Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Whole Roast Chicken Recipe - To Make a Mommy (2024)

Reading time: 6 minutes · Updated: by Anna Rapp

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Whole Roast Chicken Recipe - To Make a Mommy (1)This recipe is absolutely one of the staples in my house. Since we buy 95% of our groceries organic, it can become quite expensive to buy a lot of organic meat each week. Enter, the whole organic chicken. Buying organic chicken whole saves you a ton on the unit price, and you can make three different things out of it and use the leftovers all week!

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Whole Roast Chicken Recipe - To Make a Mommy (2)

Yummy liver and onions!

The weekend is when we do our major food prep for the week. First, we take out the giblets, and I saute up the liver with some onions in coconut oil on the stove. I’m the only one who eats it, but it is delicious!! Chicken liver is packed with Vitamin A and is great for people on Paleo, Whole 30, or the Autoimmune Protocol Diet (AIP). Because of the high Vitamin A content you don’t want to eat it every day, but every week is just about perfect. Be sure to saute in a non-toxic frying pan- you can see in the picture I am using one of our non-toxic (and affordable!) cast iron pans.

We save the chicken neck and put it in the Instant Pot so we can make our weekly bone broth later. Don’t rinse your chicken! This is a myth and it turns out it just winds up spraying raw chicken juice all over your kitchen. Just dump the chicken into your Instant Pot.

Then we roast the chicken (don’t worry, instructions are below) in the Instant Pot. It is way easier than roasting in the oven PLUS it doesn’t heat the house up which is important in the summer. We used to roast chicken in the oven, but we are so obsessed with time management and efficiency we do everything we can in the Instant Pot now. The best part is you can walk away. Get it ready, set the time, let it cook, and go weed the gardens. Or drink an herbal infusion and journal. Whatever- no need to check the chicken and baste, etc. We actually own two Instant Pots because we are obsessed and like to be able to cook beans and brown rice from scratch separately at the same time (yes ma’am, you can cook organic dry beans from scratch in about 40 minutes in the Instant Pot! You can of course alter this recipe and roast the chicken in the oven – it just takes longer, and you can’t make your bone broth in the same container!

When the chicken is done, we take it out, let it cool a bit, and then pick it clean.We then use that chicken meat all week long. Between two adults and the one wee one, it lasts us through about Thursday if we cook on Sunday. Mostly we just add it to our evening salads, but sometimes we’ll turn it into a chicken salad with a healthy fat coconut mayonnaise, or we’ll cook up a sauce for it. Be sure you aren’t using toxic plastic to store your chicken in! Use a non-toxic container like glass. We use the pyrex with glass lids so we can throw it all in the dishwasher and not worry.

Chicken is a fantastic food for most diets, including a Fertility Diet. It is super high in protein, which is absolutely crucial to making babies. It is also full of important fertility nutrients like selenium, vitamin B6 and B3. It is also a safe meat for people who are sensitive to fattier red meats (like women with endometriosis). Having this pre-prepped organic chicken meat ready to use in the fridge is necessary when you are trying to make sure you hit your perfect daily fertility macros ratio of protein, carbs, and fats. If you are trying to get pregnant, don’t forget the need to tailor any fertility diet to YOUR needs. Luckily, organic chicken pretty much hits everyone’s needs, unless they avoid meat for personal reasons.

Now- here’s the huge added bonus of the Instant Pot. After we pick the chicken clean, we put all the bones and skin BACK in the Instant Pot. We add about 2 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar, some additional broth or water, and then put the Instant Pot on its slow cooking setting for 24-48 hours. Then we have incredibly healthful and nourishing bone broth, ready to drink all week!

So there you go- three nutritional uses out of your whole organic chicken! Roasted chicken meat all week, a chicken liver and onions treat on the weekend, and bone broth for the week! You are killing it with healthy eating!

