Instant Pot Whole Chicken And Gravy
Instant Pot Whole Chicken is the fastest way to cook a rotisserie chicken. Cooking Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot is so juicy and youll 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.
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What Seasoning To Use For Whole Chicken
You can use simple seasoning, like a ready mix for poultry stirred with olive oil. I like to make my own, depending on what flavors I want. This time I made lemon garlic seasoning. I mixed olive oil, fresh garlic, lemon zest, dried celery flakes, paprika and dried onion. After the seasoning is mixed, rub it all over the chicken. Don’t forget to pat it dry with a paper towel before applying the seasoning.
Step Two: Prepare Your Instant Pot
- First, pour 1 ½ cups of water into the pot if your Instant Pot is 6 qt. and 2 cups if it is 8 qt. The water will help the pressure to build up, make the bird juicy, and avoid smoking from the bottom caused by the fat drippings when cooking.
- Second, position your trivet or rack inside your pressure cooker.
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Can I Use A Frozen Chicken
You definitely can! The only difference is that you wont be able to put the compound butter underneath the skin of your chicken. Spread the compound butter on top of the chicken. Pressure cook your chicken for 10-12 minutes per pound and use the same instructions as per the recipe for crisping the 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.
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Can I Make This Chicken Noodle Soup With Any Pressure Cooker
This particular recipe was designed for a 6-quart Instant Pot. That being said you can make it in the 8 quart without any issues and if you are using a 3 quart you will just want to cut all the ingredients in half!
If you have another type of electric pressure cooker you can certainly still use it to make this recipe. They are mostly the same these days but if the wattage is different the cook time may need a few minutes added or subtracted depending on the difference.
If you notice you are getting things a bit over or under cooked you’ll know how your electric pressure cooker lines up with an Instant Pot!
What Do I Need To Make Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
You will need the following ingredients along with your Instant Pot. The various models and sizes don’t make a difference. You can see the notes below on how to adjust the ingredients if you are using an 8 quart or 3 quart model of any Instant Pot!
- salt and black pepper
If you want to make a larger batch and use the 8-quart Instant Pot you can increase all the ingredients by 1/3. Note that the nutritional info and serving size information is calculated for the recipe as written, prepared in an 6-quart pressure cooker.
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Ingredients For Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Chicken: Use the best chicken you can for this recipe. I prefer to use organic and air-chilled chicken. I wouldnt recommend using frozen chicken for this recipe.
- Lemon, garlic and onion: Used to stuff the chicken to give it more flavor.
- Seasonings and spices: Salt, black pepper, two teaspoons garlic powder & onion powder , paprika and thyme to rub the chicken. You can also add oregano or Italian herb seasonings.
How Do I Crisp The Skin Without An Air Fryer
If you dont have an air fryer, you can use the broil function on your oven. Prepare a baking sheet with a wire rack. Carefully place the chicken on the rack and broil for around 5 minutes, keeping a close eye on the chicken, until the skin has browned to your liking. This may take more or less time depending on your oven.
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Easy Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Youve found the best and easiestInstant Pot whole chickenrecipe. This recipe for cooking a whole chicken in the Instant Pot takes less than 45 minutes and produces a moist and flavorful rotisserie style chicken total perfection.
Suitable for Gluten Free, Paleo, Keto, Low Carb and Whole 30 diets. Weight Watchers points included.
This Instant Pot Whole Chicken recipe is a super easy weeknight supper. Get dinner on the table in just about 45 minutes, or use it for soups, stews, or even for cooking up more Instant Pot Chicken recipes, like these Instant Pot Chicken Wings or Instant Pot Chicken Thighs. It is soooooo good, and the chicken broth youll create from this pressure cooker whole chicken is so, so flavorful.
Yeap, you can have an Instant Pot chicken cooking marathon day and cook up all sorts of chicken dishes one after another. The beauty of Instant Pot Whole Chicken is that it is also extremely versatile. Pair it with a simple green salad for a quick and healthy supper. Or serve it as the main course for a special occasion, such as Easter Sunday brunch or Christmas dinner.
Whether you dress it up or down, it is truly delicious either way. Just like this Instant Pot Turkey Breast with Garlic Butter Gravy.
There are a lot of modifications that can be made to this chicken recipe changing the seasonings, cooking from frozen , but for a done-for-you perfect chicken recipe, this Instant Pot Whole Chicken recipe is it!
Making Pan Gravy In Your Instant Pot
- Once chicken has been removed from pot, pour juices through fine mesh sieve into a 4 cup measuring cup and reserve.
