Instant Pot Chicken Legs

Learn how to make instant pot chicken legs; it’s super-fast and easy! This delicious recipe makes a quick weeknight meal for the whole family, but it’s also suitable for meal prep. 

Make juicy and flavorful instant pot chicken legs in no time! Just grab some chicken drumsticks from the store, season them with salt, pepper, and your preferred spices like garlic powder or paprika, and you're ready to roll.

This instant pot chicken drumsticks recipe is perfect for busy people who want a tasty homemade meal without spending too much time cooking. You won't have to spend hours in the kitchen anymore – just enjoy a plate full of perfect chicken drumsticks in less than 30 minutes and without turning on the oven. 

Jump to:

• Why should you use the instant pot for cooking?
• Versatility of chicken legs
• Recipe ingredients
• How do you cook chicken legs in the instant pot?
• Expert Tips
• Recipe FAQ
• How to store and reheat?
• What to serve with them?
• More great recipes using different chicken cuts
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why should you use the instant pot for cooking?

• Speed: The food cooks much faster than traditional methods. It can significantly reduce the cooking time for drumsticks, making it perfect for quick and easy meals.
• Tender and juicy: Pressure cooking locks in moisture, resulting in incredibly tender and juicy drumsticks. 
• Convenience: Just set it and forget it! There's no need for constant monitoring or stirring.
• Consistency: It provides consistent results every time you use it, ensuring tender meat without the risk of overcooking and tough cuts of meat.

Versatility of chicken legs

• Use fresh or frozen meat, with or without skin.
• To make a complete meal, serve the drumsticks as they are with mashed potatoes or fries and a salad. Or any other sides you like. 
• Brush them with barbeque sauce and broil them quickly before serving. 
• Meal prep: Incorporate the drumsticks in other chicken dishes, make chicken in tomato sauce, honey garlic chicken, or chicken and white rice. Use the meat to make salads, add it to soups, enchiladas, and pasta dishes, and make sandwiches, tacos, or wraps. 
• During the summertime, use the barbecue to finish cooking. This gives your drumsticks a tasty BBQ flavor without spending a lot of time flipping them on the grill.
• You can enjoy the chicken legs at room temperature, pack them in a lunchbox, or bring them along for a picnic.

Recipe ingredients

• Chicken drumsticks, aka chicken legs: You can keep the skin on or remove it (See Expert Tips).
  • You can use fresh or frozen drumsticks; just remember that the cooking time will be different. 

• Spices:
  • Salt and ground black pepper 
  • Garlic powder
  • Paprika: I prefer to use sweet paprika. I like to use sweet paprika, but you can use hot paprika (or a pinch of cayenne pepper) if you want your dish to be a bit spicy or smoked paprika if you like that smoky taste.
  • Alternatively, use about 3 teaspoons of your favorite spice rub or seasoning. Great options are your favorite chicken rub, universal seasoning, Cajun or Italian seasoning, ras-el hanout, curry powder, and so on. 
  • Or try our Spicy Dry Rub or the Cajun Dry Rub.

• Chicken broth: While broth or stock is the best choice, one cup of water will suffice if that’s all you have. 
• Olive oil or vegetable oil for rubbing the chicken pieces before adding the seasoning. Oil increases the flavor and helps the spices adhere to the meat. 
• Barbecue sauce is optional if you decide to broil the legs after cooking them in the instant pot. You can also use another favorite sauce, like buffalo sauce, sweet and spicy, or hot sauce. 

How do you cook chicken legs in the instant pot?

• Dry the pieces with a paper towel (1) and season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika, or use about 3 teaspoons of your favorite seasoning mix. Make sure they're well coated with the spices (2).

• Place the trivet into the inner pot and pour in the broth. Arrange the legs on top of the trivet. It’s okay if they overlap slightly (3). 

• Cook: Close the lid and ensure the steam valve is in the closed position. Choose "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" mode. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
• Natural release for about 5 minutes. Press the button to make a quick release of the remaining pressure. Open carefully and transfer the drumsticks to a serving platter.
• Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Optional steps:

• You can thicken the sauce. Switch the pot to "Sauté" mode and let the sauce simmer for a few minutes until it thickens to your liking.
• You can broil the chicken legs. Preheat the broiler and line a baking sheet with foil. Place the legs on top and brush them with BBQ sauce. Broil them for 4-6 minutes, flipping halfway and monitoring them constantly to prevent them from burning; a few brown bits here and there are great, but the skin should not get too dark. 

Expert Tips

• Cook from frozen: Increase the pressure-cooking time; frozen legs will need about 12 minutes. Release the pressure naturally for 5 minutes. Check that the meat is cooked through with an instant-read thermometer; the internal temperature should be 165°F (74°C).
• Skin: You can leave it on or remove it. If I plan to broil the meat, I always keep the chicken skin on. If I plan to serve the drumsticks in a sauce or use them for making enchiladas, fricassee, stew, or soup, then I remove the skin because I don’t like to eat it when it’s floppy. 
  • Crispy skin: Broil the pieces for 4-6 minutes, flipping them halfway through. For more flavor, brush them with your favorite BBQ sauce before broiling. 
• Stack the pieces in the pot: If you need to cook a larger batch, you can stack the pieces in the pot, but make sure they are not tightly packed or overlapping, as this can affect the cooking process. Ensure enough space between the pieces to allow hot air to reach all sides.
  • If you have a lot of chicken legs, you may need to cook them in multiple batches to avoid overcrowding.
• Make a sauce using the cooking liquid. In this case, using low-sodium stock or broth is preferable to prevent the sauce from being too salty. If it is too salty, add a bit more water and then let the sauce thicken in the Sauté mode. 

Recipe FAQ

How to store and reheat?

• Store leftover instant pot chicken legs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• For longer-term storage, freeze it in an airtight container or a freezer bag for approximately 3 months. When ready to use, thaw it in the refrigerator.
• When reheating in the oven, preheat it to 350°F (175°C). Place the chicken on a baking sheet and cover it with foil to prevent drying. Heat for approximately 10-15 minutes or until it's heated through.
• If using a microwave, arrange the chicken on a microwave-safe plate and loosely cover it with a microwave-safe lid or cover. Reheat in 30-second intervals until it reaches your desired temperature.
• For an air fryer, set it to 350°F (175°C) and reheat the chicken for 4-5 minutes or until it reaches your desired temperature and crispiness.

What to serve with them?

More great recipes using different chicken cuts

📖 Recipe