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Do you ever find yourself at the grocery store buying a week’s worth of food, then reach for a rotisserie chicken because you no long have the energy to go home and cook what you just purchased? I admit it, I am guilty. But have you ever looked at the ingredients label on that chicken? Yikes! My Instant Pot Faux-tisserie Chicken is pure goodness…..
It is not injected with brown sugar or any crazy sounding ingredients. There is no caramel coloring to be found, just chicken, olive oil, fresh onions, garlic, and seasonings. That’s it!!
*Notes:
- You can use any pressure cooker to prepare this recipe, but you may have different times and buttons.
- If you do not have a pressure cooker, follow the directions in my Classic Roast Chicken post to bake in the oven.
How to make Instant Pot Faux-tisserie Chicken:
Rub chicken with one Tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the onion wedges and garlic cloves inside the chicken…..
Use butcher’s twine to secure the legs…..
Turn on the pressure cooker and press the Sauté button…..
Add the remaining olive oil to the metal pan. When hot, add the chicken and sear/brown both sides, about 4 minutes per side…..
Guess who forgot to oil the chicken first? Guess who’s skin stuck to the bottom?
Remove the chicken and set aside. Place the trivet at the bottom of the metal pan and add the chicken stock or water…..
Sprinkle seasoning mix over the entire chicken, rubbing it in and spreading it around to cover the entire chicken. Place the chicken, breast side up on top of the trivet and secure the lid…..
Make sure the lid is in the “Sealing” position, not “Venting”…..
Set the pressure cooker to Manual and set timer for 25 minutes by pushing the + button…..
When the timer beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. If the lid will not open, quick release the remaining pressure and remove the chicken…..
Allow chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving…..
Sharpen your knife before using!! 😉
More Notes:
- Cooking time does not include the time it takes for the pressure cooker to reach pressure, or the time it takes to release the pressure. This will add an additional 30 to 40 minutes.
- Each pressure cooker is different so times may vary depending on brand, temperature of chicken when you begin cooking, even the size of your pressure cooker can make a difference.
- I have included a scaled down Southwest Seasoning recipe, but any seasoning will work, garlic-lemon, paleo powder, etc.
- You do not have to use a trivet, but the bottom of your chicken will be soggy if you don’t.
- If your cooker is not coming to pressure, double to check that the lid is completely secured and it plays that little song when it’s closed.
- Discard the onion and garlic when the chicken is finished, or toss them into the pot with some water, carrots, celery, and aromatics to make Homemade Chicken Stock!
This recipe is Whole 30 and Paleo compliant, but you would never guess it. The chicken is still moist and full of flavor. Best of all, when you use your Instant Pot you can walk away and do other things until it’s ready. 🙂
Tools used to make this recipe: contains affiliate links
- I use this 6 Qt Instant Pot® and it comes with a trivet. I actually used this Steaming Rack to lift the chicken up higher, but it’s not necessary. I just don’t want anyone coming back asking why their trivet looks different than mine. 😉
- If your pressure cooker did not come with a trivet you can purchase this one, it’s the one that I used to make this chicken, or this version with handles.
Some other flavored Instant Pot Whole Chicken recipes:
Greek Roasted Chicken – these next two are not Instant Pot recipes, but they can still be cooked using the same instructions.
Peruvian Roasted Chicken. The Peruvian Chicken will need to marinate, so plan ahead.
Check out my Instant Pot Page for more recipe ideas!
Enjoy!!
Instant Pot Faux-tisserie Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 pound whole chicken
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil {divided}
- sea salt & black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 medium onion, cut into quarters
- 5 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled and left whole
- southwest seasoning mix {recipe below} or 2 Tablespoons of your favorite seasoning {lemon-garlic, paleo powder, etc.}
- 1 cup chicken stock/broth, or water
Southwest Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon basil
Instructions
- Rub chicken with one Tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place the onion wedges and garlic cloves inside the chicken. Use butcher's twine to secure the legs.
