Make the most nourishing Instant Pot Chicken Soup using vegetables and a whole chicken! It makes bone broth in the process and becomes SO nutritious and comforting. Plus, this soup is gluten-free, keto, paleo, and Whole30!
What Makes This Recipe Great
I love a good chicken soup, and it’s so healing and comforting when you feel sick or down. I first made this Instant Pot Chicken Soup recipe on a whim and didn’t measure any of the ingredients, and it turned out absolutely fantastic, so I had to make it again to share it with you!
This recipe uses a whole chicken, and I love that because you end up making bone broth while cooking it, so you have a protein-packed, nutrient-dense soup at the end of it. And it all comes together a little over one hour!
This soup is perfect when you’re feeling under the weather or need some comfort. I hope you make this nourishing chicken soup to boost your immunity and fight off the bugs. It also freezes really well, so you can make it ahead of time to pull out on a cold day. It’s basically a hug in a bowl!
Watch a Short Video of This Recipe
Ingredient Notes
- Veggies: Onion, carrots, and green beans. You can also use celery instead of green beans.
- Garlic cloves
- Ginger
- Whole Chicken: I used a 4lb whole chicken because I love the mix of white and dark meat. If you prefer one or the other, feel free to use all chicken breasts or chicken thighs. If you don’t prefer bone-in chicken, choose boneless options.
- Sea salt
- Crushed black pepper
- Water
- Chopped green onions: For garnish.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Place onion, carrots, green beans, garlic, and ginger in the Instant Pot.
- Lay the chicken over the vegetables.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Pour water over everything.
- Close the lid of the Instant Pot, then set it to “Soup” on high pressure for 30 minutes. Ensure the valve on your pressure cooker is set to the sealing position.
- Once the soup is finished, the Instant Pot will beep a few times. Wait about 30 minutes for the pressure to release naturally until you can open the lid.
- Take out the chicken and debone. You can save the bones to make bone broth.
- Shred the meat and place it back in the Instant Pot. Stir.
- Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve with chopped green onions sprinkled on top.
Expert Tips
- Feel free to add additional ingredients to this soup recipe if desired, but keep in mind that depending on which vegetables or starches you add, it will no longer be keto, Paleo, whole 30, etc.
- Some options for additional ingredients include celery, potatoes, cooked rice, fresh herbs (thyme, bay leaf, rosemary) for additional flavor, and more.
- Since we’re using a whole chicken, the leftover bones are perfect for making homemade chicken broth using this recipe.
- This isn’t a chicken “noodle” soup, but it’s quite easy to turn this into an Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup recipe by adding a package of wide egg noodles (or noodles of choice). After you remove the chicken to de-bone shred, turn the Instant Pot on to SAUTE, then once it starts boiling, add about 6 oz noodles for 6-7 minutes until al dente. Turn off the Instant Pot, add the chicken back in, and stir together before serving.
Storage Tips
- Store leftover instant pot chicken soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or over the stovetop.
- To freeze, let the soup cool completely, then pour it into a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 3-4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up in the microwave or over the stovetop.
Recipe FAQs
For this recipe, the actual cook time is 30 minutes on soup mode. However, keep in mind that it does take time for the Instant Pot to come to pressure and then 30 minutes of natural pressure release after it’s done cooking.
Chicken gets chewy and rubbery when it is overcooked. For this reason, be careful not to overcook the chicken.
More Soup Recipes
Easy Leftover Turkey Rice Soup
Creamy Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup
30-Minute Dak Juk (Korean Rice Porridge)
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Instant Pot Chicken Soup Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 large carrots or 3 small, chopped
- 2 cups green beans chopped into 1 inch pieces OR 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 inch ginger minced
- 4 lb whole chicken giblets removed
- 2 tsp sea salt plus more to taste
- Cracked black pepper to taste (omit for AIP)
- 6 cups water
- Chopped green onions, for garnish
Instructions
- Place onion, carrots, green beans, garlic, and ginger in the Instant Pot.
- Lay the chicken over the vegetables.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Pour water over everything.
