Instant Pot Whole Chicken & Gravy {Whole30 Optional}

If you follow my Instagram, FB, or posts, you’ve probably noticed that I am a huge whole chicken fan. AND Instant Pot obsessed (dinner in minutes, yes please!).  So the marriage was bound to happen sooner than later.  Here’s my take on a Whole Roast Chicken & Gravy, InstaPot style.

(Want other whole chicken recipes that aren’t Instant Pot-based?  HERE‘s my oven version… and over HERE is a slow-cooker one for ya!)

But wait wait, before I go on…

A gravy takes on whatever flavor the chicken creates, right?  Since this chicken is stuffed with a lot of lemon and garlic, the grazy has a lemon and garlic vibe.  If you don’t like the way that sounds, lessen the lemon to about half or even one-third.  Then you’ll get a simple gravy you can play with and make your own. 🙂

If you’re thinking to yourself, “There’s no way an Instant Pot chicken would get crispy skin” right now, you are right.  I do saute it first, to make it pretty and golden and flavorful, but once steamed, it does lose it’s crunch.  That isn’t necessarily a terrible thing though… it’s quite tasty actually!  If you prefer an extra crispy skin, you could always stick with an oven-roast chicken (like this one HERE) or take the time to crisp this one up in the oven after it’s cooked.  I personally find the soft, tender, juiciness of this method quite lovely though… especially for those who want a whole chicken in a half an hour!

Yes, 30 MINUTES AND THE WHOLE THING IS DONE!  Reason #547 why I LOVE my Instant Pot!!
(Want to know which one I have and love?  It’s this puppy right HERE!)

INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken, approx 4.5 lbs

1 lemon

5 garlic cloves

1/2 onion, chopped, any color

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil, butter, or ghee, for rub

1 tbsp butter or ghee, for sauteeing

1 cup chicken broth, homemade or good quality low sodium

1 fresh rosemary sprig, 3-4 inches in length

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for gravy: 2 tbsp potato starch, for gravy (I use this one)

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You’ll need an Instant Pot for this… if you prefer an oven-roasted or slow-cooked version,
see the options mentioned in the intro above!

DIRECTIONS

Note: it’s always a good idea to let chicken and meat come to room temp before cooking

Slice lemon, chop onion, peel garlic, and measure out spices/herbs

Mix spices/herbs along with 1 tbsp oil or melted butter/ghee

Pat chicken dry…

I know, ain’t nothing pretty about this, but it helps those seasonings stick

Make sure the cavity is empty

Place sliced lemon, whole garlic cloves, and onion in there

Rub the seasoning blend all over the chicken- front, back, sides, and all

Turn the Instant Pot on SAUTE mode

Add 1 tbsp butter or ghee

Lay the chicken in there breast-side down

Let it sit for a couple of minutes without moving

Using prongs, a spatula, or whatever works best for you, flip that bad boy over once nicely golden brown

It may be a tight squeeze, but that’s totally okay

Pour chicken broth in there and add a sprig of rosemary…

Turn the Instant Pot to the POULTRY setting for 25 minutes

Cover, close steam valve, and let it do it’s thing

Once done, let it naturally release steam, then transfer chicken to a cutting board

Let the chicken rest for approx 10 minutes…

Meanwhile, if you’d like to whip up some gravy, turn the pot back to SAUTE mode

Add potato starch in slowly while whisking

Let it boil for approx 5 minutes to thicken, stirring periodically, then turn off

Strain the gravy to remove any chunks (potato starch can do that)

Taste and adjust seasonings as wanted

That’s it!!

Serve that guy up with whatever sides you like… and of course some gravy on the side!

Devour. 🙂

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