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With this Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Wings recipe, you can skip ordering carry-out on game day. Instead, learn how to make a big batch of crisp and juicy BBQ chicken wings using your pressure cooker and the help of a hot broiler.
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If you’re looking for more BBQ recipes made easy thanks to the Instant Pot, check out Instant Pot BBQ Pork Chops and Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Sliders, but first -you must try these Instant Pot chicken wings!
If you need enough chicken wings to feed friends and family at a Superbowl party, ordering them from a restaurant is convenient, but it can also cost a small fortune. Fortunately, you can use your Instant Pot and oven broiler to make homemade BBQ chicken wings at a fraction of the cost.
The best part? Of course, you can cook thawed wings, but you can also cook frozen wings in the Instant Pot. After the pressure cooking process, you’ll season and baste the incredibly tender wings in BBQ sauce before finishing them under the broiler.
In the end, these BBQ wings are crisp on the outside, moist in the middle, and ridiculously flavorful. Just like deep-fried chicken wings! Making downright delicious wings doesn’t get much easier.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Using your Instant Pot results in evenly cooked, incredibly juicy chicken wings, while the assistance of the broiler gets them nice and crispy.
- BBQ wings pair well with practically any side for a quick, healthy meal everyone will love.
- Great snack to serve at game day gatherings alongside other crowd-pleasing finger foods.
- There’s no deep-frying involved, which means fewer calories, less fat, and much less mess!
Ingredients You'll Need
- Chicken Wings: The best part about pressure-cooking chicken wings is that you can use fresh or frozen wings. If your wings are frozen, you do not need to thaw them ahead of time.
- Spices & Seasonings: I used a generous pinch of salt plus ground black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. For heat, add a touch of cayenne or chili powder here.
- BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite homemade or store-bought BBQ sauce.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Pressure-cook chicken wings
Pour 1 cup of water into the inner pot of your pressure cooker. Set the trivet in the pot, then arrange the wings on top of the trivet. It’s okay if they overlap. Lock the lid in place with the valve in the sealed position and cook on HIGH for 8 minutes (or 15 minutes for frozen wings). Let the steam naturally release for 10 minutes before quick releasing the remaining steam.
Step 2: Prepare for broiling.
During the 10 minutes of natural release, position an oven rack a few racks from the top and preheat the oven on HIGH BROIL. Also, spray an aluminum-foil-lined baking sheet with nonstick spray in preparation for the final step.
Step 3: Season and sauce wings.
Using tongs, transfer the wings from the Instant Pot to a large mixing bowl. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add about ½ cup of the BBQ sauce and gently toss until evenly coated.
Step 4: Broil chicken wings.
Again, grab your tongs and place the seasoned and sauced wings on the prepared baking sheet in a single even layer, leaving space in between. Brush the tops with the remaining sauce, then broil for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove from the oven and enjoy!
NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
Expert Tips
- Similar to how an oven needs to preheat, the Instant Pot needs to reach pressure before the timer beeps, indicating the cooking time has started, and the timer will begin counting down. This can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes, depending on the amount and whether your wings are thawed or frozen. So please, consider that extra time when planning your meal.
- After cooking on HIGH for 8 minutes (or 15 for frozen wings) plus 10 minutes of natural pressure release, the chicken wings should be cooked to at least 165 degrees F. Use a meat thermometer and measure the meatiest part of the wing near but not touching the bone. Cook on HIGH for an additional 1-2 minutes if needed.
- Once the wings are finished cooking in the Instant Pot, let them cool slightly, then toss them with baking powder (NOT soda) before adding the seasonings and sauce. This homemade chicken wing hack helps the skins get extra crispy.
- To make this recipe even easier, broil the wings on a greased wire rack on a foil-lined baking sheet. In this case, you do not need to flip them halfway through the broiling time.
Variations
Make dry BBQ wings – If you prefer dry wings over wet, use your favorite dry barbecue rub seasoning blend instead of BBQ sauce.
Switch up the sauce – Swap BBQ with buffalo sauce, teriyaki sauce, mango habanero, hot honey, or other delicious wing sauce flavors.
