Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken Wings
These Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken Wings start with a delicious, homemade teriyaki sauce. Pressure cook them, then finish with a quick blast of heat so your wings are browned, sticky and sweet.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe Using your pressure cooker, you can skip the marinade, cook from frozen, and still serve fall-apart tender chicken wings.
These from scratch teriyaki wings have the perfect blend of sweet and savory, with a hint of citrus. Best of all, you can use the liquid in the pot as extra sauce for basting and dipping!
Updated: We updated this post in 2025 with new photos, new tips, and more details on finishing your wings in an air fryer.
✅ This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, Cosori, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
Can I Pressure Cook Chicken Wings from Frozen?
We wrote this recipe so there is no change to the cook time whether the wings are fresh or frozen.
If you’re cooking from frozen, you can combine the sauce ingredients, then pour the bag of frozen wings right into your Instant Pot!
The cook time is the same for fresh or frozen wings. HOWEVER if you’re making your wings from frozen, it will take at least 10 minutes longer for your pressure cooker to come to pressure. So your total time will be longer.
Also, frozen chicken wings release more liquid than fresh wings will, so you’ll need to use at least twice as much cornstarch slurry to thicken your homemade teriyaki sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions about Instant Pot Chicken Wings
Can I use something besides mirin or white wine in the sauce?
The mirin (or white wine) adds some sweetness and rich flavor to the finished wings. If you prefer, you can substitute 2 tablespoons of unsweetened rice vinegar and 1 tablespoon apple juice or even just ¼ cup chicken broth. (The taste will be slightly different, but it’ll still be delicious.)
Can I just serve the wings after pressure cooking?
Absolutely! Use an instant-read thermometer to verify the wings have an internal temperature of at least 165F, which means they’ll be fully cooked.
However, the finishing step crisps up the wings, so they look prettier. It also helps caramelize the sauce so it’s thick and sticky. We recommend browning them up if you’re able.
How to store leftover chicken wings?
Refrigerate in an airtight container and eat within 3–4 days. I like to reheat my wings in my air fryer so they regain some of their crispy exterior.
Don’t forget to follow basic food safety guidelines, including getting them in the fridge within two hours of serving.
Want more in-depth information about making this recipe? You can now find it below the recipe card.
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Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken wings about 20, split at the joints and trimmed
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup sake, mirin, or dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch*
- 2 tablespoons cold water*
- Optional garnishes (sliced green onions, sesame seeds, or diced parsley) to add color for serving
Instructions
To Make the Teriyaki Chicken Wings
- In the pressure cooking pot, stir together the soy sauce, white wine, vegetable oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, garlic, ginger, and dry mustard. Add the wings.
- Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 6 minutes cook time.
- When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the wings from the cooking pot to a plate. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and cold water. Add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce in the cooking pot. Select Saute and stir until sauce thickens. Return the chicken wings to the cooking pot and stir to coat the wings with the teriyaki sauce.
To Finish with an Air Fryer Lid (Ninja Foodi, Instant Pot Duo Crisp, etc.)
- Transfer the wings and sauce 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 pressure cooker.
- Place the wings on the air frying rack. If desired, use a basting brush to spread additional teriyaki sauce the chicken wings. Place the rack in the cooking pot.
- Set the air fryer lid security on top of your pressure cooker. Select the Air Fry setting. Set the temperature to 400°F and a 6 minute cook time.
- 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.
To Finish in an Oven
- Preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire rack on the prepared sheet and spray 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 teriyaki 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.
- Remove the wings and garnish with toppings as desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED TO MAKE INSTANT POT TERIYAKI CHICKEN WINGS
Since this is a homemade teriyaki sauce, this recipe has a larger list of ingredients. Just add the ingredients and let your Instant Pot do the work.
- Chicken wings: We usually buy a bag of frozen wings that has a mix of drummettes and wingettes. If desired, you can buy fresh, whole wings and cut them apart into their various pieces.
- Soy sauce: We prefer reduced sodium soy sauce in our recipes.
- Mirin or Wine: The recipe calls for a dry white wine like a sauvignon blanc. You can also substitute a dry vermouth. (Dry vermouth has the advantage of being able to store in the refrigerator for months, so it’s a great option if you don’t often have wine on hand.)