- Press Saute on Instant Pot, add a tablespoon of butter to melt in pan, then add ¼ cup flour, whisk until smooth and slightly golden.
- Return pan juices to mixture, 2 cups at a time, whisking until thick. If too thick, add a little more of the pan juices until desired thickness. Add a splash of white wine if you have it around, adjust seasonings to taste, adding sea salt and pepper if needed.
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How Long Does It Take To Cook A Frozen Whole Chicken In The Instant Pot
The beauty of the pressure cooker is that you can cook whole frozen chicken in it. However, you need to make sure that the poultry has the innards/gizzards removed and has no plastic ties around the feet. Because, if the meat is frozen, and these are not removed, you will not be able to cook it that way.
Also, keep in mind that frozen meat doesnt cook as evenly, therefore some parts may be overcooked, resulting in tough, rubbery meat.
For frozen poultry, you will have to increase the cooking time by about 5 minutes per pound. Here are the cooking guidelines for frozen whole poultry:
Cooking time for Instant Pot FROZEN whole chicken:
- 3 pounds = 39 minutes cooking time on High Pressure with a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release
- 3.5 pounds = 46 minutes cooking time on High Pressure with a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release
- 4 pounds = 52 minutes cooking time on High Pressure with a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release
- 4.5 pounds = 59 minutes cooking time on High Pressure with a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release
- 5 pounds = 65 minutes cooking time on High Pressure with a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release
How To Cook Whole Chicken In Instant Pot
- Start by checking if your stainless steel insert is in your Instant Pot. To know why I always mention this step, read my Instant Pot Guide for Beginners.
- In a small bowl, mix the seasonings with olive oil. Remove the giblets from the chicken cavity. Pat chicken dry with paper towel. Rub seasoning all over the chicken, you can insert some of it under the skin, close to the cavity. Place lemon wedges and garlic cloves in the chicken cavity.
- Add 1.5 cups of water to the Instant Pot insert. Set the trivet inside. Place seasoned chicken on a trivet. Close the lid, make sure the IP is set to cook at HIGH pressure. Switch valve to “sealing” position. Set timer to 27 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. Once the timer beeps and the cooking is done, press “cancel/off” and DO NOT switch the valve to venting. Let the pressure release naturally to ensure juicy chicken.
- When the pressure pin dropped, carefully open the lid away from your face. Remove the chicken onto a baking sheet if you want to broil the skin or on a serving plate. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Make gravy with remaining liquid in the IP, if desired. Mix two tablespoons of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water. Simmer with liquid in the IP.
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How Do You Cook With Salsa
Believe it or not, salsa is the most popular condiment in the world! Since it is most commonly eaten as a condiment or dip, you may be unsure of the best way to repurpose it for cooking.
Salsa is actually great to use when you’re cooking a meat protein. The acidity from the tomatoes and vinegar help tenderize the meat. The spices and freshness from the tomatoes, onions, and peppers give a robust flavor to anything you’re cooking with it.
When I cook with salsa, I prefer to use it to either create a sauce or use it as a marinade. For this recipe, it creates a flavorful sauce that coats the cooked and shredded chicken.
Instant Pot Whole Chicken From Frozen
- You can safely cook a whole frozen chicken in your Instant Pot. I have included full instructions for cooking a frozen chicken in the recipe below. I prefer to cook my chicken from fresh, but in a pinch this method works well.
- You will need to skip the step of browning the chicken, since you cant sear frozen meat.
- You will only need half of the amount of spice rub called for in the recipe.
- Pressure cook a frozen chicken for 13 minutes per pound at high pressure, plus 15 minutes natural release.
- A 4 pound frozen chicken will take 52 minutes, a 4.5 pound frozen chicken will take 59 minutes and a 5 pound frozen chicken will take 65 minutes.
- Check that the chicken has reached a safe internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the leg, not touching the bone.
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If A Food Burn Error Occurs
If a Food Burn error occurs, simply lift the air fryer lid to have a quick look inside. Place it on a heat-proof mat provided. Oftentimes, it might be one little piece of food that gets stuck to the wall of the Instant Pot that might be getting overcooked or something like garlic or herbs that are getting a little too toasty. Most of the time, all you have to do is adjust the temperature down by about 5-10 degrees and place the lid back on top. The error will disappear and cooking will continue. In our case, we adjusted to 200 C / 392 C after about 5-10 minutes.
