4-ingredient Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Wings
Get perfectly tender and flavorful Instant Pot BBQ chicken wings in a fraction of the time with this easy recipe that’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser!
Craving tender, saucy BBQ wings? We kept this Instant Pot BBQ Wings recipe simple and flavorful, using just four easy ingredients you probably already have.
Whether fresh or frozen, these wings come out perfectly tender every time—perfect for game day, potlucks, parties, or any time you want finger-licking good BBQ wings fast!
Making BBQ Wings in an Instant Pot
It is SO easy to make Instant Pot BBQ chicken wings with just 4 ingredients!
Season the wings and add water and apple cider vinegar to the Instant Pot, then layer the wings and pour BBQ sauce over them without stirring.
Note: Make sure you choose a BBQ sauce you really love because it is a major flavor component. We love Sweet Baby Ray’s Original (not sponsored, just big fans).
Pressure cook on high for 6 minutes, naturally release for 10, then finish by air frying at 400°F for 6 minutes with extra sauce for a crispy, sticky finish.
Looking to make Instant Pot wings from scratch? Try our Homemade Chicken Wings recipe, which features a yummy homemade teriyaki sauce.
This easy Teriyaki Chicken wings recipe takes your favorite teriyaki sauce and pressure cooks your wings into an amazing meal.
Love Buffalo Chicken Wings? This easy recipe starts with jarred sauce & blue cheese dip for a flavorful, make-ahead–friendly appetizer.
FAQ
✅ This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, Cosori, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
What is the best cooking method for wings?
We love a two-part cooking methods for wings—first, cook the wings in the pressure cooker to keep the meat tender and juicy. Then finish with a blast of heat on the grill, air fryer, or oven to caramelize the sauce and crisp up the wings.
Can I cook the wings from frozen?
This recipe works the same for fresh or frozen wings! Just add the frozen wings straight to the Instant Pot with the sauce. (Note: While the cook time stays the same, frozen wings will take about 10 extra minutes to reach pressure, so plan for a slightly longer total time.)
Why don’t you use a trivet?
We used to do use a trivet in our original BBQ wings recipe. However, after testing, we didn’t notice enough difference to justify the hassle of cleaning the trivet. So we’ve updated the recipe to just cook the chicken in the pot.
However, if you prefer to use the trivet, go for it! Just stack the wings on the trivet and continue with the recipe as written.
Do you put barbecue sauce on wings before or after cooking?
We like to pressure cook the wings with BBQ sauce on top to flavor the meat while it cooks. However, we also like to add a little more sauce during the crisping process to
How long should you cook chicken wings in an Instant Pot pressure cooker?
The key is 6 minutes: Set the pressure cook time for 6 minutes to cook the chicken wings. Then set your air fryer cook time for 6 minutes to crisp them up!
Do you LOVE this recipe?
Leave us a review below to tell us why!
Simple Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings flats and drumettes, remove wing tip if desired
- Salt and pepper
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce We used Sweet Baby Ray’s Original
Instructions
- Generously salt and pepper the chicken wings. Add the water and apple cider vinegar to the bottom of the pressure cooking pot, then place the chicken wings inside in a single layer. Next, pour the BBQ sauce on top of the chicken wings and DO NOT STIR.
- Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and set the cook time for 6 minutes. When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release.
To Finish with an Air Fryer
- Transfer the wings to a bowl and set aside. Remove the cooking pot and rinse well to ensure no residue is stuck. Return the cooking pot to the pressure cooker housing. Unplug the pressure cooker.
- Place the wings on the air frying rack. If desired, use a basting brush to spread additional BBQ sauce the chicken wings. Place the rack in the cooking pot.
- Select the Air Fry setting. Set the temperature to 400°F and a 6 minute cook time. If desired, flip them halfway though cooking. (Keep a close eye on them for the last 2 minutes of cooking and pull them early if any wings start to look too brown.)
