My grocery store had a sale on chicken drumsticks - and I think they were not the only store to do it. Last week, I got a wave of questions about pressure cooking drumsticks2. The questions came from two perspectives - half were asking if they could use my chicken wings recipe with drumsticks; the other half asked about my chicken legs recipe.
So, here we are in the middle - bigger than wings, smaller than legs, with a convenient handle to grab on to. I'm cooking the drumsticks like large chicken wings with a teriyaki glaze. (My oldest son is on a Teriyaki kick, so I went with Teriyaki drumsticks. Of course, he got himself invited out for pizza the night I made this recipe. Teenagers.)
There's not much to this recipe - dump the drumsticks in the pot and pressure cook. The only tricky part is broiling the drumsticks. I broil them because it's the quickest way to get them browned; they are kind of flabby when they come out of the pressure cooker, and need to crisp up. The tricky part is how variable broilers are. I've had wimpy broilers that can't warm up a damp paper towel, and mega-powerful broilers that carbonize food the moment you take your eyes off of it. My current broiler is in the goldilocks zone, not to cold, not too hot. To even out the heat, and give myself some extra cushion, I put the rack down a few levels, in the middle of the oven. In that setting, the wings are nicely browned in about 10 minutes. Then I give them an extra coat of teriyaki and serve.
Looking for an easy substitute for chicken wings? Try out some pressure cooker chicken drumsticks.
Video: Pressure Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Drumsticks (1:04)
Pressure Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Drumsticks - Time Lapse [YouTube.com] Print
Pressure Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Drumsticks
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 drumsticks 1x
Description
Chicken wing style Teriyaki drumsticks from the pressure cooker...with a little help from the broiler.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 8 Chicken drumsticks (about 3 pounds)
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup teriyaki sauce
- More teriyaki sauce to brush on the drumsticks before serving
Instructions
- Pressure cook the drumsticks: Pour the water, soy sauce, and ¼ cup teriyaki sauce into the pressure cooker pot. Pile in the drumsticks, then toss them in the pot until they are coated with sauce. Lock the pressure cooker lid. Pressure cook on high pressure (manual mode) for 20 minutes in an electric PC, 16 minutes in a stovetop, and then quick release the pressure. (Or, if you have the time, pressure cook for 15 minutes in an electric PC, 12 minutes in a stovetop PC, and let the pressure come down naturally, about 15 more minutes.)
- Broil the drumsticks: Move the drumsticks from the pressure cooker pot to a baking sheet - be gentle; the drumsticks are already cooked through. Brush the drumsticks with the sauce from the pot. Set your oven’s broiler to high and broil the drumsticks until browned and the sauce is bubbling. (This will take 5 to 15 minutes, depending on your broiler and how far they are from the heat. I put them on the third rack down from the broiler, and went about 10 minutes.)
- Sauce and serve: Remove the sheet of drumsticks from the oven, and brush them with a generous coat of teriyaki sauce. Serve, passing extra teriyaki sauce at the table for dipping.
Notes
- This recipe fits in a 6 quart or larger pressure cooker. I love my 6 quart Instant Pot pressure cooker.
- This recipe can double in a 6 quart pressure cooker - there was plenty of space for another layer of chicken drumsticks. Keep the amount of water, soy sauce, and teriyaki sauce in the pot the same - you’re steaming the drumsticks, so the liquid doesn’t need to double.
- I use store-bought teriyaki sauce in this recipe - it’s easier. But, if you want to make your own…or forget to buy some (not that I’ve ever done that), here’s my homemade teriyaki sauce recipe.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Category: Weeknight Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Japanese
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MARY SALOMON NELSON says
Question: can you make this recipe the same way if you pull the skin off the drumsticks? or could I cook it in the Instapot with the skin, but remove the skin when broiling?
Mike Vrobel says
I would cook them with the skin on - it's easier to remove after cooking.
lynn says
This recipe was simple yet extremely tasty. I made these for my son yesterday, he liked it and guess what today he is asking me to make them again.
Agustin says
Easy to do. Taste very good.
Li Mar says
I made this with boneless chicken thighs and it was fabulous! Put under broiler for 5-8 minutes with some garlic chili sauce for a great finish. Thanks DadCooksDinner you are my first stop when looking for a recipe.
Lyn says
I made these last night with five plump chicken legs and cooked for 15 minutes then slow release for 15 and they came out lovely thank you
Joss says
So, I have been using this recipe for a few months and I think it has made my husband love me more, so thank you. Also, would the cooking liquid be safe to reuse? I always feel like it's such a shame to toss all the deliciousness but I don't know rules about food safety.
Mike Vrobel says
Reusing the cooking liquid is asking for trouble, food-safety wise. Sorry!
Vicki says
New to the Insta Pot world. I have a large family and received an 8 qt. Insta Pot. The only recipes I have found are for up to 3 lbs of chicken. I do 9 pounds boneless. I understand I can not over fill, but how do I figure out how much time to add? Trial and error?
Mike Vrobel says
It will take the same amount of time for 3 pounds that it does for 9 pounds. Cooking time is based on the thickness of each breast, not how many there are.
Samanta says
I loved this recipe! Quick and delicious *_*
Katlyn says
If I only cook 4 drumsticks do I need to do less time and liquid?
Mike Vrobel says
No. Same time, same liquid.
Yana Rakic says
Very simple and super delicious ?
Jennjfer says
D-LICIOUS!!!!! These were a big hit in my house tonight ?
Wendy says
Is there a difference between an electric pressure cooker and an Instant Pot?
Mike Vrobel says
Nope!
Maggie says
I would love to make these with wings. I have not seen your wing post. How long should I pressure cook the wings (electric)? Would ingredients be the same ?
Mike Vrobel says
Recipe here: https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/pressure-cooker-buffalo-chicken-wings/
Mike Vrobel says
That's a typo - should say 16 minutes stovetop. Fixed, and thanks for pointing it out!
DT says
This seems like a big difference between the "electric" & "stovetop" models. Is that correct?
DT says
Here is what I am referring to,"Pressure cook on high pressure (manual mode) for 20 minutes in an electric PC, 8 minutes in a stovetop, and then quick release the pressure."