This juicy, fall-off-the-bone healthy Instant Pot Greek chicken tastes like it has been roasting in the oven for hours when really it comes together in about an hour thanks to an electric pressure cooker. A delicious mix of fresh herbs, lemon zest and garlic is tucked into the skin to flavor the meat while the juices mingle with olives and capers to make a bright-tasting pan sauce.
Pro tip: A gravy separator is an inexpensive tool that makes skimming the fat off of soups and sauces like this one a snap.
To reduce the calories and saturated fat in this recipe, remove the skin before cooking. Serve with a high-fiber grain, like farro or quinoa, and a side of steamed veggies.
Active time: 20 minutes Total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Healthy Instant Pot Greek Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 medium lemon
- 1 (6-inch/15cm) fresh rosemary sprig
- 2 (6-inch/15cm) fresh oregano sprig
- 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 (4-pound/1.8kg) whole chicken, giblets and neck removed from cavity, if present
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 1/4 cup (104g) pitted Castelvetrano olives, smashed
- 1 tablespoon vinegar-packed capers, rinsed and drained
Directions
Zest the lemon onto a cutting board. Cut the lemon in half and juice it into a measuring cup. Add enough water to make 1/2 cup (118ml), set aside. Pull the rosemary and oregano leaves off the woody stems and discard stems. Mound the herbs and garlic on top of the lemon zest and chop everything together until the mixture is a coarse paste. Put the mixture in a small bowl, add the pepper and salt and stir to combine.
Carefully slide your fingers under the skin of the chicken covering the breast, thighs and drumsticks. Stuff the lemon zest-herb mixture under the chicken skin, spreading evenly. Tuck the wings tips under the chicken. Remove the blobs of yellow fat inside the cavity of the chicken and discard. Stuff the spent lemon halves into the cavity, tie the ends of the drumsticks together with kitchen string. Spray a trivet with handles with cooking spray and place the chicken breast side up on the trivet. Set aside.
Put the olive oil in the Instant Pot and adjust to high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they are tender and beginning to brown, 4 minutes. Press cancel. Add the lemon juice-water mixture and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the olives and capers and stir to combine. Place the chicken on the trivet in the pot. Lock the lid and make sure the pressure valve is sealed. Select pressure cook, adjust to high pressure for 24 minutes.
When the cooking program ends, allow the pressure to dissipate naturally for 15 minutes. Release any remaining pressure. Wearing oven mitts, lift the chicken on the trivet out of the pot. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Use a slotted spoon to fish out the onions, capers and olives and transfer to a small gravy boat. Set aside. Pour the cooking liquid into a gravy separator. If you don’t have a gravy separator, pour the sauce into a large glass measuring cup and spoon off the fat floating on top.
Pour the defatted sauce back into the Instant Pot, add the onion-olive mixture, select saute, and adjust to medium heat. Simmer uncovered while finishing the chicken.
Set broiler to high and adjust an oven rack to the upper third of the oven. Broil the chicken, rotating the baking sheet once, until the chicken is golden brown, 3 minutes. Remove from oven. Carve the chicken, discarding the skin and bones. Serve with the sauce.
Serves: 6 | Serving Size: 1/6 of the chicken (131g), 1/4 cup (59ml) sauce
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 206; Total Fat: 13g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 232mg; Sodium: 667mg; Carbohydrate: 10g; Dietary Fiber: 1g; Sugar: 1g; Protein: 17g
Discover hundreds of healthy recipes — from high protein to low carb — via “Recipe Discovery” in the MyFitnessPal app.
