Whether you’re looking for an easy weeknight meal or a way to stretch your grocery budget, this recipe is one you’ll keep coming back to!

Let me introduce you to my new kitchen-best-friend (what, you don’t have a best friend in every room of your house?!)…the Instant Pot. Before you kick this recipe to the curb if you don’t have an instant pot, know that you can modify this and make it in a slow cooker (see my modification notes below), it’s just that much easier and – in my opinion – even more delicious in an Instant Pot!

I’ve made a lot of whole chickens over the years.

A LOT.

In the wintertime, which lasts about forever and a month each year here in Iowa, I try to make one each week. Not that this makes me a top-level chicken cookin’ expert, but it does mean that I’ve made a lot of errors or not-so-great recipes over the years, and I know a good recipe when I taste one!

I’m used to making chickens in the slow cooker for simplicity’s sake – I don’t have to heat up the entire house, plus I can use the same cooking method to make bone broth with the remains of the chicken once I remove the meat.

Enter the Instant Pot.

Where was this when I was pregnant?! Not only do I avoid heating up the entire house, but I don’t have to smell a thing while it’s cooking! Magical.

Now that I have you convinced the Instant Pot is the way to go (if you don’t have one, I’ve got the slow cooker modifications below – so don’t fret!), let’s get to making a chicken! I’m including the recipe for making bone broth. Please, please take this extra step to make it! You’ve already bought a quality chicken and there is so much more deliciousness that will nourish your body in amazing ways that you can enjoy by taking this simple step!

WHOLE CHICKEN + BONE BROTH RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 (4-5 pound) whole chicken (organic, pasture-raised is best especially when making bone broth)
• 2 tablespoons avocado or other vegetable-based oil
• 1 cup chicken stock

Part I: Whole Chicken

1. In a small bowl, combine all powdered spices, including salt and pepper.
2. Rinse chicken and remove giblets & neck (if present). Dry chicken with paper towels and place on a plate or in a large bowl to season. Rub entire chicken with spice mixture.
3. Set 6-quart Instant Pot to the high sauté setting. Add avocado oil and place chicken inside breast side down (without using the Instant Pot metal trivet), and cook until evenly golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Flip with tongs and cook for an additional 4 minutes; set aside.
4. Place metal trivet into the pot and add chicken stock. Place chicken breast-side up on top of the trivet. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high and set time for 28 minutes. When finished cooking, naturally release pressure according to Instant Pot directions, about 20-30 minutes. Let rest 5-10 minutes if you’re planning to serve immediately.
5. If you’re not planning to serve immediately, wait for chicken to cool and remove meat from the bone for use in other recipes this week (If you’re serving immediately, remove all meat from the bone after serving). Save carcass for making Bone Broth in the next step.

Part II: Bone Broth

1. Using tongs, remove Metal Trivet from Instant Pot. Leave all chicken drippings and remaining chicken broth from recipe in the pot. Place carcass back in the Instant Pot, then fill with filtered water to the maximum level allowed.
2. Set Instant Pot setting to “Slow Cooker” and set for 12-15 hours, depending on when you’ll have time to strain the broth after it cools.
3. When the Slow Cooker cycle ends, allow broth to cool for 2-3 hours, then take a metal colander and place inside a large metal bowl. Stain broth by lifting the colander out of the bowl, then place carcass back into Instant Pot. Divide broth into jars or containers for fridge or freezer storage (lasts approximately 10 days in the refridgerator).
4. If desired, repeat steps 1-3 again one final time. The result will be more of a thin “chicken broth” consistency, whereas your first batch will be more of a rich “chicken stock” consistency. I like to repeat this to get the most use out of the chicken as I can (we use a lot of bone broth, so I want as much around as possible!).

Slow Cooker Modification:

place in slow cooker and cook 3-3.5 hours on high or 6 hours on low
instead of following instant pot guidelines.

There you have it, folks! The easiest, most delicious tasting chicken & bone broth ever! Skip the rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and make this instead. Your taste buds will thank you, and your body will be much more well-nourished in the process!

Enjoy!

Angie