Instant Pot Whole Chicken (Easy Shredded Chicken)

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This Instant Pot Whole Chicken recipe is so easy that you’ll be making it on repeat. Perfect for serving whole rotisserie-style chicken or for shredded chicken.

Making a whole chicken in the Instant Pot is a game-changer. It’s so simple to make and you get great results. Make this every week or two so that you’ll have shredded chicken on hand for easy weeknight meals like Chicken Salad with Grapes, Chicken Tortilla Soup, or Chicken Pot Pie Soup.

I’ve included instructions for making chicken gravy, chicken stock, and chicken bone broth with the leftover broth.

How to Make Instant Pot Whole Chicken

• Prepare the Instant Pot by putting 1 cup of water in the inner pot for a 6-quart pot or 1 1/2 cups for an 8-quart pot.

• Remove the packaging on the chicken and place it on a silicone trivet sling.

Tip: Placing a whole chicken on a silicone trivet makes it easy to lift the chicken in and out of the Instant Pot. Use the handles to lower the chicken into the pot and when it’s finished cooking you can easily raise it up out of the pot and then carefully slide the chicken off of the sling onto a cutting board or serving dish.

• Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika. Optional for more flavor: place a few twigs of fresh thyme, halved onion, and halved lemon inside the cavity.

Using the trivet handles, lower the chicken into the Instant Pot. Snap the handles together and then place the lid on top of the Instant Pot, turn to close, and make sure the valve is set to sealing.

How long to cook

• Press the manual (or pressure cook) button and set the timer for 6 minutes for each pound. The chicken I had was 4.5 lbs so I set the timer for 27 minutes.
• When the cooking time is done, do a natural release for 10 minutes. Next, turn the pressure valve to release any steam that may still be left. Turn the pot off and remove the lid.

• Use the handles of the trivet to lift the chicken up a few inches and tilt the chicken slightly to pour out any broth that has gathered inside the cavity. Then lift it out of the pot and place it on a cutting board. It can then be slid off of the trivet onto the cutting board.

For shredded chicken

• Place the cooked chicken on a cutting board to cool for 15-30 minutes.
• Tip: Use a cutting board that has a juice groove so that it will catch any juices from the chicken.
• Use a fork and knife to remove the skin first.
• Separate the meat from the bones. It’s helpful to have a bowl to put the meat and/or bones in.
• Shred the meat after it’s off the bones with a fork and knife, kitchen claws, a stand mixer, or your hands.
• This should give you 5-6 cups of shredded chicken. If not used immediately, measure out into desired amounts and place in freezer bags to freeze. Be sure to label what it is, the date, and the amount.

For rotisserie chicken

• Use the handles of the trivet to lift the chicken up a few inches and tilt the chicken slightly to pour out any broth that has gathered inside the cavity. Then lift it out of the pot and place it on a baking pan. It can then be slid off of the trivet onto the baking pan.
• Season with more salt, pepper, and paprika.
• For crispy skin, broil in the center of the oven for 2-4 minutes, keeping a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
• Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before cutting into it.

Chicken broth

The leftover liquid is chicken broth and can be used in other recipes to add delicious flavor. Simply strain the liquid through a metal sieve and store it in the refrigerator or freeze it. Use this broth to easily make the following chicken gravy, chicken stock, and chicken bone broth.

How to make chicken gravy

• Using the liquid left in the Instant Pot.
• Press the saute button.
• Whisk together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water. Slowly pour this into the broth while stirring.

• Add additional salt and pepper to taste and continue stirring until thickened.
• Turn Instant Pot off and remove the gravy to a serving dish.

How to make chicken stock/bone broth

Chicken Stock:

• Place the chicken bones back into the leftover chicken broth in the Instant Pot. Add one onion cut in half, two carrots cut in half, and one bay leaf.
• Tip: Save vegetable scraps in a freezer container to use in this recipe.
• Pour in water to up to two-thirds full. Close the lid, set the valve to sealing, and press the Manual (or Pressure Cook) button for 30 minutes.
• Let it release naturally for 30 minutes.
• Pour broth through a metal sieve in a large bowl. Discard bones and vegetables.

Chicken Bone Broth:

• Follow the directions above but also add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
• Tip: The apple cider vinegar helps break down the collagen in the bones so it is left in the broth.
• Set the Manual (or Pressure Cook) button to 120 minutes. Let it release naturally for 30 minutes.
• Pour broth through a metal sieve in a large bowl. Discard bones and vegetables.

Tools used for this recipe

• Instant Pot 6 Quart or 8 Quart
• Trivet: this makes moving the chicken in and out of the pot easy and keeps it up about the water.
• Cutting Board with juice groove: This is the cutting board that I use. It’s so nice and roomy and having a juice groove is a nice feature to catch any extra liquid in the foods you’re working with.

• Curious about the different sizes of Instant Pots? See my post on comparing sizes of Instant Pots.