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Instant Pot Chicken Wing being dipped into ranch dressing.
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4.80 from 105 votes

Instant Pot Chicken Wings

Starting with fresh or frozen wings, this recipe delivers unbelievably tender chicken with very little hands-on work. After pressure cooking, toss them in your favorite sauce and finish under the broiler for juicy, crispy wings everyone will rave about!
Prep Time3 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Pressure Time10 minutes
Total Time18 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 people
Author: Kristen Chidsey

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Chicken Wings

  • 3 pounds chicken drumettes or chicken wings
  • ½ tablespoon seasoned salt
  • water for pressure cooking

For the Buffalo Sauce (Optional)

  • 1 cup hot sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
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Instructions

  • For a 3 or 6-quart model, pour 1 cup of cold tap water into the inner pot. For an 8-quart model, use 1½ cups of cold tap water. Place a rack or steamer basket inside the instant pot.
  • If needed, separate the wings into drumettes and flats, removing and discarding the tips. Place the wings into a large mixing bowl, add ½ tablespoon seasoned salt, and toss to coat.
    Raw chicken wings in mixing bowl tossed with seasoned salt.
  • Place the seasoned wings on the rack or basket. It is fine if they overlap.
    Chicken wings tossed with seasoned salt placed on trivet in Instant pot before pressure cooking.
  • Place the lid on Instant Pot, being sure vent knob is closed. For fresh/defrosted wings: cook for 10 minutes on high pressure. For frozen wings: cook for 15 minutes on high pressure.
  • While the wings are pressure cooking, prepare the buffalo sauce (if desired) by mixing together 1 cup hot sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted) in a small mixing bowl.
    Buffalo wing sauce combined in small mixing bowl.
  • Once the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes. (Just leave the Instant Pot alone.)
    Chicken wings on trivet inside inner pot after pressure cooking.
  • Once the pressure has released, remove the wings from the Instant Pot and place them into a clean bowl. Pour ½ cup of the prepared 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.  
    Instant Pot Chicken wings tossed with buffalo sauce on baking sheet lined with foil.
  • Brush the broiled wings with additional sauce and serve immediately.  
    Brushing broiled chicken wings with buffalo sauce after broiling before serving.

Video

Notes

Wings: I recommend using chicken drumettes, as they typically yield more meat. If using full wings, separate drumettes and flats for even cooking.  
Buffalo Sauce: Feel free to replace the homemade sauce with prepared buffalo wings sauce. You can also swap it out for barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, or honey mustard.
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

Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 1763mg | Potassium: 254mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 360IU | Vitamin C: 30.8mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1.4mg
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