I should give you is Instant Pot Chicken Wings. This recipe will be excellent for time-savings, however the method has to produce BBQ wings as good (I’m thinking better even) as my slow cooker recipe.
These Chicken Wings from your Instant Pot or pressure cooker just might become your go-to, last-minute appetizer recipe. Ten minutes cooking time, 30 minutes start to finish!
A nice combination is to use barbecue sauce, hot sauce (Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce is true Buffalo wing flavor), and melted butter. See printable recipe for sauce and butter combination options for Buffalo Wings vs. BBQ wings.
Instant Pot Easy Chicken Wings {BBQ or Buffalo Style} Recipe
Fall off the bone tender, juicy Chicken Wings in about 30 minutes, barbecue or Buffalo style- you can use any seasoning combination you like.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. chicken wings trimmed of fat and separated
- 2-3 tablespoons seasoned salt - like Cajun garlic powder, or any favorite seasoning mix
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1/4 cup favorite barbecue sauce, see note regarding ratio of BBQ to hot sauce.
- 1/2 cup hot sauce like Frank's Wing Sauce (if don't want heat, then just use 1 cup bbq sauce)
- 1/4 cup melted butter, if making Buffalo wing sauce (see step 13 for when to use the butter)
- After the chicken wings have been trimmed and separated (if necessary), pat dry and place in a medium bowl.
- Sprinkle seasoned salt or garlic powder over wings and toss until covered.
- Place a trivet in the Instant Pot.
- Place the seasoned wings in Instant Pot or other tabletop electric pressure cooker, on the trivet.
- Pour 1/2 cup cold water around the wings in the pot.
- For Instant Pot - Secure and lock the lid of the Instant Pot and turn the pressure to SEALING function. Select MANUAL operation and the pressure should automatically show as HIGH. Using the + or - button, select 5 minutes pressure cooking time. The Instant Pot will indicate as ON while the pressure is being built to the appropriate level, typically taking about 10 minutes for pressure to rise. Indicator will switch to 5 once ready and will count down from there.
- Meanwhile, set your oven on Broil HIGH and place the oven rack one above center position. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a cooling rack on top of the foil-lined sheet. Spray the cooling rack with nonstick cooking spray. Set the sheet aside while the wings cook in pressure cooker.
- Once the wings have finished cooking in the pressure cooker, let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then turn the knob to the Venting position to release any additional steam. Remove lid.
- Place the wings in a large bowl and pour half of the sauce over the wings. Using a large spoon, toss the wings until all are covered with sauce.
- Arrange the wings on the wire rack and place in oven. Vent door and broil on each side until desired crispness is reached, 5 to 10 minutes. (You may want to rotate the sheet 1/2 way when turning the wings on second side)
- Remove wings from oven when crisp as you'd like. Place wings back in the bowl, pour remaining sauce over the wings, toss to coat.
- Serve immediately with blue cheese dip, ranch dip, or as is. Accompany with carrot sticks, celery sticks, red pepper slices, etc. if desired.
- Use 1/2 cup hot sauce, 1/4 cup melted butter (1/2 stick), and 1/4 cup BBQ sauce. The BBQ sauce in this mixture is optional but it adds a nice tang that isn't too hot. Omit the BBQ sauce and increase hot sauce to 3/4 cup if you want fully classic Buffalo wing flavor and more heat.
- Use either 1 cup BBQ sauce, or for a little more kick, mix 3/4 cup BBQ sauce with 1/4 cup hot sauce.