Instant Pot Whole Chicken and Gravy {Paleo, AIP}

Fire up your pressure cooker for this easy Instant Pot whole chicken and gravy recipe. It’s a gluten free, dairy free, paleo recipe and the gravy skips the tomatoes for an AIP friendly meal.

Who’s ready for a healthy instant pot recipe?

Whole roast chicken can take a while to cook in the oven. You need to watch it to make sure the chicken doesn’t dry out and you’re oven will be on for a good part of the day.

Things are a bit more effortless with this Instant Pot whole chicken and gravy recipe.

You just plop your ingredients in the Instant Pot and let it work its magic for about 20 minutes.

I will warn you that cooking a whole chicken in the Instant Pot will not give you that glorious crispy colored skin on its own, but there are a few work arounds for that.

I like to sear my chicken in the IP before I set the pressure. Not only does that give the chicken a nice glow, but it also adds a depth of flavor to the gravy that follows. It does involve a steady hand and a confident flip to turn the chicken over. Two wooden spoons or spatulas can help. Or you can put tongs in the cavity and give it a good turn.

If after you finish cooking the whole chicken in the Instant Pot, you pull your bird out and think it still looks naked, you can throw it under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp things up a bit.

No matter which you use, you’re still going to have a really moist chicken.

All of the drippings and flavors you get at the end also make a really savory gravy. It only takes a few extra minutes to bring it together. My AIP friends can also enjoy this tomato free gravy since I don’t use any tomato paste as many do in gravy recipes.

So kick your feet up while you cook this easy and healthy paleo Instant Pot whole chicken and gravy.

Instant Pot Whole Chicken and Gravy
{Paleo, AIP, Gluten Free, Dairy Free}

Ingredients

• 4 pound whole chicken

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme

• 2 tablespoons ghee or avocado oil, divided in half

• 1 large onion, peeled, coarsely chopped

• 5 garlic cloves, peeled, diced

• 3/4 cup chicken stock

• 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder

• 1 teaspoon fish sauce

• 1/2 lemon, juice

Instructions

1. Pat the chicken dry and generously season with salt, pepper, and thyme on skin and inside cavity.

2. Take the rear wings and fold into the chicken so it doesn’t stick out. You can tie the legs with twine if you want a perfectly intact bird.

3. Turn the Instant Pot to saute and heat up 1 tablespoon of the ghee or oil. Once warm, place the seasoned chicken, breast side down in the pot. Sear for about 4 minutes or until it turns a golden color. Place tongs in the cavity of the bird and turn the chicken over and sear on the other side for another 4 minutes. Once browned on both sides, remove the chicken from the Instant Pot.

4. Add the other tablespoon of ghee or oil, and the onions and garlic. Saute until translucent.

5. Turn the sautee function off and pour in the stock and stir. Place the trivet in the Instant Pot, and the chicken, breast side up, on top. Set to manual high pressure for 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes, press Keep Warm and wait 10 minutes and then manually release the pressure.

6. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove from the Instant Pot.

7. Mix the arrowroot powder with 2 tablespoons of water. Turn the Instant Pot’s saute function on, then add the arrowroot mixture and stir. Once combined, use an immersion blender to puree everything until smooth. The gravy should thicken. Mix in the fish oil and juice from the lemon and season with salt and pepper as necessary.

8. Serve the chicken with gravy on top and my paleo sweet potato sausage stuffing.
   

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