Five words: Instant Pot whole chicken and gravy. (Okay, six words, if you count “and.”) This juicy and tender whole chicken is so simple and delicious and you’ll want to freeze the extra gravy for future meals!
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Instant Pot For The Win
Ever since I got my first Instant Pot back in 2013, I’ve been on a mission to convert all of my favorite slow cooker recipes into variations that can be made in a snap in the electric pressure cooker. (Yeah, I know that the Instant Pot has a slow cooker function, but I have to level with you: I only use my Instant Pot’s electric pressure cooker function.
Why? ’Cause anything you can cook in a slow cooker can be made even tastier and faster in a pressure cooker. Exhibit A: Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Kalua Pig. I rest my case.) And while it does take a little finesse to convert slow cooker or conventionally cooked stew recipes into Instant Pot versions, that’s what I’m here for!
Faster whole chicken and gravy!
One of the most popular slow cooker recipes on my blog is Slow Cooker Roast Chicken and Gravy. It’s kind of a misnomer to call it “roast chicken” or even “rotisserie chicken” because the bird isn’t cooked in an oven or over a fire, and the skin doesn’t get crispy, but this dish still manages to scratch that roasted whole chicken itch without you having to turn on the oven.
Both the white meat and dark meat are perfectly cooked! Even better: You only dirty one pot, and that pot can be thrown in the dishwasher.
Use Quick Release!
For this Instant Pot whole chicken recipe, you’ll need to use the quick pressure release method (i.e., manually vent the Instant Pot rather than natural pressure release) to make sure the chicken doesn’t get overcooked. If it’s your first time doing it, don’t be scared: You’ll do fine! Plus, you’ll rewarded with lots of umami-packed gravy that you can freeze for later.
Ingredients
- Whole chicken: Choose a chicken that is about 4 pounds total—a bigger chicken won’t fit in a 6-quart Instant Pot. I don’t recommend using a frozen chicken because it won’t cook evenly.
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt: This dish tastes amazing using only salt and pepper as the seasoning, but you can always substitute your favorite spice blend (e.g. my Nom Nom Paleo Spice blends all work!) or add thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, paprika, or onion powder.
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Ghee: I like using ghee in this recipe, but you can use extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil to keep this dish dairy-free.
- Onions
- Garlic cloves
- Tomato paste: Adds umami so don’t leave it out!
- Bone broth or chicken broth
- Arrowroot powder (optional): helps thicken the gravy, if desired.
- Fresh herbs (optional): You can add a
How to make Instant Pot Whole Chicken and Gravy
Grab your chicken and sprinkle 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal koshersalt and ¼ teaspoon pepper all over it, inside and out. You can also sub 2 to 3 teaspoons of one of my Nom Nom Paleo spice blends for the seasoning!
Tuck the wings behind the back.
Add 1 tablespoon of ghee to the Instant Pot, and hit the “Sauté” function on your electric pressure cooker. (If you’re using a stovetop pressure cooker, cook over medium-high heat.) Swirl the melted ghee to the middle of the pot if it looks like the fat is pooling on the sides.
When the fat is shimmering, sear the chicken breast-side down in the center of the pot for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
Flip the bird (ha ha!) breast-side up. Cook for another 5 minutes or until browned on the back.
Don’t worry if the skin sticks and tears—the skin won’t be crispy when you’re done cooking anyway. You’re just browning the skin to deepen the flavor of the gravy.
Transfer the chicken to a plate and add the remaining tablespoon of ghee to the pot. Once the ghee melts, toss in the chopped onions, 6 garlic cloves, and a sprinkle of salt. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until softened.
Stir in 2 teaspoons tomato paste and cook for about 30 seconds.
Turn off the sauté function (or turn off the stove if you’re using a stovetop cooker). Pour in ½ cup broth, scraping up any browned bits.
Add a steamer insert or trivet to the bottom of the pressure cooker…
…and lay the bird on top of it, breast-side up.
Cover and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes (or 17 minutes on a stovetop pressure cooker).
Then, turn off the electric pressure cooker (or remove the stovetop cooker from the heat), and immediately release the pressure manually.
Open the lid and use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thighs is at least 175°F. Then, transfer the chicken to a plate or carving board. Tent the cooked bird with foil, and rest it for 10 minutes.
Use an immersion blender to purée the contents of the insert to make a smooth gravy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
If you want to thicken the gravy, mix 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder with 2 tablespoons water.
Then, turn on the sauté function and bring the contents to a simmer. Stir in the arrowroot powder slurry and cook until thickened.
Carve up the chicken and pour on copious amounts of gravy.
What to serve with Instant Pot Whole Chicken
You can serve the chicken with crispy potatoes, garlic cauliflower mashed “potatoes”, roasted kabocha squash, or a big green salad.
How to save leftovers
Leftover chicken and gravy can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to four days. If you have a lot of leftover gravy, you can freeze it small portions in a silicone ice mold so you can toss a cube or two into whatever you’re cooking!
