Keto Lemon Herb Rotisserie Chicken
Published August 31, 2020 • Updated March 8, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
I started making this keto rotisserie chicken at home because I was tired of paying $8-9 for grocery store birds that were already cold by the time I got home. Now I make one almost every week, and the flavor is so much better than anything from the deli counter.
The method is straightforward. I pat the bird dry, mix up a simple seasoning blend (Italian seasoning, garlic powder, mustard powder, salt, pepper), then get lemon butter under and over the skin before pressure cooking. What I’ve found is that 6 minutes per pound on high pressure is the sweet spot. My 4-pound chickens take about 24 minutes of cook time, plus 15 minutes of natural pressure release. I use a 6-quart Instant Pot, which fits up to about a 5-pound bird. If you have an 8-quart, you can go up to 6.5 pounds. Check for 165 degrees at the thickest part of the thigh before you move on to the broil step.
The trick I figured out after a few rounds is the broil step at the end. Pressure cooking gives you juicy meat, but the skin comes out pale and soft. I move the chicken to a sheet pan and broil on high for about 3 minutes, and the skin turns golden and crackly, just like a true rotisserie. Keep a close eye on it because it goes from golden to burned fast.
Getting the bird out takes a little practice. I use two large spatulas, one under each side, and lift it straight onto the sheet pan. After a 5-minute rest, I either carve it for dinner or shred the whole thing for the week. I use the leftover juices to make a lemon herb gravy right in the pot. Switch to saute mode, stir in a bit of arrowroot powder, and let it reduce. You can skip the arrowroot for a thinner pan sauce, which I prefer half the time. It all depends on what I’m serving alongside, whether that’s a simple side salad or something like my keto chicken casserole.
This is one of my favorite low carb recipes for meal prep. I cook the bird on Sunday and use the meat all week in everything from wraps to quick bowls to crack chicken. One bird gives me protein for 4-5 meals, which makes the per-serving cost hard to beat. I store the shredded meat in airtight containers (3-4 days in the fridge, up to 3 months frozen), and I save the drippings in a jar and spoon them over when I reheat. Keeps everything juicy, even microwaved. If you want another pressure cooker protein that shreds beautifully, my shredded chicken recipe is also a staple in my rotation.
I’ve also made this in the slow cooker when my pressure cooker was tied up with something else. Same seasoning, same lemon butter, 6-7 hours on low. It works, but I always finish under the broiler either way because that crispy skin is non-negotiable for me. For another low carb pressure cooker favorite, try my butter chicken.
How to Make Instant Pot Whole Chicken
I season the bird with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, mustard powder, salt, and pepper, then get a lemon butter mixture under and over the skin. It pressure cooks on a trivet with chicken broth for 6 minutes per pound, followed by 15 minutes of natural release. The final step is a quick broil to get that crispy, golden rotisserie-style skin. I use the leftover juices to make a simple lemon herb gravy right in the pot.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken, 4-6 pounds -
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
-
1 teaspoon garlic powder
-
2 teaspoons salt
-
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
-
1/2 teaspoon pepper
-
juice from 2 lemons or 6 tablespoons concentrated lemon juice
-
2 tablespoons butter, melted
-
1 cup chicken broth
-
1-2 teaspoons arrowroot powder (optional)
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Make seasonings
Mix together Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, mustard powder and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
Pour in broth
Place a trivet down into the liner of the instant pot. Pour in 1 cup of chicken broth. Place chicken on the trivet in the instant pot.
Butter the bird
Mix together melted butter with lemon juice. Lift up the chicken skin underneath the breast and pour half the lemon butter mixture underneath the skin. Pour remaining butter mixture over the chicken.
Pressure cook
Lock on the instant pot lid and set the valve to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 6 minutes per pound. Then let pressure release naturally for 15 minutes before releasing the rest of the pressure.
Broil to get it crispy
To get a crispy, golden brown crust, remove the chicken from the instant pot and place on a baking tray. Set oven to broil and broil on high for 3 minutes or until the skin is golden brown.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
Your Macros. Your Recipes. Calculated in 60 Seconds.
Get personalized keto macros and instantly see which recipes fit your targets. No more guessing what to eat.
Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
What size pressure cooker do I need?
I use a 6-quart, which comfortably fits a bird up to about 5 pounds. For anything bigger (up to 6.5 pounds), you want an 8-quart. I tried squeezing a 6-pound chicken into my 6-quart once and the lid barely sealed, so I don't recommend it. If you have the bigger pot, my sesame chicken is another recipe that benefits from the extra space.
Can I pressure cook a frozen chicken?
I've done this when I forgot to thaw. Add about 15 extra minutes to the total cook time, so roughly 8-9 minutes per pound instead of 6. My 4-pound frozen bird took about 35 minutes on high pressure. The seasoning won't stick as well to frozen skin, so I season after cooking and before the broil step. It's not my preferred method, but it works when you're in a pinch.
Can I use a different seasoning blend?
I switch it up all the time. My favorite swap is a smoky paprika and cumin blend when I want something with more heat. I've also used ranch seasoning, which my kids prefer. The lemon butter stays the same no matter what spice mix I use. If you like bold flavors, try the seasoning approach from my grilled marinated chicken on the bird before pressure cooking.
How do I get the chicken out of the pot without it falling apart?
