Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken is one of the easiest ways to cook a whole chicken. The chicken will be done in under an hour and is tender, moist, and flavorful. Your Instant Pot will make fast work of cooking up a whole chicken. I like to pop one in my IP on Sunday and have shredded cooked chicken in my fridge to use in easy chicken recipes for the crazy weekdays!
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There is no easier way to get dinner on the table then having tender cooked chicken leftover in the fridge, ready to go. You can make everything from chicken enchiladas to chicken noodle soup. Or pop over to this post for Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Recipes for Dinner This Week.
If you would rather roast your chicken in the oven head over to this Ultimate Guide for Roast Chicken.
Ingredients
To make this juicy and tender chicken you only need a few simple ingredients.
- Whole Fresh Chicken– I recommend buying a chicken that is around 4-5 lbs. and has been “air chilled” which will be written on the label. Here in the Midwest we have Smart Chicken which is air chilled and always delicious.
- Onion– you can use white or yellow.
- Garlic – use as much as you like. In fact I like to just cut a whole head of garlic in half!
- Lemon – adds a nice acid balance to all the savory and salty ingredients.
- Seasonings – If you don’t have a favorite chicken seasoning then I recommend using kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, and dried oregano.
- Water or Chicken Broth
Instant Pot Cooking Times
Since you cook the chicken as one whole piece you need to use the weight to estimate how much time it will take to cook. Before you unpackage your chicken make note of the total weight.
Whole fresh chickens are cooked at 6 minutes per pound in the Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker.
- 3 lbs. – 18 minutes.
- 4 lbs. – 24 minutes.
- 5 lbs. – 30 minutes.
- 6 lbs. – 36 minutes.
Then finish with a 15 minute natural release .
A natural release is when the cook time is finished, the pot beeps and then the time starts to count back up. The “keep warm” light may even be illuminated. The heating element is no longer on and the pressure starts to dissipate, but the chicken is still cooking during this process so don’t skip it!
Step By Step Instructions
There are 3 main steps in making an Instant Pot Whole Rotisserie Chicken:
- Preparing
- Seasoning
- Pressure cooking
1. Prep The Chicken
It is very important that you remove the gizzards and neck from the inside of the chicken. Sometimes they are contained in a plastic bag and you do NOT want to cook that!
So reach in, pull out all the loose bits and pieces and then get started! You can save the neck and gizzards to make Gravy or Stock!
Remove any excess skin or fat around the openings and any feather pins left on the chicken.
Pat the whole chicken dry with paper towels.
Pro Tip: you do not need to rinse your chicken! It is actually a cross-contamination hazard and is not recommended.
2. Season The Chicken
Mix together 2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon onion powder. Sprinkle ⅓ of the seasoning into the inner cavity of the chicken.
Quarter an onion, cut the garlic clove in half, and slice half a lemon into wedges. Stuff as much as you can into the cavity of the chicken.
Sprinkle the remaining seasoning on the outside of the chicken.
3. Pressure Cooking
Pour 1 ½ cups water (or chicken broth) into the bottom of the Pot. Place the metal trivet in the pot. Put the seasoned whole chicken, BREAST SIDE UP, on top of the trivet.
Close the Instant Pot and set it to cook on high pressure mode for 6 MINUTES PER POUND. For example I had a 5 lb chicken so I set my cook time to 30 minutes.
At the end of cooking time do a 15 minute natural release and then quick release any remaining pressure.
Pro Tip: Use the trivet handles to pull the whole chicken out of the Instant Pot and place on a rimmed baking sheet. (this will catch any juices that spill out)
Let the chicken rest for about 20 minutes before cutting and serving.
Storing
Keep any cut or shredded cooked chicken in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
You can also freeze your cooked chicken and it should be good for up to 3 months!
8 Piece Chicken
There are 8 pieces on a whole chicken, and two types of meat: white & dark meat.
White meat is located in the two chicken breast and two wings. The white meat is traditionally considered the healthier of the two, yet can be drier when overcooked.
Dark meat is located on the legs and thighs. This meat is considered more flavorful and juicier, yet higher in fat content.
The majority of the meat will come from the breasts and thighs.
