Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken
by Chungah
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30 min for a whole rotisserie chicken? YES, please! And the chicken comes out incredibly tender, juicy, moist and packed with so much flavor!
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Why you’ll love this instant pot rotisserie chicken
- Tender, juicy goodness. Making a rotisserie chicken in the Instant Pot® will yield the most tender, juicy, fall apart and flavorful rotisserie chicken. So good, you’ll never want to go back to store-bought rotisserie chicken again!
- Cooks so fast. A rotisserie chicken will generally take about 1 – 1.5 hrs to cook in the oven, but it can finish cooking in the pressure cooker in just 28 minutes!
- Ridiculously easy. This recipe requires minimal prep, pantry staples and zero babysitting, the best kind of set-and-forget dinner. And the natural release of the Instant Pot even gives you time to prep your side dishes!
- Freezer-friendly and versatile. The chicken is perfect to freeze whole, in pieces or shredded, and has so many uses. It’s great on its own with a few roasted veggies or with pastas and soups as a fill-in for the quickest dinners.
Uses for rotisserie chicken
Rotisserie chicken is the ultimate meal-prep hack, repurposing leftovers for so many dishes for a quick and easy budget-friendly weeknight meal!
Tex-mex favorites
Shredded chicken can be used for tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas or even lazy enchiladas
Soups
Leftovers work so well for shortcut creamy chicken noodle soup, white chicken chili, or chicken tortilla soup
Salads
Transform leftovers into everyone’s favorite Chinese Chicken Salad
Wraps and sandwiches
Quickly whip up BBQ chicken sandwiches with your favorite BBQ sauce on toasted buns with coleslaw and pickles
Comfort food
Biscuit pot pie makes for the coziest comfort food dinner using up all the shredded chicken, topped with the flakiest biscuits
How to make instant pot rotisserie chicken
- Mix the dry seasonings. Combine the salt, pepper, thyme, paprika, oregano, onion powder and garlic powder – this will be used to season the chicken.
- Prep the chicken. Remove the giblets, if not done already, and dry the chicken thoroughly. This will prevent steaming and allow the seasoning to adhere while yielding that crisp, flavorful, golden brown crust. Rub the dry seasoning mix on the chicken, seasoning the cavity as well for even seasoning throughout.
- Sear the chicken. Using the saute function of the Instant Pot, sear the chicken until golden brown. This will help lock in all the moisture and build deep flavor through caramelization (and give it that classic rotisserie look!).
- Pressure cook. Add the metal trivet to the Instant Pot (this will ensure even steaming, drain excess fat and avoid the burn notice!) and the stock before returning the chicken to the pot. Pressure cook on high for 28 minutes, naturally releasing for 20-30 minutes.
- Let it rest. Let the chicken rest, allowing the juices to redistribute for maximum juiciness and tenderness.
- Broil. For crispy rotisserie-style skin, broil the chicken until golden brown and desired crispness is achieved, about 3-5 minutes.
- Serve or store. Carve and serve warm, or shred the meat for salads, tacos, soups, casseroles and so much more for time-saving meals throughout the week.
freezing and storage
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Separate the meat from the bones for easy reheating. Bones can be saved for later for homemade stock.
Freezing
Let the chicken cool completely; shred or dice into bite-sized pieces, portioning into 1-2 cup servings in airtight, resealable freezer bags, adding a few tablespoons of cooking liquid to prevent the meat from drying out. Squeeze out any excess air before sealing and lay the bags flat in a single layer in the freezer (this will help them freeze quickly). Freeze up to 3 months.
Defrosting and reheating
For best results and an even thaw, thaw overnight, adding directly to boiling soups or casseroles. It can also be warmed gently on the stovetop, covered, over medium low heat with a splash of water or stock, until heated through.
what to serve with instant pot rotisserie chicken
Tools For This Recipe
6-qt Instant Pot®
Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken: Frequently Asked Questions
The metal trivet helps elevate the chicken from the bottom of the Instant Pot, ensuring even cooking and avoiding the dreaded “burn” error.
Place the chicken back in the Instant Pot, cooking for an additional 2 minutes for every 5 degrees below 165°F.
For that crispy rotisserie-feel, broil the chicken for 3-5 minutes until golden brown. If you have the Instant Pot Air Fryer lid, you can also air fry the chicken for a few minutes without broiling.
Yes! But be sure to increase the chicken stock to 1.5 cups.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Yes! Rotisserie chicken is very freezer-friendly and can be frozen whole, in pieces or shredded in plastic freezer bags. Label, date and freeze up to 3 months.
Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken
Video
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 (4-pound) whole roasting chicken
- 1 lemon, halved
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 cup chicken stock
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, thyme, paprika, oregano, onion powder and garlic powder.
- Remove giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Season chicken and chicken cavity with salt mixture. Stuff cavity with lemon.
- Set 6-qt Instant Pot® to the high saute setting. Add canola oil and chicken, breast side down, and cook until evenly golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Using tongs, flip, and cook for an additional 4 minutes; set aside.
- Place metal trivet into the pot and add chicken stock. Gently place chicken on top of the trivet. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 28 minutes. When finished cooking, naturally release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions, about 20-30 minutes. Let rest 10-15 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
- Stuff the cavity. Seasoning and stuffing the cavity with lemon will add moisture from the inside out, allowing the flavors to penetrate even in the thickest parts of the chicken.
