Description
Perfectly crispy, deliciously juicy, and wonderfully savory, these air fryer chicken legs cook up fast and easy. Best of all, you use a fraction of the oil you’d need for a deep fryer!
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 large bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks (approximately 4–6 ounces each)
- 2 tablespoons neutral-tasting oil (avocado oil, olive oil, etc.)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Step: Preheat air fryer to 400° Fahrenheit.
- Step: Place 6 large bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks on large plate or cutting board and pat all sides of each drumstick completely dry with paper towels.
- Step: Whisk together 2 tablespoons neutral-tasting oil, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika, and 1 teaspoon onion powder in a small mixing bowl.
- Step: Drizzle oil mixture evenly over drumsticks, then rub oil mixture into skin of drumsticks, covering all sides of each drumstick thoroughly.
- Step: Place drumsticks in the preheated air fryer basket in a single, flat layer, making sure drumsticks do not touch or overlap.
- Step: Air fry drumsticks for 10 minutes.
- Step: Remove basket, flip each drumstick over, and return to air fryer.
- Step: Air fry drumsticks for another 5 minutes.
- Step: Insert internal meat thermometer into thickest area of drumsticks; if temperature does not register at least 170° Fahrenheit, continue air frying, checking every 1 to 2 minutes.
- Step: Transfer drumsticks to wire cooling rack and set aside to rest.
- Step: Divide drumsticks into preferred portions and serve warm.
Notes
Feel free to use your favorite spice blend, dry rub, or marinade. Actual cook times may vary depending on the air fryer model and size of the drumsticks. For maximum juiciness, remove drumsticks when they reach 170°-172° Fahrenheit and let residual heat bring them up to 175° Fahrenheit.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 drumstick
- Calories: 167 kcal
- Sugar: 0.1 g
- Sodium: 468 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.03 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
Keywords: air fryer chicken legs, crispy chicken drumsticks, low oil fried chicken, easy chicken recipe, keto chicken, gluten free chicken