Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks
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Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks are so juicy and tender, they’re fall-off-the-bone delicious! This recipe is so easy and you can have dinner ready in under 30 minutes. Enjoy straight out of the IP or shred and use in another recipe.
Why I love this recipe
I love having a variety of methods to cook, and this adds to my easy Instant Pot chicken recipes. It’s full of flavor and so delicious. Add as many or few chicken legs to the pressure cooker as you need.
- Easy – It really couldn’t be easier cooking chicken drumsticks in the Instant Pot. Simply season and place the chicken in the instant pot with water. That’s it!
- Fast – Cooking chicken legs only takes 20 minutes in the pressure cooker.
- Yum! – It’s incredible how quickly these cook up for juicy and super tender chicken.
- Versatile – Eat the drumsticks as is and serve with a vegetable and side dish, OR let it be one step towards another dish. You can use this recipe to make shredded chicken in the instant pot in another recipe, such as this Zucchini Mushroom Chicken Pasta dinner.
- Broth – After cooking, the bottom of the Instant Pot is filled with all the yummy juices and leftover cooking water. It’s already seasoned and can be used in another recipe. Cook rice in the broth, make gravy or add to soup for a quick flavor enhancer.
Ingredients
There are only a few ingredients for this pressure cooker chicken drumsticks recipe. I share my seasonings, but you can easily adjust the seasonings to your taste.
- Chicken Drumsticks – Use thawed chicken for a fast cook time
- Seasonings – salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika
See the recipe card for quantities. I usually will go a little heavier on the seasoning as when cooking chicken in the Instant Pot with water, some of the seasonings wash off while cooking.
How to make IP Chicken Drumsticks
Just as simple as the ingredients, we only have a few steps to take for the best instant pot chicken legs.
Open the instant pot and add the water.
Season the chicken drumsticks with seasonings and rub in. Flip chicken and repeat.
Add drumsticks to the instant pot and close. Turn the valve to seal and set it to high pressure for 20 minutes.
When done cooking, use the quick release for the steam and allow the steam to be released before opening the lid.
Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and enjoy the fall off the bone, moist and soft drumsticks. So tasty!
Recipe Tips
- Use thawed chicken – for these chicken legs in the instant pot you’ll want to use thawed drumsticks, not frozen. If frozen, you’ll need to adjust the timing – see my recipe for how to cook frozen chicken drumsticks in the Instant Pot.
- Switch up seasonings – Flavor your drumsticks with whatever seasonings you want. *See Variations below for inspiration.
- Crisp up in the oven – Cooking chicken drumsticks in the pressure cooker will give you tender juicy chicken, but it does not get crispy. Enjoy as-is, or place the chicken on a sheet pan and broil for a few minutes for a crispy exterior.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Chicken Legs
There are plenty of options of side dishes to serve with chicken cooked in the instant pot. You can make a light meal or a hearty one, but either way, the goal is to have a well-round dinner for everyone to enjoy! Try one of these side dishes:
- Sauteed Broccoli
- Fresh Spinach Steamed in the Instant Pot
- Boxed Stuffing in the IP
- Crispy Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes
Recipe Variations
It’s so easy to change the seasonings for an endless amount of recipe flavor possibilities.
- Mexican Chicken Drumsticks – Season with garlic, onion, chili, and cumin powders for a Mexican-inspired dinner and serve over rice and beans with fresh chopped avocado and tomato.
- Meditteranean Chicken Drumsticks– Use dried oregano, ground coriander, paprika, cumin, and sumac to season the drumsticks. Add a marinade of ½ cup water, ¼ cup lemon juice, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons of honey, and grated garlic, and pour over the seasoned chicken in the instant pot.
- Sticky Asian Drumsticks – Use freshly grated ginger, soy sauce, and honey with a pinch of red pepper flakes. Add to the water before cooking and follow the remaining steps.
You can really get creative with pressure cooker chicken recipes. This IP Garlic Lemon Chicken Legs recipe is a great example of how to switch up the flavor!
Storage
Store leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Meal Prep – Divide the chicken drumsticks into individual servings in meal prep containers with rice and veggies.
More Instant Pot Recipes
Cooking in the Instant Pot opens up a world of possibilities. You can cook so much in the pressure cooker. Here are a few more mouthwatering recipes that you might like to try.
- Gnocchi in the IP
- Egg Drop Instant Pot Soup
- Frozen Burgers cooked in the Instant Pot
- Tamales from Frozen in IP
Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken drumsticks
Seasoning
- 3 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Recommended Kitchen Tools (click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe)
Instructions
- Open instant pot and add in the water.
- Season the chicken drumsticks with seasonings and rub in. Flip chicken and repeat.
- Add drumsticks to the instant pot and close. Turn the valve to seal and set to high pressure for 20 minutes.
- When done cooking, use the quick release for the steam and allow the steam to be released before opening the lid.
- Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and enjoy!
Nutrition
See also:
- Chicken Tortilla Soup in the Instant Pot
- Chicken Teriyaki IP Recipe
- Whole Chicken Cooked in the Instant Pot
