Air Fryer Chicken Legs

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!

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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. Serve them with some Creamy Corn Macaroni and Cheese Casserole for a dinner your whole family will love!

These Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks have “go-to weeknight dinner” written all over them! In 30 minutes you can prep and cook the chicken legs and dinner is ready to go.

We love Baked Chicken Legs and Barbecue Baked Chicken Drumsticks that are cooked in the oven, but these Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks are one of our new favorites. The skin gets so nice and crispy and the flavor from the seasoning is so delicious!

Don’t have an air fryer? Try my Crock Pot Chicken Legs!

Why You’ll Love Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks!

• Ready in 30 minutes for an easy meal!
• Crispy skin, juicy chicken meat with tons of flavor from the homemade rub.

What do I need to make Air Fryer Chicken Legs?

• Chicken drumsticks – We like to grab the biggest ones we can find so there’s more meat, just remember bigger ones take longer to air fry.
• Olive oil – You can use any type of cooking oil.
• Rub Ingredients – Sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, onion powder.

Skip the homemade rub and purchase your favorite Chicken Rub like our BBQ Chicken Rub to always have on hand for chicken.

How to Make Chicken Legs in the Air Fryer

• Preheat – Set the air fryer to 400 degrees F and preheat it for 10 minutes
• Season – Place the chicken in a bowl (or resealable bag) and coat it with the olive oil. In a small bowl, combine the spices. Sprinkle the spices over the top of the chicken and toss until the chicken is evenly coated.
• Cook – Place the chicken in the air fryer and cook it for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken drumsticks over and cook them for another 10 minutes. Chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

How do I know when chicken legs are done?

Chicken is done when the internal temperate reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part of the chicken. I prefer to cook my chicken drumsticks to 180-190 degrees F so the meat is falling off of the bone. Also, cooking it to a higher temperature gets rid of the bloody spots around the bone.

Make sure you have an instant read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. This is the only safe way to know your chicken is cooked through.

How Long to Cook Chicken Legs in the Air Fryer

It will take about 20 minutes to cook chicken legs in the air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remember the size of chicken legs always changes the cook time so check the internal temperature to make sure they are cooked through.

Can I add Sauce to my chicken legs?

Yes! We actually have a Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Legs recipe to check out if you want. We recommend cooking the chicken legs and then tossing in sauce, returning to air fryer for a few minutes so the sauce gets sticky.

How to Store Leftover Chicken Legs

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.

How to Reheat Chicken Legs

Quickest and easiest way is to throw these back in the air fryer at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until they are reheated. This gives you that crisp skin 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.

Serving Suggestions

This is definitely a chicken recipe you want to keep around because it pretty much goes with anything. I love them with potato salad and pasta salad during the summer and roasted vegetables during the winter.

This easy chicken drumstick recipe is just another reason to love your air fryer! I hope you give this recipe a try!

More Air Fryer 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!

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!

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4.96 from 515 votes

Air Fryer Chicken Legs Recipe

Quick, easy and healthy chicken drumsticks made in your

Prep:10 minutes mins

Cook:20 minutes mins

Total:30 minutes mins

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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

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Equipment

Air Fryer

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.

Video

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%)

© Julie's Eats & Treats ®

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.