Mouthwatering Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

Nothing beats a mouthwatering meal made in your Instant Pot and this BBQ Chicken Drumsticks in the Instant Pot is no exception. These drumsticks are perfect for dinner, appetizers, game day or even a starter to a great meal! 

My family loves chicken and this is a keeper of a recipe. Not only is it one of the cheaper meats to buy, it just has so much versatility. As you know my family is huge, so I usually double this recipe for dinner nights. It is a favorite around here!

You could easily just follow this recipe for a smaller family or for an appetizer on game day!

What Is An Instant Pot?

If you’re new here, this is my Instant Pot that I know and love. However, there are many different sizes and styles out there, so choose one that works for you!

Also, check out my beginners guide to your Instant Pot to help get you started!

Ingredients Needed:

• Chicken broth
• Smoked Paprika: make sure to use the smoked paprika. It helps to create the delicious barbecue flavor of these instant pot chicken legs.
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Cumin
• Salt
• Pepper: black pepper is used in this recipe. For more kick you can also use cayenne pepper.
• Chicken Drumsticks: you can use frozen drumsticks or fresh.
• BBQ sauce: you can use your favorite store bought bbq sauce or make your own homemade bbq sauce. This recipe just uses store bought.

Step by Step Instructions

• Prep drumsticks if fresh
• Mix spices
• Rub spice mixture all over chicken
• Add broth and trivet to Instant Pot
• Place chicken on trivet
• Spread BBQ sauce over chicken
• Place lid on Instant Pot and cook
• Allow natural release
• Line a cookie sheet
• Turn on broiler
• Place chicken on lined cookie sheet
• Coat chicken with BBQ sauce again
• Place under broiler until BBQ sauce begins to caramelize

• Remove the skin from drumsticks if they’re fresh.
• Mix all of the spices in a bowl.
• Place the drumsticks in the bowl and rub the spice mixture all over them.

Add the chicken broth and the trivet to the bottom of your Instant Pot.

• Using a basting brush, spread 1 cup of the bbq sauce over the chicken legs.

Place the lid on your Instant Pot and manually set the time for 12 minutes. If you are cooking frozen chicken breasts, set the manual time for 17 minutes (5 minutes longer than the fresh chicken legs)

Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes, then finish releasing the pressure manually once the 10 minutes is up.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Turn your oven onto the broiler setting and let it heat up.

Remove your chicken legs from the Instant Pot and place on the lined cookie sheet.Use your basting brush to coat the chicken legs with the remaining 1 cup of BBQ sauce.

• Place the chicken legs under the oven broiler for 3-5 minutes. You’ll keep them under there until the BBQ sauce begins to caramelize on the chicken legs.

How Long Does This Recipe Take?

This recipe will take about 40-45 minutes in total (including prep), so it is relatively quick to throw together and the delicious taste is so worth it!

Storing and Reheating

There is nothing better than having leftovers. Especially Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks!

To store leftovers you can put them into an airtight container in the fridge for several days.

To reheat the drumsticks you can choose one of the following ways to reheat them.

1. Microwave: place your BBQ Chicken Drumsticks on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 2-3 minutes.
2. Oven: place the instant pot barbecue chicken legs in the bottom of a pan. Place tin foil over the top of the pan and place into a 350 degree oven until they’re warm. Around 12-15 minutes.

Why You’ll Love this Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Recipe

1. Great for a crowd. This recipe can easily be doubled and is great for feeding a crowd.
2. Quick and easy. If you’re needing to whip together a quick meal, this is an easy instant pot recipe.
3. Great flavor. The spices paired with your favorite bbq sauce make this meal delicious!
4. Versatile. These bbq chicken legs make a great main course. You can also do chicken breasts with these spices and bbq sauce. The chicken breasts would be perfect for bbq chicken sandwiches, bbq chicken salad or tacos.
5. Leftovers. Double the recipe and you’ll have a delicious meal for another day. Your whole family will look forward to the leftovers!
6. Simple ingredients. You won’t find yourself having to hunt down complicated ingredients. This recipe contains a simple ingredient list that makes a delicious seasoning blend.

When you are using an Instant Pot recipe, you might see a recipe refer to “pressure cook” or “manual”. There are various models of Instant Pot that have different buttons. If you see “pressure cook” or “manual” referenced, just know that it means the same thing.

Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Tips and Tricks

• Use Different Pieces: feel free to experiment with different cuts of chicken. You can use chicken wings, chicken thighs or chicken breasts.
• Brown Sugar: if you want to add a little sweetness to your bbq drumsticks, add a little brown sugar to your dry rub. The sweetness will make for a delicious rub.
• Caramelized BBQ Sauce: the key to having the delicious caramelized skin is to use your oven broiler right before serving.

Can you Use Frozen Chicken?

Yes, although fresh is preferred for this recipe you can use frozen chicken. The full instructions will give you the adjustments to make if using frozen chicken!

Can You Freeze Leftovers?

I wouldn’t recommend freezing the leftovers if you have any. If you used previously frozen chicken you never want to refreeze, and if you used fresh then technically you could freeze, however, the taste may not be as good once thawed and reheated.

What BBQ Sauce Do You Recommend?

Everyone has their own preference when it comes to using BBQ sauce, so go with what you normally use or try something that just sounds good when you’re at the grocery store!

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