Do you know how to cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot? This post will show you how–it’s perfect for meal prep or a family dinner!

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I’m using my Instant Pot more and more, and I’m finding it to be a real time saver in a lot of ways. My favorite way to save time with the Instant Pot is to use it to cook a whole chicken!

I do this three to four times a month and it is a quick and easy way to cook a whole chicken that is juicy and tender and can be used in a variety of recipes (I’ll link to some great ones later in the post so you know exactly what to do with your Instant Pot whole chicken!)

How To Cook A Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot

1. Add 1/2-3/4 cup water to your Instant Pot.
2. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon on the chicken and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Stuff the other half of the lemon inside the bird. 
3. Place the chicken in the pot breast side down and put the top on the Instant Pot.
4. Make sure the vent is in the sealed position, and then press the manual button and set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 7 minutes per pound. (I have a cheat sheet with a list of cooking times for your Instant Pot. Want me to send it to you? Click here to get your Instant Pot Cooking Times Cheat Sheet!  
5. Once the Instant Pot comes to pressure and then cooks for the amount of time right for the size of chicken you are cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally, about 15-20 minutes. Do not use the quick release method as this will make your chicken dry. Remove chicken and serve or prepare for meal prep.

Notice that I don’t add a lot of seasoning nor do I brown the skin. You can do both of these things if you are serving this Instant Pot whole chicken for dinner.

Use the sauté feature on your Instant Pot to brown the skin, and then use the rack it comes with to keep it out of the liquid. Then use whatever seasoning you normally use on roasted chicken and proceed with the rest of the recipe as written.

Either way, you’re going to end up with a juicy, moist cooked chicken. 

The reason I don’t brown the skin or season it beyond salt and pepper is that when I use my Instant Pot to cook a whole chicken, I am doing it for meal prep.

Want to know what else the Instant Pot has been fabulous for? Making homemade bone broth! I used to always make slow cooker bone broth. I love that it’s a hands off method, but it takes a really long time and I actually don’t like waking up to my house smelling like chicken stock. It’s just not a morning smell.

Bone broth in the Instant Pot takes about 2 hours! My chicken meal prep has been to cook the whole chicken in the Instant Pot, then immediately when I’m done the bones go back into the Instant Pot and I make the bone broth right then. I’m planning to write a post about that next week. 🙂

I most often take my meat from the Instant Pot whole chicken and shred it in my Kitchen Aid mixer.

Do you shred chicken in your stand mixer? It’s another big time saver!

I spy my feet in this picture! 😉

I end up with about 4 cups of shredded chicken from a 3 pound chicken.

So many quick and healthy meals can be made when you have cooked chicken on hand. Here are some of my favorites!

The Best Recipes to Make with Your Instant Pot Whole Chicken

1. Chicken, Spinach, Mushroom and Feta Stuffed Sweet Potato
2. Chicken Quinoa Soup
3. Lightened Up Chicken Pot Pie
4. One Pot Lemon Parmesan Pasta
5. 20 Minute Barbecue Chicken Quinoa Bowl
6. Butternut Squash Rice Bowl

I am convinced that learning how to cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot can change your life. Here’s the printable recipe for you!

Instant Pot Whole Chicken

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5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Maryea Flaherty | Happy Healthy Mama
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 1 whole chicken 1x

Print Recipe

Print Recipe

Description

Learn how to cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot in less than an hour! Perfect for meal prepping!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1/2–3/4 cup water
• 1 whole chicken*, giblets removed
• 1 lemon
• salt and pepper

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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Instructions

1. Add 1/2-3/4 cup water to your Instant Pot.
2. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon on the chicken and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Stuff the other half of the lemon inside the bird.
3. Place the chicken in the pot breast side down and put the top on the Instant Pot.
4. Make sure the vent is in the sealed position, and then press the manual button and set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 7 minutes per pound. (3 pounds=21 minutes)
5. Once the Instant Pot comes to pressure and then cooks for the amount of time right for the size of chicken you are cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally, about 15-20 minutes. Do not use the quick release method as this will make your chicken dry. Remove chicken and serve or prepare for meal prep.

Notes

*I use a 6 quart Instant Pot. I buy organic chicken and they are typically smaller than conventional chickens, mine average 2.5-4 pounds.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4 ounces
• Calories: 271

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