Rotisserie Chicken in Instant Pot is such an easy way to prepare chicken. A four-pound whole chicken takes 24 minutes to pressure cook and six minutes to roast in an oven.
Over the last year, we enjoyed making lots of dinners in our Instant Pot. It’s the perfect appliance for a busy family. So, today, I’m going to share my husband’s way of cooking a rotisserie-style chicken.
Every time I have made chicken in our Instant Pot, I have experimented with techniques. I’ve added sliced lemons in the cavity, and I’ve also sealed up the cavity with baker’s twine. We have used both wine, chicken broth, and vegetable broth on the bottom of the pan while it cooks. Well, the recipe I’m sharing today is a straightforward version in which you can add your favorite spices and broths.
How to Cook a Rotisserie Chicken in an Instant Pot
Step 1 – Prepare the Instant Pot
Insert the stainless steel pot inside the Instant Pot appliance. Next, insert the wire roasting rack that came with your Instant Pot. The above photo shows the rack in the upright position. You’ll place the chicken in the middle section.
Step 2 – Season the Chicken
Wash your chicken and pat dry. Sprinkle kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder on the chicken if you have time. Brine or salt your chicken way in advance. The salt works its way into the chicken, and as a result, the cooked meat turns out moist.
Step 3 – Pressure Cook the Chicken
Place your chicken in the middle of the roasting rack. Place lid on the Instant Pot and lock lid in place. Note that if you don’t get the cover in the correct position, it won’t sit right, and it won’t lock. Here is a link to a helpful video. Next, make sure your venting knob is placed to “sealing” position.
Then plug in your Instant Pot and click on the “Pressure Cook” button to choose high. Next, tap on the “+” or “-” buttons to set the cooking time. After you put the pressure and time, the Instant Pot will begin cooking.
Step 4 – Let Pressure Release Naturally
Once the chicken is done cooking, allow the chicken to sit in the pressure cooker for ten minutes. The display will turn to “keep warm” mode, and the time will start from zero and go up. So once it reaches ten minutes, the chicken will be ready.
Step 5 – Quick Release the Pressure
When turning the Instant Pot venting knob to venting, make sure to use a long spoon or potholder. The pressure and heat are extreme, and you don’t want to get burned. Once in the venting position, it should stay in place and release the pressure. The red valve button next to it will drop when the pressure in the Instant Pot is all gone.
Step 6 – Make Butter Sauce
Melt the butter and add the fresh chopped herbs. And cook on the stove over low heat for a couple of minutes.
Step 7 – Prepare Chicken for Oven
Turn on the oven to 525 degrees. Once the chicken is done, please place it in a big roasting pan. Coat the whole chicken with the prepared butter sauce.
Step 8 – Brown Chicken in Oven
Place roasting pan with chicken into the hot oven—Cook for about six minutes or until brown. Watch the whole time the chicken is in the oven since it can brown rather quickly at a high temperature.
Determining Chicken Cook Time – Based on the Weight of Chicken
| Wt | Pressure Cook Time |
|---|---|
| 3 lb | 18 minutes on high pressure |
| 4 lb | 24 minutes on high pressure |
| 5 lb | 30 minutes on high pressure |
*For every pound, add six minutes. For every half a pound, add three minutes to the total cooking time.
FAQ for Cooking a Rotisserie Chicken
How do I when the Instant Pot is cooking my chicken?
Once it reaches pressure, the red float valve will pop up, the Instant Pot will beep once, and the cooking time will begin to count down from the minutes you programed for your chicken. Eventually, you might notice hissing sounds and steam escaping from the steam release valve or float valve hole while the pressure builds. These sounds are normal.
How do I know if my chicken is cooked?
- Thermometer – Once your Instant valve is down and your pressure cooker is vented, insert a digital thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. The meat temperature should reach 165 degrees.
- Check Juices – If you don’t have a thermometer then check the juices of the chicken. Cut a section of the chicken and if the juices run clear it’s done. If it’s pink in color it still needs more time cooking.
