Instant Pot Chicken
Hola, friends! It’s a brisk Friday morning here in Minnesota, and I can’t stop thinking about the dinner the Payaso and I had last night. Super flavorful, moist, instant pot [whole] chicken and a zucchini casserole really hit the spot as we finish the work week. Yep, you read right…we made a whole chicken during the work week and still had dinner on the table by 6:45 p.m. The Payaso recently bought the Gringo an instant pot, and we have had so much fun trying out different recipes. This was the second time we’ve tried making a whole chicken in the instant pot, and with a few tweaks, and twerks, it was pure bliss.
Instant Pot ~Whole~ Chicken
Ingredients:
- Whole chicken (ours was probably about 4.5-5 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons of your favorite spices (garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, oregano; mix and match your favorite flavor combos)
- 1 teaspoon salt and lots of fresh black pepper
- 2 tablespoons canola or coconut oil
Directions:
- Turn instant pot to saute and let pan warm up.
- Rinse chicken and use paper towels to pat dry.
- In a small bowl, mix the spices and oil together to form a paste.
- Using a basting brush, brush spice paste on the breast side of the chicken.
- Grabbing the chicken by its legs, add chicken to the heated instant pot breast side down. Sear for approximately 4 minutes.
- Using tongs, carefully turn chicken over to sear backside for another four minutes.
- Add one cup of water to instant pot being careful not to disturb spices on chicken.
- Position lid on instant pot and close (the chicken will be breast side up). Be sure the steam value is closed.
- Using the settings on your instant pot, cook the chicken under pressure for 35 minutes.
- Once the 35 minutes have elapsed, allow steam to release naturally; this usually takes 10-15 minutes. Test temperature of chicken to ensure properly cooked to at least 165 degrees.
- Carefully remove chicken from instant pot, place on plate and cover with foil for approximately 5-10 minutes.
- Carve for individual servings.
Here’s a picture of the pollo while the breast side was searing in the instant pot. You’ll see you don’t need a thick layer of the spice paste on the bird.
I think the Payaso and our chiweenie, Lola, broke into a synchronized dance as we were waiting for the dinner to be ready; the aroma coming from the instant pot was that amazing and mesmerizing! But really, get creative with the spices you use for this recipe. Try a lemon pepper spice mix, harissa would bring a great, spicy flavor to this chicken. Feeling fancy? Add some sliced lemon or a cut up onion to the cavity of the chicken before adding it to the instant pot. We used a spice blend from Penzeys Spices called Galena Street. We had never tried this spice blend before and we absolutely loved it. Never heard of Penzeys? Check them out online or Facebook. Warning, you might get hooked once you start using their products!
It’s true, folks. With the help of an instant pot, some interpretive dance between your husband and pooch, a chicken dinner really can be made during the week in less than an hour. Buen provecho!