Learn how to optimize your time and still get real food on the table using your Instant Pot to make a whole chicken in under an hour without compromising nutrition!
Routine…
These days I literally thrive off of it. My desire to keep my kitchen real food based plus a house full of little ones makes routine a necessity.
I physically don’t have the time to be in the kitchen all day. It’s that simple!
So for years my kitchen routine – specifically my chicken and bone broth routine – has been on autopilot…literally. It was something I didn’t have to think about.
I made a whole chicken or two on a Sunday and use the meat for the next few days while freezing the rest. I would dump the bones back into the oven roaster or slow cooker and let it go overnight until the next evening when I would strain it off, cool it in the fridge overnight, and then pop it into the freezer. All in all it was a 2 day process – though certainly not all hands on time. I honestly could do the routine without even thinking about it…
…and then my Instant Pot
arrived.
And it sat…
…and sat.
And sat.
Until about a month after I had it {still in the box} my husband asked if I was ever going to “try that thing out” and I decided I better try. I kept reading about chickens being made in less than an hour and bone broth in hours instead of a whole day and while it intrigued me….it’s just hard to teach an old dog new tricks!
But it can be done!
Over the last few months my routine has fallen in love with my brand new kitchen buddy…my Instant Pot
I still very much love to slow roast my chickens , especially in the winter. You just can’t take the traditional foodie out of me – there is something about warming the house up in the winter with a slow roasted chicken and a pot of simmering bone broth! But I am finding that the days don’t get less busy as you step out of newborn-hood – they actually get busier! And being able to stock up on nourishing pastured chicken and bone broth so quickly is so helpful!
I decided to lay this out “tutorial style” for all those “old dogs learning new tricks” like I was….take a deep breath – this is not much different than you were doing before!
Put the veggies and garlic into the bottom of your Instant Pot bowl, pour in the water, and set the rack for the chicken on top of the veggies.
Gently lift the skin on the chicken breast and spread about a half palm-full of herbs and sea salt over the breast. This is optional but gives really good flavor to the meat. I don’t even measure – just sprinkle it into your palm and gently stuff your fist under the skin to rub the season on the meat.
Set the chicken breast down in the Instant Pot right on top of the rack, and sprinkle sea salt, pepper, and herbs if you wish to the chicken as well as to the liquid in the pot as this will give the meat stock leftover great flavor for soups or other cooking.
Turn the vent valve to closed, plug the Instant Pot in, push the “Meat” setting, and then bring the time down manually to 25 minutes. It will turn on automatically and will say “On.” while it comes to pressure for about 10 minutes.
Once the pot comes to pressue, the 25 minute clock will count down. After your chicken pressure cooks 25 minutes, turn it off and let it sit in there to naturally release about 15-20 minutes. Turning that valve right away to release the pressure will pull all the moisture out of the meat – you don’t want that! Let it sit and release naturally and then release the valve and open the top.
From there you can take your chicken out, chop it up and either freeze it for later in the week or use it right away. You can strain out the liquid in the bowl (called meat stock) to use for soups or other cooking, and then toss the rest of the chicken carcass back in to make your bone broth.
How To Make An Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion coarsely chopped
- 2 large carrots coarsely chopped
- 3 stalks of celery coarsly chopped
- 1/2 head of garlic just smash the cloves
- 2-3 cups filtered water
- 1 whole pastured chicken around 5 lbs
- Thyme oregano, sea salt, and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put the veggies and garlic into the bottom of your Instant Pot bowl, pour in the water, and set the rack for the chicken on top of the veggies.
- Gently lift the skin on the chicken breast and spread about a half palm-full of herbs and sea salt over the breast. This is optional but gives really good flavor to the meat. Set the chicken breast down in the Instant Pot right on top of the rack
- Sprinkle sea salt, pepper, and herbs if you wish to the chicken as well as to the liquid in the pot as this will give the meat stock leftover great flavor for soups or other cooking.
- Turn the vent valve to closed, plug the Instant Pot in, push the "Meat" setting, and then bring the time down manually to 25 minutes. It will turn on automatically. It takes about 10 minutes for it to come to pressure and then the 25-minute clock will count down.
- After your chicken pressure cooks 25 minutes, turn it off and let it sit in there to naturally release about 15-20 minutes. Turning that valve right away to release the pressure will pull all the moisture out of the meat - you don't want that! Let it sit and release naturally and then release the valve and open the top.
- From there you can take your chicken out, chop it up and either freeze it for later in the week or use it right away. You can strain out the liquid in the bowl (called meat stock) to use for soups or other cooking, and then toss the rest of the chicken carcass back in to make your bone broth.
For more Instant Pot recipes you can follow my Instant Pot board on Pinterest!
