Instant Pot Whole Chicken {Rotisserie Chicken}
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Quick and easy instant pot whole chicken recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Tender, juicy chicken is coated in garlic herb butter.
This is the easiest way to prepare delicious, juicy, tender, no-fail chicken. It is the perfect centerpiece on your table for company and guests, and also makes for fantastic leftovers. This Easy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken and Instant Pot Peanut Butter Chicken are also fantastic chicken recipes to add to your meal planning.
Cooking Whole Chicken in Instant Pot Is The Best!
- Juicy
- Tender meat
- Cheaper than buying rotisserie
- Very flavorful
- Seasonings and herbs can be adjusted to your preference
How To Make Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipe From Scratch? How Do You Steam A Whole Chicken in Pressure Cooker?
- Prepare the herb butter– Or buy herb butter.
- Stuff chicken– With garlic, lemon, thyme, rosemary, oregano, bay leaves.
- Butter chicken– Spread half the butter mixture all over the chicken.
- Tie– legs together.
- Place chicken in instant pot- In a trivet/ wire rack in the pressure.
- Add broth- To retain moisture during cooking.
- Cover– And cook.
- Release pressure– Naturally for 15 minutes and then, do quick pressure release.
- Check internal temperature– With a food thermometer.
- Remove chicken– And place on a baking tray.
- Coat with butter– Until evenly covered.
- Broil– Until top is crispy and golden brown.
What Sides To Serve With Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken Recipe?
Roasted vegetables would go exceptionally well:
- Oven Roasted Vegetables (One Pan)
- Oven Roasted Carrots (One Pan)
- Oven Roasted Broccoli (One Pan)
- Oven Roasted Asparagus (One Pan)
- Oven Roasted Beets (One Pan)
It pairs beautifully with pasta dishes:
- Creamy Mushroom Pasta (One Pot)
- Garlic Lemon Pasta (One Pot)
- Tomato Basil Pasta (One Pot)
- Basil Pesto Pasta Recipe (One Pot)
Soup is also a great accompaniment. Pair it with:
- Cream Of Broccoli Soup (One Pot)
- Sweet Potato Soup (One Pot)
- Roasted Red Pepper Soup (One Pot)
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup (One Pot)
Leftovers are great as a filling/ topping in:
- Sandwiches
- Wraps
- Salads
- Tacos
- Burritos
- Pizzas
Serve it with rice:
Instant Pot Frozen Whole Chicken / Full Chicken
Yes, you can cook a frozen chicken in the Instant Pot. However, it cannot be stuffed though. The cavities should be empty without any packets. Also, note that the cook time is a bit longer. The cooking times are listed below.
How Long To Cook Fresh and Frozen Whole Chicken In Instant Pot?
Fresh Chicken times
- 3 pounds: 20 minutes and natural pressure release for 15 minutes, followed by quick pressure release.
- 3.5 pounds: 23 minutes and natural pressure release for 15 minutes, followed by quick pressure release.
- 4 pounds: 25 minutes and natural pressure release for 15 minutes, followed by quick pressure release.
- 4.5 pounds: 28 minutes and natural pressure release for 15 minutes, followed by quick pressure release.
- 5 pounds: 33 minutes and natural pressure release for 15 minutes, followed by quick pressure release.
Frozen Chicken Times
- 3 pounds: 39 minutes and natural pressure release for 15 minutes, followed by quick pressure release.
- 3.5 pounds: 46 minutes and natural pressure release for 15 minutes, followed by quick pressure release.
- 4 pounds: 52 minutes and natural pressure release for 15 minutes, followed by quick pressure release.
- 4.5 pounds: 59 minutes and natural pressure release for 15 minutes, followed by quick pressure release.
- 5 pounds: 65 minutes and then natural pressure release for 15 minutes, followed by quick pressure release.
Why Is My Instant Pot Chicken Tough?
This can mean that the chicken is not cooked long enough. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes which ensures extra cooking time. Then, do a quick pressure release to remove remaining pressure. This helps to prevent tough chicken.