- Oil: We love the extra flavor sesame oil gives this recipe; however, you can swap for canola oil if you prefer.
- Lemon: We love the flavor from fresh lemon juice and zest. I rarely measure this one and just toss in extra.
- Honey: We love the sweetness from honey. You can sub agave or even sugar in a pinch.
- Garlic: To make sure the sauce is a smooth consistency, you will want to mince or press your garlic cloves.
- Ground ginger: We rarely keep fresh ginger on hand, so we chose ground ginger for this recipe. You can sub fresh if you prefer (about 1 tablespoon).
- Dry mustard: Even though it’s a small amount, it makes a big difference in the overall flavor.
- Cornstarch and water: Use cold water and cornstarch and stir until no lumps remain. Making the slurry this way allows your homemade sauce to thicken without seizing up.
HOW TO SPLIT CHICKEN WINGS
Most grocery stores will sell chicken wings two ways: whole and separated. Whole wings are often a little cheaper, but it can be a little intimidating to separate them if you’ve never done it before.
Don’t worry—it’s easy. Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears. (I prefer shears.)
Chicken wings are made of three parts joined at two joints—the drumette, the wingette (flat), and the tips. Locate the joint and pull to find the space between the joints. Fit the shears in this space and cut—the shears should move easily in the space between the bones.
Save the wing tips in a ziplock bag in your freezer for making chicken stock in the pressure cooker.
MAKING THE TERIYAKI SAUCE
Before thickening the teriyaki sauce, I like to pour the liquid through a strainer and fat separator. This will lead to beautiful, smooth sauce for additional dipping.
When cooking from frozen, chicken wings will release more moisture and make the sauce quite thin. To offset this, you may need an additional tablespoon or two of cornstarch mixed with an equal amount of water. Add 1 tablespoon at a time. (But remember, the sauce thickens as it cools, so don’t add too much cornstarch.)
CAN I USE MY AIR FRYER LID ATTACHMENT?
I LOVE using my air fryer to finish these wings! It’s so fun to just crisp them up without using your oven!
These days, I mostly use my Instant Vortex or my Cosori Turboblaze (or both if it’s a big crowd!)
In an earlier version of the post, we tested this with our Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid in our 6-quart Instant Pot Duo Nova. So if you’re still using your air-fryer lids, here’s the scoop:
We were able to fit 16 wings on the double layer air fryer basket—8 on the bottom rack and 8 on the top rack. If we had used the 8-quart Instant Pot Duo Crisp or the 8-quart Ninja Foodi, I think we could have been able to fit them all.
Since it was difficult to flip the lower wings midway through, we skipped that step. (If you want to do it, though, you could!) If you don’t flip, the top layer of wings was browned on top, while the bottom layer of the basket was browned on the bottom.
MORE Easy Party Recipes
Go wing crazy this year and make THREE different types of wings! Pair these Teriyaki Chicken wings with these Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Wings and my Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Sauce (page 136).
- Instant Pot Sweet BBQ Meatballs
- Make-Ahead Instant Pot BBQ Baby Back Ribs
- Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Cheesecake Pops
- Strawberry Mango Salsa Cups, Barbara Bakes
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I am making this recipe tomorrow night.Just had to tell you that your dog is soooo precious!
Thanks! And thank you for subscribing to our emails. Enjoy the wings!
Hi can you make this recipe using chicken thighs or breast or legs. I think it will work, just adjust time. Let me know what you think. Thank you
Hi Marsha – should work well. I cook my chicken legs for 4 minutes when I’m going to finish them on the grill. I haven’t tried it with thighs or chicken breasts.
Do you broil on HI or Low setting?
**High
So glad that you’ve updated this recipe with air frying instructions for the IP Duo Crisp, the Mealthy Crisp LId and the Ninja Foodi, Barbara. I’m guessing that over time, as is appropriate, many of your recipes will be updated with air frying instructions.
To folks reading this recipe and my comment, know that I believe Pressure Cooking Today is an outstanding pressure cooking blog. Why? Barbara’s recipes “work.” I’ve made many and they’re always been successful. Barbara is also extremely responsive to readers and their questions. There are a number of pressure cooking bloggers on the ‘net, but there isn’t a better one than Barbara Schieving. I own 100+ pressure cooking cookbooks (including all of Barbara’s), but when I’m wondering “Is there an Instant Pot recipe for ___ dish (fill in the blank), I always first look to see if Barbara’s created a recipe for that dish. If so, 9 out of 10 times, that’s the one I try.
