This instant pot chicken leg quarters recipe is a quick and easy way to make chicken that is fall-off-the-bone tender, juicy, and moist. Your whole family will love it!
These chicken leg quarters are so finger-licking good. And they are a breeze to make in the instant pot because you don't have to monitor them. My family eats a lot of chicken and I like to prepare them in different ways so it doesn't get boring.
This instant pot chicken leg quarters recipe is one of my faves! It's quick and easy, yet very minimum level effort. Also, you only need a handful of ingredients to make moist and delicious chicken, guaranteed to be a hit with your family.
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Equipment Used
I like to use an instant pot for this recipe because the chicken cooks in its own juice under high pressure and comes out so flavorful. The instant pot is an electric pressure cooker that cooks under pressure, so all I need to do is throw all my ingredients in, and it does all the work.
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You also will need a trivet for your instant pot and you can easily get it online from Amazon or your local supermarket.
I love that the whole cooking process is hands-off so I don't have to monitor the chicken when cooking. Making this recipe in the instant pot guarantees juicy chicken every time!
Ingredients Used
You only need a few ingredients for this instant pot chicken legs recipe.
- Chicken legs: You can buy fresh chicken drumsticks from your local grocery store or from a farmer's market.
- Chicken seasoning: I prefer to use my homemade flavorful chicken seasoning for this recipe. It turns ordinary-tasting chicken into a delicious masterpiece and it takes me just a couple of minutes to make. It's made from a mix of simple pantry staples like onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper.
- Olive oil: To brown the chicken legs in. You can use your preferred cooking oil instead.
- Chicken stock/water: I use about a cup of chicken stock but you can also use water.
How To Make This Recipe
- Wash the chicken legs under running water, then pat dry with paper towels.
- Drizzle some oil on the chicken parts, then rub it all over each.
- Next, sprinkle the spices all over the chicken, then rub it all over, including the sides of the chicken.
- Turn on the instant pot and set it to sauté function.
- Pour in some olive oil and when heated, add the chicken.
- Brown the chicken on each side for a few minutes.
- Take out the chicken and add 1 cup of chicken broth.
- Scrape the bottom of the pot to remove the browned bits while there's liquid inside.
- Place the trivet inside the instant pot.
- Arrange the chicken parts on the trivet and close the instant pot. You can stack them if you need to.
- Turn off sauté mode and set the instant pot to manual.
- Pressure cook for 15 minutes on high pressure.
- Let it do a natural pressure release for 5 minutes, then do a quick release of the remaining pressure by releasing the valve on top.
- If you want the chicken to crisp up a bit more, broil it in the oven or air fry at 360F for a few minutes.
Storing and Reheating
Store leftover chicken quarters in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
You can also freeze them in an airtight container for a few months. Put them on a sheet and freeze them for two hours, then transfer them to an airtight freezer bag.
To reheat if frozen, first put them in the fridge overnight to defrost. Add some water, sauce, or stock, then reheat in the instant pot or stovetop.
What can I eat this recipe with?
You can pair this versatile instant pot chicken recipe with many side dishes. If you want, you can also serve it with your favorite sauce and have it as a standalone meal. Try it with some pepper sauce, bbq sauce, or garlic chili oil.
I prefer to pair it with a side of veggies. Serve this pressure cooker chicken leg quarters with asparagus, cauliflower, or broccoli. Chicken as a main dish goes great with almost anything you pair it with.
Tips and variations
- You don't have to stick to just dark meat for this recipe, you can use chicken breast or chicken thighs.
- Make delicious buffalo chicken leg quarters by throwing them in some buffalo sauce.
- Pair this delectable dish with your favorite dip or slather your best sauce over it.
- If you use stock for this recipe, taste for salt before adding any extra. Stock usually contains some already.
- It is important to deglaze the instant pot by scraping the bottom, so that the instant pot doesn't give you a burn notice. Deglazing will also add more flavor to the chicken.
- Check for doneness with an instant-read meat thermometer. The internal temperature should give you a reading of 165F.
Frequently asked questions
It takes about 20 minutes to cook chicken in the instant pot. However, the time may vary slightly depending on a few factors: whether you use boneless or bone-in chicken legs, the power capacity of your instant pot, and the size of the legs. This recipe is for bone-in leg quarters.
Yes, it's possible to overcook chicken in the instant pot. You should cook them long enough that they're properly cooked, tender, and juicy. Make sure you don't overdo it so they don't turn out dry or rubbery.
Enjoy these other chicken dishes!
Poulet Yassa - Senegalese Chicken
Need more delicious instant pot recipes? Next time, try these!
Instant Pot Bone-In Pork Chops
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Leg Quarters
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 chicken legs
- 3 tablespoon chicken seasoning
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chicken stock/water
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the chicken legs.
- Add some oil to the chicken, sprinkle the spices all over, and rub it in.
- Turn the instant pot and set it to sauté function.
- Add olive oil and when heated, add the chicken.
- Brown the chicken on each side for 3 minutes.
- Take out the chicken and add 1 cup of water or chicken stock.
- Scrape the bottom of the pot to remove the browned bits.
- Place the trivet inside the instant pot.
- Arrange the chicken on the trivet and close the instant pot. You can stack them if you need to.
- Turn off sauté mode and set the instant pot to manual.
- Pressure cook for 15 minutes.
- Let it naturally release for 5 minutes, then do a quick release.
- If you want the chicken to crisp up a bit more, broil it in the oven or air fry at 360F for 3-5 minutes.
Notes
- If you use stock/broth for this recipe, taste for salt before adding any extra. Stock usually contains some already.
- It is important to glaze so that the instant pot doesn't give you a burn notice. Deglazing will also add more flavor to the chicken.
- Check for doneness with an instant-read meat thermometer. The internal temperature should give you a reading of 165F.
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