If you’ve ever wondered how to cook a whole frozen chicken in the Instant Pot, I’m going to tell you. Pressure cooking a whole bird is the best method to save time for a busy mamma.
How to Cook a Whole Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot
Cooking a frozen chicken in the Instant Pot is the easiest way to achieve a juicy chicken with little effort. Simply season the frozen bird your favorite way with some fresh herbs like black pepper or garlic powder, cover it with olive oil or butter, place it in the inner pot with some liquid, and get a tender chicken in a fraction of the time.
The life-changing part about cooking an instant pot frozen whole chicken is that it will be completely done and falling off the bone in just an hour, not including the time it takes to build and natural release or quick release pressure. Do several in an afternoon and you have shredded chicken ready to be bagged up and frozen for loads of recipes.
Instructions for cooking a whole chicken straight from the freezer
Cooking chicken in a slow cooker or crock pot, roasting pan, or air fryer are easy ways to make a rotisserie chicken. Here I’ll show you one of my favorite ways to roast chicken in the Instant Pot using a natural release. The size of the chicken does not matter, just use what fits your family. It takes 5-10 minutes of prep time to make this instant pot frozen chicken.
- Turn Instant Pot onto saute to help heat things up quicker.
- A general rule of thumb is to pat the chicken with a paper towel. However, this is optional.
- Place the entire chicken in its frozen state in the bottom of the pot breast side down.
- Pour a cup of warm water on the bottom of the inner pot.
- Rub butter or olive oil on the chicken and add fresh herbs and spices.
- Secure the lid on Instant Pot
- Set on high pressure for a cook time of 60 minutes.
- Set valve to seal.
- Set the Instant Pot to natural pressure release when finished.
- Check the internal temperature of the chicken with a meat thermometer; it must be at least 165* to serve. This extra step is necessary to ensure properly cooked chicken.
During the last 10-15 minutes make your favorite side dishes to add to this whole chicken recipe. I have a lot of delicious recipes that do not take much time including side dishes and dessert recipes that would be a great way to expand this delicious meal.
Simple Ingredients to Cook a Whole Frozen Chicken
This simple method is a simple and easy way to make dinner tonight. You will need these ingredients from the grocery store.
- whole frozen chicken
- black pepper
- Onion powder
- lemon quarters (optional)
- chicken seasoning (optional)
- minced garlic
The combination of thyme and butter with the chicken will make your house smell amazing while it’s cooking. You can use whatever seasonings you prefer and mix them in a small bowl, but don’t leave out the butter. It adds a heavenly flavor to the chicken.
Can you cook a while frozen chicken in an instant pot without thawing it first?
Yes, you can cook a frozen chicken in the instant pot without thawing it first. It will just require a longer cooking time. It will cook just fine even if it’s frozen. You can also use thawed chicken, fresh chicken, frozen chicken breasts, boneless chicken breasts, or chicken thighs. Just follow the recipe card below to make an instant pot whole frozen chicken using my favorite method.
How long to cook a whole frozen chicken in instant pot
You may be wondering how long to cook frozen chicken in the instant pot, it took my frozen chicken a cook time of 60 minutes on high pressure. Then I used a natural release. This cooks the whole chicken and makes a delicious chicken broth.
Why cook a frozen chicken?
Cooking a whole frozen chicken is the best way to make a frozen chicken for dinner when you don’t have anything dethawed. The total time from start to finish it takes is just over an hour. This is one of the best frozen chicken instant pot recipes and you can make it to suit your taste.
How to use leftover cooked chicken
There are lots of ways to use leftover chicken for meal prep and to save time. You can bag it in freezer bags and have it ready for recipes that use cooked chicken or make one of these make-ahead meals for lunch or dinner.
- Easy Mini Chicken Pot Pies – Delicious and comforting, these mini chicken and veggie pies freeze well.
- White Bean and Chicken Enchilada Soup – full of flavors and the perfect crock pot meal for a busy day.
- Buffalo Chicken Taquitos – Have these ready in the freezer for lunch or dinner.
- Cheesy Chicken and Rice Pockets – Cheaper and healthier than the store-bought version, these are great to make ahead and have ready for lunch.
I also made homemade bone broth from the chicken bones. I have been craving deconstructed egg rolls, also known as Egg Roll in a Bowl. Having this shredded chicken already bagged in the refrigerator or freezer makes it so much easier to have a keto lunch every day. This chicken is perfect for putting on top of a green salad or making some delicious chicken salad.
Do You Have More Instant Pot Recipes?
Yes, I love using my large family instant pot for so many recipes! It is nice and big and so handy for meal prep, meals on the go, busy days, and so many delicious meals and sides. Here are some of the recipes I use in my instant pot and the unboxing of my large family electric pressure cooker.
Recipes Using Shredded Chicken
You might also like one of these cooked or shredded chicken recipes.
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If you have wondered about cooking an entire frozen chicken in your Instant Pot, let me show you just how easy it is!
Ingredients
- 1 whole frozen chicken
- 3 TBSP grass-fed butter
- 1 TBSP Thyme or any seasoning you prefer
- Salt, pepper, and any other spices you desire
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot onto saute to help heat things up quicker.
- Place chicken in Instant Pot.
- Rub butter on chicken and add spices.
- Secure lid on Instant Pot
- Set on MANUAL HIGH for 60 minutes.
- Set valve to seal.
- Let Instant Pot release pressure naturally when finished.
- Check internal temp of chicken; it must be at least 165* to serve.
Notes
Pull meat from bones and shred. Use shredded meat on top of salads, for chicken salad, or in Egg Roll in a Bowl. Save bones and skin for making homemade bone broth in the Instant Pot.
Keywords: chicken, Instant Pot, batch cooking
