Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks are my new favorite way to enjoy juicy chicken legs for a quick and easy lunch or dinner. I love how they turn golden brown with incredibly crispy skin. They also cook much faster and healthier than traditional frying methods.
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Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks with Crispy Skin
The air fryer is a game changer when it comes to crispy skin and juicy meat of chicken drumsticks, without the mess and calories of traditional frying. I love how you can toss them in your favorite seasoning blend, pop them in the air fryer, and wait for the magic to happen.
You’ll be left with perfectly cooked drumsticks that will impress both your taste buds and your clean kitchen. More of my favorite air fryer chicken recipes are Pickle Juice Drumsticks, and Air fryer fried KFC style drumsticks.
How to make chicken drumsticks in the air fryer
Prep your chicken drumsticks: Pat them dry with paper towels. You can leave the skin on or off, depending on your preference.
Season chicken legs with your desired spices or marinade. For this recipe, I used BBQ rub with coffee and garlic. Some other popular seasoning combos are salt and pepper, garlic powder and onion powder, or paprika and cayenne pepper. If you want to marinate your drumsticks, you can do so for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours in the fridge.
Air fry: Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes. Place your drumsticks in the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure they do not touch each other. You may have to cook them in batches to ensure there is enough space for air to circulate and cook them evenly. Cook the drumsticks for 20-25 minutes, flipping them halfway through cooking time. Check the internal temperature of the drumsticks with a meat thermometer to make sure they have cooked to 165°F.
Tips for the Best air fryer drumsticks
To achieve the crispiest chicken skin, brush your drumsticks with a little bit of oil before air frying. You can also use a cooking spray like olive oil or coconut oil to evenly coat them.
Use a wire rack to elevate your drumsticks while cooking. This helps the air circulate better and prevents the bottom of the drumsticks from getting soggy.
If you want to add a little bit of sweetness to your chicken drumsticks, you can brush them with some honey or barbecue sauce in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Serving
Air fryer chicken drumsticks go well with many different sides and sauces.
May I recommend serving crispy chicken legs with Air fryer roasted peppers and mushrooms or potato cakes?
Pair them with a dipping sauce like ranch dressing, buffalo sauce, honey mustard, or Homemade Chipotle mayo.
To make your meal more complete, you can also serve your chicken drumsticks with starch like rice, quinoa, or Air fryer Baked potatoes.
Benefits of Air-fried Chicken Drumsticks
One of the greatest benefits of cooking chicken drumsticks in an air fryer is that it reduces the amount of oil used in traditional frying methods. This means your chicken drumsticks will be healthier and less greasy. Additionally, using an air fryer can cut down the cooking time by up to 25% compared to baking in an oven. This means you can have delicious and crispy chicken drumsticks on the table in no time.
Leftovers
Place leftover drumsticks in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days. When it’s time to reheat, don’t just chuck them in the microwave and call it a day. That’ll just result in rubbery, dry chicken. Instead, pop them in the air fryer at a lower temperature (350°F) and let them slowly warm up for 6 minutes, turning halfway.
Air fryer roasted chicken drumsticks can be stored in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months in the freezer. You can reheat the whole leg pieces in the air fryer (defrosted). I like cutting the meat off the drumsticks for freezer storage and easy reheating.
Hold onto the drumstick with one hand and use a sharp knife to cut into the skin where the meat meets the bone. Then, slide the knife down each side of the bone to loosen the meat.
More Juicy Chicken Drumstick Recipes
- Chicken Legs with mustard sauce
- Air Fryer Masala Chicken Drumsticks
- Air Fryer Pickle Juice Chicken Legs
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Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks with Crispy Skin
Ingredients
- 6 chicken drumsticks
- 2 tbsp olive oil or Avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2-3 tsp Chicken seasoning I used BBQ Rub with Coffee and Garlic. Directions on the tin says to coat generously, so go for it
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add drumsticks. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.
- Sprinkle chicken seasoning (or other seasoning of choice), salt and pepper, garlic powder over drumsticks and toss to coat evenly. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes. Or best overnight.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes. Place your drumsticks in the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure they do not touch each other. You may have to cook them in batches to ensure there is enough space for air to circulate and cook them evenly. Cook the drumsticks for 22-25 minutes, flipping them halfway through cooking time. Check the internal temperature of the drumsticks with a meat thermometer to make sure they have cooked to 165°F.
I want these right now. Seriously!
Chicken Seasoning? Any brand or where to find it. Ty
I use Lawry’s Perfect Blend chicken and poultry rub. You can look for any chicken seasoning in your supermarket. I also love Trader Joes coffee garlic BBQ rub or Vegeta all purpose seasoning (Amazon)