- Close the lid of the Instant Pot, then set it to "Soup" on high pressure of 30 minutes.
- Once the soup is finished, the Instant Pot will beep a few times. Wait about 30 minutes for the pressure to go down naturally until you can open the lid.
- Take out the chicken and debone. You can save the bones to make bone broth. *Check Notes if you want to add noodles.
- Shred the meat and place back in the Instant Pot. Stir.
- Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve with chopped green onions sprinkled on top.
Notes
Expert Tips
- Feel free to add additional ingredients to this soup recipe if desired, but keep in mind that depending on which vegetables or starches you add, it will no longer be keto, Paleo, whole 30, etc.
- Some options for additional ingredients include celery, potatoes, cooked rice, fresh herbs (thyme, bay leaf, rosemary) for additional flavor, and more.
- Since we’re using a whole chicken, the leftover bones are perfect for making homemade chicken broth using this recipe.
- *This isn’t a chicken “noodle” soup, but it’s quite easy to turn this into an Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup recipe by adding a package of wide egg noodles (or noodles of choice). After you remove the chicken to de-bone shred, turn the Instant Pot on to SAUTE, then once it starts boiling, add 6 oz of noodles for 6-7 minutes until al dente. Turn off the Instant Pot, add the chicken back in, and stir together before serving.
Storage Tips
- Store leftover instant pot chicken soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or over the stovetop.
- To freeze, let the soup cool completely, then pour it into a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 3-4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up in the microwave or over the stovetop.
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Can I use chicken drumsticks for this recipe? What adjustment should I make?
Yes, definitely! You don’t have to adjust the cooking time. Just use 3-4 lbs of drumsticks.
I just made this. I changed it up a little by adding celery on top of the chicken with some fresh thyme, parsley, and oregano and omitting the green beans and ginger. I added about a tablespoon of soup base too when I added the water too. But this is a great jumping off point for you to tweak to make your favorite chicken soup. The broth was very rich and flavorful. I recommend leaving the carrots in pretty large chunks, like 1 inch long, so they don’t get too mushy. But thanks for this recipe. The chicken was perfect and the broth is a winner!
So glad you liked it!
Is this with a whole cooked chicken? Or raw & it cooks in a half hour?
Yup, whole raw chicken. That’s what’s so amazing about the Instant Pot!
I have a question about making bone broth from the chicken bones. Shouldn’t the bones be raw vs. cooked? Thanks.
You can use cooked bones to make bone broth. It may not be as potent but it’ll still release the same beneficial nutrients. Some even reuse raw bones use for bone broth to make a second batch.
Do I need to take the skin off the chicken first?
You can if you want. That’s my favorite part so I keep it on on mine.
Can the chicken be frozen?
Yes, but I would add 10 minutes to the cooking time.
This was SO comforting and delicious. Thank you!
I’m looking forward to trying this, thank you! It gives the nutritional info but doesn’t give the serving size. What is the serving size, please?
Thanks so much! There’s no specific serving size because every soup yields a different amount from the size of the vegetables, chicken, and the how much fat content the chicken has. The nutrition info is based on the assumption that there are 8 servings, so you can just divide the soup into 8 equal portions after to you make it for a single serving.
Hola. I love this recipe but when I wait 30 mins of natural release post cooking, then press the realease seal it takes another 3 0 mins. You don’t mention this bit. How long does your NR take or do you just turn the power off?
Thanks for all your recipes xx
Hi Marina, I mention that it takes about 30 minutes for the pressure to naturally release, although the time may be different every time. If the lid doesn’t open easily after waiting, you can quick release pressure, or wait about 5 minutes more until the pressure to release fully.
BTW I’m still cooking this recipe and absolutely love it. Today it was still naturally releasing at 44 minutes so I did a quick release and it took another 10 mins.
I was just looking but can’t see, can this be frozen?
Thanks so much, and yes, it freezes really well! Just separate into portions and freeze in airtight containers.
Do the vegetables turn into mush?
No, they just cook through until soft like in any soup.
would it be possible to add wild rice to the instant pot prior to cooking?
