Instant Pot Sweet and Spicy Chicken Drumsticks
Unless you happen to live in a cave or deep in the woods with no access to Amazon or Target, you’ve probably heard of an Instant Pot. This mighty little countertop appliance is a workhorse in the kitchen acting as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, a sauce pan and more all packaged into one appliance.
Regardless if you enjoy to cook or not, the Instant Pot has taken the contemporary kitchen by storm; a game-changer for food prep and meal planning.
Because the Instant Pot has so many functions within the appliance, you can make chicken to for tacos, bone broth with leftover bones, rice for a casserole, hardboiled eggs and steel cut oats for breakfast and that’s just getting started. Now obviously, you can’t make all those items at once. But, instead of dirtying multiple pots and pans, waiting for the stove to heat up and feeling tied to your kitchen waiting for food to cook, the Instant Pot allows you to set it and walk away.
The pressure cooker option on the Instant Pot is probably it’s most popular function. Varying cuts of meat (frozen or thawed) can be cooked quickly and efficiently. The steam created in pressure cooking keeps the meat tender while speeding up the cooking process.
A quick Google search or scroll through Pinterest and you can find hundreds and hundreds of Instant Pot recipes. The appliance comes with its own cookbook and the user manual includes multiple recipes to get even the most timid cooking in the kitchen.
The Instant Pot does have a few downsides though. It’s bulky size takes up prime counter and storage real estate. Also, you might already own one or two of the appliance it replaces (i.e. rice cooker, slow cooker). And, probably the most serious complaint doesn’t have anything to do with the appliance itself but in its marketing. You’ll read recipes for perfect chicken in 8 minutes or hard boiled eggs in 4 minutes. You’ll marvel at its near magical cooking capabilities until it’s sitting on your counter and you realize the recipe didn’t take into account the 15 minutes it takes to heat to temperature and the additional 10 minutes after it’s finished cooking to release the steam. Actual true cooking time is longer than what most recipes indicate because the appliance has to warm up and cool down before accessing the food you cooked.
But all that to say, the Instant Pot is a fun kitchen device to use and experiment with. I bought mine on a whim a few summers ago and use it just about every week. I often throw chicken breasts or a pork loin roast into the Instant Pot with a jar of salsa or barbecue sauce for an easy protein for meals on the go. The meat cooks quickly and I can shred it with two forks. We make tacos, wraps and simple casseroles with the cooked protein.
Try these easy chicken drumsticks. Chicken is glazed in a delicious citrus marinade with just a hint of heat and cooked in the instant pot until the chicken is tender and cooked through. A few minutes in the oven to crisp up and turn a deep golden brown is the final touch on this delicious recipe.
Instant Pot Sweet and Spicy Chicken Drumsticks
4 pounds chicken drumsticks, skins removed
1/2 cup orange marmalade divided
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons lime juice divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
1 green onion minced
Whisk together 1/4 cup orange marmalade, 1/4 cup water, 3 tablespoons lime juice, salt, pepper and pinch of red pepper flakes in a bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat.
Transfer mixture to bowl of Instant Pot that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover cooker with lid and lock in place. Set to manual high pressure for 15 minutes. (Remember it will take additional time for the cooker to come to pressure).
When timer goes off, release steam and carefully remove lid. Remove chicken and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water and add it to the remaining marinade. Whisk until combined and the mixture thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn Instant Pot off.
Set your oven to broil. Stir remaining 1/4 cup marmalade and tablespoon lime juice into thickened marinade. Using a spoon, drizzle the marinade liberally over the chicken. Broil for 10 to 12 minutes total, making sure to rotate the chicken halfway through cooking time so both sides turn golden brown and crispy.
Remove from oven and transfer chicken to serving platter. Garnish with cilantro and green onion and an additional pinch of red pepper flakes (optional of course). Serve with leftover marinade as a dipping sauce.