Instant Pot Whole Roast Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

  • One small organic chicken, giblets removed.
  • 3 Tbsp unrefined coconut or extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 onions sliced (OPTIONAL)
  • 5 cloves garlic sliced (OPTIONAL)
  • Rosemary 3 sprigs fresh or 1 tbsp dried (OPTIONAL)
  • Thyme 4 sprigs fresh or 1 tbsp dried (OPTIONAL)
  • Additional herbs if desired
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
  • 1 cup of water

Directions

  1. (Optional)- Set your Instant Pot to the “saute” function and add in your oil. Place the chicken in breast-down and brown the skin. Brown the sides as well. Remove chicken and set on a plate. We used to do this, and then stopped, as it took too much time and only made the chicken pretty; it didn’t add any value to the taste.
  2. Make a layer on the bottom of the Instant Pot with the onions.
  3. Place chicken on top. If you didn’t saute, put the oil on top of the chicken.
  4. Dump all the other ingredients on top. Make them pretty, if you like.
  5. Add the 1 cup of water to the bottom of the pot.
  6. Lock the Instant Pot lid into place and make sure your valve is set to “seal” Press “Manual” and use the + or – buttons to get to 24 minutes. We don’t vary by pounds, but some recipes suggest 5-6 minutes per pound.
  7. Let the Instant Pot do the natural depressurization, i.e., wait until the timer says at least 10 minutes have past since the chicken was done. Then, depressurize completely if necessary.
  8. Open top, remove chicken, and let cool.
  9. Pick the meat clean and use it all week!
  10. Put all the skin and bones back in the Instant Pot to make your bone broth!

Are you ready to discover YOUR perfect fertility diet?

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Whole Roast Chicken Recipe - To Make a Mommy (3)

Tired of all the conflicting fertility diet information? It is up to YOU to take control of your fertility journey and do the research to figure out YOUR perfect fertility diet. I've developed this free e-book as a guide to jumpstart the process. It includes tailored diet information for many infertility diagnoses, such as PCOS, Endometriosis, Anovulation, Luteal Phase Defect, Thyroid Problems, Fibroids, Unexplained Infertility, and more! It is completely free to download! Enjoy!

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Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Whole Roast Chicken Recipe - To Make a Mommy (4)

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Whole Roast Chicken Recipe

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Description

An easy, quick, and delicious way to roast a whole chicken without heating up your stove!

Ingredients

Scale

  • One small organic chicken, giblets removed (pounds don’t matter, the Instant Pot cooks it through no matter what) We buy from Wegmans.
  • 3 Tbsp unrefined coconut or extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 onions sliced (OPTIONAL)
  • 5 cloves garlic sliced (OPTIONAL)
  • Rosemary 3 sprigs fresh or 1 tbsp dried (OPTIONAL)
  • Thyme 4 sprigs fresh or 1 tbsp dried (OPTIONAL)
  • Other herbs as desired
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup of water

Instructions

  1. (Optional)- Set your Instant Pot to the “saute” function and add in your oil. Place the chicken in breast-down and brown the skin. Brown the sides as well. Remove chicken and set on a plate. We used to do this, and then stopped, as it took too much time and only made the chicken pretty, didn’t add any value to the taste.
  2. Make a layer on the bottom of the Instant Pot with the onions.
  3. Place chicken on top. If you didn’t saute, put the oil on top of the chicken.
  4. Dump all the other ingredients on top. Make them pretty, if you like.
  5. Add the 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the pot.
  6. Lock the Instant Pot lid into place and make sure your valve is set to “seal” Press “Manual” and use the + or – buttons to get to 24 minutes.
  7. Let the Instant Pot do the natural depressurization, i.e., wait until the timer says at least 10 minutes have past since the chicken was done.
  8. Open top, remove chicken, and let cool.
  9. Pick the meat clean and use it all week!
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 44 mins
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Paleo, Whole 30, Clean Eating, Keto, AIP

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 4 oz
  • Calories: 133
  • Sodium: 61
  • Fat: 5
  • Saturated Fat: 4
  • Carbohydrates: 2
  • Protein: 16
  • Cholesterol: 51

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Anna Rapp

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Anna Rapp is a fertility journalist and non-toxic living expert. When Anna Rapp was struggling with infertility and recurrent early miscarriage, she was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve, High FSH, low AMH, low follicle count, endometriosis, and an MTHFR mutation. Despite being told donor eggs were her only solution, Anna used her graduate training in research methods and analysis to read everything she could find on fertility and egg health. Ultimately, she lowered her FSH and got pregnant naturally (twice). She blogs about how she did it and encourages her readers to take charge of their fertility journey and get happy, healthy, and pregnant!

