Pressure Cooker Whole Chicken Rotisserie Style (Instant Pot)

Last updated on July 21st, 2019 at 11:13 pm

This Pressure Cooker Whole Chicken is juicy, tender, flavorful and very easy to make. This delicious rotisserie style Instant Pot Whole Chicken cooks in less than 30 minutes making it the perfect instant pot recipe for a weeknight meal.

This Pressure Cooker Whole Chicken has been the solution to many of my meals. Although I love roasting whole chickens in the oven, this quick and easy Instant Pot Whole Chicken is my go-to-recipe when I want to have delicious rotisserie style chicken at home.

This easy and tasty pressure cooker whole chicken can be made with fresh, thawed out or frozen chicken. I like serving it with Crispy Roasted Greek Potatoes, and fresh and Creamy Cilantro Cole Slaw.
Use the leftover chicken to top salads, or on casseroles, quesadillas and soups like this  Chicken Tortilla Soup. One tasty Instant Pot Whole Chicken – many meal possibilities!

How To Cook a Whole Chicken In the Instant Pot

• Combine the spice rub ingredients. Rub the chicken with oil and season well. I like to get some of the spice rub under the skin for maximum flavor!
• Press the “saute” option. Add the olive oil into the instant pot and when hot, brown the chicken breast side down.
• Using kitchen tongs flip the chicken and sear the other side.
• Remove the chicken from the pressure cooker and set aside.
• Deglaze the pot by pouring chicken broth into the pot and scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon.
• Press “cancel/warm” and carefully place the trivet at the bottom of the pot.
• Place the chicken on top of the trivet, breast side up.
• Close the lid and set the valve to “seal”
• Cook on high pressure and set the timer.
• When done, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then do a quick release to get rid of any remaining pressure.
• Open the lid and remove the chicken.
• For extra crispy skin, you can broil the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes.

Can I Cook A Frozen Whole Chicken In the Pressure Cooker?

• Yes, you can cook a whole frozen chicken in your pressure cooker however, do not sear the chicken while frozen.
• Season the chicken and cook it on high pressure (see recommended times below).
• After the chicken is completely cooked, brush it with olive oil or melted butter and place it under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp up the skin. The chicken should be at about 6 inches from the heat source.

Benefits of Cooking Rotisserie Style Instant Pot Whole Chicken (From Fresh or Frozen)

• One of the best things about cooking in an Instant Pot is that you can cook meat from fresh or frozen. If like me, you tend to forget to thaw out meat for dinner, the instant pot is going to be the solution to many of your meals!
• This pressure cooker whole chicken recipe is so versatile! The simple homemade spice rub can be adjusted to your taste.
• Making Instant Pot Whole Chicken requires minimal effort and always turns out juicy, tender and full of flavor!
• Chicken is a budget friendly meal and when cooking a whole chicken, there are usually leftovers to prepare a second meal.
• Homemade Rotisserie chicken is so much healthier and flavorful than store bought. You can control the quality of the ingredients and the amount of sodium and fats!

How Long To Cook a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot?

TIP: Calculate cooking times by multiplying the number of pounds of fresh chicken by 6 minutes.

IMPORTANT NOTE: As with all pressure cookers, cooking times can vary slightly. Make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit  before consuming.

Cooking Time for Instant Pot Whole Chicken using Fresh Chicken

• A 3 – pound chicken will need 18 minutes of High Pressure Cooking Time with a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release.
• A 3.5 – pound chicken will need 22 minutes of High Pressure Cooking Time with a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release.
• A 4 – pound chicken will need 24 minutes of High Pressure Cooking Time with a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release.
• A 4.5 pound chicken will need 27 minutes of High Pressure Cooking Time with a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release.
• A 5 pound chicken will need 32 minutes of High Pressure Cooking Time with a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release.

Cooking Time for Instant Pot Whole Chicken using Frozen Chicken

• A 3 – pound chicken will need 39 minutes of High Pressure Cooking Time with a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release.
• A 3.5 – pound chicken will need 46 minutes of High Pressure Cooking Time with a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release.
• A 4 – pound chicken will need 52 minutes of High Pressure Cooking Time with a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release.
• A 4.5 pound chicken will need 59 minutes of High Pressure Cooking Time with a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release.
• A 5 pound chicken will need 65 minutes of High Pressure Cooking Time with a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release.