- Turn on the pressure cooker and press the Saute button.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the metal pan. When hot, add the chicken and sear/brown both sides, about 4 minutes per side. {included in cooking time}
- Remove the chicken and set aside. Place the trivet at the bottom of the metal pan and add the chicken stock.
- Sprinkle seasoning mix over the entire chicken, rubbing it in and spreading it around to cover the entire chicken.
- Place the chicken, breast side up on top of the trivet and secure the lid. Make sure the lid is in the "Sealing" position.
- Set the pressure cooker to Manual and set timer for 25 minutes.
- When the timer beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. If the lid will not open, quick release the remaining pressure and remove the chicken.
- Allow chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Each pressure cooker is different so times may vary depending on brand, temperature of chicken when you begin cooking, even the size of your pressure cooker can make a difference.
I have included a scaled down Southwest Seasoning recipe, but any seasoning will work, garlic-lemon, paleo powder, etc.
You do not have to use a trivet, but the bottom of your chicken will be soggy if you don’t.
If your cooker is not coming to pressure, double to check that the lid is completely secured and it plays that little song when it’s closed.
Discard the onion and garlic when the chicken is finished, or toss them into the pot with some water, carrots, celery, and aromatics to make Homemade Chicken Stock!
Help me. The smallest chicken I could fiind was a 5 pound chicken. How would this change cooking time??
I would cook it for 32 minutes, assuming that you can fit it inside the pot. You may also want to sear it in a separate pan to make it easier to turn. 🙂
Help please! The smallest I could find was a 5.34 lh chicken. How long would you cook it for?? And my instapot is 10 quart so would I use 2 cups stock??
Jamie, cook for 6 minutes per pound (30 minutes) and allow the pressure to release naturally. Check your owner’s manual to see how much liquid to add. I didn’t know they made a 10 quart! 🙂
I know this is an older comment I’m replying to, but in case someone else has the same question… I have the 6 quart duo Instant Pot and I just cooked an almost 6 pound chicken in mine and it fit just fine in there and come out fork tender. I had no trouble searing it and turning it. I have done this several times now with chickens ranging from 4 1/2 pounds to almost 6 pounds without issue. My rule of thumb with whole chickens is 6 minutes per pound with a natural release. Works every time and the results are yummy!
I just ordered my insta-pot and I’m stockpiling on recipes. Can’t wait to make this one. My question is why do you mention to throw away the onions & garlic? Is it because it was cooked in the cavity of the chicken? My family loves cooked garlic & onions
I throw them away because I didn’t have a use for them, Chanie. 🙂
I have a 6 qt IP. I don’t know how anyone is able to even fit a small chicken in the IP. I hadn’t a 4lb chicken which wound not fit flat and it would’ve too tall to fit in the pot and put a cover in it. What am I missing here that others have even put a 6 lb chicken in an IP
You would need to use an 8 quart to fit a 6 pound chicken, nothing over 5 pounds will fit in a 6 quart. My chicken was just under 3 pounds, Marie.
Others on this reply have said they have cooked bigger than 3 lbs I their pots and I thought they were also 6 qts. Even a 3 lb chicken looks too big to fit to me.
If go to deli area they have smaller chicken they use for their roasted chickens ask.
I have the 6 quart duo and I cook whole chickens in there up to almost six pounds without any issues. I have done this many times now with no problems and delicious results. If I can do it I don’t know why anyone else wouldn’t be able to.
This was great but I do have a question as I am new to using the instant pot… Any tips for how you flipped the bird when doing the searing? Once it was down in there seating and the pot was hot with hot oil… it was VERY difficult to flip over an oiled chicken without burning myself. Luckily my husband walked in right as I was attempting and helped. How do you do it?
Flipping the chicken over is the hardest part, Jen. I start with tongs, one inside one on the outside. If that doesn’t work, I just grab the legs, lift it up and flip it over, LOL
Hi Lisa!
