Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipe

This Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipe is tender, juicy, and absolutely delicious! It's so easy and quick to make and cooks in a fraction of the time compared to the oven-roasting alternative.  Cooked from fresh or frozen, the meat is always falling off the bone and completely delectable.

This post has been updated since its original publish date in February 2019.

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Jump to:

• Why You'll Love this Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipe:
• What You'll Need
• How Long Do You Cook A Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot?
• A Guide for Cook Times for Different Size Whole Chickens?
• For Crispy Chicken Skin:
• How Do You Cook A Whole Chicken in the Pressure Cooker?
• Crisping the Skin in the Oven
• Can you Cook A Whole Chicken That is Frozen in the Instant Pot?
• Storing and Reheating and Freezing
• Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipe
• Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipe
• More delicious Instant Pot Chicken Recipes:
• Instant Pot Beef Recipes: 

I do love a rotisserie chicken or an oven-roasted chicken.  There’s something magical that happens to the meat as it cooks for hours and hours.  It’s always tender, juicy and so flavorful.

Oh and if you’re the fortunate person who gets to carve it up then you get to snack (I mean taste test), ahem, all that yumminess before it gets to the plate.

I also love that there’s nothing fussy or complicated about roasting a chicken.  You can add seasoning, herbs, & veggies or just keep it plain and simple and it always turns out wonderful.  So simple and sooo good!

The only downside to this roasting chicken business is that it takes a decent amount of time to slow cook in the oven.  But not anymore because of our favorite new kitchen appliance – the Instant Pot.

Why You'll Love this Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipe:

• Quick: Cooking the whole chicken in the Instant Pot speeds up the cooking process while retaining flavor and nutrients.
• Tender & Juicy: Using the Instant Pot not only saves time but also locks in flavor and moisture, making your chicken incredibly juicy and tender.
• Simple & Easy: You only need a few ingredients and a pressure cooker.
• Cost-Effective: Whole chickens are a budget-friendly protein option. You can pay twice as much for thighs, wings, or breasts.
• Family Friendly: It's one of those heartwarming recipes the whole family will enjoy.

Let's go over what you'll need to make this recipe...

What You'll Need

You'll need a pressure cooker for this recipe. I used a 6 Quart Instant Pot.

• One whole chicken - 5 lbs in weight.
• 3 stalks celery
• 1 large onion
• 8 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 10 stems Italian flat leaf parsley
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 cups chicken stock (or water)
• 1 teaspoon salt & pepper for the outside of the chicken
• ½ teaspoon salt & pepper, inside the bird

How Long Do You Cook A Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot?

Thanks to the Miracle Pot (better known as the Instant Pot), you can enjoy fall-off-the-bone-tender chicken with only 20-30 minutes of pressure cooking.  Amazing – isn’t it!?

Yesss!  Instant Pot Whole Chicken is pretty fabulous!

The length of cooking time for whole chickens will vary based on the size of your chicken.  The rule of thumb for whole chicken in the Instant Pot is that each pound of chicken requires 6 minutes of pressure cooking.  Therefore, for each half-pound of chicken, you will need 3 minutes of pressure cooking.

Here’s a quick reference for you when figuring out cook times…

A Guide for Cook Times for Different Size Whole Chickens?

How long to cook Instant Pot chicken:

• 3lb whole chicken in the Instant Pot: 18 minutes at high pressure
• 3½ lb whole chicken in the Instant Pot: 21 minutes at high pressure
• 4lb whole chicken in the Instant Pot: 24 minutes at high pressure
• 4½ lb chicken in the Instant Pot: 27 minutes at high pressure
• 5lb chicken in the Instant Pot: 30 minutes at high pressure
• 5½ lb chicken in the Instant Pot: 33 minutes at high pressure
• 6 lb chicken in the Instant Pot: 36 minutes at high pressure
• 6½ lb chicken in the Instant Pot: 39 minutes at high pressure

Honestly, a 6½ lb chicken is pretty big and it will fill a 6 quart Instant Pot almost to the top of the inner pot.  Usually, this is a no-no since you’re only supposed to fill the pot ⅔ full when pressure cooking.  But this is an exception to that rule.

Here’s why: The IP shouldn't be filled near the top for liquids that take up the entire area within the pot - like soups, stews, and stocks.  The same is true for foods that will be fairly solid or will expand, like rice or beans.

Foods like whole chickens have open areas (like the cavity and the open area in the pot around the chicken) so they aren't considered solid, and therefore are acceptable to be above the ⅔ full line.

For Crispy Chicken Skin:

When you're cooking skin-on chicken in the Instant Pot the skin will turn out soft because you’re steaming the chicken in the IP. There’s no way the skin can stay crispy. 

Unless… wait for it… you high-temperature bake/broil it after it pressure cooks.

