This Instant Pot Whole Chicken, tastes like a straight-off-the-grill rotisserie chicken, right in your own kitchen! Rubbed down with spices like cumin, smoked paprika, and coriander – then cooked right in the instant pot for the perfect flavorful and juicy chicken.
If you’re looking for some other recipe ideas for whole chickens, check out my Beer Can Chicken and Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Chicken recipes.
Easy, Quick, and Flavorful Rotisserie-Style Chicken
Please tell me I’m not the only one who always grabs a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store. I never seem to have a plan for it, but they draw me in with their aroma and perfectly seasoned and charred skin. I seem to be doing that less and less these days now that I have a recipe for Instant Pot Whole Chicken.
This recipe is just as good (if not better!) and you don’t need to leave the house. Cooking a whole chicken in the Instant Pot is so easy and it comes out perfectly! The seasoning mix in this recipe is my favorite combination to create that distinct rotisserie flavor.
But can you still get that charred skin in an Instant Pot? You sure can! The chicken is seared on all sides before we begin cooking it in the Instant Pot. This is a very important step that we take when preparing proteins. It develops flavor and locks in all the yummy juices!
Ingredients
Here is what you need to make a whole chicken in a pressure cooker. The spices are probably already in your pantry!
- Whole Chicken: If you’re using a frozen chicken, thaw it overnight first. Also, it’s important to remove any of the giblets from the cavity.
- Avocado Oil: I like to use avocado oil, but you can also use olive oil or another cooking oil of your choice.
- Garlic Powder
- Cumin
- Smoked Paprika
- Ground Coriander
- Salt
- Pepper
- Lemon: Seasoning the chicken with lemon is so delicious. The acidity elevates the flavor of the spices and brightens up the meal.
- Chicken Stock: You always need at least 1 cup of liquid to cook with the pressure cooker. You can use water or vegetable stock, too.
How to Make It
Grab your pressure cooker and let’s get cooking! Give yourself a few hours for this recipe. Cooking with a pressure cooker usually includes more time than just the cooking time listed.
Prepare your seasoning rub. Mix all of the dried spices to make your rub.
Clean and dry the chicken. Make sure that you remove the giblets from the chicken. It’s also important that you pat the chicken dry (this helps develop a good sear!).
Season the chicken. Then, rub the seasoning all over the interior cavity and outside of the chicken.
Preheat the Instant Pot to Saute. The insert must be very hot before you start searing!
Sear the chicken on all sides. Next, place the chicken into the Instant Pot. It should sizzle quite a bit! Sear on all sides of the chicken to brown the skin. Remove the chicken from the pot.
Set the Instant Pot and wait. Add the chicken stock and a trivet so that the chicken isn’t sitting directly on the bottom of the pan. Put the chicken back in and close the lid. Set it and wait!
Let the chicken rest before serving. It’s important to do a natural release and then also wait another 10 minutes before serving.
Common Questions
This will vary by weight. The general rule of thumb is 7 minutes per pound. And then take into account about 20-25 minutes for a natural release. Always check the internal temperature of the chicken just to be sure.
Yes! You definitely can. So, it’s really important that you follow the cooking times.
No, you don’t. But it’s definitely helpful and prevents the chicken skin from getting soggy while cooking. I suggest using the trivet if you want to keep the skin crispy. It also prevents the chicken from burning and sticking to the bottom.
Recipe Tips and Variations
Here are a few tips that will help you cook the chicken in the pressure cooker. Plus, I am going to suggest a few different ways to make it taste even better!
- Make sure that pat dry the chicken. This is very important if you want crispy skin!
- Finish the chicken under the broiler or grill for even crispier skin. You can always put the whole chicken (or cut up pieces) under the broiler or on a hot grill after it’s been cooked. This will crisp up the chicken even more. (It’s also a great time to add BBQ sauce!)
- Add more flavorings to the pot. You can add a number of things to amp up the flavor. I suggest adding some clean vegetable scraps to the broth or cavity before cooking (like carrots, celery, or onions). You could also add a few whole garlic cloves.
Serving Suggestions
Instant Pot chicken needs a good side dish! Here are some of my favorite sides that I think pair perfectly with roasted chicken.
Storing, Reheating, and Freezing
This chicken makes great leftovers. Simply store any leftover chicken in an air-tight container and use it within 5 days. It’s ok to freeze, too! Just make sure that you seal it up tight and label it. It’s best to use the frozen chicken within 3 months.
To reheat the chicken, simply put it in the microwave or you can toss cut up pieces with some oil in a saute pan. You could also just eat it cold! The leftovers would be great for salads and sandwiches.
Instant Pot Whole Chicken (Rotisserie Chicken Style)
Description
This Instant Pot Whole Chicken, tastes like a straight-off-the-grill rotisserie chicken, right in your own kitchen! Rubbed down with spices like cumin, smoked paprika, and coriander – then cooked right in the instant pot for the perfect flavorful and juicy chicken.
Scale
Ingredients
- 4 lb. whole chicken, giblets removed
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 cup chicken stock
Instructions
- To a small bowl add garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander, salt and pepper. Mix together and set aside.
- Pat chicken dry thoroughly with a paper towel.
- Season the inside of the chicken cavity as well as the outside skin on both sides.
- Stuff the cavity with lemon halves.
- Set a 6 qt Instant Pot to HIGH saute setting. Once hot, add avocado oil and whole chicken to the instant pot breast side down. Saute for 4-5 minutes until seared and golden brown. Using tongs, flip, and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes. Remove from instant pot.
- Place the metal trivet in the instant pot. Pour chicken chicken into instant pot and place whole chicken breast side up in metal trivet.
- Secure the lid. Select pressure cooker setting and set to HIGH for 29 minutes.
- Do a natural release for 20-25 minutes. Remove chicken from the instant pot and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Keywords: whole chicken instant pot, pressure cooker whole chicken, instant pot roast chicken
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