Juicy, tender, and infused with savory flavor all the way to the bone, this Instant Pot whole chicken delivers everything you want from a classic oven-roasted chicken recipe in a fraction of the time.
The meat is fall-apart tender, the skin is perfectly seasoned, and the rich broth left behind is liquid gold for soups, gravies, and future meals. It is a simple, reliable way to put a wholesome, from-scratch dinner on the table without heating up the oven.
Looking for more ways to put your Instant Pot to good use? Make homemade chicken bone broth, this plain yogurt recipe (or homemade Greek yogurt recipe), quick Instant Pot artichokes, or this easy Instant Pot chili recipe.
Quick Look at This Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- 🕒 Ready In: About 45 minutes
- 🍲Method: Pressure Cooking
- 👪 Yield: 4 to 6 servings
- 🍽 Calories: Approximately 250 per serving
- 🥄 Tools: Instant Pot, trivet, tongs
- ❄️ Freezer Friendly: Yes
- 📖 Dietary Info: Gluten-free, dairy-free, low carb
- ⭐ Why You’ll Love It: Tender, flavorful chicken with homemade broth in one pot
- 👩🍳 Tip: Let the chicken rest before carving to keep it juicy
✅ Summarize this recipe, or ask for recipe substitutions and dietary information with AI.
What Makes This Recipe Unique?
If you are looking for a dependable, budget-friendly meal that feels like comfort food but fits into a busy day, this recipe is for you.
- Fast – Cooks a whole chicken in under an hour, and is perfect for meal prep and leftovers.
- Easy – Great for beginners and seasoned cooks alike.
- Frugal – No waste! Use the carcass to make homemade chicken bone broth.
- Wholesome – Uses simple, real food ingredients.
Key Ingredients:
A full ingredients list, including measurements, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Whole Chicken – We raise meat chickens, and our birds can average about 6 pounds. For bigger birds, I remove the trivet so they can fit in the Instant Pot.
- Water (or Broth) – This is a critical ingredient to create steam pressure in your Instant Pot.
- Seasonings – I like to use a combination of paprika, DIY Italian seasoning, fresh rosemary sprigs, salt and pepper.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
One of the best things about cooking from scratch is the flexibility it offers. Check out my full list of ingredient substitutions for all your baking and cooking needs.
- Fresh Herbs – Swap dried herbs for fresh herbs if available.
- Flavor Enhancers – Use an onion for a deeper flavor or lemon slices for a brighter flavor.
- Smoked Paprika – Replace paprika with smoked paprika for a richer flavor.
Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Remove the giblets from the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels.
Step 2: Mix salt, pepper, paprika, and herbs in a small bowl. Rub the seasoning all over the chicken, including inside the cavity.
Step 3: Place the fresh sprigs of rosemary inside the cavity.
Step 4: Place the trivet in the Instant Pot and pour in the broth or water. Set the seasoned chicken on top of the trivet, breast side up.
Step 5: Secure the lid and set the valve to the sealing position. Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes per pound. Allow a natural pressure release for 10 to 15 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure.
Step 6: Remove the chicken and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before carving.
Recipe Tips
- For crispy skin, place the cooked chicken under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Choose a chicken that fits comfortably in your Instant Pot.
- Patting the chicken dry helps the seasoning stick better.
- Do not skip the natural pressure release, as it keeps the meat tender.
- Save the cooking liquid for soups or to cook rice.
Serving Suggestions
This Instant Pot Whole Chicken pairs beautifully with simple, nourishing sides:
- From-scratch green bean casserole recipe
- Roasted root vegetables or honey balsamic Brussels sprouts
- Mashed potatoes with pan drippings, or this creamy red potato salad recipe
- Fresh green salad topped with homemade buttermilk ranch dressing
- Roasted beet salad with goat cheese
- This sourdough boule recipe, or use this easy no-knead artisan bread recipe
It also works wonderfully for shredding into tacos, for this chicken Alfredo pizza recipe, for a healthy chicken and broccoli casserole, or for homemade cream of chicken soup throughout the week.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it will keep well for up to 4 days. If you want to save it longer, shredded chicken can be frozen for up to 3 months for easy future meals.
Don’t forget the cooking liquid; strain it and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze it so you have homemade broth ready whenever you need it.
FAQ’s
You cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot for about 6 minutes per pound on high pressure, followed by a natural pressure release to keep it tender and juicy.
Yes, you always need at least 1 cup of water or broth in the Instant Pot to create steam and properly bring it to pressure.
Keeping chicken moist comes down to not overcooking it, using a natural pressure release, cooking it on a trivet above liquid, and letting it rest before carving.
Common mistakes include skipping the required liquid, overcooking the chicken, quick releasing too soon, forgetting the trivet, and not seasoning well enough before cooking.
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Did you make this recipe for an Instant Pot whole chicken? If so, please leave a star ⭐ rating in the recipe card below (this really helps me out)… then, snap a photo and tag me on social media @melissaknorris so I can see! I love getting a glimpse of what you all make in your kitchens.