More Instant Pot chicken recipes
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Instant Pot Whole Chicken and Gravy
Ingredients
- 1 organic whole chicken about 4 pounds
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt or a Nom Nom Paleo spice blend
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons ghee divided
- 2 large onions chopped medium
- 6 garlic cloves peeled
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- ½ cup Instant Pot bone broth or chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder optional
Instructions
- Sprinkle 2 teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper (or 2 to 3 teaspoons of a Nom Nom Paleo spice blend) all over the chicken, inside and out. Tuck the wings behind the back.
- Add 1 tablespoon of ghee to the pressure cooker, and hit the “Sauté” function on your electric pressure cooker. (If you’re using a stovetop pressure cooker, cook over medium-high heat.) Swirl the melted ghee to the middle of the pot if it looks like the fat is pooling on the sides.
- When the fat is shimmering, sear the chicken breast-side down in the center of the pot for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Flip the bird breast-side up. Cook for another 5 minutes or until browned on the back. Don’t worry if the skin sticks and tears—the skin won’t be crispy when you’re done cooking anyway. You’re just browning the skin to deepen the flavor of the gravy.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and add the remaining tablespoon of ghee to the pot. Once the ghee melts, toss in the chopped onions, 6 garlic cloves, and a sprinkle of salt. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until softened.
- Stir in 2 teaspoons tomato paste and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Turn off the sauté function (or turn off the stove if you’re using a stovetop cooker). Pour in ½ cup broth, scraping up any browned bits.
- Add a steamer insert to the bottom of the pressure cooker, and lay the bird on top of it, breast-side up. Cover and pressure-cook on high for 20 minutes (or 17 minutes on a stovetop pressure cooker).
- Then, turn off the electric pressure cooker (or remove the stovetop cooker from the heat), and immediately release the pressure manually. Open the lid and transfer the chicken to a plate or carving board. Tent the cooked bird with foil, and rest it for 10 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender to purée the contents of the insert to make a smooth gravy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- If you want to thicken the gravy, mix 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder with 2 tablespoons water. Then, turn on the sauté function and bring the contents to a simmer. Stir in the arrowroot powder slurry and cook until thickened.
- Carve up the chicken and pour on copious amounts of gravy. Freeze the leftover gravy in a silicone ice cube mold so you can pop out a cube whenever your gravy cravings hit!
Notes
- Leftover chicken and gravy can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to four days. If you have a lot of leftover gravy, you can freeze it small portions in a silicone ice mold so you can toss a cube or two into whatever you’re cooking!
- Spice things up by using a Nom Nom Paleo spice blend in place of kosher salt! Buy them on Amazon, iHerb (worldwide delivery!), and directly from The Spice Lab!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Michelle!
Do you think substituting the ghee with avocado oil would really alter the flavor of the gravy? I’ve got a little guy who can’t have ghee. Any suggestions would be appreciated! We love your recipes over here.
Totally fine to sub avocado oil! The gravy will taste great!
When I can’t find a small organic whole chicken, I just grab an organic chicken already cut up. I use the Diamond Flake kosher salt (and I agree with Michelle that it is the best) and herbs de Provence as my seasoning. I made this recipe the day before I went in for sinus surgery and I ate it every day until it was gone. So comforting. Easy to throw in the IP and have for a weekday dinner. My family liked it with a sweet potato mash one day and green beans the next.
Thank you Carol!
Absolutely. The chicken turns out perfect, and the gravy is lick the plate delicious. This is a regular meal at our house.
I’ve made this recipe numerous times using both a whole and cut-up chicken. I don’t make any adjustments to the time and it comes out perfect every time! And the gravy delicious as is, no changes to recipe. Thanks for developing such wonderful (and easy) recipes for us Michelle.
This looks ace. I’m going to do it in the Instant Pot Duo Crisp then, after releasing pressure – put the air fry lid on and give it a burst of 6 minutes at top temperature to get gorgeous crispy skin. It sounds so good.
Thoughts on timing for a 6lb chicken? I have one thawed from freezer right now and this recipe looks delicious 😋.
Will it fit in your Instant Pot? If it does, I would probably add about 5 minutes to the cooking time but check to make sure that the thickest part of the thighs reaches at least 175°F.
The first time I made this recipe my son said, “This is my new favorite.” Now I have to make two chickens just so we have leftovers.
this was really lovely, easy and powerfully flavored. Thank you. We needed a very low-key holiday dinner, and this was perfect.
Made this recipe many times and it’s been a family favorite. However, today, I only have frozen chicken breast on hand. Do I need to thaw or perhaps just add extra time? Any advice of adjustments would be appreciated.
I haven’t tried this so I’m not sure! I rarely cook chicken breast in the Instant Pot because it overcooks so easily and I never just chuck frozen chicken in the Instant Pot because the cook time is so unpredictable that you invariably overcook it!