Easy, crunchy, and juicy chicken drumsticks that are bursting with flavor straight from the air fryer.
If you’ve never had air fried chicken, it might sound a bit funny – because food in an air fryer isn’t fried – it is more like ultra-convection broiled – meaning you can use just a tiny bit of oil and still get delicious crispy chicken.
If you’ve never had air fried chicken, it might sound a bit funny – because food in an air fryer isn’t fried – it is more like ultra-convection broiled – meaning you can use just a tiny bit of oil and still get delicious crispy chicken.
Air fryers are awesomely easy to clean (some even pop into the dishwasher) – and so simple to use.
Simply add chicken to marinade, shake, place in basket, and cook – and you’re on your way to a delicious, perfectly juicy chicken drumsticks with crispy skin!
This delicious recipe for the best air fried chicken ever will quickly become one of your very favorite dishes to make – I hope you love it as much as we do!
This Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks Recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and keto diet compliant -as well as heart healthy with a little olive oil for a versatile chicken recipe that works in anyone’s healthy eating plans.
Air fryers are awesomely easy to clean (some even pop into the dishwasher) – and so simple to use.
Simply add chicken to marinade, shake, place in basket, and cook – and you’re on your way to a delicious, perfectly juicy chicken drumsticks with crispy skin!
Just Take Me To The Best Air Fried Chicken Drumsticks Already!
I get lots of comments and questions on my posts and recipes, so I try to provide as much information as possible for my readers.
If you’d rather skip over that, please scroll to the bottom of the page where you will find the recipe.
Air Fried Chicken Legs
This air fryer chicken legs recipe gets deliciously crisp, crunchy chicken drumsticks with crunchy chicken skin without deep frying.
The only oil we’re using in this recipe is just a little bit to get the crispy, crunchy chicken skin – about two tablespoons of oil that you’ll use on all the chicken legs just to give them a little glisten.
You’ll be using just enough oil to coat the drumsticks, not enough to actually fry them.
Since traditional fried chicken is cooked in hot oil, it can be coated. This air fried chicken is naturally keto diet compatible and low carb as we’re not breading it at all – merely coating in a little oil and adding straight into the air fryer basket!
This recipe goes from the fridge to the table in less than 30 minutes – and will soon become your favorite gluten free way to cook chicken drumsticks and even chicken wings!
How To Cook Chicken in the Air Fryer
-Preheat the air fryer.
Run your air fryer for a few minutes before adding the food so it is hot and ready to go when you go to air fry your chicken drumsticks.
-Toss in hot sauce at the end.
If you’re going to sauce your drumsticks, wait until they have cooked and crisped to toss in sauce.
-Pay Attention to Cooking Time
Since air fryers are completely sealed off, it’s hard to judge your chicken’s doneness by the look of it.
Don’t open your air fryer constantly, letting heat escape – trust in the timing of the recipe.
-Watch the temperature
When your timer is done, immediately test the temperature of the chicken pieces with a digital thermometer inserted into the middle of the thickest part of the chicken drumstick without touching bone. Chicken should be 165 degrees internally.
If chicken has not met 165 degrees internally, add another 2-5 minutes to cooktime.
-Don’t crowd the basket.
Air fryers help get hot air to circulate around the chicken drumstick to get a heat so high it makes meat seem fried – and to do that, it helps to not crowd the pan.
Put the chicken in your air fryer pan in a way they aren’t crowding each other – it makes a huge difference.
The Best Air Fried Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
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The Best Air Fried Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 8 chicken drumsticks
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp celtic sea salt
- 1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine herbs and spices. Set aside.
- Place chicken in a bowl or a plastic bag and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat.
- Sprinkle herbs and spices all over chicken drumsticks to coat them.
- Preheat air fryer at 400 for 2-10 minutes.
- Place chicken drumsticks in air fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes on 400.
- Remove basket and flip chicken drumsticks.
- Cook at 400 for another 10 minutes.
- If chicken is not 165 degrees internally, add another 5 minutes of cook-time. Time can vary based on drumstick size, so do check the temperature after cooking to prevent over or under cooking.
- When chicken has reached 165 degrees internally, serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 201 Total Fat 12g Saturated Fat 3g Trans Fat 0g Unsaturated Fat 8g Cholesterol 116mg Sodium 381mg Carbohydrates 1g Fiber 0g Sugar 0g Protein 22g
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Moss
Would this recipe work with frozen drumsticks or should they be thawed first?
Thanks.
Courtney ODell
For best results I’d thaw them first so they can crisp properly.
Sue Tawwater
Yes, it was the best chicken. Surprised as I was….my grandchildren LOVED it and said they really LOVED it. WOW.
Just received the air fryer for Christmas, but already making changes in eating habits around here. Thank you for taking the time to publish and share this recipe.
Suzie
These were awesome! Thanks for the recipe!
Caeles
Best drumsticks ever and so easy! Crispy and juicy. My family ate them all up. 20 min was a little too long. Our Cuisinart Fryer/Oven is powerful.
L
Charlie
Morning:
Sounds like a great recipe. I really like cumin.
I have an air fryer, and my chicken comes out very crispy without the oil.
Molly
Made this recipe tonight and my husband said after his first bite: “Oh, you have to make the chicken like this EVERY time”. Such a good recipe. Crispy on the outside and juicy inside. I have a toaster oven/air-fryer combo and I didn’t need to adjust the recipe at all. Def will make these again.
Robyn
If I ever make my legs any other way I want somebody to slap me! I was sooo skeptical at first, but let me tell you when I took that first bite I made the immediate decision to never make them any other way then this way! For the first time my food came out looking like the picture on the recipe and it was so freaking good!
Cynthia
We loved the chicken recipe!
Jenn
These were so good, even the kids liked them which is always a win in my book.
Taylor
SO crispy and delicious! YUM!
Sommer
Love the way these drumsticks turn out!
Becky Hardin
I bet these are so juicy and have a nice crispy outside. Yum!
krissy
These turned out so crispy on the outside yet so juicy on the inside. My family loved these!
Steph
These drumsticks were so easy to make in the air fryer and everyone at our game night loved them!
don huff
Please remove me from you notifications.
Courtney ODell
HI Don,
I know notifications can be frustrating when you cant get them off – to turn the notifications off your computer, please follow this process:
https://documentation.onesignal.com/docs/opt-out-of-web-push
Since it is an opt-in on your computer I can’t actually turn it off.