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Get It Now- Why You’ll Love These Instant Pot Chicken Legs
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Cook Chicken Legs In The Instant Pot
- Recipe Tips
- Storage Instructions
- What To Serve With Instant Pot Chicken Legs
- More Chicken Leg Recipes
- My Favorite Tools For This Recipe
- Instant Pot Chicken Legs Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
These Instant Pot chicken legs are the perfect chicken recipe for your (and my) busy weeknights! I usually make oven baked chicken legs, but I love experimenting with different methods. This one is convenient, fuss-free, and fast (just like my other easy Instant Pot recipes). The pressure cooker helps the chicken legs stay juicy and tender, while the blend of spices adds a burst of flavor… and best of all, I figured out how to get that crispy skin we all crave.
Why You’ll Love These Instant Pot Chicken Legs
- Juicy and flavorful – Nothing like a juicy chicken leg! This Instant Pot method creates the best seasoned drumsticks without spending hours in the kitchen.
- Crispy skin – The biggest challenge I had with cooking chicken drumsticks in the Instant Pot is the skin — how to ensure that it’s crispy and not soggy? I tested a few different ways, including the Instant Pot’s saute function (before or after cooking), the oven, and the stovetop. It turns out that all of them work with pros and cons, so I’ll tell you about them and you can decide.
- Less than 10 ingredients – You just need chicken, broth, oil, and spices!
- Effortless cooking – This dish needs a 5-minute prep time and less than 30 minutes from start to finish. It’s just as juicy as my Crock Pot chicken legs, but cooks much faster.
- Kid-approved – Even the pickiest eaters will love these Instant Pot chicken legs! My kids gave them a thumbs up.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for Instant pot chicken drumsticks, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Chicken Legs – I used fresh chicken drumsticks for this recipe, but you can cook frozen chicken legs in the Instant Pot, too. It will take longer — see tips below!
- Herbs & Spices – A combination of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, sea salt, and black pepper. Feel free to use your favorite spice mixture. Try my poultry seasoning for a classic flavor, Italian seasoning for an herby taste, or lemon pepper seasoning for zesty flair.
- Chicken Broth – This is the liquid necessary for the pressure cooker, and makes the chicken so juicy! I often use store-bought for convenience most of the time, but have used homemade chicken broth when I had some left over. You could also use water as the liquid in your Instant Pot, but the chicken won’t be as flavorful.
- Olive Oil – To get crispy skin in the last step! You can also use avocado oil.
How To Cook Chicken Legs In The Instant Pot
This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Season. In a small bowl, stir together the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, sea salt, and black pepper. Pat the chicken dry and season with the spice mixture.
- Assemble. Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place the chicken on the trivet and place in the bottom of the pot.
- Pressure cook. Cover with the lid and move the knob to Sealing. Pressure cook on high pressure, then do a natural pressure release for about 5 minutes. Do a manual release after that.
- Crisp up. For a crispy, golden brown skin, crisp the chicken using your preferred method below. There are 3 options!
3 Ways To Crisp Up Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks:
- Saute in the Instant Pot – Pour out the broth, wipe down the pot, and add a little oil. Saute the chicken legs on all sides. This method requires no extra dishes to wash, but can occasionally stick. (This works well only at the end. I tested sauteing before pressure cooking, but this didn’t work well.)
- Nonstick skillet – This is my favorite method. Simply heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and saute on all sides. This creates good browning and crispy skin without the sticking, but there’s an extra pan to wash.
- Broil – Transfer the chicken legs to a baking sheet. Place under the broiler for a few minutes, then brush with oil and continue broiling until crispy. (Don’t brush with oil right away, or the seasonings will come off.) This is the most hands-off method, but you’ll have less browning.
Recipe Tips
This recipe is pretty simple, but here are a few of my tips to make sure your Instant Pot drumsticks come out perfect every time:
- Use a trivet. Although you could place the drumsticks in the chicken broth directly, placing them on a trivet prevents them from getting soggy and ensures even cooking.
- Increase the cooking time to 12 minutes if your chicken is frozen. It may take a bit longer for the pot to come to pressure, too.
- Don’t skip the natural release. For the juiciest chicken, be sure to allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for at least 5 minutes before doing a manual release.
