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My Instant Pot whole chicken recipe brings you fall-off-the-bone flavorful chicken with a fragrant savory gravy. Use this easy brine to make the juiciest chicken and finish it up with a soy glaze for an extra kick.

Instant Pot Whole Chicken

By Maggie Zhu
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Brining time & resting time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
My Instant Pot whole chicken recipe brings you fall-off-the-bone chicken with a fragrant savory gravy. Use this easy brine to make the juiciest chicken and finish it up with a soy glaze for an extra kick.

Ingredients

  • 4 lb (1.8 kg) chicken

Brine:

  • 10 cups water , separated
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 4 in (10 cm) ginger , roughly chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 6 red chilis stems removed and cut in half

Cook:

  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 in (5 cm) ginger , sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic , smashed
  • 2 chilis , sliced
  • Dark soy sauce , to glaze the chicken (Optional)

Gravy

  • 2 tablespoons chicken fat from the drippings (or butter)
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups pan drippings

Instructions

Brine the chicken

  • Add 4 cups of water and the rest of the brine ingredients into a blender and blend until the aromatics are chopped and the salt and sugar are dissolved.
  • Pour the blended mixture into a large bowl that can hold 10 cups of water, and add the remaining 6 cups of water.
  • Add the raw chicken into the brine and make sure it is fully submerged. Allow it to brine in the fridge overnight, up to 24 hours, or brine at room temperature for a minimum of 4 hours.

Cook

  • Add the chicken broth, ginger, garlic, and chilis into the Instant Pot. Add the steaming rack. Pull the chicken out of the brine and place it onto the rack, breast side up.
  • Seal the Instant Pot and set to pressure cook for 25 minutes, or 6 minutes per pound of chicken. After cooking, allow the Instant Pot to release the pressure naturally for 15 minutes.
  • While the chicken cooks, set your oven to 500°F and prepare a roasting pan with a rack.
  • Once you have removed the chicken from the Instant Pot, carefully place it onto the prepared rack.
  • (Optional) Brush the chicken with a thin layer of dark soy sauce, to give it a caramelized look after crisp up in the oven.
  • Bake for 5 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Gravy

  • Prepare the gravy while resting the chicken. Transfer the liquid from the Instant Pot to a 4-cup measuring cup. You should get more than 2 cups of chicken broth. Skim the oil on top using a large spoon and transfer it to a small saucepan. You will need 2 tablespoons for the gravy.
  • Heat the saucepan with the chicken fat over medium heat until hot. Add the flour. Cook and stir until it becomes smooth. Cook and stir for another 2 minutes, until golden.
  • Slowly add the chicken broth (from the Instant Pot), a few tablespoons at a time, and whisk it with a spatula, until fully incorporated. Once you’ve added all the liquid, let it simmer until the gravy thickens just enough to coat the back of a spoon. Transfer the gravy to a serving bowl or gravy boat.
  • Serve the carved chicken over steamed rice with the gravy. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 272kcal, Carbohydrates: 2.3g, Protein: 34.7g, Fat: 12.7g, Saturated Fat: 4.9g, Cholesterol: 111mg, Sodium: 767mg, Potassium: 348mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 0.2g, Calcium: 22mg, Iron: 2mg