Super easy instant pot buffalo wings with an irresistible sticky honey glaze combined with a spiced rub for an addicting blend of flavors! Done in the instant pot for that mouthwatering fall-off-the-bone texture everyone loves! Quick and delicious in just 4 easy steps!
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These sticky honey instant pot buffalo wings are a definite crowd pleaser! Rubbed with a blend of spices and cooked in the instant pot, it doesn’t get easier than this!
Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or party snack, you can’t go wrong with these buffalo wings on your dinner table!
Only 4 easy steps, and you’ll have beautifully glazed wings that any level cook can achieve! Easy and delicious!
This post will go over everything you need to know to create this instant pot buffalo wings.
Recipe difficulty: What instant pot recipe is difficult and above beginner level? Not this one!
In under 25 minutes, you’ll have the most flavorful instant pot buffalo wings with that fall-off-the-bone texture! Using a blend of seasonings to create our instant pot wings dry rub (keep reading below for our favorite!), this dish is SO EASY to put together during a busy weeknight or gathering.
Sam’s Pro Tips for this Instant Pot Buffalo Wings
Adjust the Seasoning to Preference!
So, what is the secret to the instant pot buffalo chicken wing? Well, I used 10 different seasonings each at a 1 teaspoon measurement combined! This includes salt and pepper in case you’re wondering!
Similar to my Tender Instant Pot Spicy Barbecue Chicken | Sweet and Spicy Drumsticks, you have your onion powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and more! The result? A MILD kick when combined with the honey buffalo sauce.
You can adjust the seasoning to preference, like if you want more paprika or cayenne pepper, definitely go for it! However, I find that using 1 teaspoon of each spice gives just the right amount.
We love this Instant Pot Duo Plus 6 Quart as the pressure builds quick, the lid locks easily and securely, PLUS the quick recipe buttons makes it super simple to follow!
Spicy Honey Buffalo Sauce?
Every time I make this recipe, I get asked how to cook chicken wings in instant pot that is both flavorful and not soggy. Well, the honey buffalo sauce is what makes the difference!
For a spicy honey buffalo sauce combination with the seasoning, we love using a blend of Tapatio hot sauce, honey, and butter. Literally this sauce is the perfect balance of sweet and savory!
Now you don’t need to stress trying to find this exact flavor of hot sauce, but try to use a hot sauce that does have SOME spice to it for that kick!
Tapatio is usually our go-to hot sauce as seen in our 15-Minute Asian Chili Garlic Butter Shrimp with Sprite! You can even mix Tapatio with vinegar as seen in our Filipino Style Spam Garlic Fried Rice Anyone Will Love!
Broiler Equals Better
Ok, so what do I mean by this?
Using the broiler with our flavorful honey buffalo sauce is what makes our instant pot buffalo wings crispy, sticky, and not soggy!
For instant pot chicken wings crispy and tender, that essentially GLAZES the sauce on the chicken, we stick these tasty wings under the broiler after cooking in the instant pot for 2-3 minutes on each side until the sauce caramelizes. In other words, become sticky!
Like our Filipino Pork Barbecue Skewer Recipe Perfectly Glazed, we glazed each side of the wings with our honey buffalo sauce 2 times! By continuing to glaze under the broiler, the glaze will give an insanely flavorful coating to the meat and become sticky!
Key Ingredients – Instant Pot Buffalo Wings
Below are some key ingredients for this recipe:
Chicken Wings and Sauce
- Chicken wings: We love using wings for a finger-licking, saucy dish that is super tender in the instant pot. You can use either frozen or fresh wings, however the time in the instant pot may need to be adjusted. See the Notes section of the recipe.
- Hot sauce: We love using Tapatio hot sauce to pair with our seasoning. Be generous coating these instant pot buffalo wings in the sauce under the broiler.
- Honey: The addition of the honey gives a beautiful glaze when broiled similar to our Stovetop Honey Soy Chicken Wings with Ginger!
- Butter: Mixing melted butter with the sauce for these instant pot buffalo wings makes this dish irresistible and super flavorful!
