These finger-lickin' Ninja Foodi Chicken Wings with Sweet and Sticky Sauce are so dang tasty! I cooked the chicken wings in a pressure cooker until tender and crispy, then coated them in a honey garlic sauce made from scratch. They are the perfect party appetizer to serve on game day or holiday gatherings.
Today you will learn a great technique on how to quickly cook chicken wings in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. You will also learn how to make the best sauce for wings made from scratch.
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Ninja Foodi Chicken Wings
There are so many things I love about chicken wings.
For one, wings are very inexpensive so you can eat a ton of them without hurting your wallet.
Another great thing about wings is that they can be prepared in many different ways, and don't have to be deep-fried! You can bake or grill them, slow cook or use a pressure cooker and they will taste good every time.
Another reason I'm such a fan is that you can completely change the taste by simply modifying the homemade sauce that you coat them with.
I sometimes prepare two or three types of sauces, then mix them up (similar to a wings restaurant, but at a fraction of the price).
The Best Sauce for Wings
Making your own sauce for wings from scratch isn't as difficult as you think. The sweet and sticky sauce is so delicious and addictive. It has the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and salty flavors.
The sauce is made of soy sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, ginger, honey, and garlic.
How to Cook Sticky Chicken Wings in a Pressure Cooker
Step 1. Season the Chicken Wings with Dry Rub
- Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels.
- In a large bowl, add chicken wings, garlic powder, paprika, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Toss to coat.
Step 2. Pressure Cook the Chicken Wings
- Add 1 cup of water to the pot.
- Place the rack or steamer basket in the pot.
- Arrange chicken wings in a basket.
- Secure the lid. Cook on Manual for 5 minutes. Once the cooking is completed, let the pressure release naturally.
Step 3. Make the Sweet and Sticky Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, add soy sauce, garlic, ginger, honey, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat then simmer for 3-4 minutes or until thickened. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of sweet and sticky sauce for serving
Step 4. Crisp the Chicken Wings (with Ninja Foodi Air Crisp or Broiler)
- Transfer the cooked chicken wings to a large bowl. Add melted butter and the remaining sweet and sticky sauce. Toss to coat.
- Transfer the seasoned chicken wings back into the Ninja Foodi basket.
- Select AIR CRISP, set the temperature to 390°F, and set the time to 15 minutes. Select START/STOP to begin. Open every 3-5 minutes to check for the crispness of your desire.
Alternatively, if you are using an Instant Pot you can crisp the chicken wings in the broiler.
- Arrange the wings on the wire rack one above center position inside the broiler. Cook until crisp, about 3-6 minutes, turning pan once halfway through.
- Remove from the oven and pour in the remaining sauce before serving, toss to coat. Serve and Enjoy.
FAQ and Cooking Tips:
First, let the chicken wings cool down at room temperature, no longer than two hours. Store the wings to an airtight container. Properly stored, they will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator or 4-6 months in the freezer.
You can still make this recipe using a conventional oven. Simply bake the chicken wings in the oven at 425° for about 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Check Out More Delicious Chicken Wings Recipes:
- Crispy Grilled Chicken Wings
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
- Dry Rub Chicken Wings
- Buffalo Chicken Wings
- Thai Chicken Wings
📖 Recipe
Ninja Foodi Chicken Wings with Sweet and Sticky Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings , (drumettes and flats, pat them dry with paper towels).
Dry Rub:
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Sweet and Sticky Sauce:
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3½ tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
For Crisping:
- ¼ cup melted butter
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add chicken and dry rub. Toss to coat.
- Add 1 cup of water and put a basket into the pot. Arrange chicken wings in a basket. Secure the lid, select the "Manual" setting and cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes. Once the cooking cycle is completed, let the pressure release naturally.
- Bring the sweet and sticky sauce ingredients to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat then simmer for 3-4 minutes or until thickened. Reserve about 2 tablespoon of sweet and sticky sauce for serving.
- In a large bowl, add chicken wings, melted butter, and the remaining sweet and sticky sauce. Toss to coat.Select the AIR CRISP, 390°F, and set time to 15 minutes. Open every 3-5 minutes to check for the crispness of your desire.
- Serve the chicken wings with the reserved sweet and sticky sauce.
Notes
- Transfer the cooked chicken wings into a large bowl. Pour half of the sweet and sticky sauce, toss to coat. Reserve the remaining sauce for serving.
- Arrange the wings on the wire rack one above center position inside the broiler. Cook until crisp, about 3-6 minutes, turning pan once halfway through.
- Remove from the oven and pour in the remaining sauce before serving, toss to coat. Serve and Enjoy.
Bintu
That sauce sounds absolutely incredible! These sound like the perfect wings for game day!
Claudia Lamascolo
Love the ingredients and the glaze super easy recipe will make again!
Rika
It sounds like a great plan, Claudia!
Allyssa
My family loves chicken wings! This will be a perfect recipe! Thanks a lot for sharing!
Gina
Loving this sweet and sticky sauce, totally makes the wings!
Rika
I am glad that you liked it.
Toni
I love how easy it is to make!! Thanks for the recipe!
Rika
You're welcome, Toni!
Joann
Loved the wings
Rika
Hi Joann,
Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. I am glad that you loved the wings 🙂
Happy holidays!
Best,
Rika
Gina
I'm lost with the recipe. Why does it say 10 mins cooking time when it's not??? Pressure for 5, simmer for 4 and crisp for 15
Rika
Hi Gina,
That's a great question. This recipe contains instructions for Ninja Foodi and Instant Pot users. Unfortunately, there is no option to go into details for each method in the total time box. I put 10 minutes for 5 minutes of cooking time at high pressure, while you're waiting for the chicken to cook you can prepare the sauce then crisp the chicken wings using Ninja Foodi for up to 15 minutes (the amount of time spent is depending on how crispy you want your chicken wings to be ) or 3-6 minutes in the broiler (depending on the oven, etc).
The bottom line is I put 10 minutes as an average cooking time so readers won't overcook the chicken and they can adjust the cooking time as needed, especially if they are using a broiler to crisp the chicken.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Best,
Rika
Karn
If I am doubling the recipe do I need double the time for pressure cooking plus the water?
Rika
Hi Karn,
Set the cooking time to 10 minutes and use the same amount of water (1 cup). If the wings aren't cooked, you can pressure cook them again for another two minutes or longer.
Best,
Rika
Tami Toppen
I made this today for the super bowl and it was a big hit. I recommend saving half of the sauce to pour over the wings and toss after crisping. Either ways it's a great recipe
Rika
Hi Tami,
Thanks for coming back here to share your review! I am glad that this recipe turned out well and everyone at your Superbowl party loved it!
Best,
Rika