Tips and Notes for Cooking IP Chicken

• This pressure cooker chicken recipe uses a simple “rotisserie style” seasoning mix. Paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and oregano. Of course, you can use any seasonings you like. Lemon Pepper, Italian seasoning and smoked paprika are all good options.
• Keep in mind that when cooking pressure cooker recipes it always takes some time for the pot to come to pressure.
• When the cooking time is up, your instant pot will beep. You can do a complete natural release, instead of the 15 minutes I suggest in the recipe – however, every time I have done that, the chicken falls off the bone so easily that I always have to be extra careful removing it from the instapot.
• I like buying smaller chickens. I always try to get chickens that are about 4 pounds.
• I rub the chicken with a little bit of olive oil and then the spice mix (I loosen the skin a bit and try to get as much seasoning under the skin as possible. I think the seasoning sticks better to the meat and imparts the most flavor.
• Learn How To Cook Chicken Breasts in the Pressure Cooker (from fresh or frozen) HERE
  

  What To Serve with this Instant Pot Whole Chicken?

  Wild Rice Salad with Citrus Miso Vinaigrette
  Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
  Maple Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes
  Best Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
  Garlic and Herb Cheesy Smashed Roasted Potatoes
  
  Other Instant Pot Recipes:
  Instant Pot Brisket
  Instant Pot Pulled Pork
  Pressure Cooker Ribs with BBQ Sauce
  Pressure Cooker Bean and Bacon Soup
  Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

THINGS YOU MAY NEED

Instant Pot  Programmable Pressure Cooker
Instant Read Meat Thermometer
Kitchen Tongs 

WANT TO TRY THIS PRESSURE COOKER WHOLE CHICKEN?

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Print Recipe

4.8 from 29 votes

Pressure Cooker Whole Chicken Rotisserie Style (Instant Pot)

This Pressure Cooker Whole Chicken is easy, juicy, tender and cooks in less than 30 minutes! This rotisserie style instant pot whole chicken is delicious and a great and simple weeknight meal.

Prep Time6 mins

Cook Time24 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: instant pot whole chicken, pressure cooker whole chicken

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 288kcal

Author: Kathy McDaniel

Ingredients

• 1 (4-pounds) whole chicken
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup chicken broth

Instructions

• In a small bowl, combine the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper.
• Gently loosen the skin from the chicken breast, lifting and separating the skin from the meat with your fingers. Rub about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and about 1/3  (a third) of the seasonings under the skin. Next, rub another tablespoon of olive oil and the rest of the seasoning all over the chicken and chicken cavity.
• Press the Saute function and add the remaining olive oil to the pot.
• Place the chicken in the pot, breast side down and cook for about 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Using kitchen tongs flip the chicken over and sear for about  5 minutes, or until brown.
• Remove the chicken from the pot  and pour in the chicken broth. Gently scrape the bottom of the instapot with a wooden spoon to remove the brown bits that are stuck at the bottom. 
• Press Cancel/Warm and place the trivet at the bottom of the pot then lay the chicken on top of trivet, breast side up.
• Close the lid and set the valve to "seal". Press the MANUAL or HIGH PRESSURE button and set the timer to 24 minutes (this is for a 4-pounds chicken). **Check the recipe notes for smaller/bigger chickens.
• When done, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then do a quick release to get rid of any remaining pressure.
• Open the lid and remove the chicken from the pot. Serve.
• Optional: Place the chicken under the broiler for about 4-5 minutes for extra crispy skin.

Notes

APPROX COOKING TIMES FOR FRESH CHICKEN ACCORDING TO WEIGHT:
As with all pressure cookers, cooking times can vary slightly. Make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit  before consuming.

• A 3 - pound chicken will need 18 minutes of High Pressure Cooking Time with a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release.
• A 3.5 - pound chicken will need 22 minutes of High Pressure Cooking Time with a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release.
• A 4 - pound chicken will need 24 minutes of High Pressure Cooking Time with a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release.
• A 4.5 pound chicken will need 27 minutes of High Pressure Cooking Time with a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release.
• A 5 pound chicken will need 32 minutes of High Pressure Cooking Time with a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release.  
• Nutritional information provided is an estimate and will vary based on weight and brands of ingredients used.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 766mg | Potassium: 258mg | Vitamin A: 585IU | Vitamin C: 3.8mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1.5mg

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