- When the cook time ends, carefully remove the air fryer lid and place it on the cooling pad. Use tongs to remove the wings and serve immediately with extra BBQ sauce for dipping if desired.
To Finish in an Oven
- Preheat the broiler to 450F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire rack on the prepared sheet and spray the rack generously with nonstick cooking spray.
- With tongs, place the coated wings on the prepared rack. Place the wings under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes until they start to brown. Remove the pan from the oven and turn the wings over. If desired, coat the wings with additional BBQ sauce. Broil the second side for another 3 to 5 minutes until the wings start to brown. Watch them closely so that they don’t burn. Serve immediately with extra BBQ sauce for dipping if desired.
To Finish on the Grill
- Preheat your grill to medium heat. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until the sauce is caramelized and sticky. Baste with more sauce as desired.
Nutrition
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Bummer that the oven is involved.. with all your testing and experimenting you should figure it out in the pressure cooker ! Took the safe ol fashion oven route instead. Didn’t teach me anything new. And you should tell people what a trivet is, then I could of learned something. Good photo, I will give you that.
Hi Maureen – unfortunately you can’t get sticky caramelization in the pressure cooker, so this recipe takes advantage of cooking the wings in the pressure cooker and then caramelizing in the oven, or you could use the BBQ or air fryer. This method is particularly advantageous for making ahead of time like I do with my ribs https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/make-ahead-bbq-baby-back-ribs-perfect-for-tailgating-parties/ Most pressure cookers come with a trivet. What brand of pressure cooker are you using?
If using 3 1/2 lbs of wings, do you use more BBQ sauce, or the same amount ?
Yes, you’ll probably use twice as much BBQ sauce.
You say 2lb of wings5 minutes what if I have 3 1/2 lb would it be the same or should I add more time? Thank you
You’ll use the same time. Enjoy!
I don’t have a trivet in my farberware pressure cooker. I want to make wings. Can I just put the chicken in the pressure cooker without a trivet.
Hi Donna – you can put them in without a trivet. Or, if you want to make your own “trivet” you can just make a long snake with aluminum foil and coil that in the bottom to set the wings on.
Hi Barbara, do you think it would be OK to leave the wings and drumettes attached instead of separating them? Most packages bought in the store package them still intact. Thank you!
Hi Glinda – yes, I think you could leave them attached with no changes in cook time. They’re just a little harder to eat that way. Let me know if you try it.
Hi,
I want to make these for a work party and I was wondering if I can cook them the night before and then just put them back in the pressure cooker on warm at work.
I think it would work fine. You will lose some of the caramelized texture on the wings that you’d get from the oven, but the flavor will still be awesome. I’d save the extra teriyaki sauce and warm them in the sauce the next day at work. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn’t brown too much on the bottom of the pot. I’m not quite sure how long it will take to warm the wings through at work, so be sure to give yourself enough time. You may even want to set the pressure cook time to 0 minutes to get it up to temperature.
Let me know how it works!
So good!!! Finished off under the broiler for just a few minutes! Perfect
Hi, I have an elite pressure cooker that came with a rack/trivet. I grilled the wings and realized that they weren’t completely done. Can I use this method to finish cooking the wings? It seems like it would be great! Also, I have the best of both worlds; grilled taste, yet tender wings! What are your thoughts?
Hi Melissa – yes, if they just need to be cooked a little bit longer, I would pressure cook them for 1 minute. You’ll lose some of the grilled flavor when pressure cooking, so ideally you’ll pressure cooker first and grilled after.
These wings were the best! Looking forward to trying more recipes. Thanks
Thanks Kimberly!
Hi there! I was just wondering how long does it usually take to naturally release the pressure?
Hi Tracy – it depends on what and how much is in the pot. When you’re just using a cup of liquid the pressure will release naturally within 5 or 10 minutes. If you’re cooking a big pot of soup, it can take 20 minutes or more for the pressure to release naturally.