How to Cut a Rotisserie Chicken
Here are the simple steps to remove all 8 pieces from your rotisserie style chicken:
(if you are a visual learner you can watch this video on how to cut a rotisserie chicken.)
Start by cutting the breasts off of the chicken.
Run your knife along the breast bone located at the very top middle of the whole chicken.
Run the knife between the leg and the breast to cut the skin. Lastly, run the knife between the breast and the wing.
The breast should now pull away easily. Repeat on the other side.
The wings will just pull away once you cut the breasts out.
To remove the leg/thigh combo pull the leg away from the whole chicken. You will crack the bone that holds it to the carcass. You may have to run your knife between the leg and the whole chicken.
Lastly, pick any remaining chicken meat stuck to the carcass.
Tips For Shredding
If you are going to use your rotisserie chicken to make other recipes then you will want to cut or shred your chicken.
Easily Shred Cooked Chicken
The easiest way to shred your chicken is with a hand held blender or stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Place the warm/hot chicken in the stand mixer and run for about 30 seconds. The chicken shreds up perfect!
How to Brown & Crisp your Rotisserie Chicken Skin
You will notice when your chicken comes out of the Instant Pot that it definitely does not have crispy skin! If you want to serve your rotisserie chicken whole, you will probably want to brown/crisp the skin.
Once it comes out of the Instant Pot simply place it on a rimmed sheet pan, brush with a little olive oil or melted butter and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes. Watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn.
Favorite Recipes for Leftover Chicken
There are endless ways to use your chicken to make dinner. There are plenty of chicken recipes on Mom’s Dinner to look through and a great post on Leftover Chicken Recipes. But here are a few of my favorites that would make a great dinner!
- Creamy Chicken & Noodles
- Chicken Enchiladas
- Chicken Noodle Soup for Kids or Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup
- Artichoke Chicken Salad
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
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Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 fresh whole chicken - 4-6 lbs.
- 1 yellow or white onion - cut into 4 pieces
- ½ fresh lemon - cut into wedges
- garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon each: garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ cup water or chicken broth
Instructions
- Prepare the whole chicken by removing the giblets and neck from the inside of the chicken cavity. Pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels.
- In a small bowl mix together the 2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon onion powder.
- Sprinkle ⅓ of the seasoning mix in the inside cavity of the chicken. Place as much of the cut onion, garlic cloves and lemon as you can inside the bird.
- Sprinkle the remaining seasoning mix on all sides of the outside of the chicken.
- Pour the water or broth into the bottom of the Instant Pot.Place the metal trivet in the pot.Put the chicken BREAST SIDE UP in the pot.
- You will cook the chicken on pressure mode/high for 6 MINUTES PER POUND.3 lbs. – 18 minutes.4 lbs. – 24 minutes.5 lbs. – 30 minutes.6 lbs. – 36 minutes.
- Do a 15 minute natural pressure release at the end of the cook time and then quick release any remaining pressure. Make sure your chicken has reached 165° F by using an instant read thermometer instered into the thickest part of the breast and/or thigh!
- Remove the chicken from the pot by using the trivet – be careful the handles of the trivet may be hot.Place on a rimmed baking sheet.Let the chicken rest 5-10 minutes for the juices to redistribute before cutting or serving.
Crisping/Browning the Skin
- Crisping the skin of the rotisserie chicken is completely optional. If I am just using the chicken for recipes then I definitely will not crisp the skin. But if I am serving the chicken as an 8 piece dinner than I will probably crisp the skin.
- Once it comes out of the IP place on a sheet pan and lightly brush with olive oil or melted butter. Set under the broiler for about 3 minutes until the skin is golden.Watch it closely so it doesn't burn
Storing
- Store your leftover cooked chicken meat in and airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
- You can also freeze leftover cooked chicken in the freezer for up to 3 months.
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?!
I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Anna Kate Goshko
My chicken always looks like a crazy butcher went at it! Thanks for sharing…will keep this one saved.
Emily Bruno
This post was so helpful!! Can’t wait to try this.
Tawnie Kroll
I am so glad I found this post – so helpful! I really loved having the visual from the video too! Thank you!
Lauren Grant
LOVE how comprehensive this post is, I can’t wait to make this for meal prep! Not only will this save time and money, but it’s healthier than the rotisserie chickens you buy at the store!