- Meat Color – Check the color of the meat. I always cut into the thigh of the chicken and if I see pink meat, I assume it’s not quite ready and needs more time cooking.
What if my chicken needs to cook more?
If the chicken’s temperature is below 165 degrees, then place it back in the Instant Pot. Place the lid back on the pressure cooker and make sure that the venting knob is turned to “sealing.” Once the lid is on and the venting knob is sealed, cook the chicken for an additional 2 minutes for every 5 degrees below 165 degrees.
Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 Whole chicken 4 pounds
- 1 tbsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 16 ounces chicken broth you can use vegetable broth or white wine
Butter Sauce
- ½ cup butter melted
- 1 tbsp chopped oregano fresh
- 1 tbsp chopped thyme fresh
- 1 tbsp chopped sage fresh
- 1 tsp chopped rosemary fresh
- 2 cloves garlic fresh and chopped
Instructions
Prep Chicken
- Wash and pat dry your whole chicken.
- Season chicken with kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Cook Chicken
- Place Instant Pot's roasting rack inside the stainless steel pot.
- Pour chicken broth into the bottom of the pot.
- Place whole chicken (breast side up) in the middle of the roasting rack. Make sure to place the roasting rack handles on the sides of the chicken.
- Place lid on the Instant Pot and turn clockwise to lock the lid down. Check venting knob on lid and make sure it is in the "sealing" position.
- Plug in the Instant Pot.
- Check the cooking time chart and program the time that is best for your size chicken.
- Next, click on the "Pressure Cook" button to choose high. Next, tap on the "+" or "-" buttons to set the cooking time. After you set the pressure and time, the Instant Pot will begin cooking.
Pressure Release Naturally
- Once the chicken is done cooking allow the chicken to sit in the pressure cooker for ten minutes. The display will turn to "keep warm" mode and the time will start from zero and go up. So once it reaches ten minutes it will be done.
Quick Release the Pressure
- When turning the Instant Pot venting knob to venting, make sure to use a long spoon or potholder. The pressure and heat are extreme and you don't want to get burned. Once in the venting position, it should stay in place and release the pressure. The red valve button next to it will drop when the pressure in the Instant Pot is all gone.
Butter Sauce
- Melt the butter and add the fresh chopped herbs. And cook on the stove over low heat for a couple of minutes.
Prepare the Chicken for the Oven
- Turn on the oven to 525°. Once the chicken is done, place it in a big roasting pan. Coat the whole chicken with the prepared butter sauce.
Brown Chicken
- Place roasting pan with chicken into the hot oven. Cook for about six minutes or until brown. Watch the chicken the whole time since the hot oven can brown rather quickly.
Nutrition
Chicken Seasoning Tips
Fresh Herbs
We have a little herb garden, so we snip a bunch of fresh herbs. My husband usually makes the rotisserie chicken in the Instant Pot, and he is not shy when it comes to the herbs. So here are the herbs he adds to the butter sauce.
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Sage
- Rosemary (use just a tiny bit – Rosemary is a strong herb)
Kosher Salt
Use kosher salt when prepping your chicken. According to Pamala Salzman, salt is a good thing to add to chicken.
“But seasoning the chicken with salt well ahead of time or bringing it in a salt-water solution will draw salt deep into the meat, resulting in a delicious piece of chicken. But also, and just as important, the salt changes the cells in the chicken meat to draw and hold more moisture than the chicken had before. So not only will the chicken be tastier, but it will be much juicier, too.”
After the chicken is out of the Instant Pot, I even sprinkle a tiny bit more before covering it in the butter sauce.
So, if you like this rotisserie chicken in the Instant Pot, then check out these other recipes:
Thanks again for dropping by to the blog. I enjoyed sharing my summer dinner and dessert recipes with you!
Cheers,
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Terry
Hi!
Does the whole chicken need to be thawed in advance?
Thank you!
Janine Waite
Hi Terry,
Thanks for your question. You’ll need to thaw the chicken in advance since frozen chicken has quite a bit of water. I hope my answer helps!