Cook the most delicious whole chicken quickly and easily in your Instant Pot. This tasty recipe has all of the flavors of a roasted chicken, but it's ready to enjoy in a fraction of the time!
Place trivet in the Instant pot and pour 1 cup cold water into the pot.
Rub seasoning evenly over chicken. Place quartered lemon and onion inside the cavity of the chicken and place chicken on trivet in the Instant pot. Place the lid on and turn the valve to sealing
Set on high pressure for 24 minutes (or 6 minutes per pound of chicken).
Once cooking time is finished, allow pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes, quick release remaining pressure. Check the temperature of the chicken with a digital thermometer to be sure it has reached 165 degrees in the thickest part of the chicken thigh.
Remove chicken from Instant Pot using kitchen tongs and place it on a baking sheet. Place chicken under the broiler for 5 minutes to brown on top. Watch the chicken closely to make sure it doesn’t brown too much.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let chicken rest for 10 - 15 minutes for the juices to redistribute.
Notes
Allow the chicken to come up to room temperature before cooking it. I like to take it out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking the whole chicken in the instant pot. This will help it to stay nice and tender.
It's not required but for best results, I like to brine my whole chicken for a few hours before pressure cooking it or roasting it. Make sure you pat it dry with a paper towel.
Adjust the cooking time depending on the size of your bird. Cook it for 6 minutes per pound.
Use an Instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh to check that your chicken is cooked all the way through. It should register at 165F.
When the cooking time is over, make sure you release pressure naturally for about 15 - 20 minutes.
I like to broil the chicken for a few minutes to get a nice crispy skin. If you don't like the crispy skin you can skip this step.
Allow your Instant Pot whole chicken to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving it.
You can make chicken broth or stock with the chicken carcass and bones.