Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken Wings make a finger-licking-good appetizer and are perfect for a party. This easy Instant Pot chicken wings recipe has delicious Asian flavors that will delight your guests and become a favorite.
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Table of Contents
Introduction
While most of us may think of teriyaki (sauce) as being Japanese, its authenticity as Japanese is questionable. Outside of Japan, teriyaki generally refers to a sauce that meat or seafood can be cooked with, but the Japanese refer to teriyaki as a form of cooking.
Teri means “shiny” and Yaki means “grill”. Here in the US, teriyaki sauce has many variations. We add pineapple, honey, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, and other ingredients to our teriyaki sauces.
My recipe for Instant Pot teriyaki chicken wings is delicious and comes together really easily. In my original oven-baked version of this recipe, I cook the sauce in a saucepan until it’s reduced and bake the pressure cooker teriyaki wings in an oven for about an hour. In adapting the recipe for the pressure cooker the time is cut in half!
After cooking the pressure cooker wings, you’ll need to use your oven/broiler, barbecue, or air fryer to finish the Instant Pot Asian chicken wings. That will give them the caramelization that takes these wings over the top
Here are some other Instant Pot chicken recipes:
– Instant Pot Air Fryer Chicken Wings
– Instant Pot Peri Peri Chicken
– Instant Pot Korean Chicken
– Instant Pot Thai Chicken
Tips and Substitutions
Teriyaki Sauce
If you’re in a hurry or don’t have the individual ingredients for these soy sauce chicken wings, you can use store-bought teriyaki sauce and substitute it for the homemade teriyaki sauce ingredients. Just make sure the sauce doesn’t have any thickeners like cornstarch or flour.
Pressure Release
If you don’t have the time to do a Natural Release / Natural Pressure Release (NPR), you could do a quick release (QR) after allowing for a natural pressure release for 10 to 15 minutes.
[Read More: Instant Pot Natural Release vs. Quick Release]
Make Ahead Tip
For a make-ahead party appetizer, I cook the Instant Pot Asian wings and thicken the sauce and store them both in the fridge. I then broil the wings right before I plan to serve them.
If you’re a good planner and not in a hurry, you can also marinate the chicken wings in the sauce for 2 to 8 hours before cooking, to allow the flavors to really penetrate.
Frozen Chicken Wings
If you happen to have frozen chicken wings, you should be able to use them and follow the recipe.
You do need to make sure that the wings are separate and not frozen in one big bunch. If they’re in a frozen bunch, the wings may cook unevenly.
Spice
I like a bit of heat, and this recipe has a dash of sriracha sauce. If you like things spicy, feel free to increase the quantity of sriracha. Or you can completely leave it out.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, you might find it helpful to first read one of the following guides and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.
- General Instant Pot Instructions for Beginners
- Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO EVO PLUS Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO NOVA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO GOURMET Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
FAQS
If you double the recipe, you don’t change the pressure cooking time.
No, to halve the recipe, halve all ingredients and keep the same pressure cooking time. However, make sure you have enough liquid to bring the Instant Pot to pressure!
It’s not essential to marinate the chicken wings, but they’ll be more flavorful if you do. Try for 30 minutes, but 2 to 8 hours would be ideal.
Yes, you can cook them on a grill for just long enough to get the grill marks and caramelization – maybe a couple of minutes.
Any Instant Pot model can be used to make this recipe. An Instant Pot Duo Crisp or Pro Crisp is ideal since you can pressure cook and air fry with these models. You can also use an air fryer lid to brown the crisp topping.
Read my post on the Duo Crisp vs Pro Crisp to find out more about those models.
I would freeze the wings and sauce separately. Defrost them in the refrigerator and broil them right before you’re ready to serve the wings.
You can pressure cook the wings, reduce the teriyaki sauce and refrigerate them separately until you’re ready to broil the chicken wings.
