Tiffany Haney
Cooking a whole chicken in a pressure cooker is a quick and easy way to prepare a delicious, juicy, and tender chicken. This method is perfect for a weeknight family meal, and you can use any pressure cooker, including an Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi, to achieve fall-off-the-bone meat with crispy skin. With a pressure cooker, you can have a whole chicken ready in under 40 minutes, and it's also an excellent way to make chicken broth from the leftover carcass.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cookware | Crock-Pot Express Pressure Cooker, Ninja Foodi, Instant Pot |
| Ingredients | Whole chicken, butter, garlic, herbs, lemon zest, salt, pepper, olive oil, chicken broth, bone broth, vegetable broth, water, rosemary, garlic cloves, seasoning salt, rotisserie spices, lemon pepper seasoning, salt-free spice blend, paprika, cayenne, onion powder, thyme, white pepper, garlic powder |
| Time | Less than 40 minutes, 15 minutes to crisp skin, 5 minutes to brown, 10 minutes to release pressure, 25 minutes to cook, 35 minutes to cook, 4 minutes per pound, 10-12 minutes per pound for frozen chicken, 5-6 minutes per pound for thawed chicken |
| Techniques | Mix compound butter, season chicken, pressure cook chicken, air fry chicken, broil chicken, brown chicken, make gravy, make chicken broth |
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What You'll Learn
Seasoning the chicken
Prepare the Chicken:
Start by rinsing the chicken and patting it dry with paper towels. This ensures that the chicken is clean and removes any excess moisture, helping the skin crisp up during cooking.
Create a Dry Rub:
In a small bowl, combine your desired seasonings. You can use a variety of spices such as salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, onion powder, thyme, white pepper, and garlic powder. Mix these spices together to create a custom blend. You can also use pre-made blends like rotisserie chicken seasoning or lemon pepper seasoning.
Apply the Dry Rub:
Generously rub the spice mixture all over the outside of the chicken. Make sure to get into all the nooks and crannies, including the legs and wings. Don't forget to season the inside of the cavity as well. This step ensures that the flavours permeate the entire bird.
Stuff the Cavity (Optional):
For added flavour, you can stuff the chicken's cavity with aromatics like garlic cloves, onion slices, or fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme. This step is optional but can enhance the flavour of the chicken and the resulting broth.
Massage with Compound Butter (Optional):
If you want to take your chicken to the next level, create a compound butter by mixing softened butter with garlic, herbs, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Carefully create pockets between the chicken's skin and meat with your hands, and then spread the compound butter under the skin, making sure to cover both the breasts and legs. This technique adds moisture and flavour to the chicken.
Let it Rest:
After seasoning, let the chicken rest for a few minutes while you prepare the pressure cooker. This allows the flavours to penetrate the meat and ensures that the seasonings don't rub off when you place the chicken in the cooker.
Remember, when it comes to seasoning, you can adjust the amounts and types of spices to suit your taste preferences. Feel free to experiment with different combinations to find your perfect blend!
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Browning the chicken
Step 1: Seasoning
Start by seasoning your chicken generously with salt and pepper, or a spice blend of your choice. You can also try a dry rub of garlic and onion salt, or a compound butter made by mixing butter, garlic, herbs, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Create pockets between the chicken's skin and meat, and spread the compound butter under the skin, ensuring it reaches both the breasts and legs.
Step 2: Heat the Oil
Heat a suitable oil in your pressure cooker on the 'Saute' or 'Air Crisp/Air Fry' setting. You can use olive oil or any other cooking oil of your preference. Allow the oil to get hot, which should take around 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 3: Brown the Chicken
Place the seasoned chicken in the hot oil and brown it evenly on all sides. This step should take around 2 to 3 minutes per side, depending on your desired level of browning. Ensure you brown both the breast side and the back side of the chicken. You can also pop the chicken under a broiler or in an air fryer to achieve the desired level of browning.
Step 4: Remove the Chicken
Once the chicken is nicely browned, remove it from the pressure cooker and set it aside on a plate or a rack. If you're using a Crock-Pot Express or a similar model, you can use the Crisping lid to finish the chicken without having to transfer it to a separate dish.
Step 5: Prepare the Broth
After removing the browned chicken, it's time to add the broth. You can use chicken broth, bone broth, or vegetable broth, depending on your preference. Pour the broth into the pressure cooker and use a spatula to scrape up any caramelized brown bits from the bottom of the pan. You can also steep a sprig of rosemary in the broth for added flavour.
