Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Legs Drumsticks (LC, K, GF)

Peeps, if you love crispy, crunchy fried chicken drumsticks then you’re going to looove Air Fryer Chicken Legs because these guys are packed full of savory flavors with a crispy outside that you just can’t get enough of.

Guys, leave the guilt for other meals, you don’t need it with these fried chicken legs made in the Air Fryer with just a little bit of oil.  Just like this Air Fryer Chicken Breast or Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, best Chicken Nuggets or crispy Chicken Wings made in the Air Fryer.

We’ve got this.

Why You’ll Love Them

• Perfect solution for meal prepping.
• Adaptable– you can easily change out seasonings and sauces.
• Quick and easy to make.

What Are Chicken Drumsticks?

Chicken Drumsticks are the lower part of the chicken leg and are dark meat. They got their name from looking similar to a musical instrument accessory, a drum stick.

They’re usually cheaper to buy than the white meat parts of the chicken, like the chicken breast. 

Tools You Need 

• An Air Fryer.
• Handy mixing bowl.
• A fast read thermometer.
• Measuring teaspoons.
• Best ever sea salt flakes.

Soooo, let’s gather up these ingredients and I will show you just how easy it is to make these…..

For the complete ingredients list and instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

How To Make Air Fryer Chicken Legs

1. Preheat Air Fryer to 400F/200C. 
2. Mix oil, seasoning, and salt, if needed, together to create a paste-like mixture. Add in the chicken legs and coat well.
3. Place Chicken Drumsticks in Air Fryer and cook for 16-20 minutes. Turn chicken over halfway through to make sure both sides cook evenly.
4. Check the internal temperature of chicken at the thickest part of the drumstick. Chicken should reach a minimum of 165F/75C. 
5. Serve and enjoy with spicy mayo sauce or other sauce of choice. 

How To Make Sriracha Mayo

1. In a bowl, mix together mayo and sriracha sauce.
2. Mix in minced garlic and lemon juice.
3. Add salt to taste and stir to combine.

Recipe Tips

• To make this recipe healthier, remove the skin from the chicken. 
• For more flavor, marinade the chicken legs for up to 24 hours ahead of time in the refrigerator. 
• You can mix the oil and seasonings in a ziploc bag and toss the chicken in the mixture to coat evenly. 
• If you want, you can dry rub the seasonings on but I prefer to make a paste like substance with the oil and seasonings first and then rub it on them. 

• Avoid opening the Air Fryer basket to check on the legs too much. 
• If you want really crispy chicken legs, pat them dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture before applying the oil and seasoning mixture.
• If you prefer “fall off the bone” kind of chicken legs, add a few extra minutes to get your chicken to 180-190F/ 82-88C internal temperature using a fast read thermometer. 
• Bigger, thicker drumsticks may take longer. 

Delicious Variations

Air Fryer Drumsticks are easily adaptable so you can create your favorite recipe. 

Instead of Creole Spice blend, you can use: Greek seasoning blend, blackened seasoning, stone house seasonings, shawarma seasonings, or any of my other favorite homemade seasoning blends. Maybe try a mix of smoked paprika, ground coriander and garlic or onion powder.

Instead of the Sriracha Mayo, try one of these other sauces: Remoulade Sauce for a nice extra kick of heat, homemade tangy honey mustard sauce, Jamaican Jerk sauce or any of your other favorite dipping sauces. 

FAQ

Can You Stack Chicken Drumsticks In Air Fryer? 

Make sure the chicken legs have enough room in the basket for air to circulate to “fry” them. It’s not recommended to stack the legs on top of each other. They won’t cook evenly if the air can’t move freely.

Check your specific Air Fryer model manual on how much you can fill the basket. 

Can You Cook Frozen Chicken Drumsticks?

Peeps, you can absolutely cook frozen drumsticks in the Air Fryer. You’ll just need to increase the time. I recommend trying out 26 minutes and checking the internal temperature of your chicken and add time if necessary. 

Cooking fresh or frozen chicken legs makes meal prep even faster. 

Are Chicken Drumsticks Healthy? 

Fortunately, with this recipe you can enjoy some finger-licking good fried chicken without the guilt that comes with traditional fried chicken. 

An Air Fryer works by just circulating the hot air around with a spritz of oil on the food to “fry” it. Less oil means less calories and fat. 

Dark meat tends to get a bad reputation with people thinking it’s unhealthy because of all the saturated fat. Peeps, don’t forget that it’s a great source of protein too and it tends to be more affordable than white meat chicken choices like chicken breast. 

Meal Prep And Prep Ahead

Chicken Drumsticks in the Air Fryer is the definition of an ideal meal prep recipe because you can make them ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator or freezer until you’re ready to devour them. 

• Prep Ahead – Feel free to make these ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 
• Freeze – Let the legs cool down then transfer into these very handy Ziploc freezer bags. Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags. Label the bags and then lay them flat in the freezer and store for 2-3 months.
• Thaw – Remove chicken from the freezer the night before needed and let it thaw in the fridge overnight.
• Reheat – If you are looking to reheat your chicken, try tossing them back in the air fryer on 400F/200C for about 3-5 minutes, checking the temperature of chicken periodically. 

Meal Prep – Double or triple the recipe to use as meal prep ideas for the whole week. Fried Chicken Legs go with just about everything, so all you need to do is find a great vegetable side and you’re good to go. It would also be a great addition to a salad for a quick lunch on the go.  

Serving Suggestions

• Air Fryer French Fries.
• Southern Corn Pudding Casserole.
• Instant Pot Collard Greens.
• Crockpot Mashed Potatoes.
• Air Fryer Zucchini Fries.

More Air Fryer Recipes

• Air Fryer Fried Chicken.
• Golden Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Breast.
• Air Fryer Steak with Herb Lemon Butter.
• Juicy Air Fryer Salmon.
• Air Fryer Chicken Tenders.
• Air Fryer Whole Chicken.

Weight Watchers Points 

There are 8 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of these with the Sriracha Mayo sauce. Without the sauce, there’s only 4 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving.

Thank you for reading my Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

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