Instant Pot Whole Chicken, I would love for you to leave a comment and your five-star rating below – it will make my day!
Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken innards removed
- 1 lemon cut in half
- 1 onion peeled and cut in half
- 1 recipe Rotisserie seasoning recipe below
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
- In a small bowl, combine the dried spices with salt and pepper until well combined.
For Pressure Cooker Whole Roasted Chicken
- Place a trivet inside the inner pot of the instant pot and pour in 1 cup of COLD tap water into the instant pot for a 6-quart instant pot and 1.5 cups of water if you have an 8 quart instant pot.
- Be sure to remove any plastic or metal from your chicken. And remove any innards and giblets from inside the chicken. Pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the seasoning mix evenly over the chicken on both sides, using your hands to pat the seasoning mixture on the chicken.
- Place the lemon and onion inside the cavity of the chicken and place the seasoned chicken on the trivet inside the instant pot.
- Wash your hands well, and then place the lid on the pressure cooker and be sure the vent valve is sealed.
- Set to cook on high pressure for 6 minutes per pound. If your chicken seems like it is really thick (the chicken breasts are large) you may want to increase the cooking time to 7 minutes per pound.
- Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow pressure to release naturally for at least 15-20 minutes. Once the pressure has been released, remove the lid, and insert a digital thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken thigh. Be sure it has reached 165 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken from Instant Pot and place it onto a cutting board and let the chicken rest for an additional 10 minutes for the juices to redistribute. Discard the onion/lemon/etc from the cavity of the chicken and slice and enjoy.
Optional Browning Step
- Broiling Option: Cook the chicken as directed in your pressure cooker. After removing the chicken from your instant pot, transfer it to a baking sheet. Brush with oil and place under broiler for 2-4 minutes, watching closely so as to not burn the chicken. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before enjoying the chicken.
- Air Fryer Lid Option: After pressure cooking, use an air fryer lid on your pressure cooker to crisp up the skin. Set to 400 degrees F and air fry for 3-4 minutes or until the skin is crispy. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before enjoying the chicken.
Equipment Needed
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 additional pound add 6 minutes, for every half a pound add 3 minutes to the total cooking time for a whole chicken.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally shared in 2019 and updated in 2023.
Dominic Costello
Hi Kristin,
You look so lovely in your video. Hope you health is ok. Read about you some time ago. Don't be scared of me, I'm old enough to be your grandpa. Safeway had whole chickens on sale today for .98 cents per pound, had to buy one, (5lbs.) Have cooked a turkey breast before, but not a chicken. Not sure what I'll use it for yet, but couldn't pass up the price and convenience of my IP. Not recommended I use gas stove right now, on oxygen 24-7. Been in hospital half of Sept-Nov. Water in a around lungs and heart. Open heart surgery in late Oct and 3 days later Cardiac Arrest. Came home a month ago and am so glad I have my IP. On O2 24-7 so I try to avoid using gas stove. Have always loved your IP recipes, thank you for sharing.
Dominic
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Dominic! First of all, thank you so much for your well wishes. My family is doing pretty well right now. I will be saying a prayer for you and your health! I hope you learn to love your Instant Pot and please let me know if you have any questions.
Dawn
Hi, I received my IP for Christmas also. I loved this recipe but it came out boiled (not what we were expecting). I forgot to transfer it to the oven to crisp it up. I'll definitely do that next time. I guess I had hoped for a taste similar to the oven.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Dawn! I am glad you enjoyed the flavor but in the future, crisping up in the oven will really help achieve that texture.
Marian
We LOVE this recipe! I’ve made it at least a half dozen times. However, I have always wondered if we can eat the 1/2 onion that we had put in the cavity with the lemon. It seems such a waste to throw out an organic onion. Is it safe to eat it?
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoy Marian! As for the onion, as long as it reaches 165 degrees (and is should EASILY) it would be safe to eat. But it will be greasy and mushy, so I don't know that it would be enjoyable.
Mary
This sounds wonderful but I am unable to find the recipe for the rotisserie blend seasoning. It would be helpful to include with the recipe. I searched on the sight with various names including that noted in the recipe but was unable to find it. Please provide. Thank you.
Kristen Chidsey
Sorry for any confusion Mary, but the Rotisserie blend is seasoning is listed right below the ingredients needed for the chicken: Rotisserie Seasoning
â–¢1 tablespoon kosher salt
â–¢2 teaspoons pepper
â–¢1 tablespoon garlic powder
â–¢1 tablespoon onion powder
â–¢1 tablespoon paprika
â–¢1 teaspoon dried thyme
â–¢dash of cayenne pepper
Whitney
I used the leftover mushy onion and drippings to make gravy- the onion definitely takes it up a notch in my opinion, and it just falls apart when you're stirring everything so super easy.
Jordan
i cooked a 3 lbs frozen chicken for 33 minutes and when i took it out a bunch of blood poured out, is it still cooked?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Jordan. It can be normal for brownish/red liquid to come out of the chicken cavity and for the chicken to be fully cooked. But the best way to determine if your chicken is fully cooked is to use a thermometer. You want the internal temperature to be at 165 degrees after resting.
Cherie
I got my pot for Christmas and chose this recipe for the maiden voyage. We had a 5 lb bird, followed instructions & cooked for 35 minutes since it was a good sized chicken. The thermometer read 165 at the thigh & breast, however once we took the breastfeeding off is was not done at all. An additional 10 minutes did the trick & it was still tender & juicy. Definitely will make it again.
Kristen Chidsey
I am glad you enjoyed Cherie. Sometimes the meat juices can run pink even when safe to eat--that's why a thermometer is best to check.