Serving – When it comes to serving these BBQ chicken wings, almost anything goes. They’re the perfect centerpiece among other healthy Superbowl snacks and apps. You can’t go wrong with the following:
- Celery and Carrot Sticks
- Jalapeno Poppers
- Individual Taco Dip Cups
- Air Fried Pickles
- Jalapeño Deviled Eggs
- Buffalo Chicken Bites
- Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Let leftover BBQ wings cool to room temperature, then place them in an airtight container and keep them refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Freezing: After cooling, place BBQ wings in a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Be sure to press out as much air as possible before sealing. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating: To reheat, place the wings about 10 inches below the heat source and broil for 5 to 6 minutes. Keep an eye on them, so they don't burn.
Recipe FAQ's
Yes! For this recipe, you can use fresh or frozen chicken wings. If your wings are frozen, there is no need to thaw them in advance. Instead, add a few more minutes to the pressure cook time, from 8 minutes to 15.
Instant pot chicken wings come out hot and juicy but not exactly crispy, which is why these wings are finished under the broiler.
Yes. Without the trivet, the Instant Pot will likely issue a burn warning.
You can also find my FREE Instant Pot cheat sheets here.
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
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Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings fresh or frozen
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ cup BBQ sauce divided into ½ cup and ¼ cup
Instructions
- Pour 1 cup of water into the inner pot of your pressure cooker. Set the trivet in the pot, then arrange the wings on top of the trivet. It’s okay if they overlap. Lock the lid in place with the valve in the sealed position and cook on HIGH for 8 minutes (or 15 minutes for frozen wings). Let the steam naturally release for 10 minutes before quick releasing the remaining steam.
- During the 10 minutes of natural release, position an oven rack a few racks from the top and preheat the oven on HIGH BROIL. Also, spray an aluminum-foil-lined baking sheet with nonstick spray in preparation for the final step.
- Using tongs, transfer the wings from the Instant Pot to a large mixing bowl. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add about ½ cup of the BBQ sauce and gently toss until evenly coated.
- Again, grab your tongs and place the seasoned and sauced wings on the prepared baking sheet in a single even layer, leaving space in between. Brush the tops with the remaining sauce, then broil for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove from the oven and enjoy!
Notes
- Similar to how an oven needs to preheat, the Instant Pot needs to reach pressure before the timer beeps, indicating the cooking time has started, and the timer will begin counting down. This can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes, depending on the amount and whether your wings are thawed or frozen. So please, consider that extra time when planning your meal.
- After cooking on HIGH for 8 minutes (or 15 for frozen wings) plus 10 minutes of natural pressure release, the chicken wings should be cooked to at least 165 degrees F. Use a meat thermometer and measure the meatiest part of the wing near but not touching the bone. Cook on HIGH for an additional 1-2 minutes if needed.
- Once the wings are finished cooking in the Instant Pot, let them cool slightly, then toss them with baking powder (NOT soda) before adding the seasonings and sauce. This homemade chicken wing hack helps the skins get extra crispy.
- To make this recipe even easier, broil the wings on a greased wire rack on a foil-lined baking sheet. In this case, you do not need to flip them halfway through the broiling time.
- Storing: Let leftover BBQ wings cool to room temperature, then place them in an airtight container and keep them refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: After cooling, place BBQ wings in a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Be sure to press out as much air as possible before sealing. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: To reheat, place the wings about 10 inches below the heat source and broil for 5 to 6 minutes. Keep an eye on them, so they don't burn.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Amy D
These wings look so delicious! I love BBQ chicken wings so much! They are one of my favorite meals! Happy National Wing day!
Kushigalu
Never tried wings on IP. thanks for sharing. I will soon try this version.
Cate
Love how simple and tasty these look, saving to make ASAP!
SHANIKA
I can't believe that these BBQ wings were made in an Instant Pot! They look perfectly crisp on the outside and nicely cooked on the inside.
Jacque Hastert
I love that you add these chicken wings to the broiler to help bake the sauce on them. I can't wait to give these a try this week.
Sharon
The Instant Pot just makes everything easier, doesn't it? Great tips on freezing too. These worked great.
Uma Srinivas
Instant Pot made everything easy now a days. I rarely use my stovetop 🙂 This recipe simple and pictures are great too!
Gail Montero
I love the idea of using the instant pot for making these very tasty wings! These delicious wings are perfect to serve on my family get-togethers!