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    Home » Recipes » Chicken Recipes

    Published: Feb 15, 2023 by Nicole This post may contain affiliate links.

    Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    promotional graphic for Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks

    Make dinner quick and easy tonight with this Instant Pot chicken drumsticks recipe. Made with basic seasonings and your handy kitchen appliance, this recipe is sure to become a favorite.

    a plate of cooked chicken legs on a plate garnished with sliced green onions and an instant pot in the background

    We love using our instant pot whenever we get the chance, which isn't as much as it used to be since we bought an air fryer. That said, the instant pot is still one of our favorite kitchen appliances!

    This chicken drumsticks recipe is perfect for a simpler meal in less time. From the crispy seasoned skin to the tender meat inside, every bite will have you wanting to go back for another.

    Don't have chicken legs? Check out this recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Quarters. Perfect for those larger cuts of meat with the thighs too.

    Why This Recipe Works

    1. It's simple. This recipe is super easy and simple enough that anyone could follow along. Just add seasonings, cook the sides of the legs a little, and then let the instant pot do the rest.
    2. It's delicious. From the homemade seasoning blend (using basic pantry staple seasonings) to the juicy chicken, everything about this meal is perfect for any night of the week.
    3. They go great with anything. Serve up this chicken recipe with summer side dishes like Creamy Orange Fluff Salad or comfort dishes like Creamy Garlic Red Skin Mashed Potatoes.
    Jump to:
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🍽 Equipment Needed
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🧾 Substitutions
    • 🍴 Recipe Tips
    • 🍳 Reheating
    • 🥗 Side Dishes
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Storage
    • 💭 FAQs
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments
    labeled ingredient needed to make instant pot chicken legs

    🥘 Ingredients

    Olive oil- You'll need some olive oil to help saute the chicken in. This will give you nicer brown skin on the legs and help to prevent them from sticking to the pot.

    Drumsticks- Use chicken drumsticks that have been fully thawed and are at room temperature. You can use up to a dozen chicken legs and be just fine. Note frozen legs may take longer to cook.

    Seasonings- We will need to use paprika, garlic powder, Oregano (or Italian seasoning), salt, and black pepper for the tasty seasoning blend on this chicken.

    Water- Use water or chicken broth for cooking the chicken in the instant pot. Your instant pot will require 1-1.5 cups of water to help it come up to pressure.

    For specific quantities, see the recipe card below.

    🍽 Equipment Needed

    BeeyondCereal is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.

    • 6qt Instant Pot
    • Small Bowl
    • Measuring Spoons

    🔪 Instructions

    Check out how to make Instant Pot chicken drumsticks with these simple step-by-step instructions:

    different seasonings in a small white bowl

    Add your seasonings to a bowl.

    mixed seasoning in a bowl

    Mix together to combine.

    seasoning sprinkled on top of raw chicken legs on a baking sheet

    Add your seasoning mixture to the raw chicken legs.

    seasoned chicken legs on a baking sheet

    Toss well and rub to cover all of the chicken.

    Add olive oil to the instant pot. Heat instant pot to Saute. Allow to preheat for a minute or two or until the oil is sizzling.

    searing the sides of chicken legs in an instant pot

    Place the drumsticks into the heated instant pot. Work in batches if needed. Cook 2-3 minutes per side until browned.

    browned chicken legs on a baking sheet with a pair of tongs

    Remove all of the legs from the instant pot.

    burnt bits at the bottom of the instant pot liner

    Add in the water and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the bottom of the pan.

    deglazed pan liner

    This means stir up any hard bits that may be stuck to the pan as a result of the chicken. The liquid will help them to come up easier.

    aerial view of several piled chicken legs in an instant pot

    Add the trivet and place all of the chicken legs on top.

    cooked chicken legs in an instant pot

    Close and seal the lid. Cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes. Do a 5 minute Natural Pressure Release.

    Then check the internal temperature of the chicken. It should register at least 165 degrees F.

    If not, place the chicken on a baking sheet and broil on High in the oven for a few minutes until the temperature has been reached and the skin is crispy.

    a pile of cooked chicken legs on a plate topped with sliced green onions

    🧾 Substitutions

    Oregano: You can use Italian seasoning instead of oregano if desired. This will give some great flavors, and it includes oregano in the blend. I often use Italian seasoning whenever I can.

    Paprika: Regular paprika works fine here, but feel free to swap it out for smokey paprika for a deeper flavor that's perfect for summer.

    Water: You will need 1 cup of water for a 4 quart or 6 quart instant pot or 1.5 cups of water for a bigger instant pot (8qt and bigger). You can swap it out for chicken broth or even beer if desired.

    🍴 Recipe Tips

    Make sure to just lightly brown the skin of the chicken before cooking it in the instant pot. This is what helps to seal in the juices and it gives a nicer texture to the skin as well.

    Because the instant pot doesn't have a crisper on it, if you would like a crispy skin, place the drumsticks on a baking sheet and broil on high for 1-3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them though as they can easily become burnt or charred.

    🍳 Reheating

    Reheat your chicken legs 1 or 2 at a time on a microwave safe plate for about 1 to 1.5 minutes in the microwave. Sometimes loosely adding a paper towel on top can help to prevent any chicken oils from splattering around in the microwave too.

    🥗 Side Dishes

    Some tasty side dishes to pair with this chicken include One Pot Wild Rice Pilaf, Jiffy Cornbread With Cake Mix, and The Best Canned Green Bean Recipe. I'm sure whatever you choose to serve with this chicken will work wonderfully!

