How To Make An Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 whole pastured chicken around 5 lbs
- 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
Instructions
- Whisk the seasonings in a small dish. Gently lift the skin of the chicken and distribute the seasoning blend between the cavity of the chicken, under the skin, and on top of the skin of the chicken. You can do this up to a day in advance for extra flavor.
- 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.
- Turn the vent valve to closed, plug the Instant Pot in, push the "Meat" setting, and then bring the time down manually to 28 minutes. It will turn on automatically. It takes about 10 minutes for it to come to pressure and then the 28-minute clock will count down.
- After your chicken pressure cooks 28 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.