How to Cook a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot

Juicy and flavorful chicken ready in no time.

It's no secret that rotisserie chicken is the key to making meal time easier. Save yourself time by adding leftover rotisserie chicken to meals throughout the week, or serve it all at once with some quick and easy side dishes for a meal that will feed the whole family. But before you head to the grocery store to pick up a rotisserie chicken, consider cooking a whole chicken yourself. This allows you to control the flavors and seasonings used on your chicken. The Instant Pot makes it so that you can cook a whole chicken in under an hour with only five minutes of prep work. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot, plus more ways to use leftover chicken.

How to Cook a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot: Step-by-Step

Learn how to season, sear, and cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot, based on Instant Pot® Lemon Rotisserie Chicken recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup chicken broth

Directions

1. Pat the chicken dry and insert lemon wedges inside the cavity.
2. Turn on your Instant Pot and select the Sauté function.
3. Mix olive oil, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and pepper in a bowl. Use half of the mixture to rub on the top part of the chicken.
4. Place the chicken, breast side down, in the Instant Pot and sear for 3 to 4 minutes or until crispy.
5. Rub the remaining spice mixture on the bottom side. Flip the chicken over and sear for an additional minute.
6. Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and place the trivet inside the pot. Pour in the chicken broth. Place the chicken on top of trivet, breast side down. Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Use the natural-release method to release the pressure for 10-40 minutes.

Ways to Use Leftover Chicken

1. Enchiladas Suizas

Shred your leftover chicken with a fork and use it in this top-rated enchilada recipe. "I live in California so I have had my fair share of great authentic Mexican cuisine, but this by far surpasses any restaurant enchiladas I have ever had," says reviewer MISSJENAFFLECK.

2. Mom's Fabulous Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Crust

Recipe creator Pam says, "Leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken from the supermarket helps on the ease of preparation of this fabulous comfort style dinner. Fresh vegetables gives this a very special added flavor and is worth the effort. Everyone loves Mom's Chicken Pot Pie!"

3. Thai Spicy Basil Chicken Fried Rice

Slice your leftover chicken into strips the next day and whip up this chicken fried rice. Reviewer JRose says, "Delicious and quick! So easy even my husband (who hates to cook) can make it. And it's so flexible that we can use basically any little bits of meat and veggies leftover in the fridge to fill it out."

4. Buffalo Style Chicken Pizza

Chopped or shredded leftover chicken makes the perfect pizza topping too! Reviewer Melissa Dawson says, "This recipe is better than the local pizza joint's buffalo pizza! I make the crust (Jay's signature from this site) and get a rotisserie chicken and shred it."