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Home » chicken » Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks

Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks

Published: Sep 18, 2022 by Louisa Clements · This post may contain affiliate links

This post may contain affiliate links

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45 minutes 0 Comment

You’ll love these juicy and tender, fall-off-the-bone Instant Pot chicken drumsticks. Start by tossing in a simple marinade of lemon juice and spices. This weeknight dinner recipe takes under 45 minutes.

Plated chicken legs with gravy and parsley.

Chicken drumsticks are one of the most economical cuts of chicken that you can get in stores right now. They are full of flavour and can be cooked in so many different ways, you can make roasted chicken legs with crispy skin, toss drumsticks in Buffalo sauce for a perfect game day dinner, or even add the drumsticks to the slow cooker for a hands-off dinner.

Why this recipe works

Using the Instant Pot makes them extra juicy and tender, plus it’s an easy way to cook chicken without heating up your kitchen. When they are done cooking, I love to make an easy gravy to serve on top. These are so tasty served with rice (to sop up all the yummy gravy!) and your vegetable of choice; I’d go for roasted broccoli rabe.

One thing to keep in mind is that because these are being pressure cooked, you won’t end up with crispy skin (if you’re looking for crispy skin, try crispy roasted drumsticks instead). The searing is key to add colour and flavour to the chicken, but it won’t make them crispy.

Ingredients for recipe.

Ingredient notes

  • Bone-in, skin on chicken drumsticks are the star ingredient.
  • The first step is to make your spice rub which is a combination of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cayenne pepper and salt, this helps to give the chicken flavour and colour. This spice rub gets combined with lemon juice, to add acidity and brighten the chicken.
  • Chicken broth gets added to the slow cooker before you pressure cook the chicken. When pressure cooking, you need some kind of liquid to create the pressure. This broth is also used for the base of the gravy.
  • The gravy is thickened with a slurry of corn starch and water.
Step by step photos for making the drumsticks including tossing in a spice rub, searing in the Instant Pot and pressure cooking them.

Step by step instructions

  1. Whisk lemon juice with spices for the marinade. Toss with chicken to coat.
  2. Set pressure cooker to “brown/saute”, add olive oil and sear chicken drumsticks, 4-5 at a time, for 4-5 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining chicken and set aside.
  3. Add chicken broth to the pan, scraping brown bits from the bottom. Insert the trivet and add chicken on top, they will be in a pile, so overlapping is ok!
  4. Secure the lid and set the vent to sealing. Select the pressure cook/manual setting. Set to high pressure and cook for 10 minutes. When the cooking program ends, allow pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes, then release the pressure manually.
  5. Remove chicken and trivet and make the gravy. Turn back to brown/saute and bring broth to a boil. In a small bowl stir cornstarch with water and add to the chicken broth. Stir, while boiling until thickened to desired consistency.
Closeup of cooked chicken drumsticks in the Instant Pot.

Expert tips

  1. Keep in mind that the saute/brown function on a pressure cooker doesn’t get as hot as your stovetop, so you won’t end up with a perfect sear, but the chicken will still be delicious! This is a step that helps build flavour, so don’t skip it!
  2. These chicken legs won’t have crispy skin–some recipes will tell you to throw them into the oven or under the broiler to crisp the skin, but that will just leave you with dried out chicken. In this case, enjoy the tender, juicy chicken and flavourful skin!

Frequently asked questions

How many drumsticks can I put in instant pot?

I’ve had success with 10-12 drumsticks in the Instant Pot, this recipe calls for 10.

Do I need to put water in my instant pot to cook chicken?

Yes, you need to add liquid to the Instant Pot to help it build pressure. In this case, we’re using broth because it also acts as the base to create a flavourful gravy. BUT, the liquid shouldn’t be covering the meat.

Plated chicken legs with gravy and parsley.

More Instant Pot recipes

I love to use my Instant Pot for making deeply flavourful soups like fresh tomato soup or cream of mushroom soup, or stews like a chicken stew.

Close up of drumsticks on a plate with gravy and sprinkled with parsley.

Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks

Author: Louisa Clements
5 from 2 votes
You'll love these juicy and tender, fall-off-the-bone Instant Pot chicken drumsticks. Start by tossing in a simple marinade of lemon juice and spices. This weeknight dinner recipe takes under 45 minutes.
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Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Time to come to pressure10 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
servings icon
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 10 chicken drumsticks, bone in, skin on
  • 1 lemon, juice only
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp salt, divided
  • ¼ tsp cayenne
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup chicken broth

For the gravy

  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk lemon juice with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, ¼ tsp salt and cayenne pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat.
  • Set pressure cooker to “brown/saute”, add olive oil and sear chicken drumsticks, 4-5 at a time, for 4-5 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining chicken and set aside.
  • Add chicken broth and any remaining marinade to the pan, scraping brown bits from the bottom. Insert the trivet and add chicken on top, they will be in a pile, so overlapping is ok!
  • Secure the lid and set the vent to sealing. Select the pressure cook/manual setting. Cook on high pressure and cook for 10 minutes. When the cooking program ends, allow pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes, then release the pressure manually. Remove chicken and trivet and set aside
  • Make the gravy. Turn back to brown/saute and bring broth to a boil. In a small bowl stir cornstarch with water and add to the chicken broth along with ¼ tsp of salt. Stir, while boiling until thickened to desired consistency.

Notes

  1. This chicken won’t have a crispy skin because it’s cooked with moist heat. Searing is an important step for adding colour and flavour to the dish. 
  2. You can serve the gravy overtop of the chicken or toss them in the gravy before serving. 
Did you try this recipe?Leave a comment + rating and let me know what you think!
Filed Under: chicken, Dinner Recipes, easy, Fall, Instant Pot, meat, Spring, Summer, Winter
Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks
Amount Per Serving
Calories 387 Calories from Fat 225
% Daily Value*
Fat 25g38%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g
Monounsaturated Fat 12g
Cholesterol 175mg58%
Sodium 707mg31%
Potassium 459mg13%
Carbohydrates 5g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 34g68%
Vitamin A 392IU8%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 30mg3%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided for informational purposes only. If you have any specific dietary concerns, please consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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Hi, I'm Louisa Clements & welcome to Living Lou. I've been creating simple, fresh & flavorful recipes for the modern kitchen for 12 years.
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