Variations for Instant Pot Roast Chicken
Brine chicken– Use this Easy Whole Chicken Brine (One Pot) or this Turkey Brine Solution (One Pot) recipe. This yields the moistest meat ever.
Add other citrus– Such as orange slices or grapefruit slices along with the lemon slices.
Use other seasonings- Such as Greek, Mexican, or Cajun seasoning for a different flavor profile.
Use an alternate flavored butter– Such as chipotle lime butter, pesto parmesan, garlic butter, or even a cranberry orange butter.
Add some spice– Try some cayenne or red chili flakes for a spicy kick.
Tips And Techniques For Pressure Cooker Whole Chicken
How to remove chicken from Instant Pot? The chicken will be so tender that the meat will probably pull away from the bone. Due to that, it’s ideal to use a trivet with handles so that it’s easier to remove that rather than trying to remove the chicken itself, which can fall apart.
Spread butter on top and under skin- This helps to flavor the meat itself and to crisp and flavor the skin too.
How to set Instant Pot? Put the lid on and turn the valve to “Sealing.” Select “Manual” mode and set the timer for 25 minutes.
How to release pressure? When the cook time is over, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. Don’t move it. Then, do quick pressure release to remove remaining pressure. This allows the chicken to finish cooking properly.
How to know when the chicken is fully cooked? Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken. It’s ready when the temperature reads 165 degrees F.
What kind of chicken to use? Buy 1 full chicken that is about 4 pounds with the skin intact. Make sure giblets are removed.
Why do I need to pat the chicken skin dry? Because this allows the skin to crisp up nicely.
Homemade herb butter vs. Store-bought herb butter- Either can be used. Store-bought would be obviously be more convenient but homemade version can be adjusted to your preference.
What to do with leftover broth in pressure cooker? It can be discarded or you can use it to make Easy Chicken Gravy (One Pot).
Use unsalted butter– Because it prevents the meat from becoming too salty.
Storage
Refrigerate– In a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze– In a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month.
Reheat– Thaw in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave or oven.
More Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot Whole Chicken (Rotisserie Chicken)
Ingredients
Herb butter
- 3/4 cup Butter, Unsalted, Room temperature
- 1 tbsp Onion powder
- 1 tbsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Ginger powder
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning, Dried
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Lemon pepper
- Salt, To taste
- Black pepper, To taste
Stuffing
Additional ingredients
- 1 Whole chicken, 4 pounds, Skin intact, Giblets removed, Patted dry with paper towels
- 1 cup Chicken broth, Low sodium
Instructions
- In a small Ziploc bag or small bowl, prepare the herb butter by mixing together butter, onion powder, garlic powder, ginger powder, Italian seasoning, paprika, lemon pepper, salt, black pepper. Keep aside.
- Stuff whole chicken with garlic, lemon, thyme, rosemary, oregano, bay leaves.
- Spread half the butter mixture all over the chicken (on the skin and under the skin).
- Tie the legs together.
- Place a trivet/ wire rack in the pressure cooker and pour broth.
- Place chicken on wire rack, breast side down.
- Put the lid on and turn the valve to “Sealing.”
- Select “Manual” mode and set the timer for 25 minutes.
- When the cook time is over, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. Then, do quick pressure release to remove remaining pressure.
- Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken. It's ready when the temperature reads 165 degrees F.
- Gently remove the whole chicken from the instant pot. The chicken will be so tender that the meat will likely pull away from the bone. This is obviously the best! Due to that, it's ideal to use a trivet with handles so that it's easier to remove that rather than trying to remove the chicken itself.
- Place the chicken on a baking tray, lined with foil paper.
- Melt remaining butter. It should not be too hot and should be a thick paste-like consistency. Brush it over the entire chicken.
- Place in oven and broil for 5-10 minutes or until top is crispy and golden brown. Rotate the pan, if necessary, to prevent burning.
- Remove from oven and brush additional melted butter from the pan on top of the chicken. Enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave.