New to the IP world, this recipe sounds awesome, want to try it soon; That said, I have an IP Mini, any variations on time? Assuming I can find a small bird.
Thanks in advance!!!
Hi Cynthia, I do not know anything at all about the Mini. I would check the owner’s manual and see if they have a chart for cooking times. Sorry. 🙁
Cornish hen would probably work great in a small ip
This looks great but I’ve read a lot of comments about dry and over-cooked chicken when done this way. Contrary to your recipe notes, we made a similar recipe without the trivit and reduced the broth to 2/3 cup. The bird was juicy and perfect, with no sogginess. Also, after making a few different whole chicken recipes in he IP, we’ve found that a pressure cooking time of 8 min/lb followed by a NR of 15-20 mintes gives a consistently juicy and tender chicken. Thanks for your wonderful post and great photos, all very nicely done!
Oh sweet baby James, that was one good chicken. I pulled the bone right out of the drumstick, trying to carve it. My husband, after he ate, said, “You need to use that little robot to cook all your chickens from now on.”
Hahaha, I love it Toni! I’m so glad your husband approves of your robot cooked chicken. 😉
Hey there! Loved this. One point of clarification: it’s listed at 91 calories per serving (love that there are nutrition facts–thanks!). How many ounces do you mean a serving of this to be? One? Four? Thank you!
The total serving size was a guess and the nutrition calculator broke it down from there, Celia. It’s difficult to determine the actual amount of meat on the chicken without weighing it, which I did not think to do. A 2 1/2 pound chicken “could” be half skin and bones, which would leave 1 1/4 pounds of chicken meat divided between 4 people would be a little over a 1/4 pound each…or about 5 ounces. 🙂
Hello Lisa! This is a wonderful recipe! I had a little question: I tend to go for white wine when dealing with a whole chicken – would it be okay, in your opinion, to opt for wine over the broth in the bottom of the IP? Or half wine, half broth? Wine just tends to deliver SUCH lovely flavor with poultry.
Thank you!
That sounds like an awesome idea Alyssum! I use beer and wine in mine all the time. 🙂
Curious how you came to 91 calories per serving but only 1 gram of protein.
I use an app that generates the nutritional data, something must have not have calculated correctly, LOL
Nutrition facts seem off (1 gram of protein?) especially since the recipe includes a chicken.
I’m still trying it though ?
I fixed it Allen. Apparently I cannot use 2 1/2 to 3 as a value in the nutritional calculator, it was calculating the chicken as 0 pounds. 🙁
We had the faux-tisserie chicken cooked in my Instant Pot. It was delicious! This is a wonderful way to
“roast” a whole chicken. We really enjoyed the South-
Western rub. I also made a gravy and it too was very tasty.
This is now my go to recipe for roasted chicken
I’ve now subscribed to your site.
Thanjd
Thank you so much Allyson, I am so glad you enjoyed it!!
How do you keep the skin from getting stuck on the bottom of the Instant Pot when searing both sides for 4 minutes? I used a full tablespoon of olive oil. Thanks for your help!
More oil would probably help, Matt. If you have a newer instant pot or an 8 quart, I would try to pressure the Saute button a couple of times to drop it down to a lower setting so it doesn’t get as hot. I have not tried this myself, bu I have heard that it is possible. I hope that helps!
When you mention 25 minutes, should it be on high or low pressure cooker? The recipe doesn’t specify this.
Hi Madina, it is High Pressure.
Have made this a couple times wth great success. Just wondering what you use the liquid for afterwards besides gravy or chicken broth?
I am so happy to hear that, Nancy! I have honestly only used the liquid for gravy, sorry I wish I had a really creative answer for you! 🙂
Is it okay if the chicken is not completely thawed before cooking?
Yes that will be fine, it will just take longer to pressurize. 🙂
If cooking from frozen how much time would you suggest adding?
The cooking time remains the same Sarah, but it will take longer for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure and begin cooking.
I have a “quick pot” it did not come with a trivit, can I still use this recipe ?