- Use adequate oil for crispy skin. If you’re sauteing in the Instant Pot or even a nonstick pan, using plenty of oil (2 tablespoons was perfect) ensures that the skin doesn’t stick and fall apart. For the broiling method, the oil is still needed to get crispy results, but remember not to add it right away, or you’ll brush off the seasonings.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Seal leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The skin does get soft when you store them, but you can crisp it up again when reheating.
- Reheat: Warm them in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes. If needed, you can broil or pan fry again to crisp the skin.
- Freeze: Once cooled, place Instant Pot chicken legs in a freezer bags or containers, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat.
What To Serve With Instant Pot Chicken Legs
Need some healthy side dishes to go with your meal? Here are my go-to easy options:
- Veggies – You know I can’t have a meal without vegetables! Before you start your chicken, toss some broccoli and cauliflower in the oven, make some flavorful balsamic brussels sprouts, or go for a cheesy cauliflower casserole.
- Rice – I prefer fresh riced cauliflower or quicker frozen cauliflower rice, but white or brown rice make simple sides.
- Potatoes – For an all-around quick meal, I like to make air fryer potatoes (my go-to for my kids on busy nights), but since your oven is free, you could bake a sweet potato or make classic roasted potatoes.
- Sauce – This chicken is flavorful all on its own, but if you love BBQ sauce, you can slather it on after crisping up the skin, or use it before broiling. I’ve also dipped these chicken legs in ranch, honey mustard, and spicy buffalo sauce (not at the same time, ha!) for a little something extra.
More Chicken Leg Recipes
If you liked this Instant Pot chicken drumsticks recipe, take a look at my other ways to make them:
My Favorite Tools For This Recipe
- Instant Pot – I love the programmability of the Instant Pot. This recipe is based on this size.
- Nonstick Pan – For crisping the skin at the end. This one is sturdy and makes cooking and cleanup a breeze.
- Meat Thermometer – Chicken safety is crucial, so no matter how I cook it, I use this to check for doneness. I recommend 170 degrees F for chicken legs, as at this temperature they get extra juicy.
Instant Pot Chicken Legs
These Instant Pot chicken legs are juicy and tender, with flavorful spices and a trick for crispy skin. A fuss-free, quick and easy dinner!
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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In a small bowl, stir together the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, sea salt, and black pepper.
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Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Season on all sides with the spice mixture.
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Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place the chicken on the trivet and place inside the Instant Pot.
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Cover with the lid and move the knob to Sealing. Pressure cook on High pressure for 8 minutes. Let natural release for 5 minutes, then manual release the rest of the pressure.
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Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot. Pour out the chicken broth and wipe the pot dry. Use the Sauté function to heat the olive oil, until shimmering. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken drumsticks in a single layer and sauté for 2 minutes on each side, or until the skin is crispy.
Alternatively, you can crisp up the skin on the stove in a nonstick pan (which is less prone to sticking than the Instant Pot), or broil in the oven on a baking sheet for 3-5 minutes (which is the most hands-off, but the chicken doesn’t brown as much this way).
Did You Like It?
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 chicken leg
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
10 Comments
Sheldon Wolgel
0This looks great. What do I do if I do not have an instant pot? Also does this recipe work on thighs also?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Sheldon, If you don’t have an instant pot maybe you would be more interested in my oven baked chicken legs recipe.
Matt
0This instant pot chicken legs recipe is so awesome. The chicken legs turn out so tender and juicy on the inside and the outside is delightfully crispy. So good!
Sha
0Love the crispy skin! So tender, juicy and full of flavor!
Ann R
0Super easy to make and they were tender and juicy. Kids liked them too, thanks!
Alana
0These turned out really juicy and the skin was perfectly crispy. Super easy to make and perfect for busy weeknights!
Melody
0Made this chicken legs recipe for lunch and I absolutely loved it! Simple and easy to make but tastes totally delicious! Paired it with a side of sauteed garlic green beans and it’s just so perfect!
Thea
0I cooked my chicken from frozen. My picky child ate it and loved it! I cannot believe how tender and flavorful it turned out! Thank you!
Mikee
0The spices added so much flavor to the dish and the meat was incredibly tender. I served it with roasted potato and my kids loved it. So easy to make and incredibly delicious!
Jellie
0These instant pot chicken legs were so juicy and flavorful. The skin was perfectly crispy. And the spices added just the right amount of heat. Paired it with cauliflower rice and it was sooo good!