The Best Crispy Chicken Legs Recipe in the Air Fryer (2024)

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Published: Nov 14, 2022 · Modified: Feb 10, 2023 by Andrea + Stef ·

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Amazingly flavorful chicken marinated in a perfect blend of spices. It combines crunchy skin and juicy meat and goes with all your favorite sides.

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This air fryer chicken legs recipe is an easy recipe for busy weeknights. It only uses simple ingredients and the best part, it only needs 5 minutes of prep time. Even though it is a simple recipe, it cooks to perfection in the air fryer. Extra crispy chicken skin on the outside, with tender and juicy meat on the inside. This is one of the best chicken recipes you will ever eat and the whole family will love it.

Table of Contents

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Why You’ll Love This

Notable: tender meat marinated in a delicious blend of spices with extra crunchy skin
Main Ingredients: chicken legs, brown sugar, canola oil, salt, pepper and spices
Cooking Method: air fryer
Nutrients: good source of protein with 21g per serving
Cooking Time: 5 minutes prep time, 1 hour marinating time, 20 minutes cooking time
Pairs well with: potato sides, rice, roasted vegetables, salads
Diets: keto friendly, gluten free, dairy free
Special Equipment Needed: air fryer, ziploc bag, kitchen tongs, instant read thermometer

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Ingredients

You may have all of these ingredients for this crispy chicken drumsticks recipe in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making this juicy chicken drumsticks recipe you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients.

Air Fryer Chicken Legs Ingredients

6 chicken legs
3 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil

Variations and Substitutions

Chicken: You can also make air fryer chicken wings, or substitute chicken breasts or other chicken parts for the drumsticks. However, cooking times may vary.

Oil: Substitute avocado oil for the canola oil.

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WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you loved this air fry chicken legs recipe, try Stef’s Southern Fried Chicken. You’ll love it because it comes out juicy and crispy and it only needs a few easy steps and ingredients.

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Air Fryer – This recipe requires an air fryer. We have both this Cosori air fryer, which is wonderful, and this Cuisinart Air Fryer, which we also love. The Cuisinart also has convection oven and toaster oven capacity. You can buy an air fryer with a basket with high sides that food goes into or a tray type of machine. The trays are shallow but are usually longer and can accomodate more food in a single layer.

Instructions

This section shows how to cook juicy chicken legs in the air fryer, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below.

PREPARE: Firstly, rinse drumsticks under some cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel.

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MARINATE: Then add all dry ingredients to a large zip top bag and shake to mix well. Add raw chicken and oil to the spice mixture and shake until the whole chicken is coated. Afterwards, let chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours. Alternatively, you can use a large bowl to marinate the chicken as well.

COOK: Spray air fryer basket with non-stick cooking spray. Then, add chicken to the air fryer in a single layer and cook at 380°F for 20-25 minutes, turning chicken halfway through.

Make Ahead

You can in fact prepare the marinade and coat the chicken up to 24 hours before cooking. The meat will be even more delicious with a couple of extra hours in the marinade. However, we do not recommend cooking the drumsticks ahead of time. They are best with extra crispy skin right out of the air fryer.

Oven Baked Chicken Legs

In case you do not own an air fryer you can also make this scrumptious and easy dinner recipe in the oven. Simply preheat the oven to 400ºF. Then place the marinated chicken legs on a lined baking sheet and cook for 40-45 minutes in the oven. Make sure they reach a minimum internal temperature of 165ºF before serving.

Recipe Tips

Follow these tips to make the best chicken drumsticks in air fryer.

Tip: Let the chicken legs marinate for at least 1 hour. However, the longer they marinate the more flavorful they will be. You can leave them for up to 24 hours.
Tip: Do not crowd the air fryer. Drumsticks should cook in a single layer without touching each other. That way the hot air can circulate properly.
Tip: Make sure the internal temperature has reached 165ºF at the thickest part. Even though chicken might look cooked on the outside, it might still be underdone in the middle.

What To Serve With Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks

We love to eat this air fryer chicken drumsticks recipe all by itself. But sometimes you need to serve it as a meal. Try one of these delicious recipes:

Bread: Serve this easy chicken recipe with Garlic French Bread,Pizza Dough Garlic Knots, or homemadeCornbread Muffins.Additionally, Andrea’sCopycat Lion House Rollsalso go perfectly with this dish.

Salad: Pair this air fryer chicken legs recipe with a fresh salad. A green salad like our amazingItalian SaladorStrawberry Avocado Salad. Or even aCaprese Saladwith tomatoes, mozzarella and basil orTortellini Pasta Salad.

Sides: Traditionally, air fryer drumsticks are served with Creamy Mashed Potatoes or French Fries. They would taste great with Instant Pot Broccoli, Air Fryer Pineapple or Instant Pot Jasmine Rice as well.

Low Carb: If you are looking to combine these crispy drumsticks with more low-carb dishes try our Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks, Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus and Fall Fruit Salad.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Air Fryer Broccoli
Garlic French Bread
Easy Italian Salad Recipe With Homemade Salad Dressing

More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes

We love delicious air fryer recipes for chicken, because they take less time and produce the crispiest skin and juiciest meat you have ever tasted.

Air Fryer Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
Air Fryer Lemon Chicken
Air Fryer Chipotle Chicken Wings

How To Store

Refrigerate: Storeair fryerchicken leg leftovers in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freeze: Air fry chicken drumsticks are best eaten fresh. However, you can freeze them in an airtight and freezer-safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. We do recommend freezing uncooked chicken legs rather than cooked ones.

Defrosting: A great way to defrost is in the refrigerator overnight.

Andrea says….

The air fryer is our favorite way to cook chicken drumsticks. We usually use our Chipotle Chicken Marinade on our drumsticks.

How To Reheat

You can reheat leftover air fryer drumsticks in the microwave or in the air fryer.

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Common Questions

How can I add extra flavor to these crispy air fryer drumsticks?

A great way to add more flavor to meat is by topping it with compound butter. We love our Cilantro Lime Butter and Lemon Butter. Moreover, you can serve a dipping sauce alongside your chicken, such as buffalo sauce or bbq sauce, for example.

Is it Ok to freeze uncooked marinated chicken?

Yes. We actually recommend freezing the chicken raw rather than cooked. When you are ready to cook the meat, let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight and then cook following the recipe instructions.

5 from 3 votes