Perfect Chicken Drumsticks

The key to amazing fall off the bone chicken drumsticks is the Instant Pot. I have said it (1,000 times) before it is the most genius little machine. What it does for meats that deserve hours in the oven is amazing, and it gets them juicy and tender- the humble drumstick is no exception.

My kids can not get enough of these and request them all the time. Beyond a weeknight dinner; you can certainly use this recipe for a festive gathering too… and upgraded version of wings.

You can flavor these any way you’d like; BBQ, Teriyaki, honey mustard, Buffalo or Italian lemon and herbs…

Ingredients:

2 Pounds chicken drumsticks
Dry rub (see note)
1 Cup sauce of choice
1 Cup of water

Instructions:

Wash and clean all drumsticks, place on a paper towel lined plate and pat dry.
Place dry rub in a ziploc bag; not too much just enough to coat chicken. Then add drumsticks and shake to combine. Store in fridge for at least two hours or up to all day. I like to do this in the morning!
When ready to cook; place metal trivet into Instant Pot insert, add one cup of water to the pot.
Arrange drumsticks in pot so the wide part is resting on the trivet and the ends rest on the wall of the pot.
Place lid on the instant pot, lock and switch valve to sealed. Cook on manual high pressure for 18 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, line a cookie sheet with tin foil. Preheat the broiler when there are a few minutes of cook time left.
Once done, allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes and then release the rest of the steam manually.
Carefully remove the drumsticks with tongs and place on lined cookie sheet. Spoon over a teaspoon of sauce on to each drumstick and brush to coat.
Place in oven and broil for 3 minutes until the drumsticks look sticky and golden. Remove and enjoy!

Note: A dry rub is an excellent way to flavor the meat before cooking. You can buy a classic BBQ rub at most grocery or make your own with a mix of brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin and salt & pepper. Primal Palate has great spice blends and the Adobo, Taco and Garlic & Herb would be great here. For Teriyaki drumsticks use brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, ginger and some sesame seeds. You can then use any corresponding flavored sauce when broiling.

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