🍲 Instant Pot Whole Chicken Noodle Soup

Serves: 6–8
Chicken: 4–5 lb whole chicken, skin-on
Total time: About 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 whole 4–5 lb chicken, skin-on, giblets removed
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 3 celery stalks, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth or a combination of broth and water*
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 oz egg noodles
• 1–2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (optional, but recommended)
• 2–3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

*Don't exceed your Instant Pot's max-fill line. You may need less than 8 cups with a larger chicken.

Instructions

1. Prep the chicken.
Remove the chicken from its packaging and take out any giblets from the cavity. Leave the skin on. There's no need to brown the chicken first.

2. Fill the Instant Pot.
Place the whole chicken in the pot. Add the yellow onion, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, dried parsley and bay leaves.

Pour in the chicken broth, making sure everything stays below the max-fill line.

Don't add the egg noodles yet.

3. Pressure cook.
Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to High Pressure.

• 4 lb chicken: 24 minutes
• 4½ lb chicken: 27 minutes
• 5 lb chicken: 30 minutes

A good rule is approximately 6 minutes per pound.

When cooking finishes, allow a 15-minute natural pressure release, then carefully release any remaining pressure.

4. Remove and shred the chicken.
Carefully lift the whole chicken out and place it in a large bowl or on a cutting board. It will be very tender and may start falling apart.

Remove and discard the skin and bones. Shred or chop the chicken meat.

Remove the bay leaves from the soup.

5. Cook the noodles.
Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté and bring the broth to a simmer.

Add 8 oz egg noodles and cook until just tender, usually 5–8 minutes depending on the package directions. Stir occasionally.

6. Add the chicken back.
Return the shredded chicken to the pot. You don't necessarily need all of it—add however much gives you the chicken-to-broth ratio you like.

Let everything heat through for another minute or two.

7. Taste and finish.
Taste the broth and add additional salt and pepper if needed.

For a brighter, more flavorful broth, stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice, taste, and add another tablespoon if you'd like. Add fresh parsley.

⭐ Leftover tip

If you're making enough for leftovers, consider cooking the noodles separately instead. Put cooked noodles into each bowl and ladle the hot chicken soup over them.

That keeps the noodles from sitting in the broth overnight and turning into little broth-stealing sponges. 😄

 Texas-Style Smoked Whole Chicken

5 lb whole chicken • Texas-blend smoking wood • Butter under the skin

QUICK GUIDE

Smoker: 300°F

Estimated cook time: 2–2½ hours

Breast: 160–165°F

Thighs: 170–175°F

Rest: 10–15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 whole chicken, about 5 lb

• 2 tbsp salted butter + 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

• Neutral oil (avocado or canola), just enough for a very thin coating

TEXAS-STYLE RUB

• 2 tsp kosher salt

• 1 tbsp coarse black pepper

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• 2 tsp garlic powder

• 1½ tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp chili powder

• ½ tsp ground cumin

• ¼–½ tsp cayenne

• ½–1 tsp brown sugar, optional

BUTTER UNDER THE SKIN

Combine the 4 tbsp softened butter. For extra flavor, mix in a little garlic powder, black pepper, smoked paprika, and thyme. Gently loosen the skin over the breasts and, where practical, the thighs. Spread the butter directly onto the meat under the skin. Keep butter off the outside of the skin so it has a better chance to crisp.

PREPARATION

1. Remove any giblets and pat the chicken very dry, inside and out.

2. Apply the seasoned butter under the skin.

3. Lightly coat the outside skin with neutral oil, then season evenly with the Texas-style rub. Season the cavity lightly as well.

4. For the best skin and deeper seasoning, refrigerate the seasoned chicken uncovered for 4–12 hours. If cooking immediately, it will still work.

SMOKING

1. Preheat the smoker to 300°F and use your Texas-blend smoking wood.

2. Place the chicken in the smoker breast-side up. A 5 lb chicken will usually take about 2–2½ hours, but cook to temperature rather than time.

3. Begin checking the internal temperature at about 1½ hours. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and inner thigh without touching bone.

4. If the skin needs more color or crispness near the end, increase the smoker to 350–375°F for the final 15–20 minutes.

5. Remove when the breast is about 160–165°F and the thighs are about 170–175°F. Rest 10–15 minutes before carving.

KEY TIP

Don’t judge doneness by the clock alone. Chicken size, starting temperature, weather, and smoker behavior can all change the cooking time. Use a reliable meat thermometer.