How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Leg Quarters
We have used this method over and over again and it turns out perfect every time!
You must first decided if you want to season your leg quarters or not. If you are using a dry rub, season before putting them in the Instant Pot.
If you are more of a barbecue sauce person, you can add the sauce either at the beginning or at the end of the cooking process.
Before cooking, remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before placing them in the multicooker.
Although this isnt absolutely necessary if you are short on time. However, it helps the pot come to pressure quicker than if you start with cold chicken.
When you are ready to cook your chicken leg quarters, place 1 cup of water in the liner of the Instant Pot.
Then place the trivet down in the water. Next, place the chicken leg quarters stacked sideways, with the leg facing the top of the pot.
Lock the lid in place and pressure cook on HIGH pressure for 20 minutes.
Remember, from a timing standpoint to allow time for the pot to come to pressure.
Then when the cook time is up, allow for the pot to Naturally Release Pressure for 8 minutes.
Can You Cook Chicken From Frozen In An Instant Pot
One of the best reasons to keep an Instant Pot in your kitchen arsenal is that pressure cooking is both a convenient and safe way to take meat and poultry straight from the freezer to the table in well under an hour.
There are a couple of ways to prepare chicken from frozen. You can skip the searing step and add a couple of minutes to the cooking time. Or, pre-thaw like this:
- At the bottom of the Instant Pot, place chicken thighs on a trivet and add a cup of water.
- Set to high for one minute.
- Quick-release, discard the water and proceed with the recipe immediately.
Seasoning The Chicken Thighs
Dark meat has more flavor than white meat, but seasoning is a must. You can simply season it with salt and pepper, but I recommend adding more flavors. In this recipe here Ive used paprika, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
But feel free to use your favorite seasonings, I love this homemade fajita seasoning, Italian seasoning is also great, and if youre feeling adventurous then go for Middle Eastern flavors with this easy shawarma seasoning recipe.
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Cooking Whole Chicken In Instant Pot
I am sure you want to know what you truly need, in order to cook the best ever instant pot whole chicken. Well, the ingredients list is much more simple than you might think.
Chicken You will need any whole chicken that will fit in your size of instant pot pressure cooker. You can go organic and use a service like Butcher Box or use any supermarket or butchers chicken.
Onion I also recommend that you start the chicken recipe with a sauté of an onion with extra virgin olive oil. You can use red or white and also add some garlic too.
Wine It adds such a lovely flavour to a roast chicken in the instant pot if you deglaze your instant pot with some white wine before cooking your chicken.
Oil You may wonder why the extra virgin olive oil? This is because the oil helps the seasoning stick to the chicken and stops the chicken from going dry.
Seasoning You can mix and match seasonings. We cook whole chickens with salt and pepper and then add in our favourite dried herbs. We also cooked a whole chicken with cajun seasoning and this was also delicious.
Then for the kitchen gadgets that we have used in this recipe for whole chicken in instant pot, it has just been our instant pot pressure cooker. We have this oneand it is amazing for cooking a whole chicken FAST.
Can You Freeze Them
Yes, cooked chicken tenders are great to have in your freezer! Let them cool completely and then wrap securely and place in a freezer bag or airtight container. Thaw the chicken in the fridge overnight before using.
You can freeze the tenders whole or shredded. If you shred them, they are great to use in recipes like Chicken Chili and Shredded Chicken Tacos.
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How To Cook A Whole Chicken In The Instant Pot
- Sauté. Add your onion to the instant pot and sauté with some extra virgin olive oil until the onion starts to soften along with the garlic.
- Deglaze. Add some white wine and deglaze the instant pot.
- Prepare. Add the trivet to the instant pot. Add extra virgin olive oil and seasoning to your chicken. Tie up your chicken legs with string.
- Cook. Place the chicken on the trivet and place the lid on the instant pot pressure cooker. Cook for the recommended time for your weight and then do a 15 minute natural pressure release before releasing pressure.
Tips For Making Instapot Air Fryer Chicken Breast Recipe
Timing for cooking the chicken will depend on how thick the chicken breast is. If you want to cook it faster, use a meat tenderizer to make the chicken thinner.
Regular air fryers are big enough to make two chicken breasts at a time, without overlap. If you need to cook more than two, cook in stages, two at a time.
You can flavor the chicken differently every time you make it, by using different seasoning. Use Italian Seasoning Mix, Best Fajita Seasoning Mix, or Best Cajun Seasoning for different flavors.
Dont have an air fryer? You can still make this delicious Keto Instant Pot Air Fryer Chicken! Just fry the chicken on a frying pan or grill it, after you sprinkle it with spices.
