Crispy and juicy chicken drumsticks are so easy to make in the air fryer. This is one of my easiest weeknight dinners. All you need is fresh chicken drumsticks, simple seasoning, just a little oil, and the air fryer does all the work.
These chicken drumsticks with crispy skin and juicy meat take about 30 minutes to make in the air fryer, so much faster than baking. It takes about 50 minutes to bake them in the oven, plus the time to preheat the oven. So the air fryer method saves a lot of time. I simple coat them in my favorite seasoning, a little olive oil and air fry them until the skin is golden-brown. This recipe does not require marinating, or breading, and the chicken comes out as good as from the oven, but cooks in half time.
If you like easy chicken recipes, you can also try my air fryer buffalo chicken wings, air fryer thin chicken breasts or air fryer boneless chicken thighs. They all use simple seasonings and cook in air fryer under 30 minutes.
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Ingredients
For the ingredient quantities, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Chicken drumsticks: Also called chicken legs. They are the lower part of chicken leg (bone-in and skin-on). The skin helps drumsticks get crispy in the air fryer, while keeping the meat juicy.
- Oil: I recommend choosing between extra virgin olive oil for every day cooking or avocado oil. Olive oil has a medium smoke point and ( about 375-400F), so for this recipe you can safely use it. Olive oil adds more flavor to the chicken. Avocado oil is more neutral and does not add much flavor. But it has higher smoke point (480-520F).
- My everyday seasoning mix: I used salt, paprika, dried oregano, coriander, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, brown sugar, cayenne
- Lemon juice: it adds bright flavor. You can also use lime juice instead.
How to Cook Chicken Drumsticks in the Air Fryer
This air fryer chicken drumsticks recipe comes together in a few easy steps. You'll also find the step-by-step photos below to make cooking even easier.
- Make the seasoning. In a small bowl, mix all dried herbs, spices, salt, and brown sugar.
- Prep the chicken. Pat the chicken drumsticks with a paper towel. Add them to the large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and a little lemon juice. Rub to coat them evenly.
- Season the drumsticks. Sprinkle half of the spice mix over the chicken. Flip the drumsticks, add the rest of the seasoning and use your hands to coat them on all sides.
- Preheat the air fryer and arrange the chicken. Preheat your air fryer to 390F for 5 minutes. Place seasoned chicken legs in the air fryer basket in a single layer, living a little space in between them.
- Air fry. Air fry chicken legs for 10 minutes at 390 F, flip them and air fry for another 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 175 °F.
- Rest and serve. Let them cool down for 5 minutes and serve them with your favorite side dish or a sauce.
Pro tips
- Get the skin dry before seasoning. Pat dry the chicken skin with a paper towel, so it crisps up instead of steam.
- Cook to 175F. Drumsticks are dark meat, so they taste better when cooked to the 175F internal temperature, because the collagen melts at higher temperatures.
- Flip them half way through. It helps more fat render near the skin, giving them better and even browning on both sides.
Optional glaze
If you want to make this air fryer chicken drumsticks even more flavorful, try brushing on the glaze during the last 3-4 minutes of cooking. I like sweet BBQ, spicy buffalo sauce or honey mustard. If you go with buffalo sauce, do not forget to try it with my homemade blue cheese dip. The glaze step is optional, but it will make the chicken more versatile and tasty.
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken drumsticks ($7.98)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil ($0.30)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice ($0.25)
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika ($0.15)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, dark or light ($0.05)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt ($0.05)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano ($0.05)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder ($0.05)
- ½ teaspoon onion powder ($0.05)
- ½ teaspoon coriander ($0.05)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper ($0.05)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin ($0.03)
- ⅛ teaspoon (optional) cayenne pepper ($0.02)
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 390°F for 5 minutes. Pat fry chicken drumsticks with a paper towel. 2 pounds chicken drumsticks
- In a small bowl, mix paprika. brown sugar,. salt. dry oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, coriander. black pepper, ground cumin and cayenne pepper. 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, dark or light, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder,½ teaspoon coriander , ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, ⅛ teaspoon (optional) cayenne pepper .
- Add chicken drumsticks to a large bowl. Drizzle them with oil, and lemon juice. Sprinkle the chicken with the seasoning mix. Toss the chicken so it coats evenly.2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.
- Place chicken drumsticks in the air fryer basket. I cook 3 chicken drumsticks at a time, because I have a basket style air fryer. Place the rest in the fridge for now. Air fry at 390°F for 25-30 minutes, flipping them half way through the cooking time. The chicken drumsticks are ready when the internal temperature reaches at leas 175°F. Cook the rest of the chicken the same way.
- Let them rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
After testing chicken drumsticks at 350℉ , 390℉ and 400℉, I found that air frying them 390℉ gives the best results. At 350℉, the skin was not as crispy and browned. At 400℉ , the skin and seasonings began to burn before the meat was cooked through. At 390℉, the skin turned perfectly crispy, while the meat was well cooked and juicy.
To ensure the chicken skin crisps up, follow these steps: pat dry raw chicken with a paper towel, rub it with oil and seasonings, and do not overcrowd the air fryer basket.
Yes, you can cook frozen chicken legs in the air fryer. I cook them the same way i do my air fryer frozen chicken breasts, without thawing. Start by air frying the drumsticks for about 15 minutes with just a little oil and salt, and no seasoning. Once they've thawed, season them with your favorite spices and continue air frying for another 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 175°F.
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