10 Minute Prep Instant Pot® Sesame Garlic Wings
Healthy chicken wings? Instant Pot® comes to the rescue again. Serve your special ones these quick, easy, and healthier alternatives to chicken wings. Serving Secret: Crisp them up under the broiler after cooking to get the crunchy texture wing lovers crave.
Note: This recipe is written for fresh or thawed wings. If using frozen wings, add 3-4 minutes to the active cook time.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Active cook time: 14-16 minutes (+ time to come to pressure)
Natural release: 10 minutes
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
4-4½ lbs. chicken wings
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 c. water
White sesame seeds, for garnish
Sesame Garlic Sauce Ingredients:
¼ c. coconut aminos (or soy sauce if not gluten free)
2 T. sesame oil
3 T. honey, preferably local
1 T. unsalted butter
2 t. fresh ginger, very finely minced
1 t. garlic powder
Directions:
- Season wings with salt and black pepper, to taste. Place metal trivet inside Instant Pot® and add one cup of water. Arrange seasoned wings on top of the trivet before securing the cover in place. Switch the vent to “Sealing” and set the “Manual” setting to 8 minutes.
- To prepare the sesame garlic sauce, heat the coconut aminos, sesame oil, honey, butter, ginger, and garlic powder in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until butter is melted and the mixture is thoroughly combined. Remove from heat and set aside.
- When cook time on Instant Pot® is complete, allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then do a quick release for any remaining steam. Remove lid and transfer wings to a large bowl. Set aside and cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, position top oven rack in the top position and pre-heat broiler to high. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire cooling rack on top. Set aside.
- Pour 1/3 of the sesame garlic sauce on top of the wings and toss to coat. Transfer the wings to the wire rack on the prepared baking sheet and place under the broiler for 3-4 minutes or until the wings start to get crispy and develop some color. Turn the wings and repeat on the remaining side.
- Remove from oven and toss the wings with half of the remaining sesame garlic sauce. Sprinkle with white sesame seeds and serve immediately with the remaining sauce on the side.
Tips for Plating and Serving
Serve Sesame Garlic Chicken Wings with Thai Rice or jasmine rice.
On the plate, try putting down a couple of leaves of red leaf lettuce first. Place the chicken wings on top of the lettuce leaves. You’ll have a nice bitter contrast to the chicken.
Use a small cup or ramekin to form the rice into a dome. Spoon the rice into the cup and add a bit of pressure to form the rice. Then tip the cup onto the plate, making a neat mound of rice.
BONUS PLATING IDEA:
Shred some carrot and daikon radish in long strips using a grater or lemon zester.
In a medium sized bowl, add:
¼ c rice wine vinegar,
1 tsp. sugar or honey, and
1 tsp soy sauce and ½ tsp seedy mustard.
Mix well. Toss carrot and daikon in the dressing. Let set in the refrigerator for an hour before serving.
When serving, be sure to use a slotted spoon so dressing does not run all over the plate. Alternatively, serve in a separate small dish.
Tip: You can save money by trimming your wings yourself. (See photo for approximate location of where to cut each whole wing). They are a little easier to trim AFTER they’ve been cooked. Immediately freeze the tips to make chicken stock, if desired.
