Ready in less than 30 minutes, Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Wings are the most tender and flavorful chicken wings you will ever have.

Serve these Instant Pot Wings with Bleu Cheese or Ranch Dressing in addition to Taco Dip and Pizza Rolls for a spread that is perfect for game day or a laid-back party.

Instant Pot Chicken Wings on white platter with celery.

Buffalo Chicken Wings are my husband's favorite go-to football snack and he has been known to devour more than his fair share while watching football games.

But convincing him that homemade buffalo wings are just as good as restaurant chicken wings, was a bit harder to sell.

That said, he has declared this recipe for Instant Pot Wings restaurant-worthy and is now his favorite version to enjoy during game day!

And I believe you too, will be amazed at just how good chicken wings turn out when prepared using the Instant Pot.

The moist heat of the Instant Pot keeps the chicken super tender and juicy. And then finished with a homemade buffalo sauce and crisped under the broiler to achieve irresistibly crispy skin, these Instant Pot Chicken Wings are incredibly full of flavor, lower in fat than fried wings, and incredibly easy to make.

Key Ingredients

Ingredients for instant pot chicken wings labeled on counter.

Chicken Wings: You can use either fresh or frozen chicken wings in the Instant Pot. I recommend using chicken drumettes, as they typically yield more meat. If using full wings, separate them into drumettes and flats to keep the cooking time the same.
Seasonings: Seasoned salt, which is a mixture of salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and a few other spices is the perfect choice to add flavor to the wings before finishing them with your favorite sauce.
Buffalo Sauce: I have included a simplified version of my homemade buffalo sauce recipe that is made with hot sauce, butter, garlic powder, and honey, as that is our preferred finishing touch for these wings. if you don't care for buffalo sauce, you can use barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, or honey mustard.
Water: Any time you pressure cook, you need thin liquid. For this recipe, water is used. Use 1 cup of cold tap water for a 3 or 6-quart pressure cooker and 1-½ cups of cold tap water for an 8-quart pressure cooker.

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Wings

To prepare the Instant Pot for cooking, pour water into the inner pot and a rack or steamer basket. This will keep the chicken wings raised above the cooking liquid so they don't become soggy!
If needed, separate the drumettes and flats from each other, removing and discarding the tips if desired.
Place the wings into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle the seasoned salt over the chicken. Toss well to coat the wings, evenly with the seasonings. Note: If using FROZEN wings, the seasoning may not adhere to the meat as well, but you don't want to skip seasoning them altogether.
Place the seasoned wings onto the rack in the inner pot or in a steamer basket.
Seal the lid on the instant pot and set it to cook on high pressure for 10 minutes for fresh or defrosted chicken wings and 15 minutes for frozen chicken wings.
Once the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes. This is key to ensuring the meat stays nice and tender.

Side by side photo of chicken wings in instant pot before and after pressure cooking.

While the wings are cooking, use this time to prepare the homemade buffalo sauce if you intend to season your wings with buffalo sauce, rather than a store-bought sauce. Simply combine the hot sauce, garlic powder, melted butter, and honey together in a small mixing bowl.

Ingredients for homemade buffalo sauce before and after mixing.

Once the cooking time has elapsed and the pressure has been released, remove the pressure-cooked wings from the inner pot and place them into a large, clean mixing bowl.
Drizzle the wings with half the prepared buffalo sauce, or ½ cup of your favorite sauce, and toss to coat.
Place the chicken wings onto a foil-lined baking sheet or broiler pan and broil the chicken wings until the skin is crispy, flipping once to ensure both sides are nice and golden. This step is not necessary but highly encouraged, as most people prefer the crispy chicken skin on the wings.

Side by side photo of chicken wings before and after being tossed with buffalo sauce.

Once the wings are broiled, brush the remaining buffalo sauce over the chicken wings.

Pastry brush brushing chicken wings with buffalo sauce.

Serving Suggestions

Just like any good chicken wing, these wings need to be served with lots of napkins and a side of homemade ranch dressing or bleu cheese dressing on the side. The side of celery and carrots are optional, but a classic pairing.

We personally love to pair Instant Pot Buffalo Wings with Pull-Apart Pizza Bread and French Onion Chip Dip for a spread that is perfect for game day!

Instant Pot Chicken Wing being dipped into ranch dressing.

More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

If you enjoyed these Instant Pot Chicken Wings, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

Instant Pot Chicken Wings

Ready in less than 30 minutes, and finished with a homemade buffalo sauce, Instant Pot Chicken Wings are tender, juicy, and flavorful!

4.80 from 102 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 3

Cook Time: 15

Pressure Time: 10

Total Time: 18

Servings: people

Calories: 322kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

For the Chicken Wings

▢ 3 pounds chicken drumettes or wings
▢ ½ tablespoon seasoned salt
▢ 1 cup water

For the Buffalo Sauce

▢ 1 cup hot sauce
▢ 1 tablespoon honey
▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
▢ 2 tablespoons butter melted

Instructions

If needed, separate the drumettes and flats from each other, removing and discarding the tips if desired. Place the chicken wings in a large mixing bowl, add the seasoned salt, and toss to coat.
For a 3 or 6-quart model, pour 1 cup of cold tap water into the inner pot. For an 8-quart model, use 1.5 cups of cold tap water. Place a rack or steamer basket inside the instant pot.
Place the seasoned wings on the rack or in the steamer basket inside the inner pot. It is okay if you layer the wings on top of eachother.
Seal lid of the pressure cooker, being sure vent knob is closed.
For Fresh Wings: Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. For Frozen Wings: Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
Once the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for at least 5 minutes, 10 minutes is best.
Remove the pressure-cooked chicken wings from the pressure cooker and place them into a clean bowl.
In a separate small bowl, prepare the buffalo sauce by mixing together the hot sauce, honey, butter, and garlic powder until combined.
Pour half the buffalo sauce (or YOUR favorite sauce) over the chicken wings and gently toss to coat in the sauce.
Place the chicken wings on a baking sheet or broiler pan that has been lined with foil. Broil the chicken wings under high heat for 2-3 minutes per side, until the skin is golden and crispy.
Brush the broiled wings with additional buffalo sauce and serve immediately.

Equipment Needed

Electric Pressure Cooker (6 or 8 quart)

Notes

Wings: I recommend using chicken drumettes, as they typically yield more meat. If using full wings, separate drumettes and flats for even cooking.

Broiling: It is not necessary to broil the chicken wings, but most people prefer the crispy chicken skin on the wings.

Frozen Wings: Don't be afraid to toss frozen meat with seasonings, the rub won't stick as well, but it will still help to season the chicken wings perfectly.

Buffalo Sauce: Using buffalo sauce is optional. If you don't care for buffalo sauce, you can use barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, or honey mustard. All these sauces pair well with the seasoned salt.

Storage: Store leftover wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat by broiling them, as this will keep the skin crispy.

Nutrition

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

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Comments

4.80 from 102 votes (80 ratings without comment)