Instant Pot Chicken Legs

Chicken legs cooked in an instant pot on a teal plate sitting on a marble countertop.

5 from 1 vote

An easy way to prepare perfectly cooked juicy and tender chicken legs. This chicken drumstick recipe is one the whole family will love.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken drumsticks recipe, instant pot chicken drumsticks, instant pot chicken legs

Servings:

Calories: 163kcal

Equipment

Instant Pot
Medium bowl
Measuring Cups
Measuring spoons

Ingredients

8 chicken drumsticks
1 cup water or chicken broth

Dry rub:

1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Optional Garnish:

barbecue sauce, buffalo sauce or gravy

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Rub this spice rub all over the chicken.
Put 1 cup of water in the bottom of the instant pot. Place trivet on the bottom of the pot. Put chicken pieces in a single layer, on top of the trivet, skin side up.
Set the electric pressure cooker to high pressure on pressure cook mode and cook for 10 minutes. Allow the pot to natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then allow quick release to release the remaining pressure. (Wait until the pressure cook button goes down before opening the pressure cooker.) The chicken will be moist and tender but the chicken skin will not be crispy.
The easiest way to get a crispy skin (along with the best flavor) is to broil the chicken after removing it from the instant pot pressure cooker. Place the chicken on a foil lined baking sheet and place it in the oven on the broil setting for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is browned.
Serve this with your favorite bbq sauce or buffalo sauce.

Notes

Tips:

I find the best way to cook chicken drumsticks in the instant pot is by using fully thawed pieces of fresh chicken.
For best flavor, coat all sides of the chicken legs with the spice rub.
For a crispy skin, broil the chicken for five minutes after it cooks in the instant pot.

Storage:

These instant pot chicken legs may be kept in an airtight container and refrigerated for 3-4 days. Or you may freeze them for 3-4 months. They need to be stored in a suitable container for the freezer. I prefer using a labeled freezer bag that can lay flat and take up less space.

Nutrition