Whole Chicken (Pressure Cooker)
Whole Chicken (Pressure Cooker)
Think of boiling a whole chicken, very common in Asia, I am going to use my pressure cooker and will add some items to make broth for use in another recipe. The chicken can be thawed or frozen, just add more time if frozen. The time is based on a 2 kilo (4 lb) chicken, if your chicken is larger, increase the time slightly, if your chicken is smaller, decrease the time slightly. Follow your pressure cooker safety requirements.
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, about 2 kilos, (4 lbs)
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 small onions, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- palmful black peppercorns
- 8 cups water, (2 quarts)
Instructions
- Remove the giblets from the cavity, for those in Asia (for a local fresh chicken, remove the head and feet if you like but not required) and rinse the chicken inside and out, place in your slow cooker. (This chicken I used is 2.2 kilos, head and feet attached, feet are tucked into the cavity, I also use a 9 1/2 quart pressure cooker.)
- Add the water, onions, carrots, celery, and peppercorns.
- For variant and to add a Asian taste to this chicken, we also added about 5 or 6 stalks of lemongrass. For those that are unfamiliar with using lemongrass in cooking, the texture ranks right up there very coarse wood shavings, this is not an item that remains in a dish, so the best way to add this when a dish is cooked, is to beat the stalks flat (this releases the fragrant oils in it) and tie into an overhand knot (this prevents the stalks from separating). When you are done cooking, just spoon out the knotted bundle.
- Cover and lock the lid. Heat on high heat until the jiggler releases pressure and starts moving, reduce heat to low to keep the jiggler moving. Now start timing.
- For a FROZEN chicken, time for 30 minutes. (The chicken I used here was frozen and 2.2 kilos so I timed for 32 minutes.). When the time is complete, remove the cooker from heat and set on an unused burner to do a natural release, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- For a THAWED chicken, time for 20 minutes. When the time is complete, remove the cooker from heat and set on an unused burner to do a natural release, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- After the natural pressure release, open lid on the cooker. Check out that clear broth, perfect!
- Very carefully lift the chicken out, I used two large wide spoons to do this, one wing disintegrated into the broth, the legs fell off after I set on a plate.
- Serve with a dipping sauce or use the meat in another recipe.
Notes
The chicken I used was 2.2 kilo and we paid 143 Baht. For 4 servings, this is $1.08 per serving. The bonus is you get 2 quarts of broth to use in other recipes.
Variants: 1. Add lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, or vegetables as you desire.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- Sinfully Delicious Chicken Casserole, made it, GO-TO recipe.
I made this on 31 Jan 2019 and went with just lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves inside the chicken, and black peppercorns in the water, aiming for an Asian chicken broth. When the chicken was done, my wife and I tasted the broth, wow is that good! Two quarts of Asian chicken broth in the fridge now, that will make a very nice Udon noodle soup!
As I reading the recipe my wife looked over and asked what’s that….I said that’s chicken in a pressure cooker like we are getting soon. She said great, I want to do duck, she loves duck…So anyway, yes we will be doing chicken for sure and probably duck too. Nice recipe, I’ll be doing the same…Thanks.
That great, Brian! This is the only way I cook whole chicken now, leave out the lemongrass and you have some excellent broth as well. Yes, we have done two young ducks at the same time in the cooker, and once again, my wife took a bite and said the only way we are cooking duck.
I made this on 16 Feb 2018. My wife took a chicken out of the freezer and was going to thaw it to make a simple boiled chicken, very common here. I told my wife I can cook the chicken, frozen, and she can have chicken for lunch in less than an hour. She said go ahead, and she also added the lemongrass for more flavor. Once the chicken was done and removed from the pot and tasted, she said best ever boiled chicken she has had. She said this will be the only way we make boiled chicken from now on.