Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken
by Chungah
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
30 min for a whole rotisserie chicken? YES, please! And the chicken comes out incredibly tender, juicy, moist and packed with so much flavor!
Featured Comment
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?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
From your picture, the chicken looks like it was oven roasted, especially the picture of the chicken inside the pot, where the bottom of the pot has no rendered chicken broth underneath. Why the doctored pictures? Why fake the pictures if it’s about the recipe?
Hi Oliver. We ask that the next time you take the time to write a negative review about a recipe you have not tried yourself, please read the instructions fully. If you had, you would notice that the chicken gets cooked on the high sauté setting in canola oil, breast-side down, until evenly golden brown, which takes about 4-5 minutes. The herb rub and sautéing before pressure cooking gives our chicken it’s awesome golden-crusted look.
If you do try this recipe, please let us know if you end up with any chicken stock leftover to take a picture of. We’d love to see it!
Thanks so much for stopping by and stay safe!
I’m so sorry that people feel the need to be rude. I am just about to pictures on IG because this was so good. I was able to get similar coloring because I “sauteed” it first, like you said. I was so grateful to find and make use of this recipe. Always looking for better ways to cook and eat to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
I’ve read a thousand recipes and reviews and never had the feeling I wanted to comment until now.
The chicken turned out exactly like the picture on the web page and was amazing. We’ve only had the instant pot a couple of months and are still learning but this was an absolute winner
Thank you so much!
I have the pictures of my own chicken to know this wasn’t a doctored up picture. It crispy but juicy and tender. Next time take a minute to read the recipe.
We love this chicken! It comes out so juicy.
This looks so good! I’m going to try using a pan for the browning though because I always get a burn signal. Any scot-free way you think I can prevent the burn signal?
I was worried about that too so before I added the chicken back in I poured the chicken stock in and used a wooden spoon to scrape the bits off. Never got that dreaded burn signal
I made this a couple weeks ago and am making it again today. Meat was fall-off-the-bone tender, and SO flavorful! Recommending this recipe to all of my friends!
This was the first recipe I tried in my new Instant Pot I purchased back during our self isolation. I have made it several times since then and it is always purr-felt. So glad I found your site!
I followed the recipe exactly except that I didn’t have a fresh lemon so I poured some lemon juice into the cavity.
It came out great.
It was brownd only on the front and back, not on the sides like the pictures. Maybe it would have browned on the sides if I had put it down sideways too. No big loss, it tasted just fine!
This was the first time I cooked a whole chicken in my instant pot and it was spectacular. I probably will brown it in a skillet on my stove just for ease in turning it over.
My mlm husband loved it and I did too. I know that I will be cooking more chickens and I know that this is how I will do it.
Thank you for posting this recipe!
Made it following the recipe and it was delicious fall off the bone chicken.
I am wondering if I can use the broth from this chicken to cook the next one. It made a or of broth. I put it in the freezer for now.
This is my go to chicken recipe for the Instant pot!! I have made this several times and we love it!!
I too love rotisserie chicken, so when I came across your recipe I wanted to try it. However, I only had some boneless, skinless chicken thighs in my freezer, (and it’s 26 miles to the store!), so I decided chicken is chicken, right?, and used them. Yum, yum so good! My elderly parents even thought they were very tender, (any of you with very old people in your life will understand this), and flavorful, (also a thing they have trouble with). I also added a bit of ranch seasoning just because, well, ranch, right? Don’t know if it added anything, but it sure didn’t hurt. Another go to for the (beloved!) Instant Pot! Thank you!
Made it and it came out very tender, but not very flavorful. Not sure if I did something wrong. Might make a gravy to go with next time.
Chicken is absolutely fabulous. Fall-off-the-bone tender & so flavorful! It’s really challenging flipping the chicken in the instant pot, though. And I often tear up the skin! How do you do this? What tools do you use?
Maybe brown the chicken under the broiler in the oven after cooking in the Instant Pot. It would certainly be easier.
Can I use my air fryer for this?
Great recipe! I often serve it while rather than for nachos, just leaving out the spicy/smoky ingredients and rubbing herb butter under the skin. I also have to cook additional minutes, possibly because of the butter? Anyway… It’s delicious!
SOOO GOOD!! Saw everyone complaining about soggy skin so I broiled mine a little after and ugh it was perfect
This worked perfectly! I love the fact that I don’t have to check on the oven, or do anything special with broth. This turned out absolutely delicious, I will never get a roasted chicken from the store again! My only complaint was that the skin seems very mushy at the end, but that didn’t really matter since I don’t eat the skin anyway. Absolutely one of the tastiest roasted chickens I’ve ever had!
AMAZINGLY simple to make and delicious!!! So good I made it two days in a row so that I wouldn’t have cook on a hot day during the week!!!!
Lets start off by saying that I didn’t read the seasoning directions through.. I did not season the inside of the cavity so I assume that’s why my chicken had no flavor. It was cooked perfectly, meat was juicy and fall off the bone tender but the skin was soggy so we didn’t eat that and the meat was bland.. had to add salt to it while eating it to give it flavor. I will try this once more and will season on AND under the skin since I know I’ll be removing the skin and I’ll season inside the cavity next time. I read the reviews and no one else said the chicken is bland so I wanted to leave this review to lets others know to read the directions correctly.
Perfect and delicious! I’ll never bake another chicken in the oven!
Excellent flavor and simple to make. Broth makes an excellent soup base.! Substituted a quartered onion for the lemon in the cavity.
Can’t get over how good and easy this is. Seriously. Prep takes no time. You set it and forget it, and when it comes out it makes you look like you actually know what you are doing. I am still in awe.