Got an Instant Pot? Grab a whole chicken and cook this simple, fast, and filling meal!
Do you have a weakness for the scent of a freshly cooked golden-brown rotisserie chicken? Perhaps you’re one of the many who rely on your local supermarket when you want to bring a pre-cooked chicken home for dinner. While buying a rotisserie chicken from the store is always tempting, making a whole chicken at home isn’t as much of a chore as you might imagine.
Forget about setting aside an entire day in the kitchen, pre-heating your oven, and basting your bird every hour; if you have a handy-dandy Instant Pot, making a delicious whole chicken is almost as simple as “set it and forget it.”
Not only will you save money, but you also get to control all the ingredients that go into your recipe. Plus, you never have to wonder how long this Instant Pot chicken has been sitting under those heat lamps in the store. With just a few minutes of prep work, you’ll have enough chicken for multiple lunches and weeknight meals.
Is a Whole Chicken in an Instant Pot Healthy?
Instant Pot chicken isn’t just tasty and convenient, it’s also a fantastic lean protein to add to your diet. You don’t need to use as much oil to cook chicken in an Instant Pot versus other methods like frying, and since it’s so versatile, it can be served with vitamin-rich roasted veggies, quinoa, or brown rice to make it more nutritious.
For those on a low-sodium diet, please compare the salt content of different brands of chicken stock to find one that works best for your diet. Alternatively, if you’ve got the time, you could make a delicious DIY chicken broth to control what ingredients go into it.
How to prevent a dry and rubbery chicken
There are many potential reasons your Instant Pot chicken has a dry taste or a rubbery texture, but overcooking is the most common culprit. While it’s essential to cook your whole chicken to a food-safe internal temperature of 165°F, cooking significantly above this temperature or for too long could cause it to lose its natural juices. In general, you want to factor in about six minutes of cooking time per pound of chicken, and to retain as much moisture as possible, always let the natural pressure release for 10 to 15 minutes before quick-releasing your Instant Pot.
Using a trivet and adding a rich chicken broth to your Instant Pot are also common “tricks of the trade” to create flavorful steam while preventing your chicken from boiling in these juices. You could also experiment with the “sauté” function on your Instant Pot to brown the chicken on all sides before pressure cooking—or broil the chicken after it’s finished cooking in the Instant Pot. This optional step not only makes your chicken look extra delicious, but it will also help seal in the juices when cooking. Just remember to deglaze your Instant Pot after browning the chicken with broth or water to remove any browned bits that may have formed, as these can impart a burnt taste.
How to Make Ahead and Store
Unless you’re serving the whole chicken for a big meal, you’ll probably have some leftovers. Some people make this recipe ahead of time just so they have a lot of mouthwatering meat for lunches and weeknight meals.
Once your chicken has cooled, you can cut it up, divide it into white and dark portions, and store these slices in airtight containers. In the refrigerator, your chicken should last about 4 to 5 days, while frozen cooked chicken will last for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
There are two ways to think about serving an Instant Pot whole chicken. On the one hand, you could make this chicken the centerpiece of your mealtime and serve it as it is. Alternatively, you could slice the meat up to mix some chicken into countless other weekly recipes.
For those serving a whole chicken to family or friends, mashed potatoes and roasted veggies are classic sides. If there are any keto dieters at your get-together, you could also make cauliflower rice, a kale salad, or Brussels sprout chips.
As for using up the leftover meat throughout the week, a few iconic ideas include chicken fajitas, these chicken pot pie noodles, or even a sandwich filled with this chicken salad.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken about 4 lbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 lemon halved
- 1 onion quartered
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken by removing any giblets and patting it dry. Rub the chicken with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Place the trivet in the Instant Pot and add the chicken broth. Arrange the lemon halves and onion quarters around the trivet. Place the seasoned chicken on the trivet, breast-side up.
- Secure the lid of the Instant Pot and set it to manual high pressure for 35 minutes. After cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 10 to 15 minutes before quick-releasing the Instant Pot.
- Carefully remove the chicken from the Instant Pot. Optionally, for crispy skin, broil the chicken in the oven on high for 5 minutes.
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
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