Cooking chicken wings in your Instant Pot makes hands down the juiciest, most flavorful wings. This is the only recipe you’ll ever need to make wings everyone will love.
Pressure cooker frozen chicken wings are a quick and easy appetizer or game-day snack! Using a pressure cooker not only cuts down on cook time, but also infuses the wings with delicious flavors. This recipe uses a combination of BBQ sauce, honey, and hot sauce to create a mouthwatering glaze that coats the wings. Plus, since the wings are cooked from frozen, you can whip up a batch anytime the craving strikes. Serve these wings with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
Using the Instant Pot to cook chicken is a game-changer at dinner time. Make this shredded chicken for sandwiches or tacos, or even this chicken and sausage jambalaya for a meal that will fill up all the bellies at the table. You might also enjoy our Grape Jelly Meatballs Instant Pot.
Table of Contents
How long do I cook chicken wings in the Instant Pot?
When you cook frozen wings in a pressure cooker, you’ll need to set the timer for 11 minutes. I like to broil mine for a few minutes after in the oven to crisp up the tops, too.
What can I serve with chicken wings?
Chicken wings are the ultimate appetizer. Everyone loves them! They go with plenty of other foods and sides. Here are a few of my family’s favorites:
- French fries
- Potato chips
- Veggie sticks like carrots and celery
- Onion rings
- Sweet potato fries
- Coleslaw
- Potato salad or pasta salad
You can also dip wings in blue cheese or ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, or hot sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen chicken wings
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
How to Make
STEP ONE: Place chicken into the instant pot. Place the wire rack into the instant pot. Place the frozen chicken wings onto the wire rack. It’s ok if they are frozen together. Add the water to the instant pot.
STEP TWO: Cook. Cover, set to sealing, and cook at high pressure for 11 minutes. Once cooked, turn the vent to release the pressure. Once the valve goes down, remove the lid.
STEP THREE: Preheat the oven. Preheat oven to broil.
STEP FOUR: Make the sauce. In a mixing bowl, combine BBQ sauce, honey, and hot sauce. Brush onto the wings.
STEP FIVE: Cut the wings into pieces. Remove the wings from the pressure cooker and place them onto a cutting board. Carefully cut the wingettes and drummettes. Season with salt and pepper. Place the wing pieces onto a baking sheet lined with a wire rack. Brush all sides with the BBQ sauce mixture.
STEP SIX: Broil the wings. Broil the wings for 3-5 minutes or until they are golden brown.
STEP SEVEN: Serve. Serve hot with the extra bbq sauce, ranch, or blue cheese dressing.
How To Cut Apart Chicken Wings
Cutting apart whole wings is easy to do (especially once they’re cooked). Usually, you can buy whole wings cheaper than pieces, so it can be a cost-saving way to enjoy wings more often. Here’s how to cut them.
- Place the chicken wing on a cutting board and locate the joint where the drumette (the thicker, meatier part) meets the wingette (the thinner part). It should be in the middle of the wing.
- Use a sharp knife to cut through the joint while holding the wing firmly with your other hand. You should be able to feel the spot in the center of the joint where the pieces meet. Cut between them, separating the drumette from the wingette.
- Next, remove the wingtip by cutting it off at the end of the wingette with a pair of kitchen shears or a knife. You can discard the wingtip or use it to make stock, but it won’t be very good for eating.
Tips and Recipe Notes
- If your wings are whole, wait till after you’ve pressure cooked them to cut them apart.
- If you’re short on time, you can use store-bought sauce instead of making your own.
- Use chicken broth instead of water for some extra flavor.
How to Store Chicken Wings
You can keep your leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just make sure they’re wrapped tightly or put in an airtight container. You can also freeze your leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before enjoying again.
How to Reheat Chicken Wings
You can reheat chicken wings in the microwave if you want, but they tend to get rubbery. I prefer to use the oven to reheat them. Here’s how:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Place the wings on a baking sheet covered in parchment or foil (to make clean-up easier)
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until they are heated through and crispy.
FAQs
I recommend cooking the drumette part of the chicken wing. It has the most meat and seems to be the easiest to eat, although both parts of the wing taste delicious.
No, you can skip this step if you want, but it gives your wings a crispy exterior and some extra flavor.
No, breaded wings won’t cook well in the Instant Pot. You’d be better off using an Air Fryer for breaded wings instead.
Pressure Cooker Frozen Chicken Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen chicken wings
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place chicken into the instant pot. Place the wire rack into the instant pot. Place the frozen chicken wings onto the wire rack. It's ok if they are frozen together. Add the water to the instant pot.
- Cook. Cover, set to sealing, and cook at high pressure for 11 minutes. Once cooked, turn the vent to release the pressure. Once the valve goes down, remove the lid.
- Preheat the oven. Preheat oven to broil.
- Make the sauce. In a mixing bowl combine bbq sauce, honey, and hot sauce. Brush onto the wings.
- Cut the wings into pieces. Remove the wings from the pressure cooker and place them onto a cutting board. Carefully cut the wingettes and drummettes. Season with salt and pepper. Place the wing pieces onto a baking sheet lined with a wire rack. Brush all sides with the BBQ sauce mixture.
- Broil the wings. Broil the wings for 3-5 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- Serve. Serve hot with the extra bbq sauce, ranch, or blue cheese dressing.
Notes
- If your wings are whole, wait till after you’ve pressure cooked them to cut them apart.
- If you’re short on time, you can use store-bought sauce instead of making your own.
- Use chicken broth instead of water for some extra flavor.
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