Instant Pot Whole Chicken

Instant Pot Whole Chicken

For the best tasting experience, different parts of the whole chicken need different cooking times.

You wouldn’t want to perfectly cook one part of the chicken, then overcook or undercook other parts of the chicken.

So how can we evenly cook a whole chicken in Instant Pot?

Time for Amy + Jacky’s Test Kitchen Experiment for Instant Pot roast chicken!

Amy + Jacky’s “Zero-Minute” Whole Chicken

We spent months researching and testing dozens of chickens with many techniques and cooking times. To find an easy foolproof method that yields the best Instant Pot whole chicken.

Excited to introduce our game-changing technique: the “Zero-Minute” cooking method!

This “Zero-Minute” method is inspired by the ancient poaching method, a gentle cooking technique. It yields the most tender and juicy whole chicken in Instant Pot.

You’ll be surprised how both the dark meat and white meat are juicy and moist!! You gotta try this Whole Chicken Instant Pot recipe to believe it.

Since publishing our “Zero-Minute” Whole Chicken in 2018, readers have been showering us with love:

Jody: “Tonight we tried your Game Changing BBQ Chicken. Holy smokes was it delicious!! My husband who is the white meat eater of a chicken RAVED how moist it was! I myself can not get over how great the dark meat was! Neither one of us has had chicken so good.”

Wayne: “OMG, folks. You outdid yourselves on this one…In roasted chicken, I often find that the white meat is dryer than the dark. In this case, both were equally moist and tender, and tasty. I finished it under the broiler in the oven, which not only gave it a nice colour, but additional flavour as well. This is definitely going on my keeper list and I will be recommending it to others.”

Thanks for being adventurous and trusting our innovative “Zero-Minute” method!

What is Poaching?

You might be skeptical about how does it work? Does it really work?

If you enjoyed Poached Eggs before, then you’ve savored the deliciousness of the poaching cooking method. 🙂

The Deep Poaching Method involves cooking food submerged in liquid at a relatively low temperature.

This method allows the proteins to denature without pulling too much moisture out of the food. That’s why poached food comes out so moist and tender!

Poaching is generally used for cooking delicate food that might easily fall apart or dry out with other cooking methods, such as eggs, fish, or poultry.

“Zero-Minute” Method – Deep Poaching with Instant Pot

How to Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 0 Minutes

When you set the pressure cooking time to “zero minutes”:

• Stage 1: Instant Pot preheats and builds pressure in the pot
• Stage 2: Once it reaches high pressure, it automatically ends the pressure cooking cycle
• Stage 3: Instant Pot releases pressure in the pot

With this method, we’re using the heat generated during “Stage 1: Building Pressure” and “Stage 3: Releasing Pressure” to cook the whole chicken.

Make sure you measure the chicken’s internal temperature with a food thermometer. And the thickest part of the chicken reaches at least 161°F (72°C).

How to Cook Instant Pot Whole Chicken

Here are a few ingredients for whole chicken Instant Pot recipe.

Whole Chicken. The chicken’s size affects the optimal natural release time for cooking the whole chicken. Adjust according to our Tested Time Chart.

Water. 8 cups (2L) cold water is not a typo! Don’t worry! We’re not using too much water because we’re using the deep poaching method to cook the whole chicken in Instant Pot. Plus, you’ll end up with a delicious chicken broth.

Salt. 5 teaspoons (35g) salt is also not a typo! And it won’t make your chicken too salty. Remember it’ll dissolve into 8 cups (2L) of water, and not added directly to the pressure cooker whole chicken. But you can reduce the amount or omit it if necessary.

Unsalted Butter. We develop recipes with unsalted ingredients so we can better control the flavors. If you’re substituting it with salted butter, keep in mind that the sodium level can vary a lot between different brands. Adjust accordingly.

Regular Soy Sauce (Optional). We’re using soy sauce for some bonus umami flavors and colors.

Tools for Whole Chicken Instant Pot Recipe

• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker (6qt)
• Kitchen Tongs
• Food Thermometer
• Silicone Basting Brush

Pressure Cook Whole Chicken in Instant Pot

Add 5 teaspoons (35g) fine sea salt, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, and 1 teaspoon dried thyme to Instant Pot.

Pour in 8 cups (2L) cold water and carefully submerge the whole chicken (breast side facing up) in the liquid.

With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.

Instant Pot Whole Chicken Cook Time: Pressure Cook whole chicken at High Pressure for “0 (zero)” minutes, then Natural Release for 20 to 22 minutes.

Natural Release Time Chart:

• For 2.8 pounds (1260g) Whole Chicken: Natural Release for 18 minutes
• For 3.2 pounds (1450g) Whole Chicken: Natural Release for 20 minutes
• For 3.6 pounds (1633g) Whole Chicken: Natural Release for 22 minutes

After 18 to 22 minutes, release the remaining pressure by turning the Venting Knob to Venting position. Carefully open the lid.

Remove Instant Pot whole chicken, then drain the hot chicken stock in the chicken carcass.

Make Garlic Butter

When the whole chicken is cooking in Instant Pot, melt 3 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Add minced garlic and a pinch of kosher salt in the melted butter.

Sauté the garlic for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant and golden in color.

Remove from heat, add in 1 tablespoon (15ml) regular soy sauce (optional), then set aside.

Measure Temperature & Pat Dry Whole Chicken

Carefully place the Instant Pot whole chicken on an oven tray.

Measure the temperature at the chicken’s thickest part. Make sure the temperature reaches at least 161°F (72°C).

Gently pat dry the pressure cooker whole chicken with a paper towel.

Optional – Crisp Instant Pot Whole Chicken

Note: You can use an oven, Air Fryer, Instant Pot Duo Crisp‘s “Air Fry” function or Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid for this step.

Brush the garlic-infused butter sauce all over the pressure cooker whole chicken. If you like, you can continue to brush more sauce on the chicken during the caramelizing process.

Option 1 – Oven

Put the chicken breast-side down under the broiler for 4 to 8 minutes until the chicken skin is browned and lightly crisped.

Be careful if you’re also browning the breast side because white meat is more likely to dry out.

Option 2 – Air Fryer or Air Fryer Lid

Place a trivet in Instant Pot.

Put whole chicken (breast side down) on the trivet in Instant Pot. Brush sauce on the chicken.

Place the Air Fryer Lid on Instant Pot.

Press “Airfry” button, set Temperature to 400°F and Cooking Time to 20 minutes.

For reference, it’ll take roughly 8 to 12 minutes until the chicken skin is browned & crisped. You can open the lid to check the progress.

Flip the chicken over if you want to brown the breast side too.

Serve Instant Pot Roast Chicken

Yasss you did it!! That was easy. Wasn’t it? 🙂

Let the Instant Pot roast chicken rest for a few minutes before carving.

Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on the chicken if you like.

Serve this butter garlic instant pot rotisserie chicken immediately.

What to Serve with Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken

Our Butter Garlic Roast Chicken instant pot recipe makes a healthy, low-carb, easy chicken dinner. You can serve this Instant Pot rotisserie chicken with a variety of side dishes or soups like Instant Pot Bread #15, salads, potatoes, vegetables, beans, or garlic bread.

Delicious side dishes you can serve with Instant Pot Whole Chicken:

• Potatoes: Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, Instant Pot Roasted Potatoes, Instant Pot Potato Salad, Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
• Rice, Grain, Pasta: Instant Pot Quinoa, Instant Pot Rice, Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
• Vegetables: Instant Pot Corn on the Cob, Instant Pot Green Beans, Instant Pot Cabbage
• Beans: Instant Pot Black Beans, Instant Pot Baked Beans

Enjoy this “Zero-Minute” Whole Chicken Instant Pot recipe!

Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipes

• Instant Pot BBQ Whole Chicken
• Instant Pot Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)
• Instant Pot Soy Sauce Chicken (豉油雞)