Learn how to easily cook healthy and tasty chicken drumsticks in an air fryer. This ideal recipe is affordable, easy to make, and delicious. Here are all the step-by-step instructions!
Y’all, if you haven’t found the air fryer recipes for crispy chicken yet…let me get you up to speed on one of my favorite ways to make chicken drumsticks with a tender inside and crispy outside. Bonus…you can use frozen drumsticks if you forgot to take them out (check the separate instructions for frying with frozen drumsticks)
I used to bake them in the oven instead of frying them to keep the trans fat to a minimum and they are great! Yet, this air fryer chicken drumsticks recipe cuts my cooking time in half, keeps the cholesterol down in the same way baking does, and gives me another easy dinner recipe for chicken.
Plus that crispy skin is EVERYTHING.
If you have an air fryer, give this recipe a try. If you don’t…stick with my oven version for super good oven-baked chicken drumsticks!
Key Ingredients:
- Chicken Drumsticks. Pat them dry. Check the cooking instructions below if you are using frozen drumsticks.
- Olive Oil or Vegetable oil, if you prefer
- Baking Powder. This helps give you that crispy skin that is os so good.
- Flour
- Paprika. Try using smoked paprika if you have it for an extra punch of flavor