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your chicken. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety. Homemade stock is even better.
- Don’t skip the metal trivet. After browning the chicken, place the chicken on top of the metal trivet. This will help ensure that the chicken does not burn and provide better circulation for even cooking throughout.
- Lift the trivet to remove the chicken. The chicken will be very fall-off-the-bone tender (quite literally). Working carefully, lift the trivet to remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and serve.
- Use an instant-read thermometer for the most accurate results. The internal temperature should reach 165°F, inserting through the thickest part of the thigh between the breast and leg but avoiding the bone.
- Natural release is key. Once the chicken is finished cooking, naturally release for 20-30 minutes, giving ample time for the chicken to rest. Quick release of pressure can cause the chicken to dry out.
- Broil for crispy skin. As an optional step, broil the chicken on a sheet pan until crispy (and for that rotisserie-feel!), about 3-5 minutes, watching carefully so that the skin does not burn.
- Let your chicken rest. Let your chicken rest for at least 5-10 minutes prior to serving, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness.
- Save the chicken bones. Store the leftover chicken bones, skin and wing tips in an airtight, resealable freezer bag to repurpose for homemade stock.
Did you make this recipe?
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I haven’t tried it yet. Been reading reviews for tips. I will update after I cook. One thing I noticed is that people say the skin comes out soggy after the pressure cooking part. If mind comes out soggy I am going to throw it in the oven to broil for a few minutes to crisp it up. Will let ya’ll know how it goes.
I make this chicken every two weeks or so and it’s always good. I use a gourmet chicken seasoning to make it easier for me. I put the lemon in and it is always delicious! Totally recommend this recipe!
I’m super excited to try this! A few questions first though.
What adjustments do I have to do to make this in a 8qt I’m new to the insta pot and just started using it. Also how many minutes per pound do you cook the chicken?
There should be minimal conversions. 8 minutes per lb is recommended by a great Cookery Instructor for Roast Chicken in an 8 Quart Instant Pot.
Although I’m a vegetarian, but—I live with four carnivores! This is the second time that I’ve made your roasted chicken in my IP. Anytime that I run across a recipe that you’ve posted on Pinterest, I know without a doubt, it will be good!! My husband, who’s very picky, said he really liked the spices on the chicken! He and my daughter said it was moist and tender (as you can tell from my photo). I was ready to take a picture of this beautiful bird, but it was so tender, it fell apart when my husband took it out of the IP! I took a photo anyway—lol. Now all I have to do, is figure out where to post it!
Delicious! I’ve made it a bunch of times. Always a homerun!
I followed directions to the T and it turned out exactly like the picture! So moist and juicy. And the spice combination was the bomb!I made gravy out of the liquid and it was the best gravy I’ve ever made. So easy and tastes great! Passing it on to all my friends with an instant pot! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Can you do this with a large split chicken breast? Any idea on time and NR. I love your recipes!!
Update, sorry didn’t put all the spices in just made my own rub.
I love your recipes. I followed your basic but I made mine barbecued!! Great I put in 1/4 pineapple juice , 1/4 apple cider vinegar & regular BQ sauce.
Just made this chicken for supper, had to cook it a bit longer as it wasn’t totally thawed out but luckily had added just the right amount of time. Chicken was so delicious and will definitely make it again. The gravy was also delicious. Love my insta pot and definitely loved the roast chicken. Thanks for sharing.
Very good! Skin was not crisp, despite the instruction to brown on both sides. The lemon infused the chicken with flavor, much more so than the seasonings. My chicken was only three pounds and 25 minutes of pressure cooking was a little too much. Next time I will try 23. I will make again!
If the chicken is only a 3 lber, 18 minutes is perfect; 6 minutes per pound.
The chicken skin was crispy after the saute setting but after it was pressure cooked, the skin turned soggy 🙁
Thank you for a brilliant recipe that only uses the IP. I don’t have an oven at my disposal and this is brilliant. Tasty, juicy, excellent. Cheers!
Perfect! It had that perfect roasted chicken look. It was crispy but tender and juicy. I even made it on a weeknight after work it was that easy. Definitely my new go to for making a whole chicken.
My attempt at the skin was a complete fail– even though I let it brown for 5-6 minutes, it stuck to the bottom of the pan and tore away and what remained was not worth the effort to crisp in a broiler. The chicken, however, was delicious and tender enough that there were no complaints about the missing skin at the dinner table. Next time, I’ll skip that step entirely. And those leftovers are going to make some amazing nachos 🙂
Turned out awesome!! If they’re more or more stars I’d add them. And wow the gravy!! I just added a few things to the mix. Teaspoon of cumin, teaspoon of coriander, Split the amount between regular and smoked paprika, and a little extra ground pepper. My bird was for 4 3/4 pounds so I adjusted the time accordingly. 32 minutes. OutStanding! My wife now insists that I make this at least once a week. LOL
I don’t usually write reviews but Oliver’s “review” inspired me :). This was beautifully browned and delicious! The searing did the trick for the “oven roasted” look! Thanks for a delicious dinner!
This recipe was amazing! My family loved it. I had a nice amount of juice and I made it into a gravy! Thank you so much for this Recipe and easy step by step instructions.
This is the first whole chicken I have cooked in many years. So delightful, good flavor and moist. Thank you for the recipe. I served it with creamed peas and potatoes fresh from the garden. Yum
I used a ninja foodi. what temperature do i set it at for 28 minutes?