Follow the recipe for my Instant Pot air fryer chicken wings. For the marinade, heat the ingredients in a saucepan until thickened. Coat the chicken wings with the sauce.
This marinade is terrific for teriyaki chicken and rice. I cook boneless chicken thighs for about 8 minutes and do a 10-minute natural release.
Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken Wings Ingredients
- Chicken wings
- Rice wine vinegar
- Garlic
- Soy sauce
- Cornstarch
- Sriracha
- Sugar
- Black pepper
- Sesame oil
- Cinnamon *
- Ginger
* Note: substitute cinnamon stick for cinnamon powder if you have that on hand.
More details in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Teriyaki Chicken Wings in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Coat chicken with teriyaki sauce
- Pressure cook
- Release pressure
- Transfer chicken to greased tray
- Turn on Saute mode
- Reduce the teriyaki sauce
- Baste and broil chicken wings
Coat chicken with teriyaki sauce
- Add soy sauce, sugar, black pepper, cinnamon, vinegar, sesame oil, sriracha, ginger and garlic to the Instant Pot inner pot.
- Alternatively, add ¾ cup purchased teriyaki sauce to the inner pot. *
- Stir to mix well.
- Add chicken wings to the sauce and stir to coat.
* Note: make sure the teriyaki sauce doesn’t contain cornstarch or other starchy fillers which can cause the Burn message. If it does, you’ll need to dilute it with water or broth.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 5 minutes
- Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in Sealing position
- Press Manual (or Pressure Cook) and + or – until the display reads ‘5′ (5 minutes).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 5 minutes
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 5 minutes (00:05).
- Press Start.
Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)
- Instant Pot display will change to On.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to Keep Warm mode and display ‘L0:00’ or ’00 00′ and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.
How to Naturally Release Pressure (NPR) on the DUO and ULTRA
- Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR). The float valve will be in the down position. This may take 15 to 30 minutes. [Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
Transfer chicken to greased tray
- Coat an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet with vegetable oil.
- Transfer the chicken wings from the Instant Pot to the baking sheet.
How to Turn on Saute Mode
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the Saute function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the Saute function and press Start.
Reduce the teriyaki sauce
- Bring the remaining sauce to a boil. Be sure to guard against splatters. I like to use a splatter screen.
- Stir cornstarch with water and mix well to remove all lumps.
- Pour cornstarch slurry into sauce and stir until sauce has thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Turn off Instant Pot by pressing Cancel.
Baste and broil chicken wings
- Baste the wings with the teriyaki sauce.
- Place baking sheet under broiler for 10 to 15 minutes, turning the chicken wings halfway through, and basting the other side. Note: keep an eye on the Instant Pot wings to make sure they don’t burn!
- Transfer Instant Pot teriyaki wings to serving plate.
- Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions (optional).
- Serve with teriyaki sauce on the side.
Oven Directions for Teriyaki Wings
- To make this recipe without an Instant Pot, bake it entirely in the oven.
- Combine ingredients for the marinade and marinate the chicken wings for 2 to 8 hours
- Place the chicken wings on a preheated baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour, flipping the wings over halfway through.
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce or to taste
- 2 tablespoon garlic finely minced
- 2 tablespoon ginger finely minced or grated
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 3 inch cinnamon stick or ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 2 ½ lbs chicken wings approximately 20 count
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 to 2 teaspoon sesame seeds toasted
- 2 tablespoon green onions thinly sliced
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions (finishing in the oven)
- Whisk together soy sauce, sugar, pepper, sriracha, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and cinnamon.
- Mix the chicken wings and the sauce in a large bowl and marinate for 2 to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
- Transfer chicken wings and sauce to the Instant Pot inner pot.
- Close the Instant Pot and pressure cook for 5 minutes on High Pressure.
- While the Instant Pot chicken wings are cooking, line a heavy baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with vegetable oil.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR). If you wish, after 15 minutes of natural release, you can release the remaining pressure using the quick release method (QR). [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods].
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot. Transfer the teriyaki wings from the sauce onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Select Saute mode and allow the teriyaki sauce to come to a boil. Be sure to guard against splatters. I like to use a splatter screen.
- Stir together cornstarch and water to form a smooth paste.
- Gradually whisk cornstarch slurry into the teriyaki sauce to thicken to desired consistency, stirring constantly for about 2 to 3 minutes. Press Cancel to turn off Instant Pot.
- Baste the chicken wings with the teriyaki sauce.
- Place baking sheet under broiler for 12 to 15 minutes or until caramelized, turning the chicken wings halfway through, and basting the other side. Note: keep an eye on the Instant Pot wings to make sure they don’t burn!
- Transfer Instant Pot teriyaki wings to a serving plate.
- Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions and serve with teriyaki sauce on the side (optional).
Oven-only Instructions
- Whisk together soy sauce, sugar, pepper, sriracha, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and cinnamon.
- Reserve ¼ cup of the sauce and coat chicken wings with remaining sauce in a large bowl. Marinate for 2 to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a heavy baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with vegetable oil.
- Arrange the chicken wings on the baking sheet. Discard the marinade.
- Bake the wings for one hour, turning them halfway through and brush with the reserved marinade.
- Transfer the chicken wings to a serving platter and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.
Notes
- Chicken wings can be broiled on a rack placed on the baking sheet, or grilled on an outdoor barbecue grill.
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips.
Nutrition
Thank you for visiting Paint the Kitchen Red. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please don’t use any content without prior written permission. If you’ve made this recipe and would like to share it with your friends, please link back to this recipe. Thank you!
I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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Instant Pot Appetizers and Sides
Melissa Hobson says
My whole family loved this, and they are super picky.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks for your review, Melissa – I’m glad they enjoyed the wings!
Linda C says
How long should we cook these on the grill?(instead of broiling)
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Linda, I would say a couple of minutes on each side – just to get the grill marks. Because the chicken is fully cooked.
Stephanie S says
No lie, I got rave reviews from guests and I could practically drink the teriyaki sauce with a straw!! I’m making them again for our End of Summer party tomorrow (6 pounds) and I know I’ll be handing out this recipe!!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Stephanie, so glad to hear this!
Janice says
These were delicious. I will use the teriyaki sauce recipe in more dishes. How can I use my ninja foodi with this recipe? Thanks
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Janice, I haven’t used a Ninja Foodi but I think you should be able to use the same recipe and then at the end, put it under the air fryer lid instead of broiling it. I’m glad you like the recipe. It tastes really good with chicken thighs and served with rice, and a fried egg on top! Pressure cook for about 9 minutes for boneless thighs.
Walter says
These are delicious!!! My family loved them. And the sauce is a great teriyaki sauce that we’ve used even more for chicken breast.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you, Walter – I’m thrilled you like the recipe. Thanks for taking a moment to comment.
Jules says
I’m looking forward to making this recipe! It sounds delicious! One question, can you taste the cinnamon?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Jules, I don’t find the taste of cinnamon to stand out. You could reduce it if you are concerned but I don’t think you need to.
Pauline N says
I found your website through your yellow curry recipe! This is my 2nd recipe that I’ve tried of yours & it was once again a hit with my boyfriend just like the first one! Thank you so much & keep the instant pot recipes coming (:
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Pauline – thank you so much for letting me know. I’ll do my best to keep the recipes coming 🙂
Christine says
Wow! These were delicious. I cook a lot of Japanese dishes and this teriyaki is very far from authentic (cinnamon??) but who cares! We loved it and will be making it again and again. I halved the recipe and there was plenty of liquid in my 6 quart IP. Thanks for a very tasty recipe.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I’m so glad you liked it, Christine! I think of recipes like music, being interpreted by each performer in a different way, with unique additions and I appreciate your open-mindedness.
Elizabeth says
Do you think this recipe would work using duck feet instead of the chicken wings? I have a few pounds of duck feet and need to use them (for something besides broth). Thank You!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Oh wow! I’ve never cooked duck feet – so I’m sorry to say I have no idea. How long would you bake duck feet for compared to chicken wings? I would use that as a basis.
DK says
If I half the recipe, should I change the cook time?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
No, keep the cooking time the same. Watch out for halving the liquid ingredients and possibly not having enough liquid to seal the Instant Pot. It might very well work, but just be watchful.
Coleen says
Took them to a Christmas party. They were a hit with people going back for more. Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Great to hear – thanks for commenting 🙂
Keri says
Great recipe…these wings were amazing I followed the recipe exactly…Yummy
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you, Keri! I also like to use the marinade to make Teriyaki chicken thighs or drumsticks! Great with Instant Pot Fried Rice!
Cassandra Boriboune says
In the Nutrition info is the 4 wing serving 4 whole wings or 4 wing pieces?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Cassandra, it’s for 4 wing pieces. Sorry for the confusion.
Laura says
If you want to double or 1 and a half the recipe because you have closer to 3.5# of meat… do you increase the cooking time? I’m kinda new to using my Instant Pot, and am not sure if increased volume should increase cook time, seems like it should?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Laura, thanks for your question. If the wings are separated and not stuck together and/or frozen, you should be able to use the same cooking time. Hope you like the recipe!
Michelle Barrera says
Thank you!! Made these tonight for dinner and watching the game. My family is very happy!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Awesome! Hope your team won 🙂 And thanks so much for the comment!
Kristen says
I’m planning on making this with drumsticks this week! Any suggestions on how much to increase the cooking time? This is my first week with my Instant Pot so I’m still learning ? thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hey there Kristen, I would try to do for 12 minutes, maybe a bit less if they’re smaller drumsticks. Good luck!
Tina S says
Tried this recipe for the second time for the Super Bowl and they we’re perfect. They will be on a regular rotation in our house. Used dried garlic & ginger the first time. It’s much better using fresh for both of these aromatics, but they work in a pinch.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks so much for your comment, Tina – I’m really glad you liked it. You could easily make this with chicken thighs and drumsticks, add in some steamed broccoli, serve with rice – and make it a dinner.
Loren says
If my wings are frozen, how long should I cook them for. Recipe looks delicious!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
If the wings are separate and aren’t stuck together, you should be able to pressure cook them for the same amount of time, the Instant Pot should take care of the rest. It will just take longer to come to pressure.
Britt says
I made this tonight and it was good! I wanted something quick so just used store bought teriyaki sauce but I did receive a burn error before it ever came to pressure and started the timer. I believe it was because I only just a little over a pound of thawed wings. It is just me and my husband and we did not need to make 2.5 pounds. So I would assume that was the problem. It was an easy fix though! They really didn’t burn (except one tiny patch in the center) so I ended up flipping them over and using the saute button for about 2 minutes. Transferred them to the pan, mixed in the cornstarch slurry, basted them and broiled them at 475 for 5 minutes. I then flipped basted again and broiled for another 5 minutes. We both enjoyed them very much!
I also made a bag of frozen stir fry veggies. Because we only had a little over a pound of chicken there was about 1/4 cup of remaining sauce in the instant pot so threw the veggies in there to use up the sauce and yum! I also threw on a knorr bag of teriyaki rice on the stove. Over a very cheap and easy meal. Would make a great work night dinner!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Britt, when you use store-bought sauces, they may already have fillers and add-ins like corn starch. Check the label of the bottle and if it does, thin it out with some broth. It most likely was not the quantity of the wings but the type of sauce. Your other option is to cook the wings on a trivet over water and then just brush on your sauce when you’re broiling. Thank you for taking the time to comment.
Crystal @ Hello Creative Family says
Thank you so much. This recipe was delicious! My kids and husband loved it. 🙂
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks for commenting Crystal! Glad you liked it.