Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Legs

The Best Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Legs recipe – easy chicken legs covered in BBQ sauce – from frozen recipe included too!

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

Pressure Cooker BBQ Chicken Legs

Crispy, crunchy, juicy chicken legs covered in BBQ sauce are one of our favorite easy meals – they are full of flavor, can be made keto, and are everyone's favorite finger food meals. like Instant Pot BBQ Shredded Chickenits so easy in the Instant Pot!

Our Crunchy Baked Chicken Drumsticks recipe and air fried chicken drumsticks recipes have been viral at Avdaye for years – but we are constantly asked if the chicken drumsticks can be made from frozen.

If you're planning a chicken leg dinner, but don't have time to defrost, this Instant Pot Chicken Leg recipe is for you – because you can make it with chicken legs right out of the freezer, no thawing required!

How To Cook BBQ Chicken Drumsticks in the Instant Pot

Frozen chicken legs take 12 minutes to cook, but if they are in a solid block when putting them in, they may need additional time so check the temperature of the chicken.

Partially thawed chicken legs take 11 minutes in the instant pot.

Thawed chicken legs take 10 minutes to cook in the instant pot.

Chicken legs are fully cooked at 165 degrees.

Use a good quality digital thermometer, inserted into the fattest part of the chicken leg, to read the temperature.

not hit the chicken bone for the best reading.

Keto Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Legs

Chicken drumsticks are one of the best easy keto dinners – they are filling, easy to make, and fit into macros perfectly.

BBQ chicken legs can fit into a keto diet – but you do need to use a keto approved sauce.

BBQ sauce can be loaded with sugar and carbs – but there are plenty of BBQ sauces that fit into a low carb diet.

How To Cook Frozen Chicken Legs in the Instant Pot

One of the top questions on our viral BBQ Baked Chicken Drumsticks recipe is how to make it with frozen chicken legs.

This easy instant pot recipe is the solution – if you don't have time to defrost chicken legs and want dinner fast, you can use chicken legs right from the freezer!

This instant pot recipe is designed to use frozen chicken legs, with no defrosting, for those times you don't have enough time and need dinner, fast!

How To Cook Still Frozen Chicken Legs

Place frozen chicken legs on the trivet inside of the instant pot, add 1 cup of water.

Place the lid on top, close the seal.

Cook on high for 12 minutes with a quick release, check the temperature.

If the chicken doesn't reach 165°F, leave them in the pot.

Take out the legs that are to temp.

With the undercooked chicken still in the pot, place the lid back on and cook on high for an additional 2 minutes with a quick release.

How To Get Crunchy Chicken Legs In an Instant Pot

While these chicken legs cook to tender, juicy perfection in the Instant Pot, they will have soft skin when done in the instant pot – which is why we will either crisp them under a broiler, or using the Instant Pot Crisping lid.

Under a Broiler

Preheat the broiler on high.

Place the chicken legs on a sheet tray, season with the optional garlic powder and onion powder.

Brush the bbq sauce on one side, broil until the bbq sauce is sticky and baked on, about 2 minutes.

Turn them over and brush the other side with the remaining bbq sauce, broil for an additional 2 minutes.

Using Instant Pot Crisping Lid

Remove pressure cooker lid from Instant Pot, and place crisping lid on.

Remove any liquid from bottom of Instant Pot.

Turn Instant Pot broiler function on high and preheat 5-10 minutes.

Place the chicken legs on a sheet tray, season with the optional garlic powder and onion powder.

Brush the bbq sauce on all sides of the chicken legs.

Place back in Instant pot on wire rack, making sure they are laid out and not placed on top of each other, so they can crisp evenly.

Broil until the bbq sauce is sticky and baked on, about 5 minutes.

Turn them over and brush once more with sauce, broil for an additional 5 minutes.

If more crunch is desired, repeat until satisfied.

Serve it with

These chicken legs make an easy and quick dinner – and pair perfectly with a ton of good, easy side dishes!

We are sharing some of our favorites – including low carb hits like cauliflower ricepan fried broccoliniand bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers – but also quick favorites like the best rice pilaffogo de chao cheese breadand jalapeno cheese bread.

Keeping leftovers

We are often asked how to freeze and reheat our recipes – and reheating crunchy baked chicken is one of our most popular questions!

These methods work with these baked chicken drumsticks – but also our air fryer chicken drumsticksBBQ baked chicken drumsticksbaked chicken wingsair fried chicken wingsand fried or grilled chicken drumsticks!

Store Instant Pot Chicken Legs

If you can't make your way through all of the chicken legs and would like to save more for later, you can store leftovers in an airtight container or plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to five days or up to four months in the freezer.

cook to piping hot when reheating.

If freezing, thaw overnight in the refrigerator until baking.

How to Bake Leftover Chicken Legs

To bake chicken legs again after refrigerating, preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Coat chicken leg with BBQ sauce – enough to coat entire leg, about 1 tbsp.

Place chicken leg on cooling rack over baking sheet and bake about 10 minutes, until piping hot.

Broil for extra 1-2 minutes to crisp.

The Best Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Legs Recipe

Ingredients

• 10 chicken legs, or as many as you can fit in your instant pot
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder, optional
• ½ teaspoon onion powder, optional
• 1 cup BBQ sauce
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced, optional

Method

1. Place frozen chicken legs on the trivet inside of the instant pot, add 1 cup of water. Place the lid on top, close the seal.
2. Cook on high for 12 minutes with a quick release, check the temperature. If the chicken doesn't reach 165°F, leave them in the pot.
3. Take out the legs that are to temp. With the undercooked chicken still in the pot, place the lid back on and cook on high for an additional 2 minutes with a quick release.
4. Preheat the broiler on high.
5. Place the chicken legs on a sheet tray, season with the optional garlic powder and onion powder.
6. Brush the bbq sauce on one side, broil until the bbq sauce is sticky and baked on, about 2 minutes.
7. Turn them over and brush the other side with the remaining bbq sauce, broil for an additional 2 minutes.
8. Garnish with optional scallions, or herbs of your choice.