Instant Pot Whole Chicken

Cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot to get rotisserie-style juicy and tender chicken that you’re going to love! Easy, quick, and delicious!

Rinse the chicken and pat it dry with kitchen towels. Lay it on a cutting board, and season it with cajun (or any other seasoning that you like), salt, and pepper and make sure that it’s well seasoned from all sides. The seasoning needs to go inside the chicken cavity as well.
On the Instant Pot press on SAUTE and set on 16 minutes. Add oil, and only add the chicken when the Instant Pot displays the HOT message. You want to put the chicken in hot oil. Start by cooking the chicken breast side down.
Flip the chicken and brown the chicken on all four sides (about 4 minutes on each side), then turn off the SAUTE setting.
After browning, squeeze a lemon over the chicken. This won’t wash away the seasoning since the chicken was browned.
Stuff the chicken with onion wedges, garlic, lemon (you can use the same lemons that were squeezed over the chicken) and fresh herbs
Then add water, you will need 1 cup of water. No need for a trivet or anything.
Press on MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK and set for 25 minutes on high pressure. Allow the Instant Pot to come to pressure, then quickly release the steam once it’s done cooking.
Take the chicken out of the Instant Pot, and put on a baking tray (as shown in the picture below) if you wish to brown the skin. If not, you can just let it rest for 15 minutes and then carve it.
If you decide to brown it under the broiler, then spray it lightly with oil and broil for 5 minutes but keep watching it so it doesn’t get burnt.

Natural or Quick Release?

When cooking meat and poultry, a natural release is always recommended so that the meat does not turn out dry and tough.

Cooking time for Instant Pot FRESH whole chicken: