Healthier than traditional fried chicken legs, these delicious Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks are easy to whip up, made from pantry staples, and versatile meal prep solution the whole family will love.
Suitable for Low Carb, Keto, and Gluten Free diets. Weight Watchers Points included.
If you love crispy and delicious fried chicken drumsticks, then you’re going to love Air Fryer Chicken Legs because they are packed full of savory flavors with a crispy outside that you just can’t get enough of.
Perfect for families, busy nights, and even when you have some unexpected guests knocking at your door, chicken legs in air fryer are easy to make, affordable and totally delicious. And serving them with sriracha mayo takes it to a whole other level!
With air fryer chicken legs, you can have a hearty and satisfying meal ready in a flash. Plus, it’s so versatile! Pair it with a side salad, some veggies, or your family’s favorite dipping sauces, and you’ve got a complete and delightful dinner in a jiffy. You can even swap the seasoning for something your whole family will adore.
Want even more family approved air fryer chicken recipes? Then you’ll want to check out the best Air Fryer Whole Chicken, my Parmesan Air Fryer Chicken Wings, and these flavorful Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas.
Air frying chicken legs turns them into golden delights with crispy skin without the hassle of deep frying. Leave the guilt for other meals, you don’t need it because these fried chicken legs made in the Air Fryer with just a little bit of oil.
Yeap, these healthy and delicious air fryer chicken legs are the ultimate recipe for any occasion!
Why Make This Recipe
- It’s Quick and Easy – With the air fryer’s magic touch, you’ll have crispy chicken legs on the table in no time, making it perfect for busy nights or when you’re short on time.
- Healthier Than Traditional Frying – Enjoy the crispy goodness of fried chicken without the excess oil and calories, thanks to the air fryer’s oil-less frying technique.
- It’s Adaptable– You can easily change out seasonings or pair them with your favorite sides, sauces, or salads to create a variety of delicious and satisfying meals.
Ingredient Notes
Main Ingredients:
- Chicken Legs – Chicken drumsticks are the star of the show, and they’re perfect for air fryer chicken recipes because of their juicy and tender meat. You can also use chicken breasts or even chicken thighs.
- Olive Oil – Use any light, neutral-flavored oil.
- Creole Spice – Creole spice adds a fantastic flavor profile with a mix of herbs and spices like paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, and cayenne pepper. If you don’t have Creole spice, you can use Cajun seasoning or any other spice blend that you love. Alternatively, you can create your custom seasoning mix by combining your favorite herbs and spices.
- Salt – Depending on your spice blend, you may or may not need additional salt. Taste the seasoning before adding extra salt to avoid over-seasoning.
Sriracha Mayo Ingredients:
- Sriracha Sauce – Sriracha adds a delightful kick of heat and flavor to the mayo. Adjust the amount according to your spice preference. If you prefer milder heat, you can use less Sriracha or substitute it with a milder hot sauce.
- Mayonnaise – You can use regular mayonnaise or even a light version if you prefer.
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic adds a punch of garlicky goodness, but if you don’t have fresh garlic, you can use garlic powder as a substitute.
- Lemon Juice – The acidity from freshly squeezed lemon juice brightens the flavor of the mayo. Substitute apple cider vinegar or white vinegar if needed.
- Sea Salt Flakes – Sea salt flakes add texture and flavor to the mayo. Omit if desired.
Ready to make this chicken legs in air fryer recipe? Gather your ingredients, and I will show you…
How To Make Air Fryer Chicken Legs
- Preheat Air Fryer to 400 degrees F / 200 degrees C.
- Mix oil, seasoning, and salt, if needed, together to create a paste-like mixture. Add in the chicken legs and coat well.
- Place Chicken Drumsticks in Air Fryer and air fry for 16-20 minutes. Turn chicken over halfway through to make sure both sides cook evenly.
- Check the internal temperature of chicken at the thickest part of the drumstick. Chicken should reach a minimum of 165 degrees F / 75 degrees C.
- Serve and enjoy with spicy mayo sauce or other sauce of choice.
Note: Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The temperature should be 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.
How To Make Sriracha Mayo
- In a bowl, mix together mayo and sriracha sauce.
- Mix in minced garlic and lemon juice.
- Add salt to taste and stir to combine.
Expert Tips
- To make this recipe healthier, remove the skin from the chicken.
- For more flavor, marinate the chicken legs for up to 24 hours ahead of time in the refrigerator.
- You can mix the oil and seasonings in a Ziploc bag and toss the chicken in the mixture to coat evenly.
- If you want, you can dry rub the seasonings on, but I prefer to make a paste-like substance with the oil and seasonings first and then rub it on them.
- Avoid opening the Air Fryer basket to check on the legs too much.
- If you want really crispy chicken legs, pat them dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture before applying the oil and seasoning mixture.
- If you prefer “fall off the bone” kind of chicken legs, add a few extra minutes to get your chicken to 180-190 degrees F / 82-88 degrees C internal temperature using a fast read thermometer.
- Adjust the cooking time for larger or smaller chicken legs.
Delicious Variations
Prep and Storage
- Prep Ahead – Feel free to make these ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Store – Leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze – Let the legs cool down then transfer into these very handy Ziploc freezer bags. Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags. Label the bags and then lay them flat in the freezer and store for 2-3 months. Remove chicken from the freezer the night before needed and let it thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat – If you are looking to reheat your chicken, try tossing them back in the air fryer on 400 degrees F / 200 degrees C for about 3-5 minutes, checking the temperature of chicken periodically.
FAQs
Chicken Drumsticks are the lower part of the chicken leg and are dark meat. They got their name from looking similar to a musical instrument accessory, a drum stick.
They’re usually cheaper to buy than the white meat parts of the chicken, like the chicken breast.
Make sure the chicken legs have enough room in the basket for air to circulate to “fry” them. It’s not recommended to stack the legs on top of each other. They won’t cook evenly if the air can’t move freely.
Check your specific Air Fryer model manual on how much you can fill the basket.
You can absolutely cook frozen drumsticks in the Air Fryer. You’ll just need to increase the time. I recommend trying out 26 minutes and checking the internal temperature of your chicken, and add time if necessary.
Cooking fresh or frozen chicken legs makes meal prep even faster.
Fortunately, with this air fryer chicken legs recipe, you can enjoy some finger-licking good fried chicken without the guilt that comes with traditional fried chicken.
An Air Fryer works by just circulating the hot air around with a spritz of oil on the food to “fry” it. Less oil means less calories and fat.
Dark meat tends to get a bad reputation with people thinking it’s unhealthy because of all the saturated fat.
Peeps, don’t forget that it’s a great source of protein too, and it tends to be more affordable than white meat chicken choices like chicken breast.
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Serving Suggestions
Weight Watchers Points
There are 8 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this. Skip the sriracha mayo sauce, and there are 4 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving.
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Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks are tossed in Creole seasoning, fried until crispy, crunchy and golden brown and are the perfect meal prep solution.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 309kcal
Ingredients
Sriracha Mayo Ingredients:
Instructions
Preheat Air Fryer to 400 degrees F / 200 degrees C.
Mix oil, seasoning, and salt (if needed) to create a paste. Add the chicken legs and fully cover in seasoning.
Place Chicken Drumsticks in Air Fryer and cook for 16-20 minutes. Turn chicken over half way through cooking time to make sure both sides cook evenly.
Check the internal temperature of chicken at the thickest part of the drumstick. Chicken should reach a minimum of 165 degrees F / 75 degrees C.
Serve and enjoy with spicy mayo sauce, or other sauce of choice.
Spicy Mayo Instructions:
In a bowl, mix together mayo and sriracha sauce.
Mix in minced garlic and lemon juice.
Add salt to taste and stir to combine.
Notes
-
To make this recipe healthier, remove the skin from the chicken.
-
For more flavor, marinate the chicken legs for up to 24 hours ahead of time in the refrigerator.
-
You can mix the oil and seasonings in a Ziploc bag and toss the chicken in the mixture to coat evenly.
- If you want, you can dry rub the seasonings on, but I prefer to make a paste-like substance with the oil and seasonings first and then rub it on them.
-
Avoid opening the Air Fryer basket to check on the legs too much.
-
If you want really crispy chicken legs, pat them dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture before applying the oil and seasoning mixture.
-
If you prefer “fall off the bone” kind of chicken legs, add a few extra minutes to get your chicken to 180-190 degrees F / 82-88 degrees C internal temperature using a fast read thermometer.
- Adjust the cooking time for larger or smaller chicken legs.
- Storage – keep leftovers in an airtight container inside the fridge for up to 4 days.
- There are 8 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of these. Without the sauce, there are 4 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 309kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 771mg | Potassium: 362mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 433IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
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