Instant Pot chicken drumsticks are the perfect easy weeknight dinner! Thanks to the Instant Pot, this recipe is so simple, and cleanup is a breeze. Just add your chicken drumsticks and seasoning to the pressure cooker, then let it do its thing. In just 30 minutes, you'll have juicy, flavorful chicken cooked to perfection. Cover with sauce and pop it under the broiler for delicious bbq chicken your family will love. Serve with your favorite sides or atop a bed of rice for a complete meal.
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Instant Pot chicken drumsticks are my new favorite way to make chicken legs when I'm in a rush. They’re juicy and flavorful, and they cook in a fraction of the time it would take to roast them in the oven.
Plus, they’re super easy to make. Just toss the drumsticks in the Instant Pot with some seasonings, set it, and forget it. In less than 30 minutes, you’ll have perfectly cooked chicken ready to eat.
Making Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks is a great way to get a delicious, healthy meal on the table for your whole family with minimal effort.
The Instant Pot cooks the chicken perfectly, and the skin comes out crispy and golden brown.
I also have other delicious instant pot chicken recipes. Check out Instant Pot frozen chicken breasts as well!
I love cooking chicken for dinner. Some of my favorites are Air Fryer Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, Frozen Chicken Wings in Air Fryer, Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Legs, and Bacon-Wrapped Boneless Chicken Breast in Air Fryer.
Check out my delicious Smoked Chicken Legs, Smoked Whole Chicken, and Chili Lime Chicken (Smoked) if you have a smoker.
👩🏻🍳 More Instant Pot Recipes
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❤️ Why this recipe works
- A delicious, easy chicken dish that's perfect for any night of the week
- These drumsticks are an excellent source of protein
- Requires just minutes in the Instant Pot pressure cooker
- Tender, juicy, flavorful chicken thanks to the pressure cooking method and the variety of spices.
- Quick and easy recipe to make - perfect for busy weeknights!
- Only 10 minutes of prep time required
- It can be made with or without a sauce
- You can make it in 30 minutes.
- You can cook as many legs as you can fit in your Instant Pot, making it a quick and easy way to feed your family.
- Leftovers make a great lunch or dinner the next day, great for meal prep!
🍗 Ingredients
All that is required to make this instant pot chicken drumstick recipe are simple ingredients you can easily find at your local grocery store. You will need:
- Chicken drumsticks. I used chicken legs that I got at Costco. I like to buy them on sale and pop them in the freezer.
- Olive oil. I used olive oil, but you can use avocado oil as well.
- Dry rub. I like to make a homemade dry rub that contains onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, black pepper, brown sugar, Roasted garlic and pepper seasoning, and seasoning salt.
- Water. You can also use chicken broth for extra flavor.
- BBQ sauce. This is added at the end of the cooking time; after all, bbq chicken drumsticks are so good!
See the recipe card for quantities.
🔥 How to make Instant Pot chicken drumsticks
If you’re still new to cooking with your Instant Pot, this chicken drumstick recipe is easy to make for first-timers. Just make sure you learn all of the functions to maximize your electric pressure cooker. 🙂
In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the dry rub.
Pat the chicken legs dry with a paper towel. Discard the paper towel.
Brush the chicken legs with olive oil.
Sprinkle the dry rub evenly on the chicken legs. Then, use your fingers to push the rub into the chicken. Make sure you coat the bottom and sides.
Add one cup of water into the bottom of the Instant Pot and insert the trivet. Place the chicken legs in a single layer on top of the trivet.
Set the Instant Pot on high pressure for 10 minutes using the pressure cook button.
Let it go on natural release for another 10 minutes. Then, do a quick release to remove any remaining pressure in the pot before removing the lid.
Using tongs, place the cooked drumsticks on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Brush one side of each leg with your favorite BBQ sauce and put the pan of chicken under your broiler for a few minutes, supervising it to ensure nothing burns.
Once the top side looks crispy, pull the legs out, flip them, add BBQ sauce to the other side, and repeat. This extra step will give you deliciously crispy skin on your chicken.
Serve with your favorite sides, and enjoy!
📋 Substitutions
The recipe is pretty flexible and can be prepared in many different ways. Here are some potential substitutions:
- Frozen drumsticks. There will be a slight change in cooking time with frozen meat, but if you have frozen drumsticks on hand, feel free to use them instead. You will have to add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
- Chicken thighs: If you prefer other dark meat, you can use different chicken parts, like chicken thighs. If they are bone-in chicken thighs you will need to increase the cooking time by a few minutes.
- Chicken stock. You can use chicken stock instead of water to add more flavor to the meat.
📖 Variations
If you’d like to try a completely different flavor profile, you can replace the BBQ sauce with buffalo sauce, honey Sriracha sauce, or a homemade teriyaki sauce.
To add some kick to your Instant Pot drumsticks, you can add some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to your dry rub. Feel free to experiment with the dry rub; we recommend trying dried herbs or seasoned salts.
