Nothing beats the convenience of an Instant Pot for quick, easy, and healthier chicken wings. Once cooked, a quick trip under the broiler or on the grill is all you need to get that nice crispy finish. Classic Buffalo chicken wings are the perfect appetizer for any get together.
Quick Tip: Save some money by trimming them yourself with kitchen shears or a sharp knife. See photo for approximate location of where to cut each whole wing. They are a little easier to trim AFTER they’ve been cooked. Immediately freeze the tips to make chicken stock later.
Can I use frozen chicken wings? The Instant Pot is flexible when cooking chicken. If using frozen wings, just add 3-4 minutes to the active cook time.
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Wings
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Wings
Equipment
- Instant Pot or similar electric pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 4 to 4.5 pounds chicken wings
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup water
Hot Sauce
- 1 cup Frank's Original RedHot sauce
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
Instructions
- Sprinkle wings with the garlic powder and season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Place metal trivet inside Instant Pot and add one cup of water. Arrange seasoned wings on top of the trivet before locking the cover in place. Close the vent and set to High Pressure/Manual for 8 minutes.
- While the wings cook, whisk the Frank’s hot sauce, melted butter, vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- When done cooking, allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then open vent to release any remaining steam. Carefully remove lid and transfer wings to a large bowl. Set aside until just cool enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, position oven rack in the top position and pre-heat broiler to high. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire cooling rack on top. Set aside.
- Pour 1/3 of the buffalo sauce on top of the wings and toss to coat. Transfer the wings to the wire rack on the prepared baking sheet and place under the broiler for 3-4 minutes or until the wings start to get crispy and develop some color. Turn the wings and repeat this process.
- Remove baking sheet from oven and toss the wings with half of the remaining buffalo sauce. Serve immediately with sliced celery, blue cheese dressing, and the remaining sauce on the side for dipping. Enjoy!