Instant Pot Whole Chicken (Juicy, Easy, & Flavorful Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- paper towels
- Measuring Utensils
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken mine was our home raised birds and a 6 pound bird
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Dried herbs of choice I use this DIY Italian seasoning
- paprika to taste
- pepper to taste
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Place fresh herbs inside cavity of chicken, sprinkle outside liberally with salt, pepper, and dried spices/herbs of choice. Place 2 cups water in bottom of Instant pot and place chicken inside (I don’t use the trivet because this large of a bird won’t fit and it’s one less thing to wash, score!)
- Secure lid and choose meat setting on high pressure for 40 minutes if frozen, and 30 minutes if thawed, and allow to cook. You can do either a manual or natural release depending on how fast you need to eat. (You’ll get close to 4 cups worth of broth when bird is done cooking)
- When the pressure cooking time is up, make sure pressure is reduced fully if going the natural release route, and remove lid. Using tongs, lift the chicken onto a serving dish or tray. It’s usually fall off the bone so I take mine out in big pieces. Let it cool slightly and serve!
- Reserve all of that luscious broth (it will have gel like you won’t believe) for soup or make a quick gravy if you so desire.
Notes
- For crispy skin, place the cooked chicken under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Choose a chicken that fits comfortably in your Instant Pot.
- Patting the chicken dry helps the seasoning stick better.
- Do not skip the natural pressure release, as it keeps the meat tender.
- Save the cooking liquid for soups or to cook rice.
- Roasted root vegetables or honey balsamic Brussels sprouts
- Mashed potatoes with pan drippings, or this creamy red potato salad recipe.
- Fresh green salad topped with homemade buttermilk ranch dressing
- Roasted beet salad with goat cheese.
- This sourdough boule recipe, or use this easy no-knead artisan bread recipe.
We love leftover roasted chicken for sandwiches, wraps, salads, casseroles, tacos, etc. Now that I know how to use the Instant Pot to cook a whole chicken, we have it on constant repeat.
I’m assuming I can reuse the remaining bones, skin, etc. and make a batch of just broth after making this whole chicken?
I do!
I have an Air Fryer lid that attaches to the top of my Instant Pot. After I am done cooking the chicken, I change lids and set it on roast. It browns the chicken so it looks and tastes more like a roasted chicken. I’ve also made chickens without the Air Fryer lid and thats very good too.
Pro tip, this will not work with store bought chicken. LOL. I purposely didn’t thaw the one I knew I had after finding this recipe. But that moisture absorber and packet in the cavity are going no where anytime soon. 😛 Raising meat birds right now so this recipe will have to wait until then for me.
Made this last night & it was delicious! I left out the fresh herbs because I didn’t have it but it was still great without. Bonus: I got 5 cups of broth to put in the freezer for future use!
Not all of us have, or ever will have, the means to home grow or home process chickens or other meat. Many of the whole chickens around here come frozen with those paper packets of giblets and things stuck inside them. So we can’t cook a frozen chicken; we have to thaw in order to get those things out. I usually just pop the frozen bird into the freezer when I get home, unless using immediately, rather than thawing completely, removing the giblets, then re-freezing. Kind of defeats the purpose if you have to thaw first or re-freeze. Any suggestions to make that part easier?
I had this situation today for my 1st time doing it. I thawed my chicken just enough to remove the giblet bag. I cooked it for the middle time frame (35 minutes) and it turned out perfect!
I have an instant pot and have not used it yet…maybe after seeing this recipe, I will unbox it and give it a try!
Would you do anything different for an older hen? Our freezer stock of whole chicken is mostly older layers that I usually do in the crockpot but I tried in the instant pot and it came out very tough.
If you marinate in buttermilk for a couple of hours then cook in the instant pot it will turn out moist and tender.
This chicken turned out so well!! Didn’t have a trivet for my Instant Pot and turns out it is possible to make a whole chicken without it! So moist, flavorful, and the broth is delicious. Husband was a HUGE fan. Will be making this often. Wonderful recipe!
OK to add more water to get more broth??
I haven’t tried it with more to know if it would affect the cooking time or not.
So appreciate your checking on me; just been crazy bust lately. Love the idea of a Hot Pot. Will this email be active until I delete it because I want to try your recipes once I get my own Hot Pot (maybe for Christmas?)
Yes, this will be here for you!
This insta pot was the next must have for my kitchen and now having read your article I am sold on it. My daughter and I are always forgetting to get stuff out of the freezer so it will be a real blessing for us. Thank you Melissa
Yay, let me know how you like it when you get it!
I’ve never done a whole chicken before. I think I’ll give this a try tonight. Thank you for the recipe Melissa!
I haven’t jumped on the instant pot bandwagon yet but I think I need to. I love my crockpot so I am sure I would love an instant pot, especially if I can cook a whole chicken in it!
I was a late commer, but I love this thing!
The only part I have found difficulty in cooking a whole frozen chicken in my Instant Pot is getting the bird in there. Sometimes the legs don’t fit down in so I have to thaw just enough to get the bird in the pot. But other than that, I, like you have fallen in love. we are still getting to know one another. we tried a chicken tortilla soup last night and it was GOOD.
Thank you for all you do and all the time spent. Keep up the good work and sharing the good word.
Yes, if my bird is on the bigger side I have had to get creative on which way to flip and finagling it into the pot to get the lid to seal.