Low Sodium Instant Pot Chicken Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis low sodium Instant Pot chicken recipe is super tender, juicy, and flavorful – with no added salt! Ready in less than an hour, you can make the most delicious chicken in your pressure cooker.
An easy weeknight dinner recipe, the Instant Pot does all the hard work. Add your favorite salt-free seasonings, and you have a delicious rotisserie-style whole chicken in no time.
Want more low sodium chicken recipes? Try our low sodium chicken Caprese recipe, low sodium chicken pot pie, and our favorite low sodium orange chicken & rice!
I really love my Instant Pot, and this is my favorite go-to recipe when I need to make chicken quickly for a recipe. Pressure cooking chicken is one of the easiest ways to make a homemade “rotisserie” chicken at home. The meat is SO tender and juicy, the Instant Pot really gives the chicken a super moist and tender texture.
This chicken cooks quickly too, from 25-35 minutes depending on the size of your chicken. Slice up the meat, and don’t forget to save leftover chicken bones to make low sodium chicken broth.
Why This Recipe Works
- The chicken is unbelievably juicy, tender, and perfectly cooked! No dry chicken here.
- It’s tasty and flavorful, using lemons, garlic, and a salt-free spice blend.
- It’s a great way to make your own low sodium rotisserie style chicken at home (without a rotisserie oven).
- Ready in less than an hour, you can cook an entire chicken for dinner, or to use the meat in other recipes.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Whole Chicken – with all chicken, make sure to look for a whole chicken with a nutritional label at the store. It will give sodium amounts, so you can ensure you are buying a chicken without an added brine solution. The USDA says chicken should have 70mg sodium per 3 ounce serving.
- Fresh lemon – great to quarter and stuff inside the chicken to get a little citrus flavor in the meat while it cooks.
- Fresh garlic – I also add garlic cloves inside the chicken to get more flavor in the meat.
- Garlic Powder and Onion Powder
- Water – I use water, but you could also use a no-salt-added chicken stock or broth instead.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt-free spices – I like to use a salt-free steak spice, or you can try my low sodium chicken seasoning blend which is a wonderful savory and smoky blend of spices.
See the recipe card below for a full list of instructions and ingredient amounts!
Additions and Substitutions
- You don’t have to stuff the chicken with lemons and garlic – you can get creative! Add lime and red onion for a fun twist, or oranges and fresh herbs instead.
- Try your favorite seasoning blend on top of the chicken! Add BBQ spices, a French seasoning blend, lemon pepper, Italian spices, or an Asian-inspired sauce.
- Have extra space in the Instant Pot? Add some baby potatoes and onions to the bottom of the inner pot, and cook a tasty side dish at the same time!
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Place the trivet insert in the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Add the 2 cups of water to the bottom of the pot.
Step 2: Prep the chicken – remove and giblets from inside the chicken, and pat the outside dry with a paper towel.
Step 3: Stuff the inside of the chicken with the chopped lemon and garlic cloves.
Step 4: Place the chicken in the Instant Pot, breast-side-up. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken.
Step 5: Sprinkle the garlic powder, onion powder, and any additional salt-free spices over the chicken, making sure to distribute the spices evenly.
Step 6: Secure the lid, and Set to Pressure Cook/Manual Mode. Set cooking time 24 minutes for a 4-lb chicken (or 6 minutes per pound). Press Start. Once cooking time has finished, allow the Instant Pot to natural release for 15 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure carefully. Make sure the thickest part of the chicken breasts reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 7: Open the lid of the Instant pot, and carefully remove the chicken. I like to take the whole trivet out, and place the chicken on a plate to cool.
Step 8: Once cool enough to handle, slice the chicken and serve.
Recipe FAQs
According to the USDA, a whole chicken has 70mg sodium per 3 ounce serving. Make sure to buy a chicken that has a nutrition label so you can confirm the sodium amount and make sure the chicken isn’t injected with a brine solution.
Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container and use within 3 days. Or place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months to use in other recipes like soups or stews.
You can, however you’ll need to increase the cooking time. For fresh chicken meat, cook the chicken for 6 minutes per pound, but to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot, you’ll want to cook the chicken for 15 minutes per pound in a 6-quart pressure cooker, or 10 minutes per pound in a 8-quart cooker.
Side Dish Ideas
This low sodium Instant Pot chicken makes the perfect dinner, and goes great with so many delicious low sodium side dishes. We love serving this salt-free chicken with low sodium baked potatoes, low sodium roasted asparagus, or low sodium crispy smashed potatoes.
And the chicken is more than a main course! I love cooking up a whole chicken in the Instant Pot, then using the meat to make low sodium chicken noodle soup, low sodium chicken paprikash, low sodium chicken Caesar pasta salad, or freezing it for later.
Expert Tips
- This chicken is an excellent substitute for store-bought rotisserie chicken! You control the amount of spices and the sodium that goes into the seasoning. Use this low sodium cooked chicken for any recipe that calls for rotisserie chicken.
- Save the stock! The water and chicken juices that collect in the bottom of the Instant Pot while cooking make a great addition to soups and stews.
More Low Sodium Chicken Recipes
- Low Sodium Chicken Tacos
- Low Sodium Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Crispy Low Sodium Chicken Breasts
- Low Sodium Hot Honey Chicken
- Low Sodium Pineapple Chicken Bowls
Let’s keep in touch – don’t forget to follow over on Instagram, Facebook, & my Youtube channel for more easy low sodium recipes.
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Low Sodium Instant Pot Chicken
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Trivet Insert
- Plate
Ingredients
- 4 lb whole chicken
- 2 cups water
- 2 lemons roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning I used a salt-free steak spice
Instructions
- Place the trivet insert in the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Add the 2 cups of water to the bottom of the pot.
- Prep the chicken – remove and giblets from inside the chicken, and pat the outside dry with a paper towel.
- Stuff the inside of the chicken with the chopped lemon and garlic cloves.
- Place the chicken in the Instant Pot, breast-side-up. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken.
- Sprinkle the garlic powder, onion powder, and any additional salt-free spices over the chicken, making sure to distribute the spices evenly.
- Secure the lid, and Set to Pressure Cook/Manual Mode. Set cooking time 24 minutes for a 4-lb chicken (or 6 minutes per pound). Press Start. Once cooking time has finished, allow the Instant Pot to natural release for 15 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure carefully. Make sure the thickest part of the chicken breasts reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Open the lid of the Instant pot, and carefully remove the chicken. I like to take the whole trivet out, and place the chicken on a plate to cool. Once cool enough to handle, slice the chicken and serve.
Notes
-
- You don’t have to stuff the chicken with lemons and garlic – you can get creative! Add lime and red onion for a fun twist, or oranges and fresh herbs instead.
-
- Try your favorite seasoning blend on top of the chicken! Add BBQ spices, a French seasoning blend, lemon pepper, Italian spices, or an Asian-inspired sauce.
-
- Have extra space in the Instant Pot? Add some baby potatoes and onions to the bottom of the inner pot, and cook a tasty side dish at the same time!
- This chicken is an excellent substitute for store-bought rotisserie chicken! You control the amount of spices and the sodium that goes into the seasoning. Use this low sodium cooked chicken for any recipe that calls for rotisserie chicken.
- Save the stock! The water and chicken juices that collect in the bottom of the Instant Pot while cooking make a great addition to soups and stews.
Nutrition estimate (for 1 serving)
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used in our kitchen. It will vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify your nutrition content and sodium amounts.
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I loved creating this low sodium Instant Pot recipe for you! If you make it please leave a rating & review below!
Chicken is my favorite go to protein. This is delicious