Easy Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken

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Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken is a weeknight dinner or Sunday supper dream. Tender, juicy, and incredibly flavorful. Truly, fall-off-the-bone delicious. And the best part? It is incredibly easy to make. 

With a homemade rotisserie chicken seasoning, you’ll never miss the store-bought twin. And in less than 60 minutes, you’ll have a perfectly seasoned, juicy rotisserie chicken everyone will love. 

Perfect for dinner and if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, this chicken makes excellent soups, stews, pasta, enchiladas, casseroles, and more! See ideas here…

I’m using a 6 quart Instant Pot (affiliate link) and I have made whole chickens weighing up to 5 1/2 pounds. A 4-pound chicken works perfectly. I’ve written the Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken recipe below using that weight. 

How to Choose the Best Whole Chicken

The University of California Berkeley says, “When shopping for a whole chicken, look for a well-shaped bird with a plump, rounded breast, and more breast than leg. You can tell the approximate age of a bird by pressing against the breastbone. If it is pliable, the chicken is young and will have tender meat. Chicken parts should be moist and plump. Both whole chickens and chicken parts should have a clean smell.”

Cooking a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot

Selecting the Chicken

Be sure the chicken fits into your pressure cooker. Seriously. On my first attempt at cooking a whole chicken in the Instant Pot, I had to roast it instead. It was too big for my Instant Pot.

Takeaway: A 4 to 5-pound whole chicken works great in a 6 quart Instant Pot (affiliate link).

Equipment Needed

Place the Instant Pot trivet that comes with most pressure cookers in the bottom of the bowl. 

Pressure Cooking the Whole Chicken

Pour 1 cup of cold water into the base of the Instant Pot. Then in a small bowl, stir to combine the seasoning ingredients: salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, dried thyme, and cayenne. Set aside.

Remove any innards that may be in the cavity of the whole chicken; stuff the halved lemon and garlic cloves inside. With kitchen twine, tie the legs together. This step is purely optional but I always seem to like it that way. 

With the mixed homemade rotisserie seasoning, rub it evenly all over the chicken and then set it on the trivet inside the Instant Pot.

Place the lid on your pressure cooker and set the valve to seal. Select manual high pressure and input the cooking time (see recipe notes for how long). 

After the chicken has finished cooking, let the pressure release naturally. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

How Long Should I Cook a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot?

Cooking times will vary depending on the weight of the chicken. I like to cook a chicken between 6 and 7 minutes per pound. If the chicken is meatier, I cook it for 7 minutes per pound. It’s important to allow the pressure to release naturally for a perfectly cooked chicken.

Use a digital thermometer to check the temperature of the chicken once cooked. It should reach 165 degrees in the thickest part of the chicken.

If the chicken is not up to temperature, place the lid back on the pressure cooker and cook for an additional 2 minutes for every 5 degrees below 165 degrees.