I learned this the hard way after my first bird basically disintegrated. Now I use two large spatulas, one under each side, and lift it straight onto the sheet pan. If your chicken is really tender, tongs on the cavity opening plus a spatula underneath works too. Move quickly and don't try to be delicate about it.
What internal temperature should the chicken reach?
I check for 165 degrees Fahrenheit at the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone. I use an instant-read thermometer every single time. Even after making this dozens of times, I still check because the cook time varies slightly depending on the size of the bird and how cold it was going in. If it reads under 165, I close the lid and run another 2-3 minutes on high pressure.
How do I store and reheat leftover chicken without drying it out?
I pull all the meat off the bone right after it cools enough to handle, then portion it into airtight containers. It keeps 3-4 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer. My trick for reheating is saving the drippings in a separate jar and spooning them over the meat before microwaving. Keeps everything juicy even days later. I use the leftovers in everything from quick bowls to my chicken divan.
Can I add vegetables to cook alongside the chicken?
I've tried onion quarters, garlic cloves, and lemon slices in the cavity for extra flavor, and that works great. For cooking vegetables alongside, I don't love the results because they turn to mush at the cook times needed for a whole bird. I prefer roasting veggies separately on a sheet pan while the chicken rests and broils.
Can I make this in a slow cooker instead of a pressure cooker?
I've made this in my slow cooker plenty of times. Same seasoning, same lemon butter prep, then cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 4-5 hours until it hits 165 degrees internally. I always finish it under the broiler for crispy skin either way. The slow cooker version is a bit more fall-apart tender, which makes it great for shredding into white chicken chili or soups.
Making a lemon herb whole chicken in an Instant Pot is one of the easiest keto dinners I make. You get a perfectly juicy whole chicken from your pressure cooker in under an hour. It’s incredibly versatile too. Pair it with a simple green salad for a weeknight dinner or serve it as the main course when company comes over.
This keto lemon herb rotisserie chicken feeds a crowd, so it’s perfect for Sunday supper or anytime you have family over. And you don’t need to wake up early to pull it off. Just make sure your chicken fits in your Instant Pot. Most 4-6 pound chickens work in an 8 quart model.
I've always stuck to chicken breasts, so doing a whole bird in the Instant Pot felt like a bigger commitment than I was ready for. The 6-minutes-per-pound timing helped. No idea where I'd have started without it. Butter under the skin kept things from drying out even under pressure, which was my main worry going in. The broil surprised me too. Skin went from pale to golden in about four minutes. House smelled like a rotisserie place all evening. One question: I skipped the arrowroot powder because I wasn't sure what it was for. Is it just to thicken the pan drippings into a sauce, or does it do something to the chicken itself?
Just for the sauce. Mix it into the pan drippings after you pull the chicken and it thickens them up into something you can spoon over the meat. Nothing to do with the chicken itself, which is why it's optional.
Never cooked a whole chicken before and picked this as my first try, probably not smart. But the lemon butter under the skin actually worked, and it came out looking like real rotisserie chicken. Did not expect that.
Ha, bold first choice. The butter under the skin is the part most people skip on their first bird. You got the most important step right.
Four months of meal prepping and I finally found a chicken that holds up past Tuesday. Made it Sunday, pulled all the meat off, portioned it into containers, and by Thursday it was still worth eating. The lemon butter under the skin is the reason. Even microwaved, the meat comes out juicy and the seasoning is still there. I do exactly 6 minutes per pound and let it natural release about ten minutes before the broil, and the skin crackles when it comes out. Not tweaking anything. This is on every Sunday rotation now.
Thursday is the test. I save the drippings in a jar and spoon them over when I reheat - keeps the meat from drying out in the microwave.
I've been keto seven months and basically written off rotisserie chicken at home. Every attempt ended in dry meat I couldn't finish. First time pressure cooking a whole bird, and the lemon butter under the skin had the house smelling like something serious was happening the second I lifted the lid. The broil at the end surprised me. A few minutes under heat and the skin pulled tight and golden, which is what I needed. Still pretty new to cooking, so having it work at all was a relief. Four stars because my bird ran small and I should have cut the pressure time, but I know what to fix when I make it again Sunday.
Yeah, under 4 pounds I back off to 5 minutes per pound. You already diagnosed it. Sunday should be clean.
Didn't have mustard powder in the house so I whisked a little Dijon into the lemon butter before rubbing it under the skin. Wasn't sure how it would turn out but the chicken had this really savory, almost tangy depth that I liked a lot. The lemon still came through, which I was glad about. Worth trying if you're out of mustard powder, or just because.
Dijon is a better swap than I would have guessed. The vinegar in it probably amplified the lemon too. I might just start doing it that way.
Never cooked a whole chicken before, but 6 minutes per pound made this feel doable. It was falling apart when I pulled it from the broiler, and the lemon herb butter under the skin is why I'm making it again this weekend.
The butter under the skin is what makes it worth the repeat. Two spatulas, one under each side. That's how I get it out of the pot without losing it.
Made this for Sunday dinner and my kids inhaled it. My 8-year-old literally pulled the crispy skin off and ate it first, then went back for the actual chicken. No leftovers. The lemon butter under the skin was a brilliant move.
Ha, the skin-first approach is the right move honestly. Mine crisp up better if I pat the whole bird dry before the lemon butter goes on.
Can I cook this in the crock pot?
You should be able to. I would cook for 6-8 hours on low. You may have to finish in the oven with a broil to get a nice brown crispy skin.