You can also incorporate aromatics like garlic cloves into the water at the base of the pot to infuse flavor into the drumsticks.
🥗 What to serve with delicious instant pot chicken drumsticks
- White rice or coconut rice
- Ultra Crispy Air Fryer Potatoes
- Carrot Salad
- Creamy Coleslaw
- Easy Baked Beans
- Frozen Broccoli in Air Fryer
- Easy Air Fryer Carrots
- Smoked Corn on the Cob
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Frozen Fries in Air Fryer
- Garden salad
🍽 Equipment
To make this easy instant pot recipe, you need an Instant Pot pressure cooker. I used an 8-quart Instant Pot.
You will also need an oven to broil the chicken for a few minutes before serving.
A pastry brush is ideal for spreading the olive oil and bbq sauce.
🌡️ Storage
If you have leftover chicken drumsticks, place them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. They will keep in the fridge for about three to four days, and in the freezer, they will keep for up to 2 months.
💭 Top tips
- Pat the drumsticks with paper towels before cooking to help the dry rub stick to the skin. This also helps the skin to crisp up better for tasty drumsticks.
- Skip the broiling part if crispy skin isn’t that important for you. If you want a beautiful brown color on your drumsticks, though, combine oil and butter for extra flavor.
- Adding enough liquid to the pot is vital because the Instant Pot primarily uses steam to cook food and retain tender meat.
- Avoid overfilling your Instant Pot. Instead, be mindful of the maximum fill line inside the pot and leave some room for expansion.
- Keep an eye on the chicken when broiling; it cooks fast!
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The cook time for drumsticks in the instant pot will vary depending on the size of the drumsticks. For the average-size drumsticks, cook them for 10 minutes on high pressure. For larger drumsticks, cook them for 12 minutes on high pressure.
Yes, you can overcook chicken in an Instant Pot. If you cook the chicken for too long, it will become dry and tough. Make sure to check the doneness of the chicken regularly and remove it from the pot when it is cooked through.
Yes, you can stack chicken in an Instant Pot. Just be sure to place them in a single layer and not too close to the sides or top of the pot, as they won't cook evenly if they're crowded.
There is no need to brown the chicken before pressure cooking it. The high pressure and heat of the pressure cooker will cook the chicken through perfectly without any extra help, and the broiling step at the end will give you nicely browned chicken.
Instant Pots can help home cooks with little time accomplish some great things. This Instant Pot recipe will give you and your family tender chicken drumsticks in a short amount of time. It utilizes simple, pantry-friendly ingredients but delivers a beautiful flavor far from “simple.”
All you need is your handy electric pressure cooker, and you’ll be set to cook for your household. Try our Instant Pot chicken legs recipe, and let us know what you think!
Please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you!
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📋 Recipe
Easy Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
- Oven for broiling
- Basting brush
Ingredients
- 8 chicken drumsticks
- 2-3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon dry chicken rub, or your favorite rub link for homemade rub is down below in the notes
- 1 cup water or chicken broth
- ½-1 cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the dry rub.
- Pat the chicken legs dry with a paper towel. Discard the paper towel.
- Brush the chicken legs with olive oil.
- Sprinkle the dry rub evenly on the chicken legs. Use your fingers to push the rub into the chicken.
- Add one cup of water into the bottom of the Instant Pot and insert the trivet. Place the chicken legs in a single layer on top of the trivet.
- Using the pressure cook button, set the Instant Pot on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Let it go on natural release for another 10 minutes. Then, do a quick release to remove any remaining pressure in the pot before removing the lid.
- Using tongs, place the cooked drumsticks on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Brush one side of each leg with your favorite BBQ sauce and put the pan of chicken under your broiler for a few minutes, supervising it to ensure nothing burns.
- Once the top side looks crispy, pull the legs out, flip them, add BBQ sauce to the other side, and repeat. This extra step will give you deliciously crispy skin on your chicken.
- Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Pat the drumsticks with paper towels before cooking to help the dry rub stick to the skin. This also helps the skin crispen better for tasty drumsticks.
- Skip the broiling part if crispy skin isn’t that important for you. If you want a beautiful brown color on your drumsticks, though, combine oil and butter for extra flavor.
- Adding enough liquid to the pot is vital because the Instant Pot primarily uses steam to cook food and retain tender meat.
- Avoid overfilling your Instant Pot. Be mindful of the maximum fill line inside the pot and leave some room for expansion.
- Keep an eye on the chicken when broiling, it cooks fast!
Nutrition
📑 Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
jaime
I am OBSESSED with this chicken. it is sooo good!!! I think it is your dry rub recipe that really seals the deal, but this recipe is easy, fast, and I've made it 3 times in the last month. I live alone so that's okay hahaha.
Jeri
Thank you so much for your kind words about this Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks Recipe, Jaime! I'm so thrilled that you love it and have made it multiple times! The dry rub recipe is definitely a fan favorite! Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment! 🙂
Rod
This recipe really gets your taste Buds going. Definitely finger licking good.