Air Fryer Chicken Legs
335 Comments
Posted: 04/11/25
Updated: 10/30/23
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Air Fryer Chicken Legs are a quick and easy dinner recipe! These Chicken Drumsticks are tossed in olive oil and then a blend of seasonings before they are cooked. This gives them a delicious flavor and crispy skin!
Today, it’s all about crispy chicken legs in your Air Fryer with a super simple spice rub. Air Fryer Chicken Legs are juicy, full of flavor and so easy to cook in an air fryer, ready in 30 minutes!.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This easy air fried chicken legs recipe takes only 5 minutes to prepare and ready in to eat in 30 minutes for an easy meal!
- Crispy skin, juicy chicken meat from cooking chicken legs in the air fryer with tons of flavor from the homemade rub.
- You can be creative and use any of your favorite seasoning mixes or sauces to create any kind of chicken legs you love!
Easy and very tasty!
How to cook Chicken Legs in the Air Fryer
Set the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the chicken in a bowl or resealable bag, and coat it with olive oil.
Combine spices in a small bowl then sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the chicken and toss until the chicken is evenly coated.
Place the chicken in the air fryer basket and cook it for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken drumsticks over and cook for another 10 minutes.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Place chicken drumsticks in air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezer: To freeze chicken legs, we recommend storing them in a freezer safe airtight container for up to three months.
Quickest and easiest way is to throw these Air Fryer Drumsticks back in the air fryer at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until they are reheated. This will ensure the skin gets nice and crispy again.
You could also warm them on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
The microwave will also work, but it will make the chicken skin soggy so we try to avoid this.
how to serve crispy air fryer chicken legs
The perfect side dishes to serve with this air fryer drumsticks recipe are potato salad and pasta salad during the summer and roasted vegetables during the winter. Keep it simple and serve them with a side of French fries!
Julie’s Tips!
- Be sure to preheat your air fryer. Just like your oven, you want to make sure your air fryer is hot and at temperature prior to cooking, which is 400 degrees Fahrenheit for the chicken legs.
- Don’t overfill the air fryer otherwise your chicken legs won’t cook evenly since the hot air won’t be able to circulate fully.
This easy chicken drumstick recipe is just another reason to love your air fryer! I hope you give this recipe a try because the whole family will love it for weeknight dinners!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!
Air Fryer Chicken Legs Recipe
Quick, easy and healthy chicken drumsticks made in your
Video
Ingredients
- 8 chicken drumsticks
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl combine all the spices and herbs, set mixture aside.
- Place chicken in a plastic resealable bag or bowl. Add olive oil and toss to coat.
- Add spice mixture to bag or bowl and toss to coat chicken legs.
- Place chicken drumsticks in air fryer basket and cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.
- Flip chicken drumsticks over and cook for an additional 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, if it is not this temperature add a few more minutes of cooking time and check after that. I actually prefer my chicken legs about 180-190 degrees so they fall off the bone and there’s no bloody spots around the bone.
Tips
- Don’t overfill the air fryer otherwise your chicken legs won’t cook evenly since the air won’t be able to circulate fully.
- Don’t stack your chicken legs in the air fryer. Place them in a single layer so the skin is exposed. This will ensure your chicken drumsticks cook evenly and get that delicious crispy skin!
- Refrigerator: Place chicken drumsticks in air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freezer: To freezer chicken legs we recommend storing them in a freezer safe airtight container for up to three months.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 310kcal (16%), Carbohydrates: 2g (1%), Protein: 27g (54%), Fat: 21g (32%), Saturated Fat: 5g (31%), Cholesterol: 139mg (46%), Sodium: 743mg (32%), Potassium: 364mg (10%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 1g (1%), Vitamin A: 489IU (10%), Calcium: 15mg (2%), Iron: 1mg (6%)
More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes!
Love using your Air Fryer as much as we do for quick meals and treats? Here are a few of our most popular recipes using your Air Fryer!
Karen R Roads says
I love this receipe! The skin came out so crisp and yummy! Will definitely be making this again!
Julie Evink says
So glad you enjoyed it Karen!
Debra Heckert says
The reviewer CE needs to either get a new air fryer ( what sort of a goomba would spend $800 on one anyway😆) or eat only at restaurants. This recipe is so simple, and turned out wonderful!