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Instant Pot Whole “Rotisserie” Chicken

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All you need is about 45 minutes to have this amazing, tender, juicy Instant Pot whole rotisserie chicken. Your whole family will LOVE it!

Instant Pot whole rotisserie chicken on a plate

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You can totally make this “rotisserie” chicken fake-out in your Instant Pot. It is practically fool-proof. And it is just so much better than the store-bought kind.

I even crisp up the skin first to give it that rotisserie feel. I use the instant pot’s sauté setting to do that, and then I flip it over and add a little chicken stock before cooking it on the manual pressure setting.

Plus, I love that you can control the quality of ingredients that you use to make this.

It is perfectly tender and juicy…and ready in about 45 minutes.

How to make Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken

First, gather your ingredients.

Ingredients

For tastiest results, always use the best quality ingredients you have access to.

Ingredients with label text on white surface

To make this Instant Pot “rotisserie” chicken recipe, you will need the following:

  • whole chicken
  • salt & pepper
  • garlic powder/ granulated garlic
  • paprika
  • avocado oil (or you can use coconut or canola – something with a high smoke point)
  • onion (optional)
  • lemon (optional)
  • 1 cup chicken stock, broth or water

Preparing the whole chicken

First, remove all parts from the chicken cavity; rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Optional: place the onion and lemon in the cavity of the chicken.

Combine all of the spices, including salt and pepper, in a small ramekin dish; stir together.
Add the oil to the spices, and stir until incorporated.

Cooking Instant Pot rotisserie chicken

Turn on your Instant Pot to preheat on the sauté setting. Rub half of the oil and spice mixture on the breast side of the chicken.

raw seasoned whole chicken

Place the chicken, breast side down, in the preheated Instant Pot. Carefully rub the other half of the oil and spices mixture on the other side of the chicken.

searing whole chicken in an Instant Pot

Allow the breast side to crisp up the chicken skin for a few minutes, about 3 to 4 minutes total. Carefully flip the chicken over to the other side, and let it crisp up the skin on the other side for about a minute.

seared whole chicken in an Instant Pot

Flipping it over was a little awkward, but it helps to use a sturdy burger flipper and some tongs.
Optional step: If you do not want your chicken sitting in the liquids, you can remove the chicken after it browns on the second side and place the trivet in the pot. Then place the chicken, breast side up, on the trivet.

Next, add in the chicken stock. Place the lid on and lock it, per Instant Pot instructions. Set to high pressure for 25 minutes.

Allow the Instant Pot to depressurize naturally (I.e., do not use the venting lever, but allow the pressure to dissipate slowly. Mine took about 15 minutes.) Remove the lid, and transfer the chicken to a serving plate. Mine was so tender that it was falling apart a little!

Instant Pot rotisserie chicken on a plate

Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes prior to serving. I like to spoon or brush a little of the cooking liquid over the top just prior to serving to make the chicken extra juicy.


If you do not have an instant pot, this recipe should still work in a large stovetop pressure cooker.

Update: I have added an additional (optional) step to this recipe. If you do not want your chicken sitting in all the liquids, you can remove the chicken after browning the second side. Then add the liquids and trivet, and return the chicken (breast side up) to the pot.

Our family loved the original recipe, and it certainly was easier just to leave the bird in the pot and pour the chicken stock right in. But this extra step may be worth it to you if you don’t want the underside of your chicken sitting in liquid.

Helpful hint: Don’t throw away the liquid or the bones. Use it to make chicken bone broth.

FAQ’s About Instant Pot Whole Rotisserie Chicken

Can I use a frozen whole chicken?

Several people in my audience have had success using frozen chicken. When I have tested this myself, I have had mixed results. So for best results, I recommend using fully thawed chicken.

Can I add vegetables or rice to the pot to cook with the chicken?

I would not recommend rice, since the cook times don’t match up. Your rice would most likely get very mushy. One vegetable that I have had luck with are small/medium red potatoes. The trick is to fit them around the chicken. They will get really soft, but they are still good. Larger/ thick carrots may work okay too. Everything else I have tried gets too mushy.

Can I make this without stuffing the cavity with lemon and onion?

Yes, I do this all the time. It is still really tasty.😋👌🏻

Do I need more liquid if I am making this in an 8 quart model?

Yes, I would recommend the minimum liquid requirement for this model, which is 1.5 cups of liquid.

Why don’t you use the “poultry” button for this recipe?

I use manual high pressure for most of my Instant Pot recipes. Honestly, I have tried the other buttons and have not noticed much of a difference. 🤷🏼‍♀️

More Instant Pot Recipes You May Enjoy

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Tools Used to Make Instant Pot Whole Rotisserie Chicken

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Instant Pot Whole Rotisserie Chicken Recipe

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Instant Pot whole rotisserie chicken on a plate
4.55 from 37 votes
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Instant Pot “Rotisserie” Chicken

All you need is about 45 minutes to have this amazing, tender, juicy Instant Pot whole “rotisserie” chicken. Your whole family will LOVE it!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword instant pot, rotisserie chicken, whole chicken
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 288 kcal
Author Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken mine was 4.3 pounds
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 and 3/4 Tablespoons avocado oil (or you can use coconut or canola – something with a high smoke point)
  • 1 yellow onion quartered (optional)
  • 1 lemon halved (optional)
  • 1 cup chicken stock or broth

Instructions

  1. Remove all parts from the chicken cavity; rinse and pat dry with a paper towel.
  2. Optional: place the onion and lemon in the cavity of the chicken.
  3. Combine all of the spices, including salt and pepper, in a small ramekin dish; stir together.
  4. Add the oil to the spices, and stir until incorporated.
  5. Turn on your Instant Pot to preheat on the sauté setting on “normal.”