Thanks Sigrid – such a sweet compliment. We do hope to add more air frying instruction to our recipes.
I couldn’t agree more with Sigrid Trombley’s comments above. I have several cookbooks I’ve purchased for my Instant Pot and the one I use over the over with great results is Barbara’s “The Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook.” I gave my two grown children Instant pots for Christmas and I included a copy of her book. My daughter called to tell me that her husband has dog-eared almost every page! :o) Thanks Barbara!
Thanks so much Kim! Your support means so much.
I made the teriyaki wings and used the crisp lid to carmelize the sauce and they were delicious. First recipe I tried using the crisplid and it turned out great.
That’s great – thanks for sharing Judy!
It looks very yummy.
Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe with us.
Tender and juicy for sure!
I’m totally making these for Super Bowl Sunday!m
You know, I never would have thought to cook chicken wings in the pressure cooker….and what a time saver it would be. I’m the stick in the mud that marinates and bakes them-time to step outside that comfort zone! I think I have a package in the big freezer downstairs….and we are having a Super Bowl party. These would be a great addition to the buffet-easy too. I do love easy-especially when entertaining….now here’s hoping the game won’t be too stressful and everyone will lose their appetites….YIKES! 🙂
Have a great party Carol!
I made chicken wings only once in my Instant Pot. I’m not sure what recipe I followed, it was from a blog I had never heard of, but I immediately threw it and the wings away. I also don’t remember the length of cooking time, I do know it was longer than 6 minutes, but the meat was definitely more than falling off the bone – there was no meat left on the bone, no wings to broil to crisp. I was so disappointed and discouraged. They simply cooked too long. I’m looking forward to trying it again with your first recipe. Sounds delish.
Great – thanks Lea Ann! Let me know how you like them.
Does your chicken wings be frozen or is it better if defrosted? I will try this receipe for sure but can you skip oven time or is that recommended?
Hi Ellen – wings cook well from frozen. You can skip the oven time but you won’t get the caramelization of the sauce like you do when you finish them in the oven.
Can you cook your wings frozen or is it better if defrosted? I am going to try this receive definetly .
What is considered high pressure? Is that the regular pressure when you set to cook or does it need to be increased to another number.
Hi Kristi – high pressure on the Instant Pot is about 11.5 psi. High pressure is the default setting for most pressure cookers.
Can I substitute chicken thighs in this recipe?
Hi Pat – I haven’t tried it, but it should work just fine. Let me know if you try it.
Does the instant pot time change at all if we double the recipe?
Hi Laura – no need to change the cook time when you double a recipe like this one. Just be sure and only fill your pressure cooker 2/3’s full. Enjoy!
Is the oven time optional?
Hi. My Fagor LUX wants a minimum of 1 cup liquid for pressure cooking. This marinade doesn’t equal a cup. Will this be a problem? I don’t want to water down the wings but I don’t want to ruin my cooker. Thanks!
Oops, just saw the one cup of soy sauce! My bad – never mind!!
Instruction here are not very good. Select browning? Pot and Oil? I mean be specific in what items you are actually cooking on. As far as I know a pressure cooker has no browning option
Hi Dave – what brand of pressure cooker do you use? All my recipes are written for the electric pressure cooker. Many have a browning setting (and I think they all should). Let me know if you have specific questions.
Barbara,
Love your pressure cooker recipes and have a wing question: a local place smokes their wings before frying and saucing; could a little bit of liquid smoke in the cooking water help to infuse a smoked flavor into the wings, do you think? Maybe 1/2 t of the liquid smoke in 1 cup water to cook the wings under pressure, then natural release, then toss the wings in a teriyaki or BBQ sauce until coated, dry them out just a bit in a low oven?
Any help is appreciated.
Teresa
Thanks Teresa! I definitely think you could add liquid smoke to give it more of a smoked flavor. I added 2 tablespoons to my brisket https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/smokey-beef-brisket-in-the-pressure-cooker/
How many minutes should I set pressure cooker for if I am using frozen chicken wings. Should I just pour marinade over wings and mix wings while in pressure cooker and then cook?
