Zen Basics: Instant Pot Whole Cooked Chicken

With our focus on the Mother energy and Yogini in May I considered what childhood meals still make my mouth water.

One of the only meals we ate together as a family was Sunday dinner, and for that reason it was sacred. For me, nothing can beat the smell of a chicken roasting with mixed herbs and garlic. Always served with roasties and homemade gravy and always enough for leftovers, I now fully understand that it took a considerable amount of hands-on time for my mum in the kitchen to get it just right. 

To simplify the meal from a full roast I like to make a quick cooked hot chicken sandwich with fries and salad. In just under 10 minutes hands-on prep I can have a whole free range chicken in the Instant Pot and a tray of skinny fries or olive oil roasted baby potatoes in the oven. I spread brioche buns with soft avocado and serve the warm, sliced chicken on top. Just like my own food memory from my childhood, my eldest daughter feels the same way about this warm chicken brioche.

The resulting juices in the pot, combined with the herbs and seasoning makes around 2 cups of delicious broth which can be used for a soup base, or thickened as a sauce for your chicken.

Ideas for leftovers Made Over

chicken & black bean tacos mix leftover chopped chicken with drained, cooked black beans, avocado dressing (avocado, lime juice and zest, honey, yoghurt, minced shallot) and top with crunchy pumpkin seeds 

harissa chicken wrap -fill a wholegrain wrap with leftover chopped chicken, yoghurt, harissa, and chopped red peppers 

chicken, pesto, Mozzarella ciabatta – spread a ciabatta with pesto, add slices of Mozzarella and a layer of chicken with a pinch of sea salt

Print Recipe

Whole Chicken 3 Ways

Pressure Cook: Prep Time: 10m , Cook Time: 25m, Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp thyme
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 lb free range whole chicken
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup water

to serve

• 4 brioche buns or ciabatta
• 1 avocado
• 4 servings fries

Instructions

• season the chicken with the salt, pepper, and thyme
• heat the oil in Instant Pot on high sauté function and brown the chicken breast side down for 3 minutes, then turn and brown on the bottom for 3 minutes. Turn off sauté function.
  
• lift the chicken and sit on the trivet inside the Instant Pot
• add the bay leaves and water
• secure Instant Pot lid & set pressure valve to Sealing cook on Manual / Pressure Cook for 25 minutes
  
• once cooked allow the dial to natural pressure release for 10 minutes before Venting to Quick Pressure Release
  
• remove the chicken and slice for your sandwiches
• * to make a sauce: mix 2 tbsp cornflour with 2 tbsp cold water and stir into the juices in the bottom of the Instant Pot and reheat on sauté function until it thickens slightly. Add a squeeze of lemon juice for a citrus finish.

Notes

• Substitute the pepper, thyme, bay leaves, and oregano with our Multi-Cooker Coq Au Vin Blend 

Zen Moment

“Ponder well on this point: the pleasant hours of our life are all connected by a more or less tangible link, with some memory of the table.”

-Charles Pierre Monselet (1825-1888)