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(Instant Pot) Cantonese Poached Chicken

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 3.5 - 4 lb. whole young chicken (free range and organic recommended)
  • 4 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and whacked open with the flat side of a knife
  • 1 medium onion, halved
  • 8 cups cold water

Ginger Scallion Oil (if I make 2 chix, only increase the ginger/scallion oil by 1.5x and not double.)

  • 4 Tablespoon peanut or canola oil
  • 6 Tablespoon ginger, peeled and grated
  • 8 stalks green onions, roots removed, finely chopped
  • 1 ¾ teaspoon sea salt

Preparation

  1. Clean the chicken. Rinse it under cold water, inside and outside. Set it aside.
  2. Make Ginger Scallion Sauce while chicken is cooking: Heat 4 Tablespoon oil in a saucepan over medium heat until it gets hot. Place the freshly grated ginger, chopped scallion, and salt in a small heat-proof bowl. Pour in the HOT oil and mix well. It should sizzle. Taste and add more salt to your taste.

Cooking Process

  1. Pressure Cook Whole Chicken: Add garlic cloves, ginger, medium onion, and 8 cups of cold water to the Instant Pot. With tongs, carefully submerge the whole chicken in the water. Ensure the water covers at least 90% of the chicken. Add more water as needed.
  2. Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 0 minute + Natural Release (24 - 30 minutes) depending on the size of the chicken. Add or subtract 2 minutes for every .4 pounds.
  • For 4.0 lb. Whole Chicken: 24 minutes Natural Release
  • For 4.4 lb. Whole Chicken: 26 minutes Natural Release
  • For 4.8 lb. Whole Chicken: 28 minutes Natural Release
  • For 5.2 lb. Whole Chicken: 30 minutes Natural Release
  1. Open the lid carefully. With tongs, carefully remove the chicken from Instant Pot. Be very careful as there will be hot liquid in the chicken carcass. Drain the hot chicken stock liquid from the chicken carcass.
  2. Place the whole chicken on a large plate and measure temperature of the thickest part of chicken. Make sure the temperature reaches at least 165°F. (If the thickest part is almost 165°F, you can just rest it on the plate and the carry over heat will continue to cook the chicken. If the thickest part is below 160°F, place chicken back into the hot liquid and close the lid for another 5 minutes.)
  3. When chicken is cool, debone the chicken. Lightly brush the tops of the chicken with the ginger scallion oil. Reserve the rest for additional dipping sauce.

*Note: Strain the chicken stock to remove fat and solids, and save for a soup dish.

Timing for 5 pound chicken:

4:00 pm start cooking in IP

4:27 pm reach 0 minutes

5:00 pm 29 minutes natural release (cover chicken with foil). Hot and sour soup can start.

5:20 pm Chicken is cool enough to deconstruct with plastic gloves

5:45 pm Deconstructed and ready to eat.