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GET IT NOW- Why You’ll Love These Air Fryer Chicken Legs
- Ingredients For Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
- How To Cook Chicken Legs In The Air Fryer
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Tips For The Best Air Fryer Chicken Legs
- Storage Instructions
- What To Serve With Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
- More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
- Tools To Make Chicken Legs in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Chicken Legs (Crispy & Juicy!) Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
These air fryer chicken legs (more specifically, air fryer chicken drumsticks) make a quick and easy dinner! Baked chicken drumsticks and Instant Pot chicken legs are usually my go-to, but I’ve been pulling out my air fryer more and more lately. And just like air fried chicken wings, air fryer whole chicken, air fryer chicken thighs, and air fryer chicken breast, making chicken legs in the air fryer crisps the outside better (and faster!) than the oven, and the inside gets incredibly juicy.
Why You’ll Love These Air Fryer Chicken Legs
- Juicy and flavorful
- Crispy chicken skin
- Just a few simple steps to make
- Ready in less than 30 minutes
Ingredients For Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
Here I explain the best ingredients for this air fryer chicken drumsticks recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Chicken drumsticks – Buy bone-in, skin-on drumsticks. Look for ones that are close in size as well, so they cook evenly. If you have drums and thighs together, don’t cut those bad boys apart! Make my chicken leg quarter recipe instead (you can cook them in the air fryer too).
- Butter – Use unsalted butter, we’ll use sea salt to customize the saltiness.
- Parsley – Flat or curly.
- Garlic – Freshly minced garlic has the best flavor, but jarred is also fine for convenience.
- Smoked paprika – I prefer the smoky flavor, but regular paprika will work as well.
- Sea salt & black pepper
VARIATION : Use poultry seasoning
If you want to give the chicken legs a savory, earthy flavor, use poultry seasoning instead of the other spices.
How To Cook Chicken Legs In The Air Fryer
This section shows how to cook chicken drumsticks in the air fryer, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Preheat the air fryer. It heats up quickly, but it’s an important step! Pat the chicken dry while you do this.
- Make compound butter. Use a fork to mash together butter, garlic, parsley, and sea salt. (You can also find variations to try in my tutorial for how to make compound butter.)
- Season underneath the skin. Run your hand under the skin of each chicken leg to separate it from the meat, then place a dollop of butter underneath and press gently so that it spreads out.
- Season over the skin. Sprinkle smoked paprika, pepper and more salt on the drumsticks.
FYI: We’re putting the butter underneath the skin so that it won’t burn. It’s what makes the meat super juicy!
- Air fry chicken. Place drumsticks in the air fryer in a single layer, skin side down. Air fry for 10 minutes, flip, and air fry for another 8-10 minutes.
TIP: Use a meat thermometer to confirm doneness. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees F.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long to cook chicken legs in the air fryer?
This air fryer chicken drumsticks recipe takes 18-20 minutes at 380 degrees F, flipping halfway through.
What temp to cook chicken drumsticks in the air fryer?
380 degrees F is the perfect air fryer temperature for crispy drumsticks. This is a bit lower than baked chicken legs, due to the added air circulation.
Can you cook frozen chicken legs in the air fryer?
Yes, you can cook frozen chicken legs in the air fryer. You’ll need to add on 5-7 minutes cooking time. Make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
However, note that you won’t be able to get the compound butter underneath the skin if the chicken is frozen solid. Instead, you can drizzle with olive oil and only use the spices on top.
Can you use this method for other cuts of chicken?
Yes, this method will work for other cuts of chicken that have skin, like thighs or bone-in breasts. Try it for yourself with these air fryer chicken thighs!
Tips For The Best Air Fryer Chicken Legs
Follow these tips for the best air fryer chicken drumsticks:
- Pat the chicken skin dry. This ensures the chicken will get crispy.
- Push garlic butter underneath the skin. It’s the key to juicy, flavorful chicken.
- Don’t crowd the air fryer. Leave enough room in between the chicken to allow it to get crispy. Six drumsticks was a good number to fit in my air fryer comfortably.
- Use a meat thermometer. It ensures your meat is cooked perfectly.
Storage Instructions
- For leftovers: Store leftovers in refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- To reheat: Reheat drumsticks in the air fryer again, or in a 350 degree F oven.
- To freeze: Wrap chicken legs tightly to prevent freezer burn, and freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
What To Serve With Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
Serve up these air fried drumsticks with a simple side:
- Pasta – Make your favorite dish, I prefer healthier zucchini noodles.
- Salad – Easy options are spring mix salad, Greek salad, or BLT salad.
- Veggies – Try stir fry vegetables, sauteed asparagus, or roasted broccoli.
