Instant Pot Whole Chicken

5 from 1 vote

I love cooking a whole chicken in my Instant Pot. The meat gets turned into all sorts of dishes—chicken pot pie, chicken enchiladas, chicken tacos, chicken salads, or my son’s favorite matzoh ball soup. I also use the carcass and cooking juices to make the most delicious homemade chicken broth, also cooked in the Instant Pot, of course!

Course Main Dish Recipes

Cuisine Instant Pot

Keyword instant pot whole chicken

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Additional Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 326kcal

Author Robin Donovan

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil I use safflower oil, but any neutral, high-smoke-point oil is fine
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika optional
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 3- to 4-pound chicken, rinsed, drained, and patted dry
1 cup water or chicken broth
3 garlic cloves peeled and halved
1 lemon halved

Instructions

Turn the instant pot on and heat it up using the Saute function. Add the oil and let that heat for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the paprika(s), salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken.
When the oil is hot, add the chicken, breast-side down and cook until nicely browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over using large, sturdy tongs, and cook on the second side for another few minutes until browned. Add the water or broth, garlic, and lemon halves. Cover the instant pot, turn the knob to “sealing,” and set on “manual” for 25 minutes.
When the 25-minute cooking cycle is done, turn the Instant Pot off and let the pressure release naturally for 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the pot, but reserve the juices.
This is when I generally pick all of the chicken from the bones and return the bones to the juices in the pot to make Homemade Chicken Broth.

Nutrition