Hi Julie – yes, with frozen wings, I’d just cook them in the marinade and then pop them under the broiler to finish them off at the end. You shouldn’t need to increase the time.
Thank you for your quick response:) I’ll be making them tonight!
Do you have an easy recipe for hot wings?
Sorry Sherri – I don’t have a hot wings recipe.
I am making these right now, they are going to be delicious, I can already tell.
Thanks Paula! Hope you enjoyed them.
That’s just too much trouble you my as well do it the old fashioned way
Hi! I am new to pressure cooking. I received a Farberware 7 in 1 PC and love it so far! My question is, how do you do a ‘natural release’ with this PC? I could not find any information on this in the manual.
I am looking forward to making this wing recipe for our Super Bowl gathering this weekend!
Thanks for your help!
Hi Heidi – I’m not familiar with the Farberware, but electric pressure cookers seem to all work pretty much the same way. This post https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/quick-pressure-release-or-natural-pressure-release/ will explain how to do a natural pressure release. Enjoy the wings!
Thank you Barbara! I just got the same PC that the OP is talking about as was wondering if all of the recipes would translate and you just answered my question. I am looking forward to making some of your recipes, they all look delicious! I suffered 2nd degree burns from a PC many years ago and was scared to use it again, I can’t wait to get back in the swing of such convenient cooking 🙂
Hi Tracy – so sorry to hear about your burns. That would have scared me too. Glad you’re enjoying pressure cooking again!
My husband Mark Oeder got me the xl pressure cooker and we did the pork recipe but am looking for more recipes.
How do I do this in a stove top pressure cooker?
Hi Sherry – just bring it to pressure the way you normal would. Reduce the stove temperature to maintain pressure and cook it 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, remove from heat and let the pressure release naturally.
I have not tried to make rice yet and I am wondering how keep the rice warm if I want to make the topping in the same PCooker? As you can tell I am an old rookie!
Hi JD – I’ve found rice keeps warm a very long time. I actually like to cover it with just a kitchen towel so it absorbs the steam and makes the rice more fluffy. Ideally you’ll have a second pot for your PC, but if not, just put the rice in a bowl and keep it covered while you cook your wings.
Hello All,
I’m brand new to pressure cooking, so I have a rookie question. My Wolfgang Puck Automatic 8-quart Rapid Pressure Cooker does not have “brown” or “high” settings, only the dial for time. How would I adapt this, or any recipe that specifies “brown” or “high” setting?
Thank you!
Since your pressure cooker doesn’t have any other settings, yes, it should cook at high pressure. To brown, just set the dial for a long amount of time, wait for the pot to get hot and then you should be able to brown or saute your ingredients.
A pressure cooker is just a hotplate with an locked pot on top. Since the pot is locked tight, steam can’t escape so pressure builds inside. Increased pressure leads to hotter temperatures, around 250F at 15psi. That’s the secret to pressure cooking, and why foods cook faster. Unlike stovetop models, which automatically regulate pressure by monitoring internal pressure (all that jiggling releases steam as necessary), electric models don’t actually measure pressure. Instead, it calculates pressure based on the temperature. In other words, once it reaches 250F, the cooker knows that maximum pressure is reached, usually 13-15psi (although some only reach 235F or 10psi). The thermostat then turns off the heat, and turns it on and off as necessary to maintain the desired pressure/temperature.
NOW TO YOUR QUESTION! If you leave the lid off, it will never reach pressure so the heat will stay on. You can then Brown, saute, stir fry, etc. As for High, all electric pressure cookers default at high (10psi-15psi or 235F-250F). Medium and Low pressures are mostly for delicate foods like fruits, and rarely used, so many models only have High.
As an aside, Pressure Cookers are known to brown poorly. It simply doesn’t get hot enough. Many cooks prefer to brown in a stovetop pan before transferring the food to the pressure cooker. It also saves energy in my case because gas is much cheaper than electricity. Leaving a 1300 watt pressure cooker constantly on for 30 mins to brown uses a lot of energy. Contrast that with actual pressure cooking, where the heater is usually off once pressure is reached. If you decide to brown in a pan, make sure you deglaze the pan to get all those yummy crunchy bits into the final dish. Simply pour some of your cooking liquid into the pan and scrape (very easy with a nonstick pan) and then pour everything into the pressure cooker. These bits are the result of the Maillard Process, a chemical sequence which gives fried, toasted and charred foods their complex smokey flavor.
