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spicy barbecue chicken

Tender Instant Pot Spicy Barbecue Chicken | Sweet and Spicy Drumsticks

Fall off the bone spicy barbecue chicken drumsticks that is so tender in under 25 minutes! This instant pot recipe cooks these delicious drumsticks seasoned perfectly with 5 different spices for the best flavor!
Total Time:25 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: spicy barbecue chicken
Servings: 6 drumsticks

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 2 pounds chicken drumsticks
  • 2 cups water

Spicy Barbecue Sauce

  • ¾ cup barbecue sauce see note below
  • cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon whole grain Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce

Seasonings

  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Combine all the seasonings in a small bowl. Toss the chicken drumsticks with the seasoning.
  • Fill the Instant Pot with the water. Put the trivet/rack in the Instant Pot and place the seasoned chicken on top.
  • Cook on HIGH for 15 minutes followed by a quick release when cooked. During this time, mix together in a small bowl the ingredients for the spicy barbecue sauce (barbecue sauce, honey, whole grain Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot 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 spicy barbecue 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. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. We love using the Trader Joe’s Sriracha and Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce to pair with our seasoning. If you can't find this flavor, try to use a barbecue sauce that does have SOME spice to it, such as one that incorporates Sriracha or hot sauce.
  2. Be generous tossing these chicken drumsticks in the prepared BBQ sauce, as our sauce mixture gives plenty.
  3. Make sure to follow the directions for your individual appliance. For our recipe, fall off the bone drumsticks takes 15 minutes on HIGH in the Instant Pot with 2 cups of water.
  4. The seasoning measurements provided in this recipe produces a MILD kick when combined with the barbecue sauce. If you would like a STRONGER kick to the seasoning, you can increase the cayenne pepper and paprika to 1 teaspoon each.
  5. See Sam’s Pro Tips for this Spicy Barbecue Chicken for further tips cooking this recipe.