More real food recipes you might like:
Instant Pot Italian Sausage Stew
211 Comments
[…] See more here: How To Make An Instant Pot Whole Chicken for FAST Healthy Meals […]
Hi Renee! Thanks for this great recipe. I made Instant Pot chicken for dinner tonight and it was delicious! And I have a quart or so of good chicken stock.
Now I’m going to use the carcass and make bone broth tomorrow…. I just wish I had read the comments sooner and seen your suggestion to save the veggies. I already threw them out! But no matter, I have more on hand.
Is there a reason the stock I got out of my Instant Pot chicken doesn’t go into making the bone broth? Do certain recipes call specifically for chicken stock *or* chicken bone broth? Could (or should) the stock go back into the pot with the carcass and fresh veggies to make the bone broth?
Thank you in advance, and I hope you’re having a nice start to the weekend!
Hi Sarah! The juices/stock leftover from making a whole chicken is called “meat stock” – a little different than “bone broth” as it is a shorter cook time but it still has gelatin and other amazing benefits. I keep that liquid and use it for soup, stew, stir fry juices, etc. It tastes great, and is kind of like getting “free” broth everytime you make a chicken! Then you can make bone broth from the carcass for more broth. Does that help?
So for someone who has to have meat stock (easing my way back into true bone broth after having some sensitivity to the glutamate from true bone broth), could I just add more liquid to this recipe so I have more leftover juice/meat stock? I’m assuming I would have to adjust the cooking time as well? (Sorry I’ve been using slow cookers for years and am new the whole Instant Pot thing.)
Hi Meg! Great question! Yes you can!
But is there any reason the chicken stock should NOT be left in the pot when you toss the bones in? Wouldn’t that make the chicken stock more nutritious and the bone broth more flavorful? Two in one sounds good to me!
Hi Avalon! Yes you can do that. I use the broth literally daily in our house, however, so straining off the meat stock to use and then making bone broth just gives me more broth to work with. I hope that helps!
How do I use the trivet? If the legs are extended the chicken doesnt fit. if they fold its not high up enough?
Hi Sophie! Flip it around – those long parts just the handles to pull out the chicken. The chicken will rest in the water a bit – that is ok 🙂
Twice now, my chicken didn’t cook thoroughly. Once I did not use the trivet and once I did. I did have it set for 27 minutes on manual, high pressure. I used a paleo mayo on top of the chicken. Any suggestions??
Hi Jessica! How many pounds is your chicken, and is it thawed out?
Thank you Renee!
I received an Instant Pot for Christmas and was so excited to begin using it. I bought two instant pot cookbooks and neither had a recipe to cook a whole chicken! I thought that was just crazy because of all things one would think of to make in such an appliance would be that! I began searching the internet and most recipes didn’t have enough information (for a beginner who has never used an Instant Pot) or the recipes just seemed so ‘dull’. I finally found this recipe online to make a whole chicken in an Instant Pot. I made it last Sunday and it was wonderful! We had some of it Sunday night (it was a 9lb fresh chicken), chicken quesadillas Monday night and we made chicken broth for soup with the bones, etc. which is now in the freezer ready to make soup one day! This was a recipe that was easy to follow and resulted in a wonderful whole chicken.
Thank you again, Renee!
Hi Heather! That is great! It is so nice to have a few staple recipes to get your feet wet using the Instant Pot! I’m glad this is a keeper for you!
Hi Renee,
Do you have a rule of thumb for if the clucker is frozen? Thanks for your recipe by the way. I’ve run through it once but with a refrigerated bird. Also, what do you think about caramelizing onions on saute then proceeding?
Hi David! From what I understand, putting a frozen whole bird in the IP is not advised because the outside will be done way before the inside – I have never tried it! I think caramelizing the onions would be fantastic!
I love how you did this tutorial. So nice for those learning to use their instant pots!
Thank you Jessica!
After the 25 minutes, is it okay to let it go into the keep warm mode until I get home later?
Hi Jean! It depends on how long. I wouldn’t leave it all day or all afternoon. A crockpotted chicken might be a better option for you if you are gone all day and want to come home to it done. If you are just going to be gone an hour, I would say that is fine.
I love that Instant Pots can do anything. This is such a great tutorial!
I love this recipe. Can’t wait to make this. I have one question. Why push the meat button and not the poultry button? Is there a difference?
Hi Janis! You can push poultry if you wish! It doesn’t really matter since you will be manually be setting the time for 25.
I have A 6 lb chicken. Can I cook it in the instant pot?
Yes! I would pop your time up by a few minutes though.
I cooked it as the tutorial said and my chicken is still RAW. Completely threw off our entire dinner, and now everyone has to wait for the chicken to actually cool. Very disappointed.
