Whole30 Chicken and Gravy (Instant Pot or Crock-Pot)

Nom Nom Paleo + Whole30 by Michelle Tam https://nomnompaleo.com

A deliciously cheap and easy Whole30 meal that basically cooks itself is Chicken and Gravy! I’ve made this dish using a couple of different cooking methods. My first version of Chicken and Gravy was made in a slow cooker (a.k.a. Crock-Pot), but these days, I cook this under high pressure in an Instant Pot ’cause I can get it on the table faster!

Two overhead shots of plates of Whole30 Chicken and Gravy. One was made in the Instant Pot, the other in the slow cooker/Crock-Pot.

Tips and Suggestions

Don’t overcook the chicken!

Whether you choose the Instant Pot or slow cooker/Crock-Pot method, make sure you’re around when the chicken is finished cooking so you can take it out right away. If you leave the chicken on the “Warm” mode, the residual heat will continue cooking the chicken, turning it dry and stringy. No amount of paleo gravy can rescue a dry, overcooked chicken!

An open Instant Pot that has a steaming cooked whole chicken inside.

Can I cook a whole frozen chicken?

I don’t recommend cooking a whole unthawed chicken because it won’t cook evenly. Invariably, you’ll end up overcooking parts of the bird to make sure the rest of it is fully cooked. If you have a frozen whole chicken, put it in the fridge to thaw, and make something else tonight. (Psst…Nomster Burgers are cheap, quick, and easy!)

Can I use chicken parts instead of a whole chicken?

Yes. If you’re cooking a cut-up chicken in the Instant Pot, decrease the cooking time to 15 minutes under high pressure. Cooking a cut-up bird in the slow cooker? The cooking time will be about 4 hours on low.

What do I serve with it?

Some of my favorite veggie side dishes are Baked Sweet Potatoes, Garlic Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes,” Pressure Cooker Kale and Carrots, Swiss Chard with Raisins, Pine Nuts, and Porkitos, Instant Pot Crispy Potatoes, Roasted Broccoli and Bacon, Roasted Kabocha Squash, and Whole Roasted Cauliflower.

How should I store leftover gravy?

The leftover gravy is truly liquid gold and I always freeze the extras in silicone ice cube molds! That way I can pop out a few cubes whenever I have a craving for gravy. And this leftover gravy is so tasty, you’ll want to ladle it on everything. No joke.

A shot of a white ramekin container filled with thick Whole30 chicken gravy.

Pick your kitchen electric of choice and click on the recipe below:

Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Chicken and Gravy

Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy

Want more inspiration from my past January Whole30s? Check out my Day 10 posts from 2018 and 2017!

2018 Whole30 Day 10: Chicken Two Ways
2017 Whole30 Day 10: Big-O Bacon Burgers

A note to my Nomsters: This is one of a series of daily blog posts I’m writing in the month of January 2019 to help those doing a Whole30 to kick off the New Year. Not sure what the Whole30 is, or want info on how to get started? Read my Whole30 prep post—and then come back to Nom Nom Paleo every single day for recipes to inspire, delight, and sustain you on your Whole30!

Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)!