Juicy, tender, and packed full of flavor, this Instant Pot garlic pesto whole chicken is a must-try for this weekend dinner! 

Thinking of whipping up a roast chicken for a little dinner party you’re hosting? Not sure about what seasonings and flavors to opt for? This easy garlic pesto whole chicken recipe is exactly what you need to try out. 

It has some classic, versatile flavors which make it a total crowd-pleaser. Plus, you can serve it with pretty much anything. Plus, the recipe is so simple, you’ll actually be surprised at how quickly you managed to put it together. 

Ready to give the recipe a shot? Here’s all you need to know about it before you do. 

What Else Can I Add to the Garlic Pesto Whole Chicken?

There’s a lot you can add to the mix if you want to. While you get the chicken ready to broil, you can also chop up some potatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, green beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, and any other veggies of your choice and add them to the pan, and let them cook until they’re nice and crisp. 

What Can I Do With the Leftovers?

This one’s my favorite part about the recipe. Even if I do have some leftover chicken, there are a ton of different ways I could put it to use. The chicken can be a nice filling for a quick homemade sandwich with some freshly sliced veggies, and can also be a good protein source for your easy pesto pasta dish. 

You can shred the chicken and layer it on a tortilla along with some veggies and sauces, wrap it up and toast it lightly to turn it into a quick tortilla meal. 

Tips to Nail the Garlic Pesto Whole Chicken Recipe

Think you’ve got the recipe all covered? You might want to keep these additional tips and tricks in mind. 

• Don’t have a whole chicken but still want to try out this recipe? You absolutely can. Just follow the same process and add some chopped or minced garlic into the chicken, along with a generous squeeze of lemon juice and you should be good. 
• If you’re not too keen on using the Instant Pot, you can also use a skillet or a pan to pan-fry the pieces of chicken. 
• Want to add a bit of heat to the chicken? Add some chopped jalapenos or a little cayenne pepper for that spicy kick. 
• Want to lend some extra creaminess into this dish? Soak the whole chicken (or chicken pieces) in some buttermilk before you start with the recipe. This will also help make the chicken so much more tender and juicy. 
• To lend an extra punch of tangy flavor, you can also add some lemon zest in while you’re adding the pesto.  

Got the garlic pesto chicken already? You can serve it with a side of any roasted vegetables of your choice or even team it up with some vegan air fryer avocado rolls or baked green beans or a nice salad like cucumber feta chickpea salad.