Go Back
–+ servings
Close up shot of a whole cooked chicken with a few slices off on a gray plate with fresh thyme
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Instant Pot Whole Chicken

Instant Pot whole chicken is the most hands off way to cook a chicken on meal prep Sunday. Showing you how to cook a fresh or frozen whole chicken in the Instant Pot. This recipe is low carb, gluten-free and paleo.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Pressurizing + Natural Pressure Release40 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6
Calories: 293kcal
Author: Denise Bustard

Ingredients

  • whole chicken (3-5 lbs)

Spice rub

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons basil
  • 2 teaspoons oregano

For cavity

  • ½ lemon (quartered)
  • ½ onion (quartered)

Instructions

Fresh chicken

  • In the bottom of an Instant Pot, place 1 cup of water (1.5 cups for an 8 quart Instant Pot). Place the trivet on top.
  • Remove neck and giblets from cavity if necessary.
  • Stir together the spice blend with the olive oil to make a paste. Place ⅓ of the mixture under the skin, ⅓ all over the skin, and ⅓ in the cavity.
  • Place the lemon and onion into the cavity.
  • Place chicken on top of trivet (breast side up). Put the lid on, set the vent to 'sealing', and select 'pressure cook' with time according to size (6 minutes per pound):
    * 3 lbs- 18 min
    *3.5 lbs- 21 min
    * 4 lbs- 24 min
    * 4.5 lbs- 27 min
  • Allow pot to naturally depressurize completely (around 15 minutes).
  • Carefully transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and broil for 3-5 minutes, until skin is browned.
  • Allow to cool slightly before serving for dinner. Cool for 1 hour before shredding for meal prep.

Frozen chicken

  • In the bottom of an Instant Pot, place 1 cup of water (1.5 cups for an 8 quart Instant Pot). Place the trivet on top.
  • Stir together the spice blend with the olive oil to make a paste. Spread it all over chicken as well as you can.
  • Place frozen chicken on top of trivet (breast side up). Put the lid on, set the vent to 'sealing', and select 'pressure cook' with time according to size (10.5 minutes/pound)
    * 3 lbs- 32 min
    *3.5 lbs- 37 min
    * 4 lbs- 42 min
    * 4.5 lbs- 47 min
  • Allow pot to naturally depressurize completely (around 15 minutes).
  • Carefully transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and broil for 3-5 minutes, until skin is browned.
  • Allow to cool slightly before serving for dinner. Cool for 1 hour before shredding for meal prep.

Storage

  • Cooked chicken may be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 4 days. It may be frozen for up to 3 months.

Notes

Save the skin & bones to make bone broth! I use 2 chicken carcasses and this recipe

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of batch | Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 283mg | Potassium: 267mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 3.4mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1.4mg