  6. Rub half of the oil and spice mixture on the breast side of the chicken.

  7. Place the chicken, breast side down, in the preheated Instant Pot.
  8. Carefully rub the other half of the oil and spices mixture on the other side of the chicken.
  9. Allow the breast side to crisp up the chicken skin for a few minutes, about 3 to 4 minutes total.
  10. Carefully flip the chicken over to the other side, and let it crisp up the skin on the other side for about a minute. Flipping it over was a little awkward, but it helps to use a sturdy burger flipper and some tongs.
  11. Optional step: If you do not want your chicken sitting in the liquids, you can remove the chicken after it browns on the second side and place the trivet in the pot. Then place the chicken, breast side up, on the trivet.
  12. Add in the chicken stock.
  13. Place the lid on and lock it, per Instant Pot instructions.

  14. Set to manual high pressure for 25 minutes.

  15. Allow the Instant Pot to depressurize naturally (I.e., do not use the venting lever, but allow the pressure to dissipate slowly. Mine took about 15 minutes)
  16. Remove the lid, and transfer the chicken to a serving plate. Mine was so tender that it was falling apart a little!
  17. Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes prior to serving.
  18. I like to spoon or brush a little of the cooking liquid over the top just prior to serving to make the chicken extra juicy.

Recipe Notes

* 40 minutes includes time for the Instant Pot to naturally depressurize.

Cooking time may vary slightly if your chicken is much different in size than this one, which was 4.3 pounds. Use a meat thermometer if you are unsure, just to be safe! Internal temperature for chicken should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.

Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot "Rotisserie" Chicken
Amount Per Serving
Calories 288 Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 95mg32%
Sodium 92mg4%
Potassium 305mg9%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 24g48%
Vitamin A 340IU7%
Vitamin C 13mg16%
Calcium 23mg2%
Iron 1.4mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

See ALL of my Instant Pot recipes here.

Note: Instant Pot rotisserie chicken originally appeared on A Pinch of Healthy September 27, 2016. It has been updated with new photos. Here is what it used to look like.

Instant Pot rotisserie chicken on a plate with fresh herbs.
knife slicing a whole rotisserie chicken
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Comments

  1. Bill Kelly says

    4 stars
    I cook for one with a 3-quart Instant pot. I followed the recipe, and was only able to fit one half of a 3.5 chicken along with veggies. It came out just great, and now I have another serving I can cook tomorrow!
    Those like me cooking for one might substitute a cornish game hen, but the half-chicken will fit.

    Reply

  3. sashasquash says

    Thank you for walking me through my very first Instant Pot experience! I had a half chicken and adjusted the time to 15 minutes. It worked perfectly!

    Reply

  4. Alessandra Macaluso says

    Just wanted to say, THANKS for including the depressurization time in the cook time! The instant pot is great but cook times are so misleading! Great recipe, mine is going now 🙂

    Reply

  5. Mary Lay says

    i’m new to this whole Instant Pot game…any reason not to use the chicken setting versus manual for this dish? I used manual but wondered when to use the “chicken” setting. Thanks!

    Reply

  6. Susan Carter says

    I’ve got this in the pressure cooker now…it sounds delicious. I just wonder why you label those of us who try to eat as organically as possible “food snobs”? I think of it as healthy!

    Reply

    • Marjorie@APinchOfHealthy says

      Hi Susan! I certainly didn’t mean to offend anyone by that comment. 😬 In fact, I often refer to myself as a coffee snob.😉 Nothing’s wrong with eating organic. We do it as much as possible too…although not 100%. I can’t even remember exactly what I said or what the context was. But usually when I mention food snobbery, it make me think of people who judge or condemn other people for their “imperfect” food choices. No judgment here, is what I think I was saying. We like to do our best, but I am really chill about it.😎👍🏻

      Reply

  7. barbara grace says

    Just want to let you and anyone else reading this know, following your instructions to the T, my chicken came out over cooked. I know this is probably necessary if you are using a typical CAFO chicken, but if you have true pastured healthy chicken you don’t need to cook it to death.

    Reply

  8. Melissa Stinson says

    I got my instant for Christmas and this was my 3rd time using it. I tried this recipe last night and I’m not sure what I did wrong. My chicken was 4.45 lbs., not that much bigger than yours. I seasoned it, browned it and then cooked for 25 minutes, and let the pressure release for 15 minutes. However, when I took it out, it was definitely not done. I put it back in for another 15 minutes of cooking. It was done then, but my family said it was too plain. 🙁

    Reply

    • Marjorie@APinchOfHealthy says

      Sorry to hear that Melissa! For more flavor, try rubbing some of the spice mixture up under the skin prior to cooking. That helps. And maybe increase the salt a little. I am not sure what happened with the cook time. Was it frozen (even partially?). Lots of people say that frozen has the same cook time, but that has not been my experience. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  10. Candy Perkins Lind says

    I made this yesterday and the chicken came out great despite my goofs! I didn’t pay attention when I bought the chicken. It was SIX POUNDS! 😳 I compensated (made it fit!) by cutting out the back and stacking the leg quarters on top of the breast. I added 5 minutes to the cook time, figuring I’d check the meat temps and cook another 5 if required. The legs were falling off the bones & the breast was a perfect 165. I’ll definitely make it again, this time with more browning & a smaller victim! LOL

    Reply

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