I love cooking a whole chicken in my Instant Pot. I know some people get overwhelmed with the thought of using a multi-cooker like Instant Pot but in reality, it is the easiest and useful small appliance in a kitchen. You will get your money's worth. Aside from the wide range of recipes that you can make with it, it is a time-saver too. Time spent in the kitchen cooking can be cut in half.

Also check: Oven-Roasted Whole Chicken

 Cooking this flavorful whole chicken will not only feed a family for a dinner night, but leftovers can be used in several recipes too. I bought this whole chicken at Aldi for $5.96 and it did not only fed my family of four for a dinner but the leftover chicken meat was used in burritos and quesadillas. The bones were used for chicken broth. Speaking of broth, I also save the juices/broth from the pot. 

This recipe is actually less than $5 if you will compute the servings with the recipes you can make so this is definitely a frugal meal idea.

Few reminders:

• I live in the Inland Empire (Southern California). Prices in my area will be different from where you live. I know that Socal is a bit pricier than other states.
• We are a family of four (me, my husband, and two school-age daughters).
• The only main ingredient that I bought was the chicken. This recipe assumes that you have the basic seasonings and spices in your pantry. I used a lemon, herbs, and onion for stuffing but you can skip this if you do not have it. Use what you have in your pantry or fridge.
• Leftover chicken ideas are also provided below.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (giblets removed and save for another recipe)

1/1/2 cup water

6 tbsp oil (Canola coconut, or olive oil)

1 onion and 1 lemon (cut in quarters)

herbs (optional)

For the chicken rub:

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

For when you broil the chicken (this step will give you the crunchy skin):

1/4 cup melted butter

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried thyme 

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried oregano

Optional stuffing: 

1 lemon

half onion

herbs

Directions:

If you are using a thawed whole chicken, stuff the chicken with onion and lemon. If you have fresh herbs, add that too. I happened to have left-over fresh herbs from a previous recipe that I made. Mix all of your chicken rub ingredients in a small bowl and rub it on the chicken. Don't forget under the chicken and all the crevices.

If you are cooking a frozen chicken, obviously you will not be able to stuff it and use any of the spices for the rub. Instead of water, use chicken broth to cook in the Instant Pot. 

Add the water to your Instant Pot. Place the chicken breast-side down on top of your trivet (with handles). Cover and make sure that your valve is sealed. Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes. Naturally, release for 15 minutes and manually release the remaining pressure.