That’s what I’m talking about!!!  The best of both worlds!  Quick tender whole chicken recipe with crispy skin.

Move the oven rack to a lower position. 2-3 from the bottom is good. You want the chicken to sit right in the middle of the oven.

Transfer your chicken to a baking sheet, add a little olive oil or cooking spray to the chicken, and broil it for 3-5 minutes, until the skin is crisp to your liking but be careful to not let it burn.

All ovens are not the same so be sure to babysit the bird when it’s on broil so it doesn’t burn the skin or dry out the chicken.

Now for the details about cooking this chicken...

How Do You Cook A Whole Chicken in the Pressure Cooker?

Prepping the Chicken

• Rough chop 3 celery stalks and 1 large onion.  Smash 6 large garlic cloves and rinse/dry 8 rosemary sprigs/stems and 10 parsley stems
• Make two bundles of 4 rosemary stems and 5 parsley stems, then tie them off in little bunches with kitchen twine.  (You don’t have to do this but it makes it easier to remove the herbs later.)
• Now take your whole chicken, remove any organs that are down inside, and pat it dry on the outside with some paper towels.  Sprinkle salt and pepper into the cavity of the bird, then add some celery, onion, smashed garlic, and one of the herb bundles.
• Next, lay the chicken on its back and tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
• Finally, sprinkle the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper.

Cooking the Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot

• Add 1 cup of chicken stock (or water) to the bottom of the IP inner pot. (I use a 6-Quart Duo Instant Pot (<- link!)  but if you're not sure which one is right for you, read this Instant Pot Review before you buy one).

• Now seal and pressure cook according to the times specified for your size of bird. (It will take 10-12 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure).

NOTE: (You can skip this step if you don’t want the skin to be crispy and golden on the outside. Sometimes I cook a chicken to use for soups or stew where the skin gets discarded, so browning is unnecessary).

Crisping the Skin in the Oven

• While the chicken is cooking, move the oven rack to a lower position. 2-3 from the bottom is good. You want the chicken to sit right in the middle of the oven.
• Add a little olive oil or cooking spray to the chicken, and broil it for 3-5 minutes, until the skin is crisp to your liking. Be careful to not let it burn or dry out the chicken.
• All ovens are not the same so be sure to babysit the bird when it’s being broiled so it doesn’t burn the skin.

NOTE: Do not discard the liquid or drippings – store them in the fridge or freezer and use them as chicken stock. Or make some delcious gravy to pour over your chicken when serving.

NOTE: You can also keep the carcass and bones to make chicken broth. Store them in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze them in an air-tight freezer bag or container to use at a different time.

I tested many, many different methods of pressure cooking whole chickens – some with crispy skin and some without.  There’s no doubt the Instant Pot was made for creating the most mouth-watering tender and juicy whole chicken recipe everrr!

Since I know this is something you might be wondering, I thought I would address the topic of…

Can you Cook A Whole Chicken That is Frozen in the Instant Pot?

You can, but there are some limitations you could face.  If your chicken has organs inside, or if it has metal or plastic ties holding the feet together, you cannot pressure cook it in the Instant Pot.

Buuuut if you take the time before freezing your bird to remove the organs and any plastic/metal on the chicken, then it is completely Instant Pot-ready. This can be accomplished by holding the wrapped chicken under cool running water to defrost the packaging and make it easier to remove.

Cooking a whole frozen chicken will require more pressure cooking than a thawed chicken.  If your chicken is Instant Pot-ready and frozen, you should pressure cook it for 11 minutes per pound. 

Example: So a frozen 3-pound bird = 33 minutes of pressure cooking time and 15 minutes of natural pressure release.

Storing and Reheating and Freezing

• To store leftover chicken in the fridge, remove it from the bone and seal it in an airtight food storage container or bag. It will keep for up to 4 days.
• Reheat leftovers in the microwave or oven until heated through.
• To freeze the chicken, remove the chicken from the bones and place it in an airtight freezer bag. Try to remove as much air as possible. Write the date on the outside of the bag, and freeze the chicken for up to three months.

Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipe

I’m excited for you to try this recipe on your own. If you’re new to Instant Pot, cooking this recipe will totally build up your confidence. And produce your new favorite way to cook a whole chicken!

And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better – it totally does… You probably already know this but this Instant Pot chicken is also naturally low-carb and gluten-free! 

You gotta love healthy instant pot recipes!  #alwayswinning

More delicious Instant Pot Chicken Recipes:

Delicious Instant Pot Chicken Thighs with Risotto
The Best Instant Pot Shredded Mexican Chicken
Comforting Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Instant Pot Beef Recipes: 

Hearty Instant Pot Pot Roast
Cozy Instant Pot Beef Thai Red Curry
Fall Off The Bone Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs