Instant Pot Mongolian Drumsticks

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Instant Pot Mongolian Drumsticks are the perfect combination of sweet and savory. The chicken drumsticks are incredibly tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.

Instant Pot Mongolian Drumsticks are the perfect budget friendly dinner, that is also very easy to make and delicious. I love to prep ahead this meal and freeze it. I make the sauce and add everything to a freezer friendly ziplock bag and when I know I want to make it for dinner, I transfer the bag from the freezer to the fridge in the morning to thaw. By the time I get home from work, all I have to do is add the marinated Instant Pot Mongolian Drumsticks to the pot and cook. For a delicious crispy outside, I cook the drumsticks under the broiler for a few minutes. Served with the sweet and sticky Mongolian sauce, this dinner is bound to be a success.

Looking for more Asian Instant Pot Recipes? Check these out:

• Instant Pot Orange Chicken – my most popular Instant Pot recipe that even 2 year olds love!
• Instant Pot General Tso– another amazing take on a classic Chinese recipe.
• Instant Pot Mongolian Chicken – a quick and delicious family meal.
• Instant Pot Mongolian Beef – made healthier with less sugar, oil and not deep fried.
• Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken – made with juice pineapple and sweet bell pepper.
• Instant Pot Honey Lemon Chicken – heathy and very flavorful.
• Instant Pot Pineapple Chicken – another delicious dump and cook recipe.
• Instant Pot Garlic Sesame Chicken – another tasty dump and cook recipe.

How to make chicken drumsticks in an electric pressure cooker or Instant Pot?

• You always have to use the minimum liquid requirement for your pressure cooker.
• For this recipe I used a 6 quart Instant Pot and I used 1.5 lbs of chicken drumsticks.
• There are different methods to cook the chicken drumsticks: on the rack that usually comes with your instant pot or pressure cooker or to directly add the chicken in the liquid on the bottom of the pot.
• The cooking methods depend on the recipe and the result you want. For this recipe, it is best to cook the chicken in the liquid as it contains all the flavors and its intended to flavor the chicken.
• If the recipe is more heavy on seasonings and the intention is to have the rub on the chicken, its best to cook the chicken on the rack. In that case, for the liquid part, only water or broth is usually used.
• I find 15 minutes to be enough cooking on High Pressure for 1.5 lbs of chicken drumsticks, which comes down to about 5 chicken drumsticks. If the chicken legs you are using are thicker, you can increase the cooking time by 2 minutes. If you want the meat to be so tender that it falls of the bone, you can increase the cooking time to 20 minutes. I like 15 minutes, as the chicken is tender and it also gets cooked under the broiler for extra crispiness.
• Always do a 10-15 minute Natural Release when cooking chicken, if you do a quick release, the meat will toughen from the quick change in pressure.
• Place drumsticks on a lined cookie sheet and brush them with the sauce, broil for 2-5 minutes on each side, watching carefully not to burn them.

What is a 10 Minutes Natural Pressure Release?

A Natural Pressure Release means that the pressure is released gradually. For a Natural Pressure Release, you click on Keep Warm, and wait 10 minutes, after which you open the valve and let any leftover pressure to release. Another option is to Turn Off/Unplug the pressure cooker, wait 10 minutes and after that open the valve. A natural release is usually used when cooking soups, meat in a large amount of sauce, pasta or steel cut oats. This method prevents for any foam from the dish to shoot out through the valve, which can happen during a Quick Pressure Release.

Can I make these Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks ahead of time?

Yes, you can. I like to meal-prep and these are always on the menu as they are quick and delicious. Here is how you can prep these Instant Pot Mongolian Drumsticks ahead of time:

1. Add all the sauce ingredients to a medium bowl and mix until the sugar is completely dissolved.
2. Add the chicken drumsticks to a large freezer ziplock bag.
3. Pour the sauce over the chicken drumsticks.
4. Close the bag, shake to coat all the pieces and freeze flattened so all the chicken drumsticks are covered in sauce.
5. When ready to make, remove the bag from the freezer in the morning and move it to the refrigerator to thaw.
6. Once thawed, shake well, and add all the ingredients to the instant pot or pressure cooker.

Tools/Ingredients I used to make the Instant Pot Mongolian Drumsticks Recipe:

• Instant Pot – I use it all the time, I have the 6 quarts one. It makes weeknight meals so much easier.
• Cornstarch – I prefer using cornstarch instead of flour to thicken sauces, and this organic brand is my favorite.

Here is a step-by-step video of how to make the Instant Pot Mongolian Drumsticks Recipe:

Print

5 from 4 votes

Servings: 5 drumsticks

Instant Pot Mongolian Drumsticks

Prep Time:

10 mins

Cook Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

25 mins

Instant Pot Mongolian Drumsticks are the perfect combination of sweet and savory. The chicken drumsticks are incredibly tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. or about 5 drumsticks skin on

Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce or gluten free Tamari sauce
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon rice wine
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Cornstarch Slurry:

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water

Garnish:

• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• chopped scallions

Instructions

1. Add all the sauce ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Now, you have a few options:

1. To add the sauce and the chicken drumsticks to the Instant Pot and cook.

2. To add the chicken to the sauce and marinate for a few hours.

3. To add the chicken and the sauce mixture to a freezer friendly ziplock bag and freeze.

Cook:

1. When you are ready to cook the meal, add the sauce mixture to the instant pot.
2. Add the chicken drumsticks in one layer on the bottom of the pot.
3. Close the lid, make sure you Seal the valve and cook on High Pressure for 15 minutes.
4. Once the Instant Pot beeps, let the pressure naturally release for 10-15 minutes.
5. In the meantime, turn on the oven broiler and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Gently remove the chicken drumsticks from the Instant Pot and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Brush them with some of the sauce and place them under the broiler for 2-5 minutes on each side. Watch them closely not to burn.
7. In a small bowl combine cornstarch and water until fully combined.
8. In the meantime, turn the Sauté button on, and add the cornstarch slurry to the Instant Pot. Stir to combine and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
9. Let stand, the sauce will thicken.
10. Serve the chicken over rice, and pour the sauce on top of the chicken.
11. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions. Enjoy!

Author: Catalina Castravet

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Chinese

All images and text © for Peas and Peonies, LLC.

Made this Recipe?

Show me what you made on Instagram and tag me at @sweetnsavorymeals or hashtag it #sweetandsavorymeals.

Peas and Peonies, LLC. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to social media or personal blogs is strictly prohibited. Sharing this recipe is very much appreciated and encouraged. Read my disclosure and privacy policy. This post may contain affiliate links.