Hi Kess! That is disappointing. I have never had an issue with the settings on this recipe, and I make it almost weekly. This is a typical poultry/whole chicken setting that you will find on the Instant Pot website and cookbooks – the seasonings and veggies are just my own. I wonder if your seal was good and if it was set on high pressure (not low pressure)? Also if your chicken was not all the way thawed out that will not cook the same. I hope some of those thoughts help. I am sorry about your ruined dinner timing – I have been there and it does not bode well with little kids around!
Great tutorial Renee!! Just curious though, what did you do with the veggies? Did you take them out prior to making the bone broth?
Hi Casey! Great question! I strain the liquid out and use it for soups or sauces or other cooking. And then I toss the veggies back in to make bone broth.
Hi. I’m a first timer. After tossing in the veggies to make the bone broth after cooking the chicken do I toss the veggies after that? Or if I don’t want to make bone broth what do I do with the veggies? Thanks!!
Hi Elyse! The veggies from making your chicken can be tossed in to make bone broth, or can be blended up with the juices left in the pot for a yummy gravy!
Why to you say in directions to press the “meat” instead of “poultry” button?
You can use either Melanie 🙂
[…] them on a sheet pan and roast them at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. If you are making a beef roast or whole chicken in the Instant Pot, you can just toss the bones right back into the IP after you strip the meat for your broth making! […]
[…] can cook a whole chicken in your Instant Pot in 25 minutes and have lots of budget-friendly chicken meat for the freezer. You can pull out a cup or two when […]
[…] whole frozen chicken (The link is not for a frozen […]
This is really a great tutorial. Thank you for taking the time to make it! I wanted to ask, after you take the meat off the chicken, your tossing the bones back into the instant pot, adding water to make the bone broth. Don’t the veggies start to deteriorate being in the pressure cooker for so long?
Hi Shelly! Yes they are pretty soft by the end – I do sometimes add some fresh veg to the pot for making the bone broth – I usually keep a bag of veggie scraps in the freezer to put in. I hope that helps!
Great tutorial for us “newbies”! I was thinking about adding 4 medium potatoes, quartered. How much time should I add to the cook time?
Hi Betsy! I’m not sure on the potatoes but I have heard you just put them in later – they don’t take much time to cook in the pressure cooker at all. I’m thinking if they are in the whole time they might get too mushy?
You made me feel more NORMAL when you said your IP sat and sat and sat. I bought this as my Christmas to myself and delivered to where I was going to visit so I could cook when I was visiting my son. Drove back home across the country with it in the trunk and didn’t use it for some time- still in the box unpacked. Eventually I hesitantly started using expecting it to blow up – I don’t know why but I was scared to try it(haha. Once I did, it’s become my new “best friend”. Your recipe is in it now. It’s my second time trying cooking a whole chicken. Thanks for the tutorial.
Now I just need to not put the stock in the back of the refrigerator! Old dog learning new stuff🐶
Maria Elena
That’s great Maria!!
😂 I, too, have been a coward about using my InatantPot, which I’ve had for 7 weeks. I’m finally using it today….cooking a whole chicken NOW…smells wonderful!
Vicky
Good for you Vicky! It sure has been a game changer in our house!
maria—ive had the pot for a month and do have it out of the box——however…..will——eventually====ihope. ……….. betty
Any ideas on how long to cook this, if my chicken is frozen? Or should I be sure to defrost it before? Thanks!
Hi Lauren! From what I understand, it is not advised to do a whole frozen chicken – it cooks most thorough when it is thawed.
What kind of rack do you use in the instant pot?
Thanks
Hi Rachel! I use the rack that it comes with!
Your recipe calls for A 5lb chicken. I have a 6 pounder. How much more time should I cook it for?
Hi Kristi! I add an extra 2 minutes per pound after 5lbs.
Which size Instant Pot are you using to cook a whole chicken? Six or eight quart?
Hi Kim! I have a 6qt!
Hi, Renee. There are just two of us so if I can cook a whole chicken in the 6 qt it is probably the size for us… would you agree or should I get the larger just to be safe?
Hi Dana! I think that would be fine! Keep in mind that a lot of Instant Pot recipes you will find online will be using the bigger one so you may want to just remember to half the amounts for soups, for instance so you aren’t overflowing!
I am confused as the direction says to place chicken breast down, but in the photos it does not look this way? It looks like the breast is facing up in your photos. Can you please confirm? Thanks!!!
Hi Rosanna – the first few pictures it is breast up – the picture of it in the pot it is breast down. I have it flipped breast up so I can get the herbs under the skin of the breast before I put it into the pot. I hope that helps!
Thanks so much for the beautiful clarity of this recipe. Can tell you really are a wonderful cook!
Thank you Susie! I’m glad it was helpful to you!
I just tried this to the letter and the chicken only reaches 98 degrees.