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Whole Roast Chicken Recipe - To Make a Mommy (6)

About Anna Rapp

Anna Rapp is a fertility journalist and non-toxic living expert. When Anna Rapp was struggling with infertility and recurrent early miscarriage, she was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve, High FSH, low AMH, low follicle count, endometriosis, and an MTHFR mutation. Despite being told donor eggs were her only solution, Anna used her graduate training in research methods and analysis to read everything she could find on fertility and egg health. Ultimately, she lowered her FSH and got pregnant naturally (twice). She blogs about how she did it and encourages her readers to take charge of their fertility journey and get happy, healthy, and pregnant!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Whole Roast Chicken Recipe - To Make a Mommy (7)cb

    Thank you for the fantastic recipe, looks like I need one of those Instant Pots!

    One correction – I think you meant 24 hours, not 24 minutes . . . ?

    Reply

    • Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Whole Roast Chicken Recipe - To Make a Mommy (8)Anna

      Well that’s embarrassing. THANK YOU!!! Just changed it.

      Reply

  2. Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Whole Roast Chicken Recipe - To Make a Mommy (9)Gazelle

    I love all of your recipes and your blog. Just trying to make the roasted chicken for the first time. What settings do you put the Instapot to? Slow cook or pressure cook or something else, because my slow cook time only goes up to 20 hours.

    Reply

    • Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Whole Roast Chicken Recipe - To Make a Mommy (10)Anna

      Hi Gazelle! So glad you commented, because I realized my recipe was totally wonky :-). It is supposed to be 24 minutes, not 24 hours!! You pressure cook it, i.e., put it on “Manual” and then click the “+” button up till 24 minutes!!! When you’re making the broth you’ll be using the slow cooker setting and doing hours 🙂 Baby dust!

      Reply

  3. Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Whole Roast Chicken Recipe - To Make a Mommy (11)Andrea

    Where is the best place to buy the organic meat, especially the organic whole chickens?
    Thanks,
    Andrea

    Reply

  4. Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Whole Roast Chicken Recipe - To Make a Mommy (12)Frances Mechwart

    I don’t have an instant. Can I cook it in a slow cooker? If so, on high or low? And for how long? Thx!

    Reply

  5. Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Whole Roast Chicken Recipe - To Make a Mommy (13)Maria

    Hi! I just wanted to make sure that the 1/2 cup water measurement was right? (The IP instructions usually require a minimum of 1 cup, and I’ve had issues with the “Burn” warning before…. :)). Looking forward to trying this one!

    Reply

    • Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Whole Roast Chicken Recipe - To Make a Mommy (14)Anna

      Hi Maria! Yes, that is what we do, but I’ve had this comment several times so I am going to change the recipe to 1 cup! It certainly doesn’t hurt anything!! Best to follow the Instant Pot “Rules” 🙂

      Reply

      • Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Whole Roast Chicken Recipe - To Make a Mommy (15)Maria

        Thanks! As a heads up for others with newer IP models, the “Manual” setting is equivalent to the “High” Pressure Cooker setting. Definitely making again! 🙂

        Reply

Leave a Reply

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Whole Roast Chicken Recipe - To Make a Mommy (2024)

FAQs

Does pressure cooking chicken longer make it more tender? ›

The 5 minutes did get them to the safe 165F after the resting period BUT they were far from fall-off the bone. Just like for the whole legs or just thighs and drumsticks longer cooking equals more tender and fall-off the bone meat.

Can you overcook chicken in a pressure cooker? ›

Because chicken breast is so lean, just a couple of extra minutes of cook time turns them from juicy to overcooked and dry. Thighs, on the other hand, are a fattier cut, and not prone to dry out as quickly even after an extra minute or two of cooking.

Why does my instant pot chicken come out rubbery? ›

Some things to keep in mind when cooking chicken:

If your boneless chicken breast winds up with a weird, rubbery texture, it probably means that you need to cook it longer. In general, the Instant Pot does better with longer cook times for meat.

