Make BBQ Chicken Legs in about 30 minutes using an Instant Pot! Seasoned drumsticks are cooked, coated with BBQ sauce, & broiled until crisp.
Today I want to share a tasty (and simple) recipe for BBQ Chicken Legs, made in an Instant Pot. I found the original recipe online and have really enjoyed the simplicity of this lip-smackin’ dish.
Chicken legs are well seasoned with a homemade spice mix that takes all of a couple minutes to combine. They are cooked in the Instant Pot, then removed, basted with BBQ sauce and broiled or air-fried until nicely browned and crispy on the outside.
The chicken legs are delicious, juicy, and this really is a pretty simple meal to prepare. Here’s how to make BBQ Chicken Legs in an Instant Pot.
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Make The Seasoning Mix
The first thing you will need to do is whip up an easy, flavorful seasoning mix! Measure smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, black pepper and salt in a small bowl.
Stir these ingredients well, until fully combined. This is the seasoning mix for the chicken legs. Set the bowl aside for a minute while you get the drumsticks ready for the spices.
Prepare The Chicken Legs
Lightly pat the chicken legs dry on all sides using paper towels. Be sure to leave the skin on the legs for best results.
Use all of the prepared seasoning mix to sprinkle and cover the chicken legs on all sides. Press the seasoning mix into the skin of the chicken so it adheres very well.
Pour low sodium chicken broth into the bottom of the Instant Pot’s inner pot. Place a trivet on the bottom, then arrange the pieces of seasoned chicken on top of the trivet.
Cook The BBQ Chicken Legs
Lock the lid in place and then flip the steam release valve on top to SEALING. Program the Manual button to cook for 15 minutes at HIGH pressure.
The instant pot will begin coming to pressure, and when it has reached full pressure, the timer for the cooking program will begin automatically (and the pressure valve on top will pop up).
When the 15 minute programmed cooking time has finished, perform a QUICK RELEASE of steam by flipping the steam release valve to VENTING.
When all the steam has been released, the pressure valve on top will also drop back down, indicating all pressure is released and it is safe to open the lid. Unlock and remove the lid of the Instant Pot.
Two Ways To Crisp And Brown The Chicken, If Desired
After you remove the chicken legs from the Instant Pot, lay them on parchment paper. Brush them on all sides with a favorite BBQ sauce until each piece is fully covered.
At this point, the BBQ chicken is now fully cooked and can be served, however I highly recommend taking one more step to take these drumsticks up a notch! It only takes a few more minutes, but it is well worth it, in my opinion.
You have two options for crisping/browning the chicken legs and cooking the sauce onto the chicken. You can put them under a broiler OR you can use an air fryer to do this. It’s your choice. Here are the instructions for both methods.
BROILER – Method #1:
Remove the chicken legs out of the Instant Pot, and place them in a single layer on an oven proof baking sheet. Place the chicken under an oven broiler (several inches away from the heat source) and broil until the drumsticks become browned and crispy.
IMPORTANT: Keep a very close eye on the chicken when using the broiler. Remember, the chicken is already cooked through. Your chicken can go from nicely browned to burnt very quickly, and you DO NOT want to burn your dinner, right?
AIR FRYER – Method #2:
Place the chicken legs in the basket of your air fryer in a single layer. Cook them at 400° for 6-8 minutes, turning them over halfway though this cooking time.
I typically only cook them for about 6 minutes, because they are already fully cooked through. The purpose is simply to crisp up the outer skin, and brown the chicken legs a bit more.
The skin of the chicken drumsticks should become crispy and browned using this method. Transfer the chicken legs out of the basket once done.
Enjoy The BBQ Chicken Legs (Instant Pot)!
Serve the chicken immediately after transferring them from the broiler or the air fryer. Serve with a favorite side dish or two, and enjoy these delicious BBQ chicken legs.
This recipe, as written, will yield three servings of two chicken legs per serving. The chicken legs are well-seasoned, and taste great. Hope you enjoy them and appreciate how easy they are to make!
I hope you get the chance to make these delicious, juicy BBQ Chicken Legs, and trust you’ll enjoy this simple, tasty dish as much as we do!
Thanks for stopping by, and please come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a great day.
Looking For More INSTANT POT Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have other delicious Instant Pot Recipes you may want to check out, including:
- Instant Pot Cornbread
- Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
- Instant Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Instant Pot Rice Pudding
- Instant Pot Green Beans
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Recipe adapted from Nicole Morissey at: preventionrd.com/instant-pot-bbq-chicken-drumsticks/
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Make BBQ Chicken Legs in about 30 minutes using an Instant Pot! Seasoned drumsticks are cooked, coated with BBQ sauce, & broiled until crisp.
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 chicken drumsticks skin on, patted dry
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- ¾ cup BBQ sauce
Stir smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper and salt together in a small bowl, until combined. Set aside.
Lightly pat chicken legs dry on all sides using paper towels. Be sure to leave the skin on the legs for best results. Sprinkle and cover the chicken legs on all sides with spice mix, using it all. Press spices into the chicken skin so it adheres well.
Pour chicken broth into the inner pot. Place a trivet on the bottom; arrange pieces of seasoned chicken on top of the trivet.
Lock lid in place; flip steam release valve on top to SEALING. Program Manual button to cook for 15 minutes at HIGH pressure. Instant pot will begin coming to pressure; when it's reached full pressure, timer for the cooking program will begin automatically (pressure valve on top will pop up). When 15 minute programmed cooking time is complete, perform a QUICK RELEASE of steam by flipping the steam release valve to VENTING. When all steam is released, pressure valve on top will drop back down, indicating it is safe to unlock and open the lid.
Remove chicken legs from Instant Pot. Lay them on parchment paper; brush BBQ sauce on all sides until fully covered. At this point, BBQ chicken is fully cooked and can be served, however I highly recommend one more step: You have 2 options for crisping/browning the chicken legs. Here are the two options.
Method #1-Broiler: Place chicken legs in a single layer on baking sheet. Place chicken under an oven broiler (several inches away from heat source). Broil until drumsticks are nicely browned and crispy. IMPORTANT: Keep a close eye on the chicken when using broiler. Your chicken can go from nicely browned to burnt very quickly!
Method #2 - Air Fryer: Place chicken legs in single layer in air fryer basket. Cook at 400° for 6-8 minutes, turning them over halfway though cooking time. The skin of the chicken should become crispy and browned. Transfer chicken out of the basket once done.
Serve with a favorite side dish (or two), and enjoy!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!