Air Fryer Turkey Legs
This air fryer turkey legs recipe requires almost no prep work, cooks quickly, and turns out juicy and delicious. Perfect for serving at smaller Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations, game day gatherings, and as an easy weeknight meal.
Suitable for Low Carb, Gluten Free, Paleo, Keto, and Whole30 diets. Post includes Weight Watchers points.
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Friends, these delectable air fryer turkey legs are the holiday shortcut you didn’t know you needed! Easy to make with minimal prep and cooking time, this flavorful, budget-friendly main dish is perfect for serving during the holidays – or any time of the year.
Yeap, just like my Air Fryer Turkey Breast recipe, these turkey legs in air fryer are ideal for smaller Thanksgiving and Christmas meals when you don’t need (or want) to make a whole turkey. They’re also perfect for serving at casual holiday buffets, game day gatherings, and easy weeknight dinners.
Table of Contents
Air Fryer Turkey Legs
My kids looooove those colossal turkey legs you can get at the state fair or when visiting Disney. And this air fryer version captures that same great flavor, with perfectly crispy skin on the outside and tender and juicy meat inside.
And since they’re so simple to prepare and cook up quickly, it’s easy to enjoy a taste of the fair at home whenever the mood strikes!
Why Make This Recipe
- Fast & Easy – You just need a few minutes of prep work and they cook in about 30 minutes. Since they cook up quickly, they stay nice and moist.
- Great for Holidays – Ideal for small holiday gatherings and a budget-friendly main course, you can easily whip up a batch if you need extra dark meat at your holiday gathering too. P.S. They pair well with this Brussel Sprouts Gratin!
- Customizable – Season with a dry rub, coat them in BBQ sauce, or dunk them in turkey gravy. No matter how you choose to eat them, they will be delicious.
- Diet Friendly – Perfect for a wide range of dietary needs, including gluten free, paleo, Whole30, keto, and low carb diets.
Ingredients 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.
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 Roasted Turkey Legs in Air Fryer
Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.
Step 1. Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F / 200 degrees C. Mix spices and seasonings together in a small bowl to make a dry rub.
Step 2. Using clean hands, rub the spice mixture all over the turkey legs.
Step 3. Spritz with olive oil spray or cooking oil and place them into the air fryer basket.
Step 4. Air fry for 35-40 minutes, turning them over halfway through the cooking time.
Bintu’s Tips For Success
- Turkey legs are usually available in the poultry section of your local grocery store and come in packages of 2 or 3. They may be easier to find around Thanksgiving or Christmas. Ask your butcher if you don’t see any.
- Pat the legs dry with a paper towel before adding the seasoning rub.
- Alternate the direction that the turkey legs face to 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.
- Be sure to check for doneness using a meat thermometer. The temperature should be 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C when inserted into the thickest part of the turkey leg.
- Love extra crispy skin? Once the turkey drummers have reached the safe internal temperature, cook them for 5 more minutes.
- 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.
- Use any leftover meat in soups, salads, or casseroles.
- Learn how to clean an air fryer well after cooking so it’s ready to go next time.
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 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 spices and seasoning blends. Try using poultry seasoning, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, and black pepper.
- Make Them Smoky – Love smoked turkey legs? Use smoked paprika to give these air fryer turkey legs a delicious smoky flavor.
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 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, of course!
- This instant-read thermometer to ensure your turkey legs are 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 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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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
Notes
-
- Turkey legs are usually available in the poultry section of your local grocery store and come in packages of 2 or 3. They may be easier to find around Thanksgiving or Christmas. Ask your butcher if you don’t see any.
- Pat the legs dry with a paper towel before adding the seasoning rub.
- Alternate the direction that the turkey legs face to 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.
- Be sure to check for doneness using a meat thermometer. The temperature should be 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C when inserted into the thickest part of the turkey leg.
- Love extra crispy skin? Once the turkey drummers have reached the safe internal temperature, cook them for 5 more minutes.
- 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.
- Use any leftover meat in soups, salads, or casseroles.
- Learn how to clean an air fryer well after cooking so it’s ready to go next time.
- 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.