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
If you like cooking drumsticks in the air fryer, you might also like some of these other air fryer recipes:
- Juicy Air Fryer Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Salmon
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Chicken Wings In The Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
- Air Fryer Jicama Fries
Tools To Make Chicken Legs in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer – This is my favorite one, from a familiar brand. It has a large basket, it’s easy to use, and cooks evenly.
- Meat Thermometer – Get temperature readings in just one second!
Air Fryer Chicken Legs (Crispy & Juicy!)
The BEST air fryer chicken legs, ready in 30 minutes! Cooking chicken drumsticks in the air fryer makes them juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 380 degrees F (193 degrees C). Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
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In a small bowl, make the compound butter by mashing together the butter, garlic, parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt with a fork.
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Run your hand under the skin on each chicken leg to separate it from the meat. Place a dollop of compound butter under the skin and press the skin gently so that it spreads out underneath.
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Season the chicken drumsticks (over the skin) with smoked paprika, pepper, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
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Place the chicken drumsticks in the air fryer in a single layer, skin side down. Air fry for 10 minutes. Flip over, then air fry for 8-10 more minutes, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 drumstick
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Air Fryer Chicken Legs Recipe
27 Comments
Jennifer V
0Very good recipe, thanks again, your recipes are spot on. Chicken legs are juicy and flavorful with a crispy exterior. Adds a nice base flavor. With my leftovers, I added some homemade buffalo chicken wing sauce (only Franks Hot sauce will do for me!) and that addition took it over the top!! Such a quick and easy way to cook chicken legs and the cleanup is a cinch!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Jennifer! I’m happy you liked these. What a delicious idea for the leftovers.
Lucy
0Love this!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks, Lucy!
Gisele
0I’ve made this recipe 3 times and it always turns out delicious! The butter placed under the skin makes chicken crispy! Love it!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Gisele! I’m so happy you liked these. Agree, butter under chicken skin is probably my favorite way to cook it and I have to resist making all my chicken recipes the same with it, lol.
Betty Parker
0I made it, and was so good, actually it was the second time that I made and will make it again. I give this recipe a 10!
Ivy
0Such a lovely recipe which my kids love. Very easy and even my teenage daughter loves making it as a quick meal. Thanks Maya
Spud
0Yes I tried this recipe, a bit disappointed that I didn’t make more. Beautiful mate very bloody nice. Doing again tomorrow night.
di
0Best chicken legs I have ever made and tasted, so easy to make, crispy so much flavor and juicy. Easy to change the qty, I had a pkg of eight legs and your recipe made all the calculations for me. Its very hard to eat just one or two.
Elaine Secrist
0I only made four chicken legs and I had 12 after finishing first four legs. Before I knew it three were gone. My husband loved them, saved me one. In the meantime I grabbed half frozen chicken from freezer, put them in micro to thaw, and I made four more. These were the BEST juicy, tastiest crispiest chicken legs I ever made. I don’t usually like drumsticks. This recipe changed my way of eating chicken legs. I usually just used the legs in soup. Thanks for sharing.
Gloriana
0I have made this recipe 3 times and each time it comes out delicious. The meat is moist and the skin is crispy.
Tom
0Hello, How come Chicken Breasts are done in ten minutes but chicken legs take 30 minutes to air fry? Thank You Very Much, Tom
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Tom, Bone-in chicken takes longer to cook than boneless.
Sarah
0Wonderfully moist flavorful chicken! I will be using this recipe again!
shirley schneider
0Can I use olive oil instead of butter?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Shirley, There wouldn’t really be a way to get olive oil under the skin since it’s liquid. You could just use olive oil over the skin, but they come out a lot more juicy using the method with butter under the skin.
Moriya
0Delicious!! Thank you!
Sharyn Fireman
0O YES. I cut through the drumstick and fanned it out at the top. Marinated in olive oil, garlic and lemon for the day. Best thing is to dry off the marinade, sprinkle w spices, and just air fry. Crisp and great source of protein. and interreingly different. Don’t know what got. into me, but it is sensational. Just cut the drumstick from the top down and flatten it out a bit. YUM.
Helene Bahnman
0Thanks for an easy and great recipe, Maya. My Air Fryer oven arrived Saturday. Made these on Sunday. The best chicken drumsticks I have ever made. This is a keeper.
Sandra
0Easy to make and very delicious. Served it with chicken sauce.
KW
0Loved this recipe. Really like that the serving size can be adjusted. The chicken legs turned out just right. Will be making this more often.
Olivia
0Definitely going to try this. Also, need a recipe for hot and spicy chicken breast.
Amy L Huntley
0These Air Fryer Chicken Legs were cooked to perfection! So juicy and tender.
Kristyn
0Just the way we like them! They are perfectly seasoned & juicy! Great any night of the week & with any side dish!
Natalie
0Your pictures have me drooling!! Time to make these! We could eat chicken every day & this recipe is super simple!
Katie
0I love how crispy these turn out! They’re always done perfectly and I love how they are no fuss.