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Instant Pot Roasted Whole Chicken is a simple and quick way to cook a juicy and flavorful chicken. In less than an hour you will have a whole roasted chicken and ready to be served. Save those drippings for a delicious gravy!
Instant Pot Roasted Whole Chicken
Roasting a whole chicken in the Instant Pot is incredibly easy. In less than an hour you have a whole roasted chicken ready to be served. The chicken is pressured cooked resulting in tender and juicy meat.
Save those drippings to make a quick yet delicious gravy. Perfect to pair up with creamy mashed potatoes for a complete meal. Hello Sunday dinner!
How long to roast a whole chicken in the Instant Pot:
As a general rule of thumb, roast your chicken for is 6 minutes per pound. Then do a natural pressure release for 12 minutes to make sure the chicken gets nice and juicy and it’s cooked through. Release the rest of the pressure that’s left manually to prevent chicken from overcooking.
Instant Pot Whole Chicken Roasting Times:
- 3 lb. Chicken- 18 minutes on high pressure 12 min natural release
- 3.5 lb. Chicken- 21 minutes on high pressure 12 min natural release
- 4 lb. Chicken- 24 minutes on high pressure 12 min natural release
- 4.5 lb. Chicken- 27 minutes on high pressure 12 min natural release
- 5 lb. Chicken- 30 minutes on high pressure with 12 min natural release
What you need to make this Instant Pot Roasted Whole Chicken:
Ingredients:
- Whole Chicken
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Unsalted Butter
- Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Pink Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
- Lemon
- Cloves of Garlic
- Chicken Broth
Equipment:
- Instant Pot
- Trivet
- Kitchen Twine
How to roast a whole chicken in the Instant Pot:
- Step 1– Remove thyme and rosemary from sprigs and chop into small pieces. In a small bowl, mix together butter, chopped thyme and rosemary, paprika, garlic powder, pink sea salt, and black pepper. Set aside.
- Step 2– Use a paper towel to pat dry chicken. Make sure to remove giblets from the inside of chicken. You can toss or use them if you’d like. Use your fingers to separate the skin from the top of your chicken creating some space between it and the meat. Rub butter mixture all over your chicken. Making sure it’s well coated on the inside of the skin and outside, bottom and sides. Don’t forget under those wings!
- Step 3– Peel garlic and cut lemon in half. Stuff the cavity with peeled garlic, both lemon sides, and 2-3 thyme and rosemary sprigs. Use kitchen twine and tigthly tie together the legs of the chicken.
- Step 4– Place trivet inside your Instant Pot and pour chicken broth then place chicken right on top of trivet. Place lid on Instant Pot and lock it in. Set pressure valve to sealed. Manually set Instant Pot on high pressure and set timer depending on how big your chicken is. (Refer to chart below). For this recipe we used a 3.5 lb chicken so timer was set for 21 minutes.
- Step 5– Allow NRP for 12 minutes then manually release rest of pressure.
- Step 6– Remove chicken from Instant Pot and Place on cutting board. Carve and serve immediately. Keep the rest refrigerated in a Tupperware dish for up to 3-5 days.
- Step 7– This step is completely optional but it makes for an easy yet flavorful gluten-free gravy. Remove trivet from Instant Pot. Take 2 tablespoons of the broth left on the bottom of the Instant Pot. Mix with 1 tablespoon arrowroot flour to create a slurry. Pour into the rest of the broth inside your pot. Whisk until it starts to thicken. Serve gravy over chicken.
Tips for roasting a whole chicken in the Instant Pot:
- Use a trivet – This will keep the chicken above the broth, cook even and will make it easier to remove chicken from IP once it’s done.
- Make sure your chicken fits your Instant Pot – A 6 quart Instant Pot can fit a chicken up to 5 lbs.
- Cook your chicken for the right time – 6 minutes per lb. is a good rule of thumb. Refer to chart above for cooking times.