Good evening. I made this with my very first pressure cooker and the very first thing I tried. First I chose the Aroma brand as small as I could get because it’s for our camper. I wanted to practice using it. What I learned is you dont want to release the exhaust on it with this, or you get chicken water blowing all over the place (I had to laugh at my mistake). I was forced to make in small batches. My boyfriend aproves of the results.
Glad it was a hit Mary – you definitely need to make changes with a smaller pressure cooker. Don’t fill your pressure cooker more than 2/3’s full or half full with things that foam like oatmeal. Sounds like you’re off to a great start learning from your mistakes and enjoying the process.
I toss a dish towel over the release valve to catch the steam and save my ceiling.
How many wings do you put on the rack in the instant pot at a time? Do you stack them or just one flat layer? Thanks!
Hi Kylie – you stack them. Enjoy!
Hi I’m making the wings in your new cookbook. Can I make the wings ahead of time and put them in the fridge until I’m ready to broil?
Hi Melinda – yes, that should work well.
I made these for Happy Hour at our lake cabin last summer a few times. The 1st time, I followed the directions of 5 min. They were enjoyed by everyone. I thought, though, that they were almost too fall-apart tender, so the next time I did 3 min. and they were better, but still a bit too tender. They didn’t look like your picture. Any tips or recommendations? I have a Cuisinart Electric PC
Hi Rosanna – you can reduce the cook time and reduce the natural release time until they’re just the way you want them.
THIS IS GREAT!!!! My WONDERFUL WIFE bought me a pressure cooker for Christmas. “I LOVE THIS THING”. I use it to prepare my wild game, greens, stews, ribs, butts. I could do this all day. BUT…. Now y’all have raise the bar. Gonna try these wings today. Got some GREAT SEC fooTball to watch???. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and kindness. Y’ALL ROCK!!! So let do some wings and ??ROLL TIDE ROLL??
Great – thanks David! Enjoy the games and the wings 🙂
Dave – The pressure cooker rocks and the wing recipe is amazing. But I can not say Roll Tide. O-H-I-O
Made thesenwith homemade honey mustard! I will never go back to packaged seasoning recipe again! These are my new go to for wings! Can’t wait to try new sauces with this method! Great job on the instructions!
I’ve done the original recipe a few times and never had them dry. That said, I try to get what is marketed in my area as “jumbo wings”. They are pretty large, I imagine the smaller ones would dry out pretty easily.
Hello
At what temperature do I bake?
Bake at 450° – Enjoy!
HI, My IP came with a rack but I didn’t understand what you meant by a trivet? I’ve used a trivet to place a hot pot on the counter but never in cooking. Can you explain a little more what and how you use here? TIA
Hi Andy – the rack that came with your IP should work fine. I use rack / trivet interchangeably.
Barbara,I’ll get back to you tomorrow. Chicken wings are on deck ready to go. ilk follow up with the results. oliver
When you’re saying cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, exactly which button are you pressing? Are you using the “canning” selection for high pressure? I would like to try these wings but am not sure which selection to make for high pressure. Thank you.
Hi Scott – here’s a post about using the Power Pressure Cooker XL that will help. https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/how-to-use-the-power-pressure-cooker-xl/
Thank you!
Can you tell me how many servings and how many wings per serving please?
These are by far the best chicken wings i have had in a long time. we have done them 3 weeks in a row now.
So nice to hear – thanks!
My pressure cooker did not come with a steaming rack. Can I use balled-up foil or just ignore the rack?
Hi Beau – you can just ignore the rack if you don’t have one. Enjoy!
If I use frozen chicken wings, do I need to thaw first? Or can I cook from frozen? If so how long do I need to cook them in the pressure cooker?
Love your recipes!!
Thanks! Generally with small cuts of meat, you don’t need to add any extra time when cooking from frozen. It will take longer to come to pressure, so your cook time overall will be longer. Let us know how you like them. 🙂
Just wanted to let you know the wings are delicious. I’ve made them a couple of times and my hubby enjoys them. Thanks again for the recipe.
That’s great to hear. Thanks!