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Chicken Thigh Instant Pot Cook Times
BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN THIGHS
Fresh Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 6 minutes, vent immediately to release any remaining pressure
- Based on 3-ounce boneless chicken thighs
Frozen Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 12 minutes, vent immediately to release any remaining pressure
- Based on 3-ounce boneless chicken thighs
BONE-IN CHICKEN THIGHS
Fresh Bone-In Chicken Thighs
- 10 minutes, vent immediately to release any remaining pressure
- Based on 6-ounce bone-in chicken thighs
Frozen Bone-In Chicken Thighs
- 15 minutes, vent immediately to release any remaining pressure
- Based on 6-ounce bone-in chicken thighs
Ways To Store Leftover Stir Fry
Whats great about this recipe is that it makes for such delicious leftovers.
Recommendations
- To store: Store leftovers in an airtight container*. Eat within 5 days.
- To freeze: The entire stir-fry can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. When ready to serve thaw in the fridge overnight and gently stir in a large pan over medium heat to warm through.
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How To Make Gravy
When you brown the chicken, then deglaze the pot, you get very taste flavorful liquid that can be used to make gravy.
After pressure cooking, and removing the chicken thighs from the Instant Pot, press on the SAUTE setting and thicken the liquids with a cornstarch slurry , whisk until the gravy is thickened and nice.
Instant Pot Whole Chicken With Crispy Skin
If you would like a crispy skin for your whole chicken, we recommend using the air fryer straight after.
We sprayed our whole chicken with extra virgin olive oil and extra seasoning and loaded it into the air fryer basket.
5 minutes at 200c/400f and it looked like this:
Of course, if you are just using the chicken for shredding there is no need to do this. But if you cant stand to eat a whole chicken that looks anaemic because it has simply been pressure cooked, then maybe this method is for you.
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Should I Add Seasoning To My Chicken
Chicken breasts in the instant pot can be customized to whatever dish you are planning to put them in. Mexican food? Sprinkle with taco seasoning. Italian dish? Add some Italian seasoning or garlic.
For simple, versatile, chicken breast that can be used in meal prep, salad, etc, just add some salt and pepper along with your chicken broth or water. You can also use different juices for your liquid for some added sweetness to the chicken.
What To Serve With Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid Chicken Breast
There are lots of delicious side dishes that you can serve with this yummy instapot air fryer chicken. If you are looking for a complete Keto dinner, serve it with Keto Cauliflower Potato Salad and Low Carb Cucumber Tomato Salad.
For an all Instant Pot dinner, serve it with Instant Pot Potato Salad, where we make potatoes and eggs at the same time in the Instant Pot, and Instant Pot Corn on the Cob.
And finish the meal with Instant Pot Caramel Apple Cheesecake, a delicious Instant Pot dessert.
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Juicy And Flavorful Chicken Ready In No Time
It’s no secret that rotisserie chicken is the key to making meal time easier. Save yourself time by adding leftover rotisserie chicken to meals throughout the week, or serve it all at once with some quick and easy side dishes for a meal that will feed the whole family. But before you head to the grocery store to pick up a rotisserie chicken, consider cooking a whole chicken yourself. This allows you to control the flavors and seasonings used on your chicken. The Instant Pot makes it so that you can cook a whole chicken in under an hour with only five minutes of prep work. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot, plus more ways to use leftover chicken.
How to Cook a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot: Step-by-Step
Learn how to season, sear, and cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot, based on Instant Pot® Lemon Rotisserie Chicken recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth
Ways to Use Leftover Chicken
What If The Chicken Is Not Cooked
Chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before safe to consume.
Once your cook time has elapsed and pressure has been released, check the internal temperature of your chicken breast. If less than 160 degrees, place the lid back on the pressure cooker and cook for an additional 2-5 minutes on high pressure.
If the chicken has reached 160 degrees, it will reach 165 degrees as it rests.
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Make Sure You Are Sing The Correct Amount Of Liquid
Most times, when cooking with a recipe you will be directed as to the amount of liquid required for the recipe instructions you are following. If you are simply cooking from the heart, on the other hand, then you want to make sure that you at least add enough water to match the marker stated on the inside of the container.
How To Cook Chicken Drumsticks In The Instant Pot
Youll need the trivet that came with the Instant Pot. If you dont have one, you can set the chicken directly in the pot. I like the texture of the chicken more when its on the trivet. Its more tender and less dense.
Pour a cup of hot chicken broth into the base of the pot. Add the trivet. Then place the drumsticks evenly on the trivet. You can stack them up, if necessary.