Paul A
Kristen, Our thanksgiving turkey turned out great! I am so happy that I found your recipe. It was without question the most moist meat compared to conventional oven cooking that we had used forever. I can’t see ever cooking it differently. I can see doing some of the tweaks like using beer or different spices. It was a pleasant surprise that even the dark meat was edible. For those that had uncooked problems, I will bet the bird was not fully defrosted. Be sure to thoroughly rinse the turkey cavity and check that it is completely thawed. If you grill your steaks directly from the cooler, it more likely they will be pink on the inside and charred on the outside. I’ve had the best results cooking steaks in 4 steps: sear, rest, cook, rest. Starting with meat that is room temp, hasn’t failed me yet.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed so much Paul! Thanks for sharing your tips!
Noa Scala
Will it work if I make the chicken without the skin?
Kristen Chidsey
Yes. Enjoy
Marielle
This is a staple in my house! Great step by step instructions!
Kristen Chidsey
So glad this has become a staple! Thank you for sharing.
Natalia Lopez
Just did this last night and the chicken came out perfect! 4.5 lb chicken for 27 minutes, not dry at all and perfectly juicy. My husband loved the rub too! This is going into our permanent cookbook. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Kristen Chidsey
So glad you enjoyed so much!
Becky L
I just printed out this recipe and the rotissere chicken recipe. I have a whole chicken I need to make tonight. Glad I found this recipe. I have had my instapot for a few years. Still not used it a lot. I need to keep on using it. I do have one instant pot cookbook which is good. Found other recipes online and FB group. Thank you!!
Kristen Chidsey
I hope you enjoy the chicken and begin to feel more confident in using your instant pot.
Copper
I had to put more minutes on 3 times as it was not cooked at the correct temp. Disappointing. Will search for a better recipe.
Kristen Chidsey
I am sorry this was not cooked to the right temperature. Just like ovens, instant pots can vary and recipes need to be adjusted. I would suggest you add 1 minute per pound to the cook time regardless of the recipe you find so you can experience fully cooked chicken. Hope that helps you in the future.
Noemi Cuevas
I had a whole chicken to cook and I did not want to cut it up. Chicken soup we had 2 days ago, came across this and it was a HIT and EVERYONE loved it!!!! It was so full of flavor and juicy ! Thank you!
Kristen Chidsey
So glad you all enjoyed Noemi! Thanks for sharing your review!
CA
The chicken fell off the bone just as described however it was tough and rubbery what did we do wrong
Kristen Chidsey
It sounds like maybe you did a quick release of pressure--that will cause the meat to be tough. If not, tell me how much your chicken weighed and how long you cooked and I can further help to troubleshoot.
Karen Budd
I just made this recipe. The meat cooked up really nicely, tender and moist. The skin was not at all crispy. I wonder if it ever does get crispy when you make it in the IP?
Thanks
Karen
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Karen. The skin can not get crispy in the Instant Pot. To achieve that, you would need to cook in the Instant Pot first and then broil to achieve that crispy skin. I hope that helps 🙂
David
Hi, can you please tell me - do you discard the lemon and cut up (?)- I assume you cut up the onion, yes? after removing or do you eat along with the chicken? Thanks.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi David! I discard them both. I will be sure to add that note to the recipe card 🙂
Theresa
Fabulous recipe! Thank you! I'm glad you included the frozen directions, as well, as I I was surprised mine was still partially frozen when I ope3ned it up. Thanks!
Betsi O
I used a can of PBR (a light flavor beer) instead of water for the pot. The resulting broth made the most amazing gravy!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for that tip Betsi! So glad you enjoyed 🙂
Michelle
So easy and fall-off-the-bone tender! I did use the rotisserie chicken rub (yum!) and did a full natural release as recommended, which took about 20 min in my 8 qt Instantpot (my chicken was 6.5 lbs). I wanted to broil the underside of the chicken to crisp up the legs and wings; the bird was so tender, the bones separated on their own (making it easier to save them to make bone broth another time). The meat is so tasty and tender!
Kristen Chidsey
I am glad you enjoyed so much Michelle!
Cindy Teer
I'm SO disappointed! I followed the instructions carefully. I had a 4lb organic chicken which I cooked 6 min to the lb or 24 min, then did natural release for 20 min. Instant thermometer registered 165. I took it out, plated it and started to cut off the legs. They were not done. Only half of the breast was edible. It just was not cooked. So we ate the breast meat that was done, and I'm gonna make chicken soup with the rest. Your advice would be appreciated.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Cindy. I am sorry for your frustration. First of all, when testing the temperature, be sure to put the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken for an accurate reading (it should be inserted into the thickest part of the thigh but not touching bone.) That said, you can still see pink even once safe to eat. I understand that can be unappealing and therefore you may want to cook longer, to 180 degrees. As for the leftovers, I would shred the meat and use this recipe for chicken soup, but instead of sauteeing the raw chicken, so add to the soup before cooking for 3 minutes.
Karlos
Your internal temperature of 170 degrees F is totally wrong. I used our meat thermometer as you requested plus I also placed it in the thickest part of the both breasts. Our 5 pound whole chicken was not thoroughly cooked. Bloody legs and thighs and breasts. Try 180 to 185. And the skin was not crispy.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Karlos. The minimum safe temperature for chicken is 165 degrees. If you prefer it cooked to a higher temperature, I would suggest adding some time for your personal preferences. Most find that chicken dries out at 180 degrees. As for the crispy skin, that is achieved with the broiler.