Instant Pot Chicken Legs

Instant pot chicken legs recipe! This pressure cooker chicken leg quarters is flavorful, moist, and juicy. It is easy, quick to make, and is ready in less than 30 minutes. Learn how to cook chicken legs in instant pot in simple steps.

Chicken legs quarter is chicken drumsticks and chicken thighs in one. Some know it as the chicken laps. This part of the chicken is meaty and delicious. It's commonly used for barbeques and chicken dinner recipes. If you are interested in cooking the drumsticks part only then check my other blog www.recipevibes.com for my instant pot chicken drumsticks recipe.

This pressure cooker chicken legs is well seasoned then browned and pressure cooked to give that super juicy, tender inside and moist chicken.

Instant Pot Chicken Legs Recipe

I love making chicken legs in instant pot because I get to make tasty gravy from the brown bits and drippings from the chicken! This makes it a 2 in 1 recipe as you get chicken and gravy and can then serve both with sides like potatoes, rice, and vegetables.

With this instant pot chicken leg quarters recipe, you can be sure that your chicken will be well seasoned, flavorful, tender, and delicious. It's just so good!

This pressure cooker chicken legs take less than 30 minutes and as I mentioned earlier, you don't just get super tasty chicken, you get gravy too! Let me show you how to make it.

Ingredients

The full ingredients list and directions is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Chicken legs

Paprika

Onion powder 

Garlic powder

Parsley 

Black pepper

Bouillon powder

Salt

Vegetable oil - You can also use sunflower oil.

Cornflour- For the gravy.

How to Cook Chicken Legs in Instant Pot

Clean and pat chicken legs with a paper towel. Add the chicken in a bowl then add the paprika, parsley, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, bouillon, and salt. Mix and cover the bowl with clingfilm. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes or more. 

Turn on the instant pot and set to saute function. Add oil into the pot of the Instant pot then add in the marinated chicken legs. 

Brown the chicken side for 3 minutes then turn to brown the other side for another 3 minutes. 

When browned, take the chicken legs out of the instant pot and turn off the saute function. 

Add a cup of water in the instant pot and deglaze the pot to get the brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Put the trivet in the pot then arrange the browned chicken on the trivet. 

Cover the instant pot, turn the knob into 'sealing' then set to manual pressure cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, do a quick release. When the instant pot is depressurized, open the lid and take out the chicken.

If you want the skin to be crispy, put the chicken in the oven and broil for 5 minutes or put in the air fryer and air fry at 180C for 3-5 minutes.

Make the gravy- Mix the cornflour with water. Turn the instant pot to saute then add the cornflour mix in the liquid in the pot. Stir till it thickens. Take the pot out of the instant pot. 

Serve and enjoy pressure cooker chicken legs and gravy.

How to cook frozen chicken legs in instant pot

If using frozen legs, you won't be able to brown the chicken so just season the chicken and move to the step where you add water in the Instant pot, put in a trivet, and arrange the chicken on the trivet. Manual pressure cook for 18 minutes then broil or air fry in the oven for 5 minutes to get brown crispy skin.

You can coat the chicken in your favorite sauce such as buffalo sauce, bbq sauce, lemon pepper sauce or any other sauce to make instant pot bbq chicken legs etc.

What to serve with

Here are some suggestions of what to eat with chicken legs and gravy:

Mashed potatoes

Boiled potatoes

Rice

Baked or roast potatoes

Sauteed vegetables 

How to Store Leftovers

Leave to cool completely and put in an airtight container, then store in the fridge where it will last for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

You can reheat in the microwave, air fryer, or oven. To reheat in the oven, place chicken on an oven tray and bake at a temperature of 175C for 15 minutes or till heated through.

Tips for Instant Pot Chicken Legs

• Marinate the chicken 15-60 minutes prior to cooking if you have the time.
• If all the chicken doesn't fit in the instant pot for browning, brown in batches.
• You can toss the chicken in sauces like honey garlic sauce, bbq sauce, or any sauce of your choice.

More chicken recipes on the blog

Instant pot bbq chicken thighs

Air fryer chicken drumsticks

Baked chicken drumsticks

Pepper chicken

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