Delight your family with a savory recipe like this instant pot whole chicken and gravy. It’s extremely easy while leaving you feeling like a pro in the kitchen. A juicy, whole chicken, cooked to perfection, with a side of gravy to top it off.
Who says that you have to only eat Thanksgiving Roasted Turkey for the holidays? I mean, we normally have turkey, but we sometimes switch it up and have Maple Roasted Turkey Breast or this Instant Pot Whole Chicken and Gravy. We like to switch it up because sometimes it can be hard to get your hands on a turkey, depending on how close to the holiday you buy one. So, a whole chicken is a yummy fallback.
How to Make
- Prep the chicken – Pat the chicken dry and separate the skin from the meat. In a small bowl, combine the butter, salt, pepper, two cloves of the minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, and parsley. Rub half of the mixture under the skin.
- Add to the instant pot – Place the trivet and stock inside the pot, then place the chicken inside. Stuff the remaining garlic inside the chicken and rub the rest of the butter mixture on top of the chicken.
- Cook – Cover and cook for 6 minutes per pound of chicken and a 15-minute natural release. Remove and place in a broiler until golden brown.
- Make the gravy – Save drippings from the instant pot and clean it. Set to saute. Add 3 tablespoons of fat and flour, stirring constantly. Add the drippings and cook for a couple of minutes until thickened. Serve the chicken with it and enjoy!
Tips for the Perfect Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Stuff the chicken more – If desired, you can always add more stuff to the inside of the chicken. Carrots, onions, fresh herbs, etc.
- Use other seasonings – Want to get a different flavor out of cooking whole chicken in the instant pot? You can always add in some mixtures such as Cajun seasoning, Greek, chipotle seasoning, lemon pepper, or even BBQ.
- My chicken didn’t make 3 cups of drippings – That’s ok, make up the difference with more chicken stock and you’ll be good to go.
What to Serve this with?
There are so many sides to choose from with this type of meal that you can hardly go wrong. Some of my favorites to choose from are Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes, Cheese Garlic Biscuits, Creamed Mushrooms, Creamed Corn, or Loaded Mac & Cheese.
Will a 6 Quart Instant Pot Hold a Whole Chicken?
As long as it’s not one of those extra big whole chickens, you should be just fine using a 6 quart instant pot to make this instant pot whole chicken recipe. However, I would definitely suggest investing in an 8-quart instant pot because they are great when cooking for more than 3-4 people. A pressure cooker is a handy tool, but you have to know the proper size for your family unit.
Can You Cook a Whole Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot?
You can definitely cook a whole frozen chicken in the instant pot. However, there are a couple of things you’ll want to adjust before doing so. First, you have to make sure all plastic ties and covers are taken off the chicken. Second, you’ll want to remove all that stuff inside the chicken, like the giblets, etc. Lastly, you’ll want to increase the cooking time by around 5 minutes per pound. For example, if you normally cook your whole chicken for an hour at 10 pounds, you’ll want to cook it for about 1 hour and 50 minutes for a frozen chicken.
How much salt Should I add?
This is entirely up to you but my rule of thumb is to add 3/4 tsp – 1 tsp of salt per pound. For a 4 lb whole chicken, I usually add 3 tsp of kosher salt.
Do I have to Broil the Chicken?
If you want the chicken to get a nice color and crisp skin then yes. Once the chicken is done cooking in the instant pot, place it in an oven-safe baking dish and broil for 2-5 minutes or until the skin is nice and crisp.
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge – Store in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer – Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Reheating – Reheat using the microwave, stove, or even air fryer.
If you love instant pot recipes then you will love this Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken and Instant Pot Smothered Turkey Wings. You can find more delicious recipes and cooking tutorial videos on Youtube and Facebook.
Instant Pot Whole Chicken and Gravy
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 4 lb whole chicken
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 3 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 head of garlic divided
- 1 tsp fresh thyme finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Pat the chicken with paper towels all over so it is dry, gently separate the skin from the breast meat by sliding your hand under the skin from the bottom of the breast, set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the salt, pepper, 2 cloves of the garlic, minced, the thyme, rosemary, and parsley. Place half of the butter mixture under the skin and smooth it out so it covers the breast meat evenly, set aside.
- Add the trivet to the instant pot, pour the chicken stock in the bottom. Add the chicken breast side up into the pot.
- Cut the remaining head of garlic in half lengthwise so all of the cloves are exposed, stuff the chicken with the two halves. Smooth the remaining butter mixture all over the top of the chicken.
- Add the lid, pressure cook, on high for 6 minutes per pound, with a 15-minute natural release. Take the chicken out of the pot and add it to an oven-safe baking dish, broil on high until golden brown. Make sure to watch this closely as it is easy to burn.
- To make the gravy, pour out the chicken drippings from the bottom of the pot. Skim off 3 tablespoons of the fat from the drippings. Wipe out the bottom of the pot so there is no leftover residue. Place the pot back into the appliance and place it on the high saute setting. Once hot, add the 3 tablespoons of fat and whisk in the flour, stirring constantly. Cook for two minutes.
- Whisk in 3 cups of the drippings stirring constantly, if your chicken did not make 3 cups, add more chicken stock up to 3 cups. Let come to a simmer and thicken for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve the chicken with the gravy and enjoy!
Notes
- Time does not include the time it takes for the instant pot to come to pressure.
- Please read the instant pot manual before using it.
- Broil the chicken in the oven after it's cooked for extra color.
- Use 3/4 tsp - 1 tsp of kosher salt per pound of chicken.
Nutrition
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