Air Fryer Turkey Legs
Air Fryer Turkey Legs require almost no prep work, cook quickly, and turn out juicy and delicious. Perfect for serving at Thanksgiving and Christmas meals when you don’t need – or want – to make a whole turkey.
Suitable for low carb, gluten free, Paleo, and Whole30 diets. Post includes Weight Watchers points.
These delectable Air Fryer Turkey Legs with Garlic Herbs are the holiday shortcut you didn’t know you needed!
Not only that, making air fryer turkey legs is so quick and simple, that you’ll want to add them to your weeknight meal rotation too.
Bigger than chicken legs, the kids will love these colossal air fryer turkey legs. You can enjoy the flavorful seasoning, slather them in BBQ sauce, or dunk them in gravy or your favorite dipping sauces.
Like this Air Fryer Turkey Breast, turkey legs in air fryer are simple to make, taste great, and are ideal for smaller Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners when you don’t need – or want – to make a whole turkey.
For even more awesome air fryer holiday recipes, try these Crispy Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts and this Air Fryer Stuffing recipe.
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So, put away the knife and fork and enjoy these air fryer roasted turkey legs with just your hands. Pairing air fryer turkey drumsticks with other handheld foods leads to a fun and memorable food experience for the whole family.
Why Make This Recipe
- So Fast – Prep these in just minutes and cook them in about 30. They cook so fast that there’s little risk of these jumbo turkey legs drying out.
- Great for Holidays – Ideal for small holiday gatherings when a whole bird is too much. You can also cook turkey legs if you need extra dark meat at your holiday gathering. Goes well with Brussel Sprouts Gratin.
- Customizable – Season with a dry rub, coat them in BBQ sauce or dunk them in turkey gravy. No matter how to eat them, they will be delicious.
- Diet Friendly – Air Fryer Turkey Legs are perfect for gluten free, Paleo, Whole30, Keto and low carb diets.
Ingredient Notes
- Turkey Legs – Turkey legs come in packs of 2-3 in the poultry section of the store.
- Seasonings – Use a combination of garlic salt, garlic powder, paprika, parsley, and rosemary to season the air fryer turkey drumsticks.
Ready to make this turkey legs air fryer? Gather your ingredients and I will show you…
Handy Tip: Use Good Kitchen Tools!
For the best tools to help make your recipe even easier and more successful, check out my collection of the Best Air Fryer Tools on Amazon.
How To Make Turkey Legs in Air Fryer
Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.
- Preheat your Air Fryer to 400 degrees F / 200 degrees C.
- Mix the spices and seasonings together in a small bowl to make a dry rub.
- Using clean hands, rub the spice mixture all over the turkey legs.
- Spritz the turkey legs with olive oil spray or cooking oil and place them into the air fryer basket.
- Air fry turkey legs for 35-40 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time.
- Cook until the internal temperature of the turkey drumsticks reaches 165 degrees F / 94 degrees C and the crispy skin is golden in color.
- Serve with this delicious Thanksgiving side dish.
Note: Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The temperature should be 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C when inserted into the thickest part of the turkey leg.
Pro Tips
- Turkey legs are usually available in the poultry section of your local grocery store and come in packages of 2-3. They may be easier to find around Thanksgiving or Christmas. Ask your butcher if you don’t see any.
- Pat dry with a paper towel before adding the seasoning rub.
- Alternate the direction of the turkey legs so you can fit more in the air fryer basket.
- Make sure to allow space between the turkey legs when cooking.
- For best results, preheat the air fryer.
- Lightly spritz the air fryer basket with cooking spray or olive oil.
- Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The temperature should be 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C when inserted into the thickest part of the turkey leg.
- Once the air fryer turkey legs have reached temperature, cook for 5 more minutes for crispy skin.
- Different air fryers operate slightly differently. Air fryer cooking times are an estimate, so it’s important to check your food for doneness and adjust as needed.
- if you have extra, use leftovers in soups, salads, or casseroles.
- Check out how to clean an air fryer well after cooking to avoid transfer of food smells.
- Check out some of my favorite things to use to make this recipe.
Delicious Variations
- Use Butter – Melt butter and combine it with the seasoning blend. Brush the melted butter seasoning blend over the turkey drumsticks before adding to the air fryer, and brush again halfway through cooking. Melted butter adds moisture and flavor and will give the turkey legs a beautiful golden color. You can also make a seasoned butter rub by using softened butter instead.
- Swap The Seasoning – Swap any of the seasoning for things you have on hand or for your favorite seasoning blend and spices. Try using poultry seasoning, smoked paprika, black pepper, or a flavorful butter rub. Turkey drums are truly versatile.
- Make Them Smoky – Love smoked turkey legs? Use smoked paprika to give these air fryer turkey legs a smoky flavor without having to use a smoker.
Prep And Storage
- Prep Ahead – Season up to 24 hours in advance and store in the fridge until ready to cook.
- Store – Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or foil for up to 4 days.
- Freeze – Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat – Reheat turkey meat in the air fryer for about 10 minutes.
FAQs
Turkey legs are dark meat portions, so while they do have a bit more fat, they are also loaded with vitamins and minerals. Deep fried turkey uses a lot of oil. Air fryer turkey legs can get crispy and golden without deep frying, so they are a healthier alternative.
Turkey legs will take between 30 and 40 minutes in the air fryer. The make and model of your air fryer plus the size of the turkey legs can affect the amount of time. Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer.
The temperature should be 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C when inserted into the thickest part of the turkey leg.
Air frying cooks much faster than oven roasting so there isn’t much risk of turkey legs becoming dry. While you can brine, it’s not necessary at all!
More Recipes You May Like
Want all the best air fryer recipes, tips, and temperature cheat sheet–all in one place? Get the printable air fryer ebook and transform the way you plan and cook every meal!
- Air Fryer Turkey Breast.
- Air Fryer Turkey Burgers.
- Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs.
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast with Garlic Butter Gravy
Serving Suggestions
- Air Fryer Green Beans.
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Pie.
- Smothered Potatoes.
- Creamed Corn.
- Garlic Smashed Potatoes.
- Crockpot Mashed Butternut Squash.
Recommended Tools
- You need an awesome Air Fryer.
- A instant read thermometer to make sure your food is cooked through.
- For the best tools to help make your recipe even easier and more successful, check out my collection of the Best Air Fryer Tools on Amazon.
Weight Watchers Points
There are 10 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.
Thank you for reading my Air Fryer Turkey Drumstick 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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Air Fryer Turkey Legs
Ingredients
- 64 ounces (329g) turkey legs 4 turkey legs that are approx. 16 ounces (including bone) each
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- ½ teaspoon parsley
Instructions
- Preheat Air Fryer to 400 degrees F / 200 degrees C.
- Make a dry rub by combining garlic salt, garlic powder, paprika, rosemary and parsley in a small bowl.
- Using clean hands, rub the spice mixture all over the turkey legs.
- Spritz the turkey legs with olive oil spray or cooking oil, then place them into the air fryer basket.
- Air fry turkey legs for 35-40 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time.
- Cook until the internal temperature of the turkey drumsticks reaches 165 degrees F / 94 degrees C and the skin is golden and crispy.
Video
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Notes
- Turkey legs are usually available in the poultry section of your local grocery store and come in packages of 2-3. They may be easier to find around Thanksgiving or Christmas. Ask your butcher if you don’t see any.
- Pat dry with a paper towel before adding the seasoning rub.
- Alternate the direction of the turkey legs so you can fit more in the air fryer basket.
- Make sure there is space between the turkey legs when cooking.
- For best results, preheat the air fryer.
- Spritz the air fryer basket with cooking spray or olive oil.
- Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The temperature should be 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C when inserted into the thickest part of the turkey leg.
- Once the air fryer turkey legs have reached temperature, cook for 5 more minutes for crispy skin.
- Different air fryers operate slightly differently. Air fryer cooking times are an estimate, so it’s important to check for doneness and adjust as needed.
- Use leftover turkey in soups, salads, or casseroles.
- Storage – keep refrigerated in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 4 days.
- There are 10 WW Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.
