Instant Pot chicken wings are so easy to make – they cook in as little as 10 minutes. Toss with your favorite sauce (we love buffalo!) and enjoy!
When I first met my husband, every Thursday night was “wing night.” It was a tradition carried over from his bachelor days, when all his friends would get together at a local pub for 25¢ wings.
Just like his favorite pizza recipe, we were able to replicate these awesome wings and an even MORE amazing Homemade Buffalo Wing Sauce Recipe. The only downside was that his version of wings required you to be around the kitchen for roughly 40 minutes…
I don’t know about you, but I don’t have time to stand around the kitchen for 40 minutes.
Thankfully, you can make awesome Instant Pot chicken wings in just 10 minutes!
EASY INSTANT POT CHICKEN WINGS
I love this version of easy Instant Pot chicken wings for several reasons:
- Hands-off. Once I set the timer on the Instant Pot, I don’t have to babysit the wings.
- You can make a lot. Cook up to 3 lbs. of chicken wings without any additional cooking time! Perfect for a party time appetizer or a weeknight dinner!
- Crazy easy. You don’t need any pressure cooking experience to make these tender, juicy wings that fall off the bone!
- Customize the flavor. Whether you use a dry seasoning mix or your favorite sauce (or two!), you choose how spicy to make the wings.
INGREDIENTS FOR INSTAPOT CHICKEN WINGS
You only need one ingredient for chicken wings in an Instant Pot: chicken wings! You can use a mixture of the wings and drumettes. If your wings come as whole wings, separate the parts for best cooking.
You’ll also need 1 to 1 ½ cups of water for the bottom of the Instant Pot to help it pressurize.
I typically buy my chicken at Costco, but if you have a hard time finding high-quality chicken locally, I recommend Butcher Box. You can read my honest review of their products here and how to make Butcher Box worth the cost here!
HOW TO SEASON CHICKEN WINGS
If you’re going to make Homemade Buffalo Sauce or your favorite BBQ sauce for the wings, there’s no need to season the chicken wings before you cook them.
However, if you’re going to make a different sauce or prefer to have even more flavor than what a sauce can offer, you can certainly season your wings before you cook them.
- Place the chicken wings in a large bowl and season liberally with seasonings of your choice. Cajun Seasoning or All-Purpose Seasoning Salt are both very good! A mix of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder is a go-to.
- Toss the wings with the seasoning and then follow the instructions below.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN WINGS IN AN INSTANT POT
Just like the super short ingredient list, the steps for making crispy Instant Pot buffalo wings are pretty simple and straightforward:
Step 1. For a 6-quart Instant Pot, pour 1 cup of water into the inner pot. For an 8-quart Instant Pot, use 1 ½ cups water.
Step 2. Place the trivet or steamer basket inside the Instant Pot, and place up to 3 pounds of chicken wings either on the trivet or in the basket (not the wing tips). It’s okay if the chicken wings are touching. Place the lid into the sealing position.
Step 3. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes (15 minutes for frozen wings) and let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes when they’re done, then flip the valve to release the rest of the pressure.
Step 4. Toss the instapot chicken wings in a big bowl with your favorite buffalo or barbecue sauce!
Step 5. If you want crispy chicken wings, transfer the wings to a baking sheet pan with a wire rack. Place the wings under the broiler for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Psst! Want to kick this up a notch? Try finishing this recipe with a pinch of finishing salt! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!) Just add a pinch to your finished wings atop your favorite sauce!
CHICKEN WINGS IN INSTANT POT FAQS
How long do you cook chicken wings in an electric pressure cooker?
Thawed chicken wings need just 10 minutes to cook in an electric pressure cooker, like the Instant Pot.
Can you cook frozen chicken wings in Instant Pot?
A general rule of thumb when cooking frozen meat is to add an additional 50% of the time. Since thawed wings need 10 minutes to cook, frozen wings need about 15 minutes in the Instant Pot.
How do I get my Instant Pot chicken wings crispy?
The Instant Pot will cook the chicken wings much more quickly, but you’ll still need to broil them in the oven to get the crispiness you’re looking for. Luckily, that part only takes a few minutes! If you’d rather bake your chicken wings in the oven, follow the step-by-step instructions here.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT TO MAKE CHICKEN WINGS IN THE INSTANT POT
You can get away with using just the standard Instant Pot trivet to make chicken wings, but having a steaming basket makes it MUCH easier.
Fill the basket up (it’s okay if the chicken wings touch each other) and then pull the entire basket out when the timer beeps rather than removing each chicken wing with tongs.
Plus, the steamer basket is perfect for making Instant Pot Steamed Vegetables!
SERVE WITH INSTANT POT BUFFALO WINGS
My favorite way to serve Instant Pot chicken wings is with a side of carrot sticks and celery and Homemade Ranch – it’s a classic! You can also try these yummy sides:
- Crispy Baked Potato Wedges
- Homemade Tortilla Chips and Easy Homemade Salsa or 5-Minute Simple Guacamole
- Ridiculously Easy Baked Potato Skins
- Garlic Cheese Bread
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese
MACRO-FRIENDLY INSTANT POT CHICKEN WINGS
Chicken wings are a great place to start when building a meal or snack.
If you’re using a dry seasoning rub, your chicken wings are a mixture of protein and fat.
Adding sauce or dip, like blue cheese, to the chicken wings gives you fat.
And a side of tortilla chips or potatoes will add carbs to your plate.
Don’t forget the produce! Enjoy your chicken wings with some carrot and celery sticks and sliced bell peppers, or add a big side salad.
MORE EASY INSTANT POT CHICKEN RECIPES
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
- Honey Garlic Chicken
- Chicken Detox Soup
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast
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Instant Pot chicken wings are so easy to make – they cook in as little as 10 minutes. Toss with your favorite sauce (we love buffalo!) and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 20 wings 1x
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the chicken wings:
- 3 lbs chicken wings (drumettes or wings, NOT wing tips) (1362
- 1 ½ cups of water (358g)
For the buffalo sauce:
- 12 oz hot sauce (I use Frank’s regular hot sauce) (336
- ¼ cup ketchup (60g)
- 8 Tbsp butter, unsalted (112g)
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch (16g)
- 1 Tbsp water (15g)
Instructions
- For a 6 quart Instant Pot, pour 1 cup of water in the inner pot. For an 8 quart Instant Pot, pour 1 ½ cups water.
- Place the trivet or steamer basket inside the instant Pot, and place your chicken wings either on the trivet, or in the basket. It’s okay if the chicken wings are touching.
- Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes (15 minutes for frozen wings).
- Meanwhile, make the buffalo wing sauce:
- In a small saucepan, combine all of the ingredients except the cornstarch and water.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring often, until the butter is melted.
- Combine the cornstarch and water in a small mug and stir until it is completely dissolved.
- Pour the cornstarch slurry into the sauce and immediately start whisking it into the sauce.
- Keep whisking, and the sauce will start to thicken. When the sauce is noticeably thicker (i.e. will heavily coat the back of a spoon), remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.
- When the timer beeps, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure using the valve.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to broil.
- When the wings are done in the Instant Pot, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
- Place the wings under the broil for 3-4 minutes on each side to crisp up the skin.
- Toss in a big bowl with buffalo wing sauce and enjoy!
Notes
Adapted from A Mind Full Mom
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