Hi Amanda! I have been finding out more and more lately that sometimes Instant Pots run different temperatures because I will try other’s recipes and either be too overdone or underdone. In this case you definitely can put the lid back on and pressure cook another, say 10 minutes? I am not sure why this is as I am still fairly new to using the IP myself!
Thanks to the great tutorial — I’m trying today and can’t wait! I’m also planning on making some chicken noodle soup. Would you recommend using the stock from this recipe or the bone broth for my soup? I’ll be making both.
Hi Missy! The liquid left from making your chicken is called meat stock and yes it is lovely for soup! If you want to make bone broth from your chicken’s bones, you can use your Insant Pot to make that too – there is a tutorial in this blog :: https://www.raisinggenerationnourished.com/2016/02/instant-pot-bone-broth/
Thank you for your easy instructions and recipe for the whole chicken. I can’t wait to try it. We just got our Instant Pot a couple of weeks ago so I’m still learning how to use it.
Great Judy! Have fun!
Cooking now. Will use chicken for chicken and dumplings
Great! Enjoy it!
Followed your recipe and the chicken was very tender and the leftover meat broth was delicious too! I’m a new instant pot user so your tutorial was so helpful! Thanks so much for this tutorial and recipe
That’s great Tiffaney! Thanks for coming back to let us know!
Hello! I have the costco version of the instant pot, which is a power pressure cooker. Do you happen to know if they all basically work the same and if this recipe can be applied to all? Realize it is a crazy question!
That is a great question – I sure hope someone on reading through can help answer it because I truly don’t know! There are a couple of great Instant Pot groups on Facebook if you happen to use facebook – just search instant pot groups and they should come up – you can join and ask there. I often see people post recipes using different pressure cookers.
You’ve inspired me to open the box! I’m excited about a quick and delicious chicken for dinner. Thanks for the step by step for us newbies:)
That’s great Tracie! You’re welcome!
[…] Whole Chicken […]
This worked perfectly and the leftover chicken stock was amazing as well! Thank you so much.
Great Rebecca! You’re welcome!
I’m about to use my IP for the first time. I did a “test run”, and after reading this post, I feel confident.
Thank you so much for all that you do, Renee- and with such a sweet spirit. You are awesome! 🙂
Angela! I am so excited for you! You are going to love your IP! Let me know how it goes! And thank you for your kind words – that really means a lot!
You’re welcome! 🙂
The chicken is cooked to perfection! Now to make bone broth.
No stopping me now! 😉
It is such a game changer isn’t it!
I too have been on stock/broth autopilot. Takes forever but I have system. I’ve been staring at my new IP and haven’t taken the leap. This was a great tutorial and I just successfully completed my first batch of stock, thanks to you! On to broth…. Thank you for the great tutorial!
You sound like me Ardis! I was the same way! Just had always done it the same way and was my routine! Now my IP is my routine!
Thanks so much for this! I have the chicken in as we speak and can’t wait!! I too was a crockpot person, but love my IP now! Quick question- any reason I can’t leave the liquid in and just add more water, etc. to make the bone broth? Thanks!
Hi Erica! I strain that liquid after making the chicken and use it as broth – it is called “meat stock” – it has gelatin and great benefits! While different than bone broth, it is still healthful and its like a free broth for cooking in! Then I make the bone broth with fresh water. I hope that helps!
Do you cook the organs with the bird or save them for the broth?
I save them for broth Nicole!
Hey Renee, I have taken to using your whole chicken recipe once per week since the whole family likes it. But for me, what I really like it the bone broth to chicken noodle soup recipe which I have for lunch every day. I have a couple of questions:
1- When you make the bone broth, do you add new veggies in addition to the ones you used to make the whole chicken and if so how much of each.
2- I love the idea of using the whole chicken -all of it, even the drippings- to save money. I read what you said about meat stock in the comments. But I haven’t seen any ideas for uses for the meat stock. Can you suggest any more?
Hi Pete!
1.) Yes, I add some fresh veg to make the bone broth – I’d say 2-3 of each carrot and celery and a whole onion.
2.) Meat stock works well just like broth in any recipe – It makes a fantastic chicken soup or gravy!
I just wanted to say that this was a great recipe! I wanted to do something simple for my first instant pot recipe as well, and this one hit the mark! Thanks for sharing!
Great Misty! Thanks for coming back with feedback!
Can’t wait to try this but I have a smaller chicken and a 5qt model IP. Do you think your 25 min timing works out to 5 min per pound? Meaning if my chicken is only 3 lbs I should cook for 15 min?
Hi Jason! That is a great question. I am not sure – I follow the meat guidelines on the Instant Pot Instructional Guide here and they don’t say anything about how many minutes per pound :: http://instantpot.com/cooking-time/meat-poultry-beef-pork-and-lamb/
Bought my Instant Pot on Monday and I’m trying this chicken tonight. Thanks for the tutorial…us newbies need all the help we can get!
You’re welcome tie! Enjoy it!
[…] Whole Chicken […]
I bought an 8 qt Instant Pot. Do you think the cooking times will be the same for this larger pot?
That is a great question – I believe so. The cook times on the Instant Pot website for meat and poultry are all the same regardless of the size IP so I think you should be good to go!
My oh my. I stumbled upon your blog while looking for IP recipes for whole chicken and bone broth. Then I found your posts on feeding babies! And they’re in line with WAPF?! Gold mine. Right here. Last night I made the whole chicken. When I opened the IP the chicken was so tender it was already falling apart in the pot! Could I fool anybody into thinking I’m Martha Stewart by serving that chicken on a platter at a dinner party? Absolutely not. But that doesn’t matter because it was simply delish! I tore the meat off (really it just fell off) and saved the bones. Then, I took my immersion blender to the goodies at the bottom of the pot and saved it. Today, my husband made chicken salad with some of the meat. I fed my 8mo an egg yolk for the first time (thanks to your great tutorial!) and felt bad throwing out the white. But ah! Leftover meat stock to the rescue! I heated some up, threw in the egg whites, and had myself a little eggy soup for lunch. Now my IP is busy making me some bone broth that I will feed to 8mo in a few days to make sure she has no reactions to the egg. Side note – she loved the egg yolk so much she voraciously ate the whole thing! I’m so glad I stopped on by! Thanks for your great posts!
Hi Alexandra! Welcome to RGN! I love your descriptions – thank you for the time you took to write back your review – I appreciate that so much. It really makes my day to hear about your little one gobbling up those nourishing egg yolks!
I’m trying this for first time and want to follow your instructions for cooking the chicken but what I want to know is is it possible to make biscuit dumplings in that IP at the SAME time as the chicken and if not how do i do it?
Hi Linda! I have not tried that before so I’m not sure! I apologize I’m not more helpful!
Hi Renee! I don’t have a steamer insert for my instant pot. Will it still work without one?
Hi Sarah! Yes! I have done this! (On accident forgot to put it in!) It works fine!
I am a newbie to the instant pot duo plus. I don’t have a poultry setting on mine. Should I just put it on meat? I haven’t tried anything in it yet but thought this chicken recipe might be a place to start.
Hi Jodi! Yes, the meat setting should be fine!
Dear Renee:
Can I cook potatoes, carrots, and chucks of cabbage in my Instant pot, which I just got for Mother’s Day all at once in the cooker? What setting do I use and for how long for time. The book doesn’t help me any?
Jean Melvin
Hi Jean! Yes, you can. Cook time will depend on how you like the texture of your veggies as well as how thick/think you cut them. Cabbage also doesn’t need as much cook time as a potato or carrot, you have to be real careful with that – maybe make them larger cuts. Also keep in mind this type of cooking will not yeild a “crisp” finish – it will be soft – like steamed vegetables. If you like the crispy finish that baking gives to the skin on potatoes or cabbage, this is not a good cook method. If you prefer the finish that a steamed veggie gives, this will be great for you! I usually do a full pot of potatoes for mashed potatoes in about 10 minutes high pressure.
Renee, do I need a steamer insert for my IP for steaming veggies. I saw one on the site for 11.00$ on Amazon?
I want to steam, potatoes, carrots, turnips, cabbage all at once in the IP.
Or do I just put them in the original I Pot it came with with the rack on the bottom with 1 or 2 cups of liquid????
My whole chicken, following your recipe was a big hit last night!
So juicy and tender, when I was de-boning and taking the skin off the juices were running down my arm.
Using this recipe from now on, but next time I’d like to try the poultry setting instead of the meat setting to see if there is a difference. Have you tried the poultry setting yourself? Great recipe, thank you Renee! 🙂
I enjoyed making this recipe with a whole chicken! Would it work to use 5lbs of bone-in chicken thighs instead? And would the cook time stay the same? Thanks!
Hi Ann! Great! I would check out this time table guideline on the IP site – I haven’t done individual chicken parts before so I don’t have personal experience to glean from! http://instantpot.com/cooking-time/meat-poultry-beef-pork-and-lamb/
Loved the recipe and tutorial! I’m super pumped to make some chicken now . I didn’t get a chicken rack with my instns t pot though…only the egg/steam rack. Where can I find the chicken rack?
Hi Andrea! The steam/egg rack that comes with the IP is what you can rest it on. And since writing this post I have made it without the rack and it works great too. The rack just makes it easier to pull out!
Can you make the whole chicken but put rice in with it to cook?
Hi Cindy! Rice doesn’t take very long to cook in the Instant Pot. You could cook the chicken and then stop it for the last few minutes to add the rice in – this is a good guide so you can see how many minutes every kind of rice needs :: http://instantpot.com/how-to-cook-perfect-rice-in-an-electric-pressure-cooker/
Why do you use the “Meat” setting instead of the “Poultry” setting to cook this chicken? I would like to make it and will give a rating as soon as I do!
Hi Pamela! I have used both settings and haven’t noticed a difference in cooking outcome!
[…] happened to use some leftover chicken from our Instant Pot chicken over the weekend for this meal. I’ve been using the Instant Pot a lot this summer for my […]
Which size 6 or 8 qt instapot did you use?
I have the 6qt Trina!
[…] use my Instant Pot to cook one or two chickens most weeks (if you have a slow cooker, that works just as good and is how I did my chickens for […]
Can you tell me please, what size instant pot did you use? Your link goes to the 6 quart, but does a 5 # chicken and veggies fit in th st size? Thanks…
Ok, I read the comments… you have a 6 quart!
Yes!
This is in my Instant Pot right now and I’m making mashed potatoes to go with it, would LOVE to use the left over liquid and veggies for gravy; how would I do that? Blend some liquid and veggies but would I add any flour, corn starch or other ingredients? Thanks!
Hi Tara! Yes! You can strain the liquid off, bring to a simmer and whisk in your favorite herbs and a bit of rice flour to thicken 🙂 Enjoy it!
Hi Renee, using the Instapot for the first time today making a whole chicken. I think I may have set it for a bit to long… Can I stop the instapot anytime?
Hi Clyda! Yes you can. Just stop it and unplug it. And let it sit for about 10 minutes before you release the rest of the pressure and take the lid off.
Just got my IP on Cyber Monday 2017. Made steel cut oats in it this morning and going to make your chicken recipe tonight. I’ll post the results! Thanks for sharing your recipes , can’t wait to put this thing to the test!
Great Wendy! Enjoy it!
So I am a little confused. If I know want to make chicken noodle soup do I put the bones into my strained stock and cook them in the broth then strain. I am a newbie at this. My chicken is in cooking right now.
Hi Kathy! After you cook your chicken, I would strain the liquid (called meat stock) and use that as you would broth. Then you can make bone broth from the bones/carcass from the chicken – it’s like getting double broth 🙂 The meat stock has different properties than bone broth – but still very healing and delicious! It is rich in gelatin too!
Hi Renee,
It doesn’t make mention of it anywhere in the recipe, but I’m wondering if you removed the innards from the whole chicken before cooking it. My husband, who made this for dinner tonight, did not, and after the recommended cooking time, it was still pink inside.
Any thoughts?
Thanks!
Hi Melissa! Yes, you will want to remove the innards from the chicken before cooking. I save them for making bone broth. Also, if your bird is larger than 5 pounds, it will need longer cook time.
What size Instant Pot are you using for a 5LB whole chicken?
I have the 6 quart Instant Pot.
[…] my staple weekly whole chicken and bone broth, to school thermos soups and full dinner meals, the Instant Pot is used almost daily […]
Thank you for such a great, well laid out recipe! I am not finding in recipes what people do with the giblets. Would those be good to throw in to cook with the bone broth, or do you think it would add too strong of a flavor? The neck will definitely go in, I’m just not sure about the rest!
Hi Joanna! I toss mine in with the bone broth!
Thank you so much for this recipe and your bone broth recipe as well! They have helped me so much and I’ve learned a lot. I appreciate it!!
Hi Maria! I’m so glad you are getting to use your Instant Pot so effectively!
HI Renee, Thanks so much for this recipe. I’m trying it today. Got to get in the Instant Pot mode! I just noticed that your photos show the Instant Pot in the Soup/Stew mode, not meat mode, as indicated in the recipe. Does this make any difference?
Hi Eileen! It does not make a difference 🙂
Hi,can I make dumplings on top of the whole chicken an not use the pressure cook for them?
Thank you for this. I was trying to recreate what my mom taught me but using the IP. This is perfect. I’ve used it as the base for chicken noodle soup and chicken and dumplings. Since it calls for such a large chicken there is enough meat to put away for jambalaya or chicken salad or whatever too. I have a potful cooking right now just because to get ahead on my cooking. I add just a bit of rosemary and bay leaf. Going to put the broth and chicken separated in the freezer for a time when I’m feeling poorly. It will happen because I have fibromyalgia. This will be so nice to have ready.
Hi Jennifer! I’m so glad this recipe is so helpful to you!
My chickens are fresh and average 7 pounds. How long should they be cooked?
Hi Colleen! I would do 28-30 minutes.
Rachel, The 1st meal I made in my new IP was your whole chicken & veggies. It was delicious. My husband said it was better than the crockpot chicken. Thanks so much!!
Hi Irma! That is fantastic! Thank you for sharing! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks to this recipe I have cooked the whole chicken, saved the meat stock, cut up the chicken. I put the bones back in, added a few more bones from the freezer and some fresh veggies in addition to the old ones and now I have bone broth cooking! I’m so glad I found your page and thanks for helping me have a productive day. I am rather new to InstantPot and it was intimidating at first, thanks for making me feel human by mentioning yours sat for awhile too after being purchased!
Hi Cori! That is great – I’m so glad you are getting comfortable with your IP!
I haven’t cooked with my Instant Pot yet. Will this whole chicken recipe work with a frozen chicken?
Hi Lisa! No, a whole frozen chicken is not recommended by the manufacturer – it will not cook evenly enough.
I did what u exactly said but now, in need a chicken soup recipe. Do you have any recipe for chicken soup?
Here is my recipe for chicken noodle soup in the IP that I blogged at my friend’s site :: https://livesimply.me/2016/02/29/instant-pot-chicken-noodle-soup/
Would I use “meat” or “poultry?”
Either works the same!
[…] How To Make An Instant Pot Whole Chicken for FAST Healthy Meals […]
My chicken was undercooked. Not sure what happened but I did 25 mins on the Meat setting and let it NR for 20 mins. To be honest, I was skeptical that it would cook in only 25 mins and it was fully thawed. I put it back in and am doing 20 mins on manual. Annoying but it smells good.
Hi Jessica! My weekly chicken comes out perfect at 25 minutes every time – I have received some comments about perfect cook time, and others underdone, so I’m wondering if the IP’s can run hotter or something that others? Also, the chicken should not be frozen or have the innards inside. I bring the chicken to room temp on the counter most of the time, but have done it from the fridge as well and get the same result.
[…] Instant Pot Whole Chicken […]
Hi!
How much water do I add for a 6 lb chicken? Thank you!
Hi Natalie! 1-2 cups is good!
[…] 16. Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipe […]
I have tried a dozen IP whole chicken recipes, and this one is the best! I did add some crushed rosemary to the herb mixture, and I cooked for 29 minutes because I’m at mile-high altitude. (I previously learned that I have to multiply recipe times by 1.15 and round up because of the 5,000′ altitude.)
Hi Jane! That is a great tip! Thanks for sharing!
[…] Instant Pot Whole Chicken from Raising Generation Nourished […]
I love this recipe and use it every time. I want to make 2 chickens and wasn’t sure how to change my time, etc?
Hi Holly! I’ve never done 2 chickens before so I’m not sure. I would look on the Instant Pot website! They have a guide per pounds on many meats!
[…] How to Cook a Whole Chicken In the Instant Pot for Fast Weekday Meals […]
Good morning:
I used your recipe last evening. Followed, what I thought, was to the recipe.
When I opened the IP at the end of the release period, the chicken was half submerged in the water. I used 3 cups of water. I did add more of the veggy’s than you listed although not too much more.
It was OK on flavor.
Thoughts?
Hi Geoff! There are times I get more liquid as well coming off the chicken – it just depends on the chicken’s moisture. You can strain that liquid off (called meat stock) and use it for soups/gravies and it is delicious and full of nourishment. If you would like less liquid next time, just put a cup of water in the bottom. I use that meat stock for so much all week in my house so I like having a lot of it.
You may be buying poultry “enhanced” with some kind of fluid – usually water, salt, flavoring. You need to read the label, and it will tell you the percentage of liquid they have injected into the poultry. I buy organic poultry, which has no added “enhancements.” Perhaps there are some brands of “natural” or conventional poultry that don’t add anything, but I’m not sure.
This was delicious and my 6qt IP cooked it perfect in the basket!! Thanks for sharing!
How long can I keep the meat broth in my fridge safely?
Hi Liz! I’m glad you enjoyed the chicken! You can keep the meat broth in the fridge for a week, or freeze it for months.
your pictures show “soup” setting but your recipe called for “meat” setting….. when do you use each?
Actually either will work 🙂
[…] Whole Chicken for Fast Healthy Meals — This recipe allows you to have chicken on hand throughout the week! […]
Can you place this chicken under the broiler to make the skin n crispy?
Hi Lillie! I have definitely heard that people do that. My chicken falls apart when I pull it out, so I think you might be doing pieces of the chicken. It would still crisp up though!
My instant pot did not come with a rack ? Ill call but in the meantime can I still make thus recipe?
Hi Jenn! Yes you can make it without the rack – and I do it that way now more often than not!
I just made this for Thanksgiving & it was excellent! Thank you so much for this incredible & easy recipe. Hope you’re having a Happy Thanksgiving!😊
So glad you enjoyed it Nina!
Hi, I use your recipe all of the time!! I use the “meat broth” like chicken broth for other meals, soup, and sometimes just drink it as is…I also always make the bone broth…could you give me some ideas as to what I can use this for as well??
