This apple cider glazed chicken is perfect for the season.
If you ask me, it’s impossible to have too many quick-and-easy chicken dinner recipes. Chicken is one of the healthiest proteins around, and its mild flavor allows you to cook it any way you like. It doesn’t matter what you’re in the mood for–Thai, Latin American, Southern, French, Indian, Greek–you can make a chicken dish that works, and it’ll always turn out tasty. Since the days are getting shorter and the morning air is becoming crisper, I’m definitely in the mood for some fall-flavored food. This Instant Pot Apple Cider Glazed Chicken recipe might be my new favorite comfort food recipe!
I love any recipe that allows me to (easily) cook a whole chicken. Buying whole chickens can create a lot of economy in your kitchen. They’re one of the least expensive lean proteins available at the grocery store, and they usually make lots of leftovers. Those leftovers can be turned into sandwiches, tacos, chicken salad, and more! Not to mention the leftover bones, which you can easily turn into chicken broth using your slow cooker or Instant Pot.
Cooking a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot
Okay, there are a few things you need to know about cooking a whole chicken in the Instant Pot. They’re all simple and easy, so you’ll be a pro in no time! The first one is super simple: Make sure you rub your chicken with some kind of seasoning. This seems self-explanatory, but cooking a chicken inside the pressure cooker won’t magically make it flavorful. Start by rubbing your chicken with salt and pepper all over to make sure every bit of meat is seasoned.
The next tip: If you’re running short on time, cut the chicken into eight pieces before cooking it. Those eight pieces are the thigh, drumstick, wings, and breasts (two on each side, for eight total pieces). It only takes about 10 minutes to cook a cut-up chicken, whereas it can take up to 30 minutes to cook this Instant Pot Apple Cider Glazed Chicken when you’re using a whole chicken. Since it’s significantly easier to carve a chicken after it’s cooked, we’d only suggest you cook the eight-piece chicken if you’re really, really short on time.
Finally, you can cook a frozen whole chicken in the Instant Pot! That’s one of things that this electric pressure cooker can do that your slow cooker simply can’t. It’s completely safe to chuck a frozen chunk of meat into the Instant Pot, just make sure you add an extra 15 minutes to the cook time.
What is Coconut Aminos?
You may or may not recognize one of our ingredients for this Instant Pot Apple Cider Glazed Chicken recipe. Coconut aminos is a popular ingredient used in Paleo, Whole 30, and AIP recipes. It’s a dark, salty sauce made from coconut sap. It tastes almost exactly like soy sauce, adding savory, umami flavors to your food. But, it’s soy-free and gluten-free.
It’s also super high in amino acids, which help keep our muscles strong and healthy. They can also boost your immune system and give you extra energy. Coconut aminos is also high in vitamins B and C. Put it all together, and coconut aminos can do so much that soy sauce can’t, all with the same great flavor!
If you’re wary of adding a new bottle to your pantry and you don’t have any food allergies, feel free to swap in soy sauce for this recipe. But, if you’re feeling adventurous, give it a try. You might find that you like it better!
Instant Pot Apple Cider Glazed Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 pounds whole chicken
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Pat the whole chicken dry before sprinkling it with salt and pepper. Make sure it’s seasoned on all sides.
- Plug in the Instant Pot and press the Saute button. Hit the Adjust button until the setting reaches Medium.
- Once the Instant Pot is hot, add the olive oil to the bowl and sear the chicken on all sides until it’s golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider, honey, coconut aminos, and red pepper flakes. Add the apple cider mixture to the Instant Pot and stir to scrape up any chicken bits on the bottom of the pot. Hit the Cancel button to stop the Saute function.
- Add the chicken back to the bowl and place the lid onto the Instant Pot. Make sure the lid is sealed and the vent is closed.
- Press the Poultry button and use the plus (+) button to increase the time to 24 minutes. If your chicken is more or less than 4 pounds, add or subtract 6 minutes for every pound (i.e., a 5 pound chicken would cook for 30 minutes and a 3 pound chicken would cook for 18 minutes).
- When the timer is finished, the Instant Pot will beep. Carefully vent the Instant Pot to release steam. The steam will be very hot! Be sure you hand is not over the actual vent. Once the steam has finished venting, remove the lid. Check to be sure the chicken has reached 165 degrees. Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes before carving.
- Serve the chicken with the apple cider sauce.
Nutrition Information
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I’m confused….Is this recipe for a whole chicken or chicken breasts?
The ingredient list says “4 pounds boneless & skinless chicken breast”,
Should that be a “4 pound whole chicken” instead?
In your photos you show a whole chicken in the pot, but in the other photos it looks like a sliced chicken breast.
Sorry about the confusion, Sue! We’ve adjusted the recipe, it should read 1 whole chicken.
I don’t have an Instant Pot, could this recipe be used in a crock pot?
Yes! Follow the instructions as listed. Then cook on low for about 6 hours or on high for about 3.