How to Make Roasted Chicken in an Instant Pot

Rotisserie Style Instant Pot Whole Roasted Chicken – tender, juicy, roasted chicken you can make in about 45 minutes using your Instant Pot pressure cooker. 

I have to admit I love the convenience of grabbing a $5.99 rotisserie chicken from Sam’s and Costco on a busy week. But as good as they are (and they are truly fall off the bone juicy and tender) I have no clue what they use to make them. Or even what kind of chicken it is.

But until getting an Instant Pot roasting a chicken was out of the question. It just makes it so quick and easy (it will even cook it frozen!). And I have the peace of mind of knowing exactly what ingredients are going into our bellies.

Disclaimer: I still get roasted chickens from the store. A lot. But the Instant Pot makes it more of a reality for me to pull off.  🙂  

Roasted Chicken in an Instant Pot

Making a roasted chicken in the Instant Pot could not be easier. Or faster.

Go from 1 hour and 45 minutes in the oven to 45 minutes (ish) total in the Instant Pot.  It can even cook a FROZEN whole chicken in an hour!

Pat chicken dry. Brown in the Instant Pot for 5 minutes on each side. Pressure cook time with natural release for about 35 minutes. Let cool. Done.  (a lot more details in recipe below of course) 

COOK TIME

For every pound of chicken, multiply that by 7 and you’ll get the time. E.g. 3lb chicken – 21 minutes & 5 lb – 35 minutes.

HIGH ALTITUDE:  Add 15% to the cook time. 

FROZEN:  For every pound of chicken, multiply that by 9 MINUTES and you’ll get the time. E.g. 3lb chicken – 36 minutes & 5 lb – 45 minutes. 

Other Recipes you may enjoy:

• Chicken Curry in a Hurry
• Instant Pot Chicken Taco Soup
• Dijon Maple Chicken Breasts
• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Instant Pot Whole Roasted Chicken

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How to Make a Roasted Whole Chicken in an Instant Pot

Cook time:  45 mins

Total time:  45 mins

Rotisserie Style Instant Pot Whole Roasted Chicken – tender, juicy, roasted chicken you can make in about 45 minutes using your Instant Pot pressure cooker. COOK TIME: For every pound of chicken, multiply that by 7 and you’ll get the time. E.g. 3lb chicken – 21 minutes & 5 lb – 35 minutes. HIGH ALTITUDE:  Add 15% to the cook time.  FROZEN:  For every pound of chicken, multiply that by 9 MINUTES and you’ll get the time. E.g. 3lb chicken – 36 minutes & 5 lb – 45 minutes. 

Ingredients

• 1 3-4 lb whole chicken
• 1 tbsp ghee (or butter)
• Salt (I prefer sea salt) and pepper
• 1 handful of fresh herbs (such as rosemary, thyme and sage) or 1 tsp each of these dried herbs - you can honestly use any seasonings you'd like!
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup broth or water

Instructions

1. Remove bag of giblets from the chicken cavity if included
2. Put chicken on a plate and pat it dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on all sides.
3. Select the "saute" function on your Instant Pot. Once hot add 1 tbsp of ghee (or butter) and allow it to melt. Once melted (but before it starts to smoke), add the chicken breast-side down. Cook undisturbed for 5-7 minutes until it starts to brown.
4. Using tongs or wooden spoons, carefully flip the chicken over. Cook this side for another 5 minutes.
5. While chicken is cooking prep garlic and herbs.
6. Once browned on both sides, hit cancel on the Instant Pot. Carefully remove the chicken and add the IP trivet to the bottom of the pot. Add the broth (or water) and return the chicken to the pot. Sprinkle minced garlic, salt and pepper and top with herbs.
7. Place lid on the Instant Pot and ensure it is in the "locked" position. The steam may make the float valve pop up. If this happens gently push it back down with your finger and then lock in place. Then ensure the vent is turned to the "sealing" position.
8. Select the "manual" setting (COOK TIME: For every pound of chicken, multiply that by 7 and you’ll get the time. E.g. 3lb chicken – 21 minutes & 5 lb – 35 minutes. HIGH ALTITUDE:  Add 15% to the cook time.  FROZEN:  For every pound of chicken, multiply that by 9 MINUTES and you’ll get the time. E.g. 3lb chicken – 36 minutes & 5 lb – 45 minutes.). After the Instant Pot is finished and you find you need to cook it more you can simply return and lock and the lid and cook for a few minutes longer until done.
9. When the cook time is up, allow the pressure cooker to naturally release for 10 minutes. This will help seal in the juices. Then flip the valve to "venting" to release the rest of the pressure before attempting to open the lid.
10. Carefully remove the chicken using the trivet handles and allow it to cool a bit before removing the meat from the bones.
11. Store cooked chicken in the fridge for 4 days. You can also remove chicken from the bone and put in freezer (in freezer bags) to use in a future recipe.

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