Hi Sandi! I use both the meat stock and bone broth for soups for the most part. It makes great gravies as well, and I replace the water in cooking rice for bone broth a lot 🙂
Hi. What is the nutrition facts on this recipe ?
Hi Jill! That is just going to depend on what kind/where your whole chicken is coming from – there aren’t really any other ingredients so it is truly just the chicken. You can google nutrition facts of a whole chicken – a pasture raised whole chicken will have more nutrients and will be leaner.
[…] than bone broth and an occasional whole chicken on a busy week, my Instant Pot has gathered some dust over the […]
Delicious recipe! I cut up the chicken, strained and then refrigerated the broth, skimmed off the fat, added the chicken cooked earlier (shredded) and it was fantastic! Instead of celery, I used two stalks of fennel bulb and a few slices of the bulb. This will be a recipe I will use over and over again! Thank you!
Hi Jennifer! The fennel is lovely 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi… I too am new at IP. I am going to try it today. This may be a silly question but with the chicken that is done and meat broth that comes from it…is that my soup dinner and so are the veggies good to eat at this point as well ??? And I am figuring that whatever extra is used to be stored and used during week?? Just clarifying
Hi Carol! The broth is definitely delicious and good for making soup, but the veggies that cook with the chicken get pretty soggy/soft from the long cook time. I know some people use them to blend with gravy, and I use to feed them to my babies when they were little because they were so soft.
[…] you haven’t prepped the ingredients for this recipe ahead of time. For a whole chicken, try this method. For chicken breasts or boneless thighs, try this […]
[…] haven’t prepped the ingredients for this recipe ahead of time. For a whole chicken, try this method. For chicken breasts or boneless thighs, try this […]
[…] meal is the perfect next day meal after you have your weekly roasted chicken or Instant Pot chicken. The leftover chicken piles right into this pasta meal […]
My instant pot did not come with a rack ? Ill call but in the meantime can I still make thus recipe?
Hi Jenna! I actually don’t use the rack much these days – ha! It does work just fine!
Hi there, the chicken I have is 1.7kg (3.74lbs). How many minutes should I cook it for?
Hi Anneeka! I have found that even with a smaller bird, the time here is good – you won’t over do it like it would happen in an oven. It will just get more tender with time.
I have cooked this multiple times now and it comes out great! The chicken is always moist and yummy! Then I do your IP bone broth recipe! Thank you for all of the great info!
So glad you are able to use this frequently! Awesome!
Thanks so much, Renee, for this recipe. I’ve only used my Instant Pot twice, neither time cooking a whole chicken. I saw this recipe was highly rated, so I tried this recipe last night. It turned out perfectly, even though I played with the ingredients. I had no celery, but added red potatoes, thyme, parsley, basil, and two bay leaves. Since I’ve never done this before, it took me several hours to get this done, believe it or not. But, next time, I think I can avoid that by doing most of the prep work a day in advance. Anyway, thanks so much. God bless!
Love that Meleah! So glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for giving such detail for us newbies! I have a question: No one has mentioned the vegetables except as afterthoughts for the broth- are they to be eaten with the chicken or only for flavor while cooking?
Thanks!
Hi Jen! You’re welcome! The veggies become pretty mushy with the cook time, but really flavor the meat stock left in the pot for great soup! I have heard of some people blending the veggies into the broth for soup/gravy 🙂
Made this for the second time in a few weeks. It is SOOO GOOD! My kids love it to. The chicken comes out super tender and moist. And it’s so easy. I did add fresh rosemary and used fresh oregano since I had it. Delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the chicken Linda! Great!
[…] Instant Pot Whole Chicken […]
[…] From start to finish, this soup may not be the most weeknight friendly in prep considering the roasting time for the pumpkin, BUT you CAN do a couple of things to prep ahead before the week so that you CAN make this soup on a weeknight. Firstly, the pumpkin can be roasted and pureed days in advance. Pop it into the oven on the weekend when you are at home, and stash it away in the fridge for later in the week. The chicken can also be a prep ahead item. If you don’t have leftover chicken, you can brown up chicken breast cubes right in the soup pot before you make the soup, or make it days ahead of time. There are multiple ways to cook a whole chicken every week in order to have leftover chicken for weekly meals! If you aren’t in to a Sunday dinner roasted chicken, you can cook a whole chicken in your slow cooker, or cook your whole chicken in your Instant Pot! […]
Hi Renee! I have made this recipe so many times—my family and I love it! I bought a bigger chicken than usual for Thanksgiving—it is 6.7 pounds. Do I need to alter the cooking time for such a large chicken? Thank you!
Hi Laura! Yes, I’d bump the time up to closer to 30 minutes!