Rub chicken with one Tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the onion wedges and garlic cloves inside the chicken.
Turn on the pressure cooker and press the Sauté button. When the display reads “HOT” add the remaining olive oil to the metal pan. Place the chicken in the pan breast side down and sear/brown both sides, about 5 minutes per side.
Remove the chicken and set aside. Place the trivet at the bottom of the metal pan and add the chicken stock, bourbon or water.
If you are not browning the chicken:
Place the onion wedges and garlic cloves inside the chicken.
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. Add the liquid 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 30 minutes by pushing the + and – buttons.
When the timer beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally. Carefully remove the lid.
Very carefully remove the chicken from the pressure cooker and place it on a baking sheet or cast iron skillet.
Brush with barbecue sauce and place under the broiler for about 5 minutes until bubbly and caramelized.
Allow chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
For a prettier presentation use baker’s twine to tie the legs together before cooking.
My chicken was 4 1/2 pounds. The general rule of thumb is to cook for 6 minutes per pound so I rounded up to 30 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.
You do not have to use a trivet, but the bottom of your chicken will be soggy if you don’t.
As for the liquid, I used 1/2 cup of bourbon and 1/2 cup of water because I was using my Bourbon and Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce. Any liquid will work, beer, water, chicken stock, your choice.