Bon appetit!
Hi,
I also have Wolfgang Pucks PC…I love it. I just turn it on let it heat up then brown my meats, etc…when done, then finish your meal following the directions. Yummy gravy too. Good luck. .
Hello everyone. I am brand new to pressure cooking and haven’t made anything yet. This wings recipe looks great. Stupid question here, are the wings frozen or thawed while they are resting with the mix in the fridge. Please forgive my ignorance.
They’re thawed, but I suppose you could use frozen ones if you wanted to marinate them overnight. Have fun with your new pressure cooker..
Yum. Will try this tonight with some modifications. Since we don’t like alcohol, we’ll just use soy sauce (teriyaki sauce is just soy sauce + mirin or sake + sugar or honey). I also wonder if there is a carb-free substitute for the sugar since we have diabetics in the family. Normally, we’d use sucralose (Splenda) but the sugar provides more than sweetness. It’s also a glaze that hardens under the broiler, providing that crunch. Splenda can’t do that. I wonder if just broiling is enough to give that crunch.
Oops, I didn’t mean to post this as a reply to Xavier. I meant to post it as a general comment.
If you want to marinate them, they must be thawed. Otherwise, the marinade can’t penetrate. As an aside, marinating may not be all that important. A government study on spoilage found that marinades don’t really penetrate chicken significantly so it’s basically just a coating. Since fat repels water, the fat on the chicken skin (not to mention the membrane) prevents the marinade from going inside.
FYI, one of the great things about pressure cooking is that you don’t have to thaw meats before cooking (unless you want to brown them first). The cooking time even remains the same. What’s different is the pressurization time. It’ll take more time for the cooker to reach pressure with colder ingredients since pressure builds as temperature rises (15psi is about 250F).
Good points. I think wings thaw quickly enough that an overnight marinade would be beneficial. Also, i don’t know about wings, but the cook time on frozen meats is longer.
Hello, I am new to your site. I love pressure cooking and use my electric cooker about 4 nights a week.
when I found this site with some amazing receipes I decided to give them a try.
The Thai chicken is amazing! I did add additional red peppers and chopped snow peas. The family loved it, I served with basmati rice. Thank you and keep the recipes coming!
Welcome Patty – so glad you’re enjoying my recipes! I like the idea of bulking up the Thai chicken recipe with added veggies. Thanks!
I have a meatball appetizer which I have made in a slow cooker. I have two questions.
1. Can this be transitioned to a pressure cooker recipe?
2. Do you think the sauce can be used on chicken wins?
Holiday meatballs
1 can cranberry sauce
12 oz. Heinz Chili sauce
1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix
18 oz. jar of apricot or peach preserves (I use apricot)
Put all ingredients in medium saucepan till cranberry sauce and preserves melt and is at a low boil.
Pour over two pound bag of meatballs either frozen from grocery store or your own recipe.
Hope to hear from you soon. Love your recipes. I have just bought a pressure cooker from QVC can’t wait to try it out.
Thanks Diane – so glad you love my recipes. Yes, I think the recipe would work fine with either meatballs or wings. However, to be safe, I’d add 1/2 cup water just so you have enough liquid to come to pressure. If you need to you can simmer to reduce the liquid or thicken with a cornstarch slurry after cooking. Have fun with your new pressure cooker!
So glad you all have enjoyed this. I’ve made it numerous times and have gotten great compliments from my guest.
You don’t need to add liquid to create the pressure?
The Teriyaki sauce is a liquid sauce.
The teriyaki sauce is a liquid but make sure you have the minimum amount of liquid required by your pressure cooker. Mine, par example, needs 1.5 cups so this is just barely enough (sauce + lemon juice + oil). I might add a little water or extra sauce just to be safe.
Thank you for sharing….These wings were great!
Thanks Rita – so fun that you made them already!
I love teriyaki wings!
I love these! So easy and healthy! Sometimes it is hard to find healthy meat dishes to serve the family! I know mine will be gobbling it up!
thanks for sharing!