Tip: Whats cool about the Air Fryer lid is that you can open it during the cooking to check how things are going, which isnt really possible while pressure cooking as the lid is tightly locked under pressure. If something looks done, you can Cancel the roasting or air frying function at any time. Vice versa, if your food needs a little longer, simply adjust the time or temperature.
How To Cook A Whole Chicken In Your Instant Pot
Here are some simple step by step by step directions for cooking a whole chicken in your Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker .
First, make sure your chicken is fully defrosted and that youâve removed the giblets so that it will cook through properly.
You do not need to rinse the chicken but you can carefully pat it dry with a paper towel.
Apply the spice and herb rub which is made up of paprika, thyme, salt, pepper and oil. This adds a little flavor to the chicken and gives the skin a pop of color, otherwise the chicken looks very pale when its cooked.
If you want to add even more color to the finished chicken then you can carefully brown the chicken before you cook it under pressure.
Youâre never going to get crispy skin like you will with an oven roasted chicken as we are using steam and pressure too cook it so the skin cannot crisp up in the same way.
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And If The Chicken Is Not Cooked Through
Once pressure releases, use a digital thermometer to check to the temperature of the chicken and ensure that has reached 165°F or 74°C. Make sure to insert the thermometer into the inner thigh area near the breast but not touching bone.
If it is below that temperature, place the lid back on the pressure cooker and cook for an additional 2 minutes for every 5 degrees below 165°F or 2 degrees below 74 °C. It won’t take as long for the pressure cooker to come to pressure a second time.
How Long Do I Cook Whole Chicken In Instant Pot
The cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken. This recipe is for 3.5lbs chicken and it takes 23 minutes of cooking at HIGH pressure. Adjust the timing according to the weight of your chicken. It is possible to overcook a chicken, which will result in drier meat. If you chicken looks like its falling apart, it is overcooked.
3.5 lbs-23 minutes
Always allow for a natural pressure release instead of manual.
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What Do I Do If My Instant Pot Chicken Doesnt Cook All The Way Through
First, dont panic! Chickens can vary in size which means that cook time can also vary. If your chicken isnt cooked all the way through after you finish the cook time in the Instant Pot, close your lid back up and cook your chicken for an additional 10-15 minutes. With how well the pressure cooker does with sealing in the juices, your chicken shouldnt dry out with this additional cook time.
Instant Pot Cooking Time For Whole Chicken
Heres a handy guideline for cooking a fresh whole chicken in the Instant Pot: for each pound of chicken, add 6 minutes of cook time.
- 3-pound chicken = 18 minutes
- 4-pound chicken = 24 minutes
- 5-pound chicken = 30 minutes
After the chicken is finished cooking, allow for a natural pressure release of 15 minutes and then check for doneness.
Important Food Safety Tip: It is critical to check the internal temperature of the chicken using a meat thermometer. The chicken is fully cooked and safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C.
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To Crisp Chicken Skin
Instant Pot Chicken is delicious, tender, flavorful and easy but Im not going to lie, the skin on it is not all that pretty. Once its done cooking I like to crisp the skin.
Its easy and takes a few minutes while prepping your gravy . Simply place the chicken in a shallow pan and broil on high until the skin crisps up.
Preparing The Whole Chicken
First, remove all parts from the chicken cavity rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Optional: place the onion and lemon in the cavity of the chicken.
Combine all of the spices, including salt and pepper, in a small ramekin dish stir together.Add the oil to the spices, and stir until incorporated.
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Ingredients For Instant Pot Whole Chicken:
Whole Body Chicken: The star of the show! Pick up a whole chicken from the grocery store that is between 3.5 and 4.5 pounds. Youll need to pressure cook the chicken on high heat for 6 minutes per pound. Be sure the chicken is completely thawed before adding it to the pressure cooker for the best results and to ensure the chicken cooks through.
Apples :Because Im a fan of the combination of chicken and apples, I added some chopped apples to the pressure cooker this time around. They become very tender and flavorful and pair nicely with a bite of that crazy tender chicken.
If you arent into apples, feel free to skip them! You could do onion if youd like or just keep it simple and add nothing.
Apple Cider or Chicken Broth: Youll need two cups of liquid for the pressure cooker to do its job. I used apple cider for the liquid, but you can easily use chicken broth, beef broth or even just water if you dont have any juice or broth on hand.
Seasonings: Sea salt, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and dried parsley. This combination is so simple yet so flavorful! If you have onion powder on hand, feel free to use that as well. You can use any seasonings or rubs you like.
Lets make it!
