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My easy Instant Pot Whole Chicken recipe can be made in a fraction of the time it takes to cook a whole rotisserie chicken. And it even has crispy chicken skin!
My whole family enjoys eating roast chicken for dinner. It takes a long time in our oven, so I started making it in our Instant Pot.
I love the simplicity of this cooking process… it’s truly the easiest way to make juicy chicken with crispy skin! All you need besides an Instant Pot Duo Crisp is a chicken, some chicken stock or water and a good spice blend for the best chicken dinner.
Next time you want to serve tender chicken for dinner, try my easy recipe. It pairs well with many different side dishes.
- Step 1: Season Chicken
- Step 2: Put Chicken in Instant Pot
- Step 3: Pressure Cook Chicken
- Step 4: Use Air Fryer Lid to Crisp Skin
- Step 5: Remove, Cut and Serve
- Other seasoning options
- Fresh whole chicken cook times
- Whole frozen chicken cook times
- Why I don’t quick release pressure
- Air fryer lid alternative
- Make stock with leftover bones
- Storage tips
- Free Instant Pot quick start guide
- More Instant Pot chicken recipes
- Best place to buy whole chickens online
Ingredients
- 3-pound whole chicken
- Olive oil spray
- ¼ cup cajun seasoning
- ½ cup chicken stock
Equipment
- Instant Pot Duo Crisp
- Instant Pot air fryer pan
- Measuring cups
- Paper towels
- Cutting board
By the Numbers: How to Cook a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot
Follow these simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make the best Instant Pot Whole Chicken with crispy skin.
Step 1: Season Chicken
Remove the gizzards from the cavity of the chicken and discard, then pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Lightly spray or rub the entire chicken with olive oil. Rub the entire chicken down with the cajun seasoning so that all of the skin is coated.
Step 2: Put Chicken in Instant Pot
Add half a cup of chicken stock to the Instant Pot inner pan. The chicken stock adds extra flavor, but if you don’t have any, you can also use water.
Place the chicken breast side up inside of the air fryer pan, then place it into the Instant Pot inner pot. If you don’t have an air fryer pan, you can place it on a rack or trivet so it’s up off the bottom of the pot.
Step 3: Pressure Cook Chicken
Place the lid on your Instant Pot, make sure the valve is in the sealing position and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. My chicken was a little over 3 pounds, so depending on the size of your chicken, it may need a shorter or longer cook time (see cook time charts in the tips section below).
Once the pressure cooking time is up, allow for a full natural pressure release then open the lid. Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165° F. Be sure to test both the breast and dark meat. If it’s not to temperature, put the lid back on and cook for a bit longer.
Step 4: Use Air Fryer Lid to Crisp Skin
Using the air fryer lid is an optional step, so if you don’t want crispy skin, you can serve the chicken now. If you do, then you can place the air fryer lid onto the Instant Pot and cook on Air Fryer mode at 400° F for 10 minutes.
Step 5: Remove, Cut and Serve
Remove the air fryer lid, then take the chicken out of the Instant Pot. The chicken skin should be golden brown and crispy now!
Tips for Making Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Answers to all of your questions about making the best whole chicken in an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker that even has crispy skin!
Other seasoning options
While my family loves my Homemade Cajun Seasoning, you can use any seasoning blend that you like with chicken. Here are recipes for some of my family’s other favorites:
Fresh whole chicken cook times
Depending on the size of your chicken, you may need to adjust the pressure cooking time. A general rule of thumb is that you should cook fresh chicken for 6 minutes for every pound of chicken.
| Chicken Weight | Cook Time |
|---|---|
| 2 pounds | 12 minutes |
| 3 pounds | 18 minutes |
| 4 pounds | 24 minutes |
| 5 pounds | 30 minutes |
| 6 pounds | 36 minutes |
Note: As long as the chicken fits into the pot, you can pressure cook it.
Whole frozen chicken cook times
If you have a frozen whole chicken, you can cook it in the Instant Pot very similarly to cooking fresh chicken. You’ll need to increase the cooking time by 5 minutes per pound, so a total of 11 minutes per pound.
| Chicken Weight | Cook Time |
|---|---|
| 2 pounds | 22 minutes |
| 3 pounds | 33 minutes |
| 4 pounds | 44 minutes |
| 5 pounds | 55 minutes |
| 6 pounds | 66 minutes |
Why I don’t quick release pressure
A lot of chicken recipes call for you to quick release the remaining pressure after 10-15 minutes. I prefer to allow a full natural pressure release for my whole chickens (but not cut up chicken).
They tend to come out more tender that way because you’re letting the chicken rest while the pressure releases. In general, a quick release will make meat tougher.
Air fryer lid alternative
If you don’t have the Instant Pot air fryer lid, you can also pop the chicken onto a baking sheet and place it into the broiler for a couple minutes to crisp up the skin.
Make stock with leftover bones
Pro tip: When you’re done eating your cooked chicken, be sure to save those bones and make a batch of Instant Pot Chicken Stock! And you can use the pan drippings / juices to make Gluten Free Gravy to serve with a batch of Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes!
Storage tips
Leftover chicken should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container and eaten within 4 days. You can also freeze leftover meat for up to 2 months.
Free Instant Pot quick start guide
If you’re new to cooking with your Instant Pot, be sure to sign up for my free quick start guide. It’ll give you all the information you need to start successfully pressure cooking!
More Instant Pot chicken recipes
If you like cooking chicken in the Instant Pot, here are some different ways to make it:
- Instant Pot Chicken Breast
- Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls
- Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Instant Pot Jambalaya
Best place to buy whole chickens online
Obviously the easiest place to get a whole chicken is the grocery store. However, there are so many great places to order chicken online!
Perdue Farms is one of my favorite places to shop for whole chickens. They have both conventional and organic chicken as well as chicken bundles to fill the freezer with.
Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 pound whole chicken
- Olive oil spray
- ¼ cup cajun seasoning
- ½ cup chicken stock - or water
Equipment
- Instant Pot Duo Crisp
- Instant Pot air fryer pan
- Measuring cups
Instructions
- Remove the gizzards from the chicken cavity and discard, pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, then lightly spray the entire chicken with olive oil. Rub the chicken down with the cajun spice mixture so that all of the skin is coated.
- Add half a cup of chicken broth to the bottom of the pot, then place the chicken in the air fryer pan and set that in the Instant Pot inner pot.
- Cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes, then allow for a natural release of pressure and open the lid. Check that the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165° F. If it's not, cook for a bit longer.
- If it is, then place the air fryer lid onto the Instant Pot and cook on Air Fryer mode at 400° F for 10 minutes.
- Remove the air fryer lid, then take the chicken out of the Instant Pot. The skin should be nice and crispy now!
Nutrition Information Per Serving
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