Do you need to add water when cooking chicken in an instant pot? ›

Add the chicken to the Instant Pot: Arrange the chicken in a single, even layer in the bottom of the pressure cooker. Add the water, then sprinkle with salt.

Why is my chicken tough after pressure cooking? ›

Overcooking or cooking at too high a temperature can result in tough, dry chicken. Undercooking can leave chicken undercooked and chewy.

Do I need to brown meat before pressure cooking? ›

DO brown or broil it. Either give your meat a quick all-around sauté before starting a braise or tumble pressure steamed or boiled meat on a heat-proof platter and slide it under the broiler for a few minutes to add a beautiful I-'ve-been-cooking-in-a-blasting-hot-oven-for-hours finish. DON'T drown it.

Should roast be covered with liquid in pressure cooker? ›

No, assuming you are using the pressure cooker function (and not slow cooking or sauteing). You should use perhaps a cup of water, to provide enough liquid so that the meat doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot and to provide enough steam.

Does a pressure cooker dry out chicken? ›

Oh also, when you make this, don't skip the part where I tell you to add some water or chicken broth to the Instant Pot (or crockpot). You'll want to do this so that the meat doesn't dry out. I also add the broth to the containers with cooked chicken to help keep it moist.

How long do you can chicken in a pressure cooker? ›

Once you're getting 4 “jiggles” per minute, or your dial gauge has come up to pressure, start your timer and process the chicken. If you're canning pint jars, you will process them for 1 hour 15 minutes (75 minutes). If you're using quart jars, you will process for 1 hour 30 minutes (90 minutes).

What happens if chicken isn't done in Instant Pot? ›

The chicken should register 165 degrees F. If it is below 160 degrees F, reseal and cook a few additional minutes. If the chicken is at 160 but not yet 165, you can simply set the lid on top and let it rest for 5 additional minutes, or until it hits the magic 165 degrees F. Remove the chicken to a cutting board.

Can you put too much chicken in Instant Pot? ›

If you're just pressure cooking, there's no real limit except the pot size. If they're on a trivet and you have a small amount of liquid under the trivet, then you can pile up the drumsticks as long as they don't obstruct the lid. I've cooked whole chickens and other cuts of meat that weigh that much without a problem.

Is it better to slow cook or pressure cook chicken breast? ›

So can a Crock-Pot cook better chicken than an Instant Pot? Well, it really depends on what you're making. The Instant Pot cooks chicken much faster than its non-pressure counterparts, but the resulting texture isn't going to be the same as what you'd get with a slow cooker or Dutch oven.

Can I put frozen chicken in an Instant Pot? ›

Not to mention that using an Instant Pot is the best way to cook chicken from frozen and still get a juicy, moist result. So go ahead and stock up on chicken next time you see it marked down and freeze it for use in one of our many Instant Pot chicken recipes.

Can you use oil instead of water in Instant Pot? ›

You can safely pan fry with small amounts of oil in the Instant Pot. You can also stir fry. But do not attempt deep frying. You cannot use an Instant Pot in the pressure cooking setting with large amounts of oil.

Does pressure cooking longer make meat softer? ›

Pressure cooking, like slow cooking, will tenderize tough cuts of meat like beef brisket, beef chuck, pork shoulder and lots of other cheaper, tougher cuts. Pressure cooking (or slow cooking) is not the best approach for cooking expensive, tender steaks or rib roasts.

What happens if you pressure cook longer? ›

Unfortunately, once you overcook a piece of meat in the pressure cooker, there's no going back. You'll be left with a pile of dry, crunchy, tasteless fibers and no amount of additional pressure cooking is going to put that moisture back into the meat. Earlier, I explained how ingredient size affects the cooking time.

Should I slow cook or pressure cook chicken? ›

So can a Crock-Pot cook better chicken than an Instant Pot? Well, it really depends on what you're making. The Instant Pot cooks chicken much faster than its non-pressure counterparts, but the resulting texture isn't going to be the same as what you'd get with a slow cooker or Dutch oven.

What happens if you pressure cook meat too long? ›

No amount of additional pressure cooking is going to put the liquid back in the meat leaving just a hunk of tough, dry fibers. There are a couple issues that gave you tough dry meat from the pressure cooker.

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