Roasted chicken has been my new staple for meal prep lately. Firstly, it is so inexpensive ( I bought this chicken on sale for $0.99/lb which makes about 4-5 meals per chicken) and easy to do. I can’t believe it took me this long to try it, plus the instant pot (Instant Pot DUO80 8 Qt 7-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker) has made it so easy and takes less than an hour from start to finish. I shred it up and use it in recipes all week, if you are a busy mom like me, it is a total life saver. I got my instant pot for Christmas this year and I am obsessed with it! It so easy to use and when I don’t plan something out ahead of time for a crock pot I don’t have to worry about it, and if you watch “This Is Us” you may have some trust issues with the crock pot, am I right? I typically buy a 4-5 pound whole chicken which is about perfect for the 8 quart pot.
The first time I tried this it was an epic fail, I didn’t cook it long enough and it was raw on the inside. Since then I have done a lot of research and looking at different recipes to finally come up with one that I think works best.
Ingredients:
~1 whole chicken 4-5lbs for an 8 quart pot
~ 2tbsp ghee (I use 4th and Heart Ghee Butter)
~2 sprigs of Rosmary, thyme and sage ( I buy the poultry blend in my produce’s spice section)
~ A pinch of red pepper flakes
~2 cloves of garlic minced
~2tbsp salt
~2 tbsp pepper
~2 cups of Chicken stock or bone broth (store bought or homemade)
Directions:
1. Turn the Instant Pot on to sauté mode, add the Ghee Butter and let it melt.
2. While the ghee is melting pat the chicken dry and prepare to put it in the Instant Potbreast side down.
3. I used a fresh 4.5lb chicken, and set the Instant Pot to the sauté setting for 8-9 minutes. For a smaller chicken I would recommend 7-8 min.
4. While sautéing, prepare the poultry blend (typically found in the produce department), salt, pepper, garlic, red pepper and the broth
6. Secure the lid on top and make sure the vent is set to “sealing”. Use the poultry setting for 30-40 minutes ( I did mine for 35 minutes and it was fall off the bone perfect).
8. After removing the lid, carefully remove the chicken. I put it on a plate and let it cool completely then I shred the chicken off the bones to be used for different meals such as salads, tacos, soups, buffalo stuffed sweet potatoes, sandwiches etc. I actually really love just eating it cold with veggies and guacamole for lunch.