    👩🏻‍🍳 Storage

    Keep your leftover cooked chicken stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 or 5 days. Reheat again before eating. I like to shred my leftover chicken and serve it up in Air Fryer Chicken Tacos or a nice Cheesy Salsa Chicken and Rice Bake.

    💭 FAQs

    How many drumsticks can I put in an Instant Pot?

    You can cook up to 12 chicken legs (5lbs) in the instant pot at once without needing to increase the cooking time. This is geat for cooking up larger batches for a big family meal.

    Can I cook frozen chicken legs in the instant pot?

    Yes, if you are cooking chicken legs from frozen, you will want to increase the cooking time by another 4 or 5 minutes—so cook at High pressure for 14-15 minutes before a 5 minute natural pressure release.

    How do you keep chicken from getting rubbery in the Instant Pot?

    If you find that your chicken is coming out rubbery after cooking in the instant pot, there is a good chance that this is actually because you didn't cook your chicken long enough. Different sized cuts and slightly frozen meat can have this result after cooking.

    two cooked chicken legs on a plate garnished with sliced green onions

    More great Instant Pot recipes to check out soon

    • Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
    • Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli
    • Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes
    • Instant Pot Ground Beef
    • Instant Pot Green Beans
    • Instant Pot Cauliflower

    📖 Recipe

    upclose view of cooked chicken drumsticks garnished with green onion in front of an instant pot
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks

    Make dinner quick and easy tonight with this Instant Pot chicken drumsticks recipe. Made with basic seasonings and your handy kitchen appliance, this recipe is sure to become a favorite.
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Natural Pressure Release 5 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 427kcal
    Cost Recipe $4.48 / Serving $0.75
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • 6qt Instant Pot
    • Small Bowl
    • Measuring Spoons

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil ($0.13)
    • 5 lbs chicken drumsticks (about 12 legs) ($3.98)
    • 1 teaspoon paprika ($0.10)
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder ($0.10)
    • 1 teaspoon oregano or italian seasoning ($0.10)
    • ½ teaspoon salt ($0.05)
    • ¼ teaspoon Ground black pepper ($0.02)
    • 1 cup water ($0.00)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Add your seasonings to a bowl.
    • Mix together to combine.
    • Add your seasoning mixture to the raw chicken legs.
    • Toss well and rub to cover all of the chicken.
    • Add olive oil to the instant pot. Heat instant pot to Saute. Allow to preheat for a minute or two or until the oil is sizzling.
    • Place the drumsticks into the heated instant pot. Work in batches if needed. Cook 2-3 minutes per side until browned.
    • Remove all of the legs from the instant pot.
    • Add in the water and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the bottom of the pan.
    • This means stir up any hard bits that may be stuck to the pan as a result of the chicken. The liquid will help them to come up easier.
    • Add the trivet and place all of the chicken legs on top.
    • Close and seal the lid. Cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes. Do a 5 minute Natural Pressure Release.
    • Then check the internal temperature of the chicken. It should register at least 165 degrees F.
    • If not, place the chicken on a baking sheet and broil on High in the oven for a few minutes until the temperature has been reached and the skin is crispy.

    Notes

    Substitutions

    • Oregano: You can use Italian seasoning instead of oregano if desired. This will give some great flavors, and it includes oregano in the blend. I often use Italian seasoning whenever I can.
    • Paprika: Regular paprika works fine here, but feel free to swap it out for smokey paprika for a deeper flavor that's perfect for summer.
    • Water: You will need 1 cup of water for a 4 quart or 6 quart instant pot or 1.5 cups of water for a bigger instant pot (8qt and bigger). You can swap it out for chicken broth or even beer if desired.

    Recipe Tips

    • Make sure to just lightly brown the skin of the chicken before cooking it in the instant pot. This is what helps to seal in the juices and it gives a nicer texture to the skin as well.
    • Because the instant pot doesn't have a crisper on it, if you would like a crispy skin, place the drumsticks on a baking sheet and broil on high for 1-3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them though as they can easily become burnt or charred.
    • You can cook up to 12 chicken legs (5lbs) in the instant pot at once without needing to increase the cooking time. This is geat for cooking up larger batches for a big family meal.
    • If you are cooking chicken legs from frozen, you will want to increase the cooking time by another 4 or 5 minutes—so cook at High pressure for 14-15 minutes before a 5 minute natural pressure release.

    Reheating

    • Reheat your chicken legs 1 or 2 at a time on a microwave safe plate for about 1 to 1.5 minutes in the microwave. Sometimes loosely adding a paper towel on top can help to prevent any chicken oils from splattering around in the microwave too.

    Storage

    • Keep your leftover cooked chicken stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 or 5 days. Reheat again before eating. I like to shred my leftover chicken and serve it up in new meals.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 427kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 233mg | Sodium: 460mg | Potassium: 584mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 287IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg
    Author NicoleDurham
    Course dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Tried this recipe?Mention @BeeyondCereal on Instagram and hashtag it #BeeyondCereal
    To view how this recipe was calculated you can visit my Pricing Disclosure Page for more information.

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    I'm Nicole and I am the owner and recipe developer here at Beeyond Cereal. I love saving money and one of the best places to trim expenses is in the kitchen. With this site, we are serving up tasty and frugal homemade dishes that the whole family will enjoy.

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