Air Fryer Chicken Legs
Posted: 01/10/24
Updated: 12/11/24
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What if I told you there’s a way to get deliciously crispy chicken drumsticks without any breading or batter and with very little oil? This recipe for air fryer chicken legs gives you exactly that! Seasoned with a simple blend of spices, this quick and easy recipe will be favorite in your house!
🍗 What Makes This Recipe is So Good
- When you cook chicken legs in the air fryer, you’re basically guaranteed a quick, easy, tasty protein that everyone around your table will enjoy eating. They’re crispy and juicy, the seasoning is flavorful but not overwhelming, and who doesn’t like a fun handheld food?
- The simple mixture of neutral oil and spices rubbed on the drumsticks makes the skins ridiculously crispy, so you don’t need any breading or batter to get that delicious “fried” chicken feeling.
- Arguably the best thing about an air fryer is that it makes your food crisp like deep frying, but it uses a fraction of the oil. That means lower calories, less fat, and lighter meals without a ton of grease.
- Using the air fryer to cook chicken legs is super fast and easy. There’s barely any prep work, and the drumsticks only take 15-20 minutes total to cook. Perfect for quick lunches or any busy weeknight.
👩🏼🍳 Chef’s Tips
- Have a Costco or Sam’s Club membership? Even if you just find a great deal on drumsticks at your usual grocery store, consider stocking up on bone-in, skin-on chicken legs! You don’t need to go wild. If your freezer and your budget allow, it’s really nice to have a couple of packages on hand. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve run out of dinner ideas and then remembered that pack of drumsticks in the freezer. A quick defrost and it’s air fryer chicken legs to the rescue!
- All air fryers behave differently, so actual cook times may vary a little from what I experienced when I developed and tested this recipe. After you flip the chicken legs, they could need anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes more. It just depends on the make and model of the air fryer, the size and age of the air fryer, the number of chicken legs, the size and thickness of the chicken legs, the way you prepped the chicken legs, etc.
- If you plan to cook any type of meat using any method, I highly encourage you to pick up an internal meat thermometer first. Using one is the easiest and most reliable way to gauge whether your food is ready. If you don’t want to gamble on your chicken being under- or over-cooked, use a meat thermometer. End of discussion.
✅ More Quick & Easy Recipes
- Mango Habanero Wings
- Kylie Jenner’s Ramen Noodles
- How to Reheat Fried Chicken in The Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
- Ultimate Chicken Casserole
- Instant Pot Burrito Bowls
- Greek Shrimp Salad
- 4-Ingredient Banana Bread
- Buffalo Chicken Fries
- Keto Smothered Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Creamy Rotel Pasta with Ground Beef
- Air Fryer Tater Tots
- Italian Dressing Chicken
- Marry Me Chicken (Chicken in Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce)
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Air Fryer Chicken Legs
Perfectly crispy, deliciously juicy, and wonderfully savory, these air fryer chicken legs cook up fast and easy. Best of all, you use a fraction of the oil you'd need for a deep fryer!
drumsticks
Ingredients
- 6 large bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks approximately 4-6 ounces each
- 2 tablespoons neutral-tasting oil avocado oil, olive oil, etc.
- 1 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- large plate or cutting board
- Paper towels
- Small mixing bowl
- whisk
- Basting brush optional
- Tongs
- Internal meat thermometer
- Wire cooling rack
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400° Fahrenheit.
- Place 6 large bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks on large plate or cutting board. Pat all sides of each drumstick completely dry with paper towels.
- Add 2 tablespoons neutral-tasting oil, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika, and 1 teaspoon onion powder to small mixing bowl. Whisk ingredients together until well incorporated.
- Drizzle oil mixture evenly over drumsticks, then rub oil mixture into skin of drumsticks, covering all sides of each drumstick thoroughly. Alternately, brush oil mixture onto all sides of each drumstick evenly.
- Remove basket from preheated air fryer. Place drumsticks in basket in single, flat layer, making sure drumsticks do not touch or overlap. Work in batches as needed to avoid overcrowding basket.
- Return basket to air fryer. Air fry drumsticks 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove basket from air fryer. Flip each drumstick over, again making sure drumsticks do not touch or overlap.
- Return basket to air fryer. Air fry drumsticks 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, remove basket from air fryer. Insert internal meat thermometer into thickest area of drumsticks, as close to bone as possible. If temperature on thermometer does not register at least 170° Fahrenheit, return basket to air fryer and continue air frying drumsticks as needed, checking internal temperature every 1 to 2 minutes.
- Once temperature on thermometer registers 170° Fahrenheit or higher, transfer drumsticks to wire cooling rack. Set drumsticks aside to rest. Repeat process with any remaining uncooked drumsticks.
- When all drumsticks have been cooked and have rested, divide drumsticks into preferred portions and serve warm.
Notes
- Seasoning: Feel free to use your favorite spice blend, dry rub, marinade, sauce, brine, etc.
- Cook Times: Actual cook times will vary depending on a number of factors, including make & model and size & age of your air fryer; number, size, and thickness of the chicken drumsticks; starting temperature of your drumsticks; etc. Cook time after flipping drumsticks could be anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes.
- Internal Temperature: With dark meat chicken, the meat is juicier and more tender around when eaten around 175° Fahrenheit internally. Remove the drumsticks from the air fryer between 170°-172° Fahrenheit and let their residual heat bring them up to the 175° target. This will help them not overcook.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1 drumstick | Calories: 167kcal | Protein: 14g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Total Carbs: 1g | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.1g | Net Carbs: 0.7g | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 468mg | Potassium: 192mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
I substitute olive oil because who has avocado oil. And I cook to 180 degrees