Instant Pot Whole Chicken

For a small Thanksgiving meal, I made an whole chicken in the Instant Pot.

I served it with stuffing, green beans, sweet potato, and cranberry sauce.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
• dash of cayenne pepper
• 1 whole chicken innards removed (~ 5 pounds)
• 2 stalks celery
• 16 ounces chicken broth
  
• 1 lemon cut in half
• 1 large onion cut into 8 pieces 
  

Instructions:

1. Mix together all spices to make the seasoning mix.
2. Place trivet in the Instant Pot, pour in 1 cup cold water.
3. Rub seasoning evenly over chicken. If there is any leftover spices, sprinkle inside chicken.
4. Place cut lemon and 4 onion pieces inside of chicken.
5. Place celery and 4 onion pieces with chicken broth and gizzards in a separate stock pot for gravy.
   
6. Put chicken on trivet in Instant Pot (as upright as possible.)
7. Set on high pressure for 6 minutes per pound of chicken.
8. After the cooking time is finished, let pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes, preferably closer to 20 minutes.
9. Check the temperature of the chicken with a digital thermometer to ensure it has reached 165 degrees in the thickest part of the chicken thigh.
10. Remove chicken from Instant Pot. (If feasible, pour juices from inside into the stock pot.)
    
11. While making gravy, let chicken rest for an additional 10 minutes for the juices to redistribute.

 

Carole's Notes:

We liked this - the chicken was moist and juicy, and the seasoning mix was tasty. The skin is not crisp - you could possibly broil the chicken a few minutes to help crisp it.

btw, before cooking the chicken I steamed two sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot. (Wash and scrub two medium sweet potatoes. Place a trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot, add 1 cup of water. Pressure cook on high for 15 minutes, allow to natural release pressure for 10 to 15 minutes. Soften 1/4 cup of butter, mix in 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon sugar - serve with sweet potato.)

The chicken recipe is  lightly adapted from https://amindfullmom.com/how-to-make-a-whole-chicken-in-the-instant-pot/

The sweet potato recipe is from  https://www.rachelcooks.com/2017/11/06/instant-pot-sweet-potatoes/