These Air Fryer Chicken Legs are incredibly easy and fast to make, but you wouldn’t know it by how crispy and juicy they turn out! Coated in seasonings and brushed with your favorite sauce (we use bbq sauce!), your chicken drumsticks will be bursting with flavor!
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Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Chicken Legs Recipe
What do you call these? Chicken legs or chicken drumsticks? We have heard them called both, but in this house we call them chicken legs. No matter what you call them, you are going to fall in love with cooking them in the air fryer.
- Super Quick: Using the air fryer instead of a traditional oven cuts the cooking time in half. Also, with most air fryers, you do not have to preheat them, saving even more time! Chicken legs in the oven take about 40-45 minutes to bake at 400°. Chicken legs in the air fryer take just about 18 minutes!
- Crispy Skin: You won’t get crispy skin like this any other way than frying the drumsticks. Air frying, however, requires just a little splash of oil to produce crispy skin because of the hot circulating air and basket design rather than a whole pan full of it.
- Easy: Toss your chicken legs in your oil and seasonings, then into the air fryer they go – no preheating necessary for most air fryers. Bonus: Air fryers are very easy to clean, most you can even put into the dishwasher.
If you want to try out some more easy air fryer chicken recipes, make these juicy chicken thighs or these flavorful chicken wings!
What Is the Best Air Fryer to Use?
Air fryers come in two different styles. The more popular type has a drawer/basket that slides in the front and usually doesn’t require preheating. The second type looks like a toaster oven and opens with a door, like a mini version of a regular oven.
We have tried a few different air fryers and these are our 3 favorites depending on your budget and air fryer style preference:
- Budget-Friendly: Gourmia Air Fryer
- Best Basket Air Fryer: Cosori Air Fryer XL
- Toaster Oven Style Air Fryer: Power XL Air Fryer
Recipe Ingredients
You only need these 7 ingredients to make the perfect air fryer chicken legs. Chances are, you already have most of them in your kitchen. You probably only have to grab some chicken legs! For the exact ingredient amounts, check out the recipe card below.
- Chicken Drumsticks: Also called chicken legs, you want the lower leg, not the full leg (which includes the thigh).
- Olive Oil: You can also use avocado oil if you like!
- Seasonings: We’ll be using smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- BBQ Sauce: Sweet Baby Ray’s has a bunch of BBQ sauce flavors that we love if you’re looking for suggestions!
How to Cook Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
Crispy air fryer chicken legs are an easy weeknight dinner that the whole family will devour – here’s how they come together. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions.
- Season the Chicken Legs: Toss together all of the ingredients – except for your sauce of choice – in a large bowl or bag. You want to make sure you rub the chicken legs well with the spices and oil to evenly coat them.
- Prep the Air Fryer: Place your chicken drumsticks into the air fryer basket or tray, making sure they don’t overlap and aren’t touching.
- Air Fry the Chicken: Cook the chicken legs in the air fryer set to 400°F for 15 minutes. Be sure to flip each leg half way through.
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- Add the BBQ Sauce: Brush on your BBQ sauce, or sauce of choice, and continue to cook for an additional 3 minutes.
- Serve: Serve the chicken immediately as-is, or with your favorite dipping sauce and sides.
Watch How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Legs
Check out this video to see how these chicken legs are made in the air fryer in a few simple steps!
Tips for Success
These tips and tricks will help you achieve the crispiest, juiciest air fryer chicken legs possible!
- Don’t Overcrowd the Basket: It is important that your drumsticks are in one even layer, and that they do not overlap or touch. This ensures that they will cook evenly and develop crispy exteriors!
- Do Not Overcook the Chicken: If you overcook your legs, they will become dry and will no longer be tender inside. If you are not sure if they are done, use a meat thermometer to make sure they have reached an internal temperature of 165ºF.
- Preheat the Air Fryer, if Required: Most air fryers do not require preheating, but some do! Be sure to read your manual to find out if yours is one of them.
- Dry Your Chicken Legs: Make sure your chicken legs are not wet before you season and cook them. Any water that is left on your chicken will steam it and produce a different texture in the chicken skin. So, if your chicken is wet, make sure you pat it with paper towels until dry.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many side dishes that you can serve with these air fryer BBQ chicken legs. These are some of our usual choices:
- Mac and Cheese: BBQ chicken and mac and cheese are a heavenly match! This broccoli mac and cheese recipe will even throw some veggies in there for good measure.
- Cornbread: Crispy chicken legs with a side of warm, crumbly cornbread? Yes, please!
- Baked Beans: These Southern baked beans pair so perfectly with air fryer chicken legs.
- Veggies: These air fryer green beans are a tasty and very convenient choice!
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
Once cooked, these crispy air fryer chicken legs will stay fresh at room temperature for about 3 hours. If you’re serving them at a party, they’re a perfect finger food! Here’s the best way to preserve leftovers if you have them:
- Store: In an airtight container in the fridge, these chicken legs will last for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: The best way to warm this chicken up is in the air fryer or the oven at about 350ºF.
- Freeze: Once the chicken drumsticks have cooled completely, go ahead and freeze them in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Remember to let them thaw overnight in the fridge when you’re ready to eat.
FAQs
Absolutely! You can even skip the sauce completely for a great crispy and juicy air fryer chicken drumsticks. Or, you can switch up the sauce to a favorite of yours – these are our go-to sauces that we have tried and loved so far: buffalo sauce, honey mustard, hot sauce, BBQ sauce, and teriyaki sauce.
YES! These are a great prep ahead party food or game day food. You can season the legs up to a couple of days ahead of time and store them in an airtight container in the fridge, or even freeze them. If you freeze them, make sure to let them thaw fully before cooking. When we prep them ahead, we toss them all together in a ziplock bag with the seasonings and then store them in that same ziplock bag. Super simple and easy!
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Chicken Legs
Ingredients
- 6 chicken drumsticks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce, or your sauce of choice!
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Instructions
- Place drumsticks in a large bowl or gallon size ziplock bag. Add olive oil, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and red pepper flakes. Toss chicken drumsticks to coat.
- Line drumsticks in air fryer tray making sure they don’t overlap and they aren’t touching.
- Cook in air fryer set to 400°F for 15 minutes. Flip the legs and continue cooking for 5 minutes more.
- Brush on BBQ sauce and continue for an additional 3 minutes. Serve immediately!
Video
Notes
- We used a 6 quart air fryer and it can easily fit 6 to 8 standard sized chicken drumsticks.
- To store. In an airtight container in the fridge, these chicken legs will last for up to 4 days.
- To reheat. The best way to warm this chicken up is in the air fryer or the oven at about 350ºF.
- To freeze. Once the chicken has cooled completely, go ahead and freeze it in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Remember to let it thaw overnight in the fridge before you eat it again!
Turned out perfectly! I added some hot sauce and A1 to hickory smoked bbq sauce. Delicious!
Way too spicy 🥵 especially for the kiddos. Made half by the recipe, the other half with olive oil sprinkled with Oregano, Basil & Parsley. A much milder flavor that was still satisfying. Added the bbq sauce as instructed.
Do you leave the natural skin on before you put it in the air fryer?
You can leave the skin or remove it, it’s up to you and your personal tastes. We like the crispy skin!
Good recipe but definitely needs some salt and pepper in the spice mix.
Will tweak it next time I make it.
Also would cut pepper flakes in half.