Seasoning for the Spice Rub
The blend of these spices adds a kick to the chicken and definitely takes this recipe up a notch! As discussed in the Tips section above, we use 1 teaspoon of each, but this can be adjusted to preference.
- Brown sugar (only seasoning at 1 tablespoon to balance the spice!)
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Chili powder
- Ground cumin
- Cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lemon pepper (optional)
More Variations to this Instant Pot Buffalo Wings
There are a few ways you can variate this instant pot buffalo wings. Here’s how:
- Can I use the slow cooker instead? Yes, I have made this recipe in the slow cooker as well! Literally you can toss everything in the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or on HIGH for 2 hours. Make sure to add some cornstarch to the sauce so that it can thicken before broiling. Mix two tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water to make a slurry. Combine with the sauce from the slow cooker over high heat until boiling before coating the wings under the broiler.
- What can I pair with this dish? These instant pot wings honey garlic dish can pair with a lot of great sides for a complete dinner table! Give our 5-Step Easy Garlic Baked French Fries Recipe a try for some comfort food goodness! Or for a healthier alternative, our Spiced Honey Glazed Carrots Recipe with Pecans will pair perfectly due to the common ingredient of honey!
Looking for some awesome printables that are totally FREE? Our favorite! Check out our FREE LIBRARY for our Grocery Checklist or Top 5 Ingredients you Need for Filipino Cooking printables to help you on your cooking journey!
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- Easy Burger Patty Recipe Without Breadcrumbs
- Filipino Pork Barbecue Skewer Recipe Perfectly Glazed
- Tender Instant Pot Spicy Barbecue Chicken | Sweet and Spicy Drumsticks
Easy Sticky Honey Instant Pot Buffalo Wings in 4 Simple Steps
Ingredients
Chicken Wings
- 2 pounds fresh chicken wings
- 1 cup water
Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Honey Buffalo Sauce
- ½ cup hot sauce see note below
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
Garnish (optional)
- chopped green onion
Instructions
- Combine all the seasonings in a small bowl. Toss the chicken wings with the seasoning.
- Fill the Instant Pot with the water. Put the trivet/rack in the Instant Pot and place the seasoned wings on top.
- Cook on HIGH for 12 minutes followed by a quick release after 2 minutes when cooked. During this time, mix together in a small bowl the ingredients for the honey buffalo sauce.
- Line a baking tray with aluminum foil. Put the cooked chicken on the tray. Using a pastry brush, generously brush the chicken with the honey buffalo sauce. Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until the skin begins to crisp and the sauce slightly glazes. Pull the tray out and flip the chicken to the opposite side. Repeat brushing the chicken with the sauce and then broil for at least 2 times on each side. Enjoy!
Notes
- Tapatio is our go-to hot sauce for a spicy honey buffalo sauce combination with the seasoning.
- We stick these wings under the broiler for 2-3 minutes on each side until the sauce caramelizes. For that sticky glaze, we brushed each side of the wings with our honey buffalo sauce 2 times under the broiler!
- You can use either frozen or fresh wings, however the time in the instant pot for frozen wings may need to be adjusted. To cook frozen wings in the instant pot, cook 2 pounds of frozen chicken wings on HIGH for 15 minutes.
- See Sam’s Pro Tips for this Instant Pot Buffalo Wings for further details.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long to cook chicken wings in instant pot?
For our Sticky Honey Instant Pot Buffalo Wings, we cook 2 pounds of fresh wings in the instant pot on HIGH for 12 minutes.
How long do I cook frozen chicken wings in the Instant Pot?
To cook frozen wings in the instant pot, cook 2 pounds of frozen chicken wings on HIGH for 15 minutes.
How do you make BBQ wings in the Instant Pot?
Refer to our Tender Instant Pot Spicy Barbecue Chicken | Sweet and Spicy Drumsticks for an easy barbecue chicken instant pot recipe. Quick and delicious!
This post was all about how to create this instant pot buffalo wings.
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