By following these steps, you'll achieve a beautifully browned and flavourful whole chicken in your pressure cooker. Remember to adjust the timing and temperature settings according to your specific pressure cooker model and your desired level of browning.
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Using a pressure cooker
Firstly, ensure your chicken is fully defrosted and remove any giblets, innards, or metal/plastic ties so that it cooks through properly. You can pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, but rinsing is not necessary.
Next, you can season the chicken. You can use a dry rub of salt and pepper, or create a compound butter by mixing butter with garlic, herbs, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Carefully create pockets between the chicken's skin and meat, then spread the butter or rub the seasoning under the skin, making sure to cover both breasts and legs. You can also stuff the chicken's cavity with chopped apple, onion, garlic, or lemon, and add fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary. Tie the ends of the legs together with butcher's twine.
Now, prepare your pressure cooker. Place a rack inside the pot and pour in water or broth—you can use any broth, or even just water. Place the chicken on the rack, ensuring it is breast-side up. Seal the cooker and set to high pressure.
The cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken. A good rule of thumb is to cook for 5-6 minutes per pound, or 3 minutes per half-pound. For a 4-pound chicken, start with 24 minutes, and for a 5-pound chicken, start with 30 minutes. For every additional pound, add 5-6 minutes. If your chicken has not reached 165°F, place the lid back on and cook for an additional 2 minutes for every 5 degrees below 165°F.
Once the time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then quick-release the rest. You can then brush the chicken with melted butter and use the air crisp function to cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until browned, for crispy skin.
Your delicious, juicy, rotisserie-style whole chicken is now ready to serve!
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Getting crispy skin
While a pressure cooker is great for making the meat tender and juicy, it may not be the best for achieving crispy skin. Here are some tips and tricks to get that golden, crispy skin on your whole chicken.
Use an Air Fryer
If you have an air fryer, you can use the air crisp function to crisp up the skin after pressure cooking. Set the temperature to 400°F and brush the chicken with butter. Place the chicken in the air fryer and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until browned.
Broil in the Oven
If you don't have an air fryer, you can use your oven's broil function to achieve a similar result. Prepare a baking sheet with a wire rack and place the chicken on it. Broil for around 5 minutes, keeping a close eye on it, until the skin has browned to your desired level of crispness.
Other Tips
- One way to ensure the skin crisps is to avoid submerging the chicken in liquid during cooking.
- You can also try leaving the lid of your pressure cooker slightly slanted to allow steam to escape, which may help crisp the skin.
- For an even crispier result, you can transfer the chicken to a rimmed baking dish and place it in an oven preheated to 500°F for about 15 minutes, or until the skin is golden and crispy.
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Making chicken broth
Firstly, gather your ingredients. You can use a whole chicken, or just the bones, and add vegetables such as onions, carrots, and celery, along with herbs and spices of your choice. You will also need water, which should be cold if using a stovetop pressure cooker. The amount of water you use will depend on the quantity of other ingredients, but make sure it does not exceed the cooker's max-fill line.
Next, combine all the ingredients in the pressure cooker. If you are using a whole chicken, you can poach it in salted water with some aromatics, then strip the meat from the bones and return the bones to the pot. Alternatively, you can put all the ingredients in the pot at the same time and pressure cook them together.
Now, it's time to pressure cook. Close the cooker and bring it to high pressure, then cook for around 45 minutes to an hour. If you are using a Crockpot Express, you can simply press the "Meat" button and cook for 35 minutes.
Once the cooking time is up, allow the cooker to depressurize. You can do this by letting it cool to room temperature, which will result in a clearer stock, or by using the pressure-release valve to vent the steam quickly.
Finally, skim any fat from the stock and strain it before using or storing. You can refrigerate the broth for a few days or freeze it for up to six months.
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Frequently asked questions
It takes less than 40 minutes, including prep time. The cooking time depends on the weight of the chicken. For a 4-pound chicken, the cooking time is 24 minutes. For chickens larger than 4 pounds, add an additional 3 minutes of pressure cooking time for each additional half-pound of weight.
You can use an air fryer or the broil function on your oven to crisp the chicken skin. Set the temperature to 400F and brush the chicken with butter. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until browned.
You can season a whole chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, onion powder, thyme, white pepper, and garlic powder. You can also use a dry rub of garlic and onion salt.
You can serve the chicken with mashed potatoes and vegetables, or creamed spinach and sautéed green beans.
Yes, you can cook a frozen chicken in a pressure cooker, but it is recommended that you thaw the chicken overnight in the refrigerator first.
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