Meal planning with a Whole Chicken

We currently offer whole, processed chickens for sale, packaged similarly to whole chickens found in the traditional grocery store.  Many people are used to buying chicken pieces, like breasts, thighs, and wings, so it may be unfamiliar to purchase and prepare a whole chicken.  We’re here to help.

Whole chickens are generally more affordable than buying specific pieces.  For the budget conscious, whole chickens are the way to go!  In our kitchen, we have several different methods for cooking a whole chicken.  Today we’ll outline one way and explain how to get several meals out of one chicken.

You’ve probably heard of the Instant Pot, which is all the rage on the internet as the home chef’s new best friend.  A quick search online for Instant Pot recipes will bring you a plethora of options, from foodies, RVers, newlyweds, and paleo bloggers.  These pressure cookers are a modern day marvel of appliance technology.  Gone are the days of burns and explosions with the pressure cookers of yore.  The Instant Pot offers one method to cooking your whole chicken.

Our favorite recipe for whole chicken in an Instant Pot comes from Raising Generation Nourished.  Here is the gist, with our changes:

• Put some chopped aromatics (onions, carrots, celery) in the bottom of the IP.
• Add minced garlic and 3 cups water.
• Take some herbs and salt (we like thyme and basil) and rub all over the chicken, making sure to get under the skin.
• We don’t have a rack for our IP, so we just put the chicken right in the water on top of the veggies.
• The recipe says to push the “Meat” button, but we have done this so many times without referencing the recipe and honestly forgot that was the button to push… So we’ve been using the “Manual” button for the same amount of time (25 minutes) and it works just fine.
• Then let the pressure naturally release for about 20 minutes.

You will get tender, fall-off-the-bone chicken PLUS 4+ cups of beautiful broth!  Now let’s get to the meals.  We’ll shred the chicken and split the meat into two portions.

Meal #1: Chicken fettuccini alfredo (with portion 1)

Meal #2: Chicken salad (with portion 2)

Meal #3: Rice made with the broth (we love to use the Instant Pot as a rice cooker!)

That’s three meals using one chicken!  It’s a cost-effective, simple way to feed your family.  What are some other meals you like to make with a whole chicken?

We are exploring the possibility of offering different cuts of chicken in the future.  Until then, enjoy your whole chickens throughout the week!