MOROCCAN STICKY CHICKEN (INSTANT POT RECIPE)

Prior to the Instant Pot, I always cooked my drumsticks in a cast iron.  Dark and crispy on the outside, finished with a lid on top for cooking through the center.

While this is still a favorite, pressure cooking has officially one-upped my beloved cast iron method.  If you know anything about how I feel about cast iron, you know this decision was not taken lightly.

Moroccan Sticky Chicken
Total Cook time: 50 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 lb. chicken drumsticks (about 6)
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground coriander
¼ tsp. packed saffron threads
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. black pepper
½ c. bone broth or stock of choice
¼ c. honey
2 tsp. blackstrap molasses
1 medium lemon, zest & juice
Optional for garnish: sesame seeds, chopped scallions

Directions:

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.  Make the spice rub by combining the paprika, garlic powder, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, coriander, saffron (crush it into small pieces between two hands or with a mortar & pestle), sea salt, and black pepper.  Coat the chicken with the rub well on all sides.
Set the Instant Pot to “Saute” with the lid off.  When it reads “Hot,” grease the bottom with a small amount of avo oil, ghee, or lard.  Brown the drumsticks on all sides, about 15 minutes in total.
Add the broth to the pot.  Turn the Instant Pot to “Keep Warm/Cancel” and put the lid on.  Set to “Manual” and move the time to 10 minutes.  Make sure the steam valve is set to “Sealing,” as we are using pressure to cook the drumsticks.
After the drumsticks have finished, press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” to turn it off.  Release the pressure by moving the steam valve to “Venting.”  Always use caution as the steam is hot.  Note: do not use the optional natural steam release here, as it can cause the chicken to continue to overcook and become dry.
Remove the lid and with tongs, carefully move the chicken (it may be falling off the bone) to a large bowl and cover it tightly with foil to keep warm.  Leave the juices rendered from the cooking process in the pan.  Turn the Instant Pot to “Saute” again and keep the lid off.
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, molasses, lemon juice and zest.  Pour into the pot with the reserved cooking juices.  When the indicator hits “Hot,” you should have a rolling boil.  Whisk occasionally (being cautious of the steam) until the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce,  about 5-10 minutes.  If you accidentally let it go too long, it’ll get too thick and sticky to use.  Simply add a couple of tablespoons of water and whisk to smooth it out.
Coat the drumsticks with the sauce.  Serve garnished with sesame seeds and chopped scallions, as desired.

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