Close the lid and seal the vent. Press the pressure cook button and set the time to 10 minutes. After this, allow natural pressure release for 5 minutes, then manually release the remaining pressure.
Be sure to visit our Instant Pot Guide for more tips and great recipes!
At this point, you can serve the drumsticks as is. They are nicely seasoned and tasty. Or you can brush them with bbq sauce , buffalo sauce, or a glaze, like this delicious honey sriracha sauce, which is what Ive put on the chicken drumsticks that are pictured here.
You can also crisp up the skin in the oven, if you want to. I almost always skip this extra step. Its just not necessary, in my opinion. Cooking the chicken for longer in the oven isnt why I choose to use the Instant Pot.
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Instant Pot Chicken Leg Quarters
Chicken Leg Quarters are not only delicious, but they are also economical and easy to make when cooked in your Instant Pot.
Every time that we go to the grocery store, we are always shocked at how inexpensive chicken leg quarters are. You can get a lot of meat for very little cost per pound.
However, the only real way to get them to cook properly is by roasting them in the oven. And that unfortunately, takes a long time.
So instead, we began to grill our chicken leg quarters. Although the chicken has great flavor when cooked on the grill, it is very difficult to get the end result perfectly cooked.
Either the meat is undercooked in the center or the thinner portions are so dried out that they are difficult to chew.
So instead, we now use our Instant Pot to make Chicken Leg Quarters.
Instant Pot Duo Crisp Whole Chicken Recipe
Start by trussing the chicken. Tie its legs and also tie up the wings and thighs. This makes it more compact and helps it hold together. Need a step-by-step tutorial in trussing a chicken? Check here for how to truss a Chicken.
Mix up a seasoning blend or grab your favorite rub and rub a bit on the chicken. Reserve most of it for later though. My mix here is a mix of Italian Seasoning and various spices.
Give it a good amount of salt and pepper too. I actually used Montreal Steak seasoning in this recipe because it is extra salty. That helps make the skin crispy.
Put the whole chicken in the air fry basket. It might be a bit of a tight fit.
Add a cup and a half of chicken broth to the pot, then put the air fryer basket on its base inside.
Pressure cook for 25 minutes on high pressure followed by 15 minutes of natural release. Then, if needed, drain the liquid. I drained mine, but probably did not have to do so because it was not touching my chicken.
Next, spray the chicken with some oil. I like to use an avocado oil spray, and then give it a good rub with the seasonings. Put on the air fryer lid and air fry at 400 for about ten minutes. Take the chicken out, flip it over, and repeat for the other side. I had to use oven mitts to pull my chicken out. Next time, I might make a foil sling for it.
Then, remove it from the pot, carve it, and serve!
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Instant Pot Whole Chicken Time Vs Oven Whole Chicken
I am sure you want to know how much faster the instant pot is for cooking a whole chicken compared to baked in the oven.
Is it worth the effort and is it a time saver?
These are the instant pot chicken cook times with the natural pressure release:
- Small = 19 Minutes + 15 Minutes NPR = 34 Minutes
- Medium = 20 Minutes + 15 Minutes NPR = 35 Minutes
- Large = 23 Minutes + 15 Minutes NPR = 38 Minutes
- Extra Large = 29 Minutes + 15 Minutes NPR = 44 Minutes
Then these are the instant pot chicken cook times vs what it says on the packaging for oven baked:
- Small = 34 Minutes IP vs 1hr31 = 57 Minutes FASTER
- Medium = 35 Minutes IP Vs 1hr29 = 54 Minutes FASTER
- Large = 38 Minutes IP Vs 1hr40 = 62 Minutes FASTER
- Extra Large = 44 Minutes IP Vs 1hr56 = 72 Minutes FASTER
LOL its seriously not a typo, Morrisons packaging really does say a medium is quicker to cook than a small.
Regardless of this, can you believe how much quicker it is in the instant pot. Of course, this doesnt take into account time to pressure which is about 15 minutes. But even with this time to pressure they are still a good 45 minutes quicker in the instant pot.
How Long To Cook Whole Chicken In Instant Pot
How Long To Cook Whole Chicken In The Instant Pot? Introducing you to the best instant pot recipe for whole chicken and exactly what cook times to use at home in your instant pot pressure cooker.
Here at Recipe This we ran an instant pot whole chicken experiment to see how the cook times vary, when you cook different sized whole chickens in the instant pot pressure cooker. From small chickens to extra-large chickens, we have tested them all.
This instant pot whole chicken recipe and cooking time chart is an updated post. We originally shared with you how to cook a whole chicken in the instant pot back in 2017.
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