I never tried, but I don’t see why not. Just add it in with the rest of the ingredients!
What can be used instead of green beans to make it AIP?
You can use any greens that you like, like kale, cabbage, or even broccoli.
My first time cooking a whole chicken, but it came out wonderfully in the instant pot following your recipe. Thanks!
Yay! I’m so glad! Thank you.
Maybe a silly questions, do I need to remove giblets from chicken before cooking?
Yes!
Last week I attempted to cooked a whole chicken by itself in my 6 qt Instant pot. It was only a 3.5 lb bird, but I could barely close the lid without the legs getting in the way. Even after I managed to close it, it struggled to come to pressure (the valve wouldn’t seal). It turned out to be more trouble than I expected. Having said that, how did all the above ingredients PLUS a 4 lb bird fit? LOL! I know I’m laughing here, but I have some underlying anxiety over attempting the soup now. LOL 😂 Any suggestions would be appreciated. 🙂
Did you have to put it on a steam rack of some sort? I’m curious because I’ve never had trouble fitting a whole chicken in my 6 qt for this recipe. Maybe try a smaller chicken just in case!
Hi! Thanks for sharing the recipe…would it be OK to use frozen green beans in this?
Yes – that’s fine!
This was amazing to make fresh soup so quickly. My chicken was 4.5 pounds so I cooked it for 35 min. The chicken was so moist unlike when you cook it traditionally on the stove.
I didn’t wait for the full natural release. After 10 minutes I pushed the button to release. And so much white stuff flew out with the steam and made a big mess in my kitchen. Is this why you say to do a full natural release?
Yes! Since it’s a lot of liquid, there’s a ton of pressure in there. So you want to wait fully. BUT, if you want to release pressure early, I just put a kitchen towel over the pressure valve so things don’t fly everywhere. I’ve been there, and it’s a pain to clean!
Thanks I will do that next time.
Whole chickens have been on sale and I have so many in my freezer! But I still bought another one today and made your soup! I started searching online for a recipe and came across yours and said, “of course she has a recipe!” I use an 8 qt IP and I use a basket to hold everything. It just makes it easier to separate everything when it’s done. I love the flavor with the ginger, I need to start doing that when I made bone broth!! I will keep this in the freezer for when a cold strikes; although like you, I don’t get sick often since cutting out the sugar (10 yrs now!) It does make for a comforting lunch in the winter! Thanks for sharing a great and easy, hands off recipe!!!
This was my first time making chicken soup TBH and it is perfect! The directions were easy and I had most of the ingredients on hand already. I added in pasta while shredding the chicken along with some partial bags of corn and peas from the freezer. This will be in regular rotation through the winter!
Sounds delicious with the corn and peas! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
This was a simple and easy recipe – I was sick and my husband was able to make it easily. We added oregano, Rosemary, Adobo and thyme and some chicken broth concentrate to give it more flavor. So simple – put everything into the instant and in about 50 minutes – dinner! I only waited 10 minutes and let the pressure release. I checked the temperature of the chicken with a digital thermometer and it was well above 160.
So glad you enjoyed it, Sue. Thank you so much for leaving a review!
This was very tasty. I was looking for a quick, simple chicken soup and this fit the bill. I did ad 1/2 lemon and a bit of rosemary and thyme,though it would have been delicious without them. Served with rosemary bread. Everyone loved it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Leone. Thank you so much for leaving a review!
Delicious and easy! Added egg noodles, rosemary and a handful of spinach. Along with chicken stock for more flavor; I didn’t have a whole chicken so I used chicken thighs. So so good! I have been very sick and this is exactly what the doctor ordered! Will make this on repeat through the year!
Sounds wonderful, so glad you enjoyed it!
If I want to make a pound of drumsticks, do I divide the time by four? So, about 7 or 8 minutes?
You can do 15 minutes of cook time! You can probably get away with 10 minutes, but I do like to cook it a bit longer to create a more nutritious bone broth.
Thank you!
Tastes great, healthy and easy to do.
Thank you for leaving a review!!