Instant Pot Buffalo Wings

These Instant Pot Buffalo Wings will blow your mind with how easy they are to make. On top of being easy pressure cooker wings are the most tender wings that you will ever put in your mouth. 

instant pot buffalo wings on a white plate and blue paisley napkin

I love wings.  In our house they are known as WANGS.  When I started my weight loss journey I knew that I needed to find a way to still enjoy my favorite appetizer without breaking the waistline or my hard work. 

Let’s be real here after you’ve spent 30 minutes telling yourself that you aren’t going to die on the treadmill, you really don’t want to undo all that effort that it took to talk yourself into sticking with your workout for the day by eating something terrible. So, I needed a healthier version ASAP. By healthier, I mean not fried.

Trying to find a healthier way to eat my favorite wings was a success once I pulled out my trusty Instant Pot.  I don’t think I will go back to the fried unhealthy wings because these Instant Pot hot wings blow my mind with how tender they are. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Instant Pot Buffalo Wings

Can I use frozen chicken wings?

Absolutely you can use frozen chicken wings.  However, you will need to adjust the cook time in your Instant Pot to be sure to get your wings all the way done in the middle. I recommend adding an additional 3 to 4 minutes to your pressure cooking time to ensure that your frozen chicken is done completely. 

How can I make the Buffalo sauce?

To make a homemade buffalo sauce simply mix these ingredients together and coat your wings.  If you want a little deeper flavor for your homemade buffalo sauce you can heat it on the stove in a saucepan for 4 to 5 minutes until it is slightly below a low boil.   

Adjust the spicy level of your hot sauce by adding more or less melted butter to suit your taste buds. 

1 cup Frank’s original hot sauce

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Can I freeze Instant Pot Buffalo Wings 

Yes, you can freeze Instant Pot Buffalo Wings. To freeze, place them in a freezer safe bag for up to one month.  You will need to move from the freezer and place in the fridge overnight to thaw.  Then you can reheat your wings in the oven, or air fryer so that they maintain their crispy texture. 

When reheating frozen buffalo wings preheat your oven or air fryer to 350 degrees and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes until your wings are warm all the way through. 

Instant Pot Buffalo Wings Recipe

One of the best parts about making these wings in your Instant Pot is that you only need a few basic ingredients, and you’re own your way to making something finger lickin’ good! 

  • 4-4½ lbs. chicken wings
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup water
instant pot buffalo wings on a white plate with stalks of celery

How To Make 

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 securing the cover in place. Switch the vent to “Sealing” and adjust the “Manual” setting to 8 minutes.

While the wings cook, make the sauce. Ingredients for wing sauce are in the NOTES section. Whisk the Frank’s hot sauce, melted butter, and remaining garlic powder in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

When done cooking, allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then do a quick release for any remaining steam. Carefully remove the lid and transfer the wings to a large bowl. Set aside until just cool enough to handle.  

Meanwhile, position the top oven rack in the top position and preheat the 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 the baking sheet from the oven and toss the wings with half of the remaining buffalo sauce. Serve immediately with sliced celery and the remaining sauce on the side for dipping. Enjoy!

Cooking Tips

  • This recipe is written for fresh or thawed wings. If using frozen wings, add 3-4 minutes to the active cook time.
  • If you like a mild sauce add more melted butter to your hot sauce until you get the heat your desire.
  • Like your sauce spicy?  Add ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to your sauce to turn up the heat level.
  • If you like really crispy wings add more time when you are broiling your wings.

More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

Yield: 4 pounds

Instant Pot Buffalo Wings

Instant Pot Buffalo Wings

These Instant Pot buffalo wings are a great crowd pleaser any time you crave! Wings have never been easier to make.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 34 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4-4½ lbs. chicken wings
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

  1. 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 securing the cover in place. Switch the vent to “Sealing” and adjust the “Manual” setting to 8 minutes.
  2. While the wings cook, make the sauce. Ingredients for wing sauce is in the NOTES section. Whisk the Frank’s hot sauce, melted butter, and remaining garlic powder in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
  3. When done cooking, allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then do a quick release for any remaining steam. Carefully remove lid and transfer wings to a large bowl. Set aside until just cool enough to handle.  
  4. Meanwhile, position top 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Remove baking sheet from oven and toss the wings with half of the remaining buffalo sauce. Serve immediately with sliced celery and the remaining sauce on the side for dipping. Enjoy!

Notes

INGREDIENTS FOR HOT WING SAUCE:

1 cup Frank’s original hot sauce
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Did you make this recipe?

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