Instant Pot Frozen Drumsticks
Perfectly seasoned, crispy drumsticks that the whole family will love. Only 4 simple pantry ingredients needed to make frozen drumsticks in the Instant Pot.
Servings: 6 servings (2 drumsticks per serving)
Calories: 252kcal
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon onion salt
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 3 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken drumsticks (frozen or fresh)
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth sub: turkey stock or water
Instructions
To Cook Straight from Frozen:
- Thaw Slightly: Set frozen drumsticks on the counter at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. This allows the skin to thaw enough so seasoning can adhere better.
- Season Drumsticks: In a small bowl, combine the garlic salt, onion salt, celery salt, and poultry seasoning. Sprinkle your preferred seasoning blend generously over the frozen drumsticks.
- Add to Instant Pot: Add 1 1/2 cups water or or chicken stock to the Instant Pot. Place the seasoned frozen drumsticks into the Instant Pot, arranging them in a single layer as much as possible. Make sure they're not stacked on top of each other to ensure even cooking.
- Pressure Cook with Quick Release: Lock the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to the sealing position. Select the "Pressure Cook" or "Manual" setting and set the cooking time to 17-22 minutes at high pressure. (Chicken is done when it registers 165°F internally.) Then, carefully perform a quick pressure release by turning the valve to the venting position. Once the pressure has fully released and the float valve (or pin) drops, carefully open the Instant Pot lid.
- Broil (Optional): Position the top oven rack about 6 inches below the broiler. Preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Use tongs to place the drumsticks on the prepared baking sheet; discard any liquid remaining in the cooker. Broil until the chicken starts to brown and look crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the chicken over, and broil until the skin begins to brown and look crispy, 2 to 3 minutes more.
To Cook From Fresh:
- Season Drumsticks: In a small bowl, combine the garlic salt, onion salt, celery salt, and poultry seasoning. Sprinkle the seasoning evenly over the drumsticks and rub it in to coat all sides.
- Add to Instant Pot: Add the broth to the Instant Pot and place seasoned drumsticks in the bottom (stack them on end, if needed, but try not to pile them on top of each other).
- Pressure Cook: Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 12 minutes, then quick release the pressure. (Chicken is done when it registers 165°F internally.)
- Broil (Optional): Follow steps 7 and 8 above, if you want to crisp up the skin.
Video
Notes
- We gave a cooking time range for the frozen drumsticks because we got different results at each test (based on how the chicken was arranged). Start with 17 minutes and then take the internal temp of a several of the drumsticks. If they aren't up to 165°F internally, rearrange them in the pot and cook for another few minutes.
- Broiling is highly recommended to get a crispy, beautiful exterior.
- Where We Get Our Chicken: We get our meat from ButcherBox. The chicken is organic and curated from small, trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat--like uncured bacon, wild salmon, and grass-fed beef--and have used it for years ourselves. Read Rachel's honest review here.
- Check out all of our "best of the best" Instant Pot Chicken Recipes.
Nutrition
Serving: 2drumsticks | Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 1339mg | Fiber: 0.02g | Sugar: 0.1g