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.
This recipe was based off my insanely popular Crunchy Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks recipe – and I know you’re going to love this air fryer version just as much, if no even more!
The baked recipe involves baking with a BBQ sauce, to do that with this recipe, simply baste with BBQ sauce every 5 minutes as the chicken air fries.
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
Easy, crunchy, and juicy chicken drumsticks that are bursting with flavor straight from the air fryer.
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 201Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 116mgSodium 381mgCarbohydrates 1gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 22g
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Jill
Could I ask you which air frier you used? I’m thinking of buying one, but having trouble deciding which. some of the advertising can’t always be trusted.
Courtney ODell
So – I have the Phillips air fryer, but I also have the Ninja Foodi – I think I like the Foodi better because it air fries, but also does other things as well!