- Save the drippings– You can use them to make a delicious gravy.
- Keep the carcass– Use it to make homemade Chicken Bone Broth.
What to serve Roasted Chicken with:
- Instant Pot Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Roasted Harvest Veggies
- Herbed Butter Roasted Potatoes
- Honey-Ginger Roasted Carrots
Recipes you can use roasted chicken in:
Instant Pot Roasted Whole Chicken
Instant Pot Roasted Whole Chicken is a simple and quick way to cook a juicy and flavorful chicken. In less than an hour you will have a whole roasted chicken and ready to be served. Save those drippings for a delicious gravy!
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 3-4 thyme sprigs (plus 3-4 more for stuffing)
- 2 rosemary sprigs (plus 2-3 more for stuffing)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1.5 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp pink sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 lemon
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 1 cup chicken broth
Instructions
-
Remove thyme and rosemary from sprigs and chop into small pieces. In a small bowl, mix together butter, chopped thyme and rosemary, paprika, garlic powder, pink sea salt, and black pepper. Set aside.
-
Use a paper towel to pat dry chicken. Make sure to remove giblets from the inside of chicken. You can toss or use them if you'd like. Use your fingers to separate the skin from the top of your chicken creating some space between it and the meat. Rub butter mixture all over your chicken. Making sure it's well coated on the inside of the skin and outside, bottom and sides. Don't forget under those wings!
-
Peel garlic and cut lemon in half. Stuff the cavity with peeled garlic, both lemon sides, and 2-3 thyme and rosemary sprigs. Use kitchen twine and tigthly tie together the legs of the chicken.
-
Place trivet inside your Instant Pot and pour chicken broth. Place chicken right on top of trivet. Place lid on Instant Pot and lock it in. Set pressure valve to sealed. Manually set Instant Pot on high pressure and set timer depending on how big your chicken is. (Refer to chart below). For this recipe we used a 3.5 lb chicken so timer was set for 21 minutes.
-
Allow NRP for 12 minutes then manually release rest of pressure.
-
Remove chicken from Instant Pot and Place on cutting board. Carve and serve immediately. Keep the rest refrigerated in a Tupperware dish for up to 3-5 days.
-
This step is completely optional but it makes for an easy yet flavorful gluten-free gravy. Remove trivet from Instant Pot. Take 2 tablespoons of the broth left on the bottom of the Instant Pot. Mix with 1 tablespoon arrowroot flour to create a slurry. Pour into the rest of the broth inside your pot. Whisk until it starts to thicken. Serve gravy over chicken.
Recipe Notes
Instant Pot Whole Chicken Roasting Times:
- 3 lb. Chicken- 18 minutes on high pressure 12 min natural release
- 3.5 lb. Chicken- 21 minutes on high pressure 12 min natural release
- 4 lb. Chicken- 24 minutes on high pressure 12 min natural release
- 4.5 lb. Chicken- 27 minutes on high pressure 12 min natural release
- 5 lb. Chicken- 30 minutes on high pressure with 12 min natural release
Tips for roasting a whole chicken in the Instant Pot:
- Use a trivet – This will keep the chicken above the broth, cook even and will make it easier to remove chicken from IP once it’s done.
- Make sure your chicken fits your Instant Pot – A 6 quart Instant Pot can fit a chicken up to 5 lbs.
- Cook your chicken for the right time – 6 minutes per lb. is a good rule of thumb. Refer to chart above for cooking times.
- Save the drippings– You can use them to make a delicious gravy.
- Keep the carcass– Use it to make homemade Chicken Bone Broth.
*Number of total servings in estimated. Actual number of servings may vary depending on your own personal preference in portion sizes.
**Nutritional values shown are general guidelines for 1 serving using the ingredients listed above. These numbers do not reflect and may vary depending on substitutions, additions and/or different brands and/or other ingredients that may be used.
**Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links and sponsored content. All the opinions are my own and I only recommend products I use in my own home with my own family.
