Air Fryer Chicken Legs

Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside air fryer chicken legs are an easy and delicious dish you’ll love! Kids and adults both love this easy recipe that is quick and tasty!

Air fryer drumsticks are such a quick and easy recipe that is perfect for busy weeknights, delicious lunches, or even as part of a party spread! This air fryer chicken drumsticks recipe makes an easy dinner recipe that the whole family loves! Air frying creates juicy chicken drumsticks with crispy chicken skin. This is our favorite way to cook drumsticks, they cook quickly and pair with many side dishes so it is easy to throw together dinner in minutes!

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What to serve with these chicken drumsticks?

These crispy chicken legs are delicious and pair well with pretty much any side dish! They are great with simple sides like French fries or tater tots, or a steamed or roasted vegetables like green beans or broccoli. They are also great paired with classics like macaroni and cheese, potato salad, or pasta salad.

Variations-

This air fryer chicken leg recipe is simply seasoned and delicious but you can easily tweak the seasoning to create a blend that you love. Some of our favorite additions are Italian seasoning, chili powder and cumin for a spicy twist, or even marinade them for a ton of flavor. Use your favorite seasoning mix to created delicious drumsticks that your family loves!

You can also toss the cooked chicken legs in sauce like chicken wings if you’d like. These are delicious covered in bbq sauce or buffalo sauce! You can also cover them with parmesan and garlic like these wings or toss them in dry ranch dressing mix for a tasty twist.

Questions and Tips-

Pat your chicken dry-

Using paper towels to pat your chicken dry before air frying helps it to have nice crispy skin. Use the paper towels to remove any excess moisture before coating your drumsticks with oil and spices.

Leave space between your chicken legs-

Because air fryers use circulating hot air to cook for best results it is important that you leave room between the chicken legs so that you have nice crispy drumsticks. Arrange them in a single layer with a couple of inches between them so that they cook evenly.

Your cooking time may vary-

Cooking time may be longer or shorter depending on the size and style of your air fryer and the size of your chicken drumsticks. The best way to check if they are done is with a meat thermometer the internal temperature of the chicken should be 165. Since chicken drumsticks are dark meat they can cook a little longer and you’ll still have nice juicy chicken legs. So even after they reach a fully cooked temperature you can continue to cook them for a few more minutes if they need it to achieve crispy skin.

How to store and reheat-

Store any leftover chicken drumsticks refrigerated in an airtight container. You can reheat them in the air fryer at 400 for about 5 minutes so that they have crispy skin. You can reheat them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes but the skin will be soft.

Ingredients for Air Fryer Chicken Legs

10-12 Chicken Drumsticks

1 Tbsp Olive Oil or Avocado Oil

1 tsp Smoked Paprika

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Onion Powder

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Here’s how to make these Air Fryer Drumsticks

Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees

Pat the chicken legs dry with a paper towel and then place them in a large bowl.

In a small bowl combine the spices.

Pour the olive oil over the drumsticks then sprinkle the spices over the top.

Toss the chicken legs until they are all evenly coated with the olive oil and spices.

Place them in the air fryer basket in a single layer leaving space between them for the air to circulate

Air fry chicken legs for 10 minutes then turn the drumsticks over and continue air frying for an additional 8-10 minutes or until the internal temperature taken with a meat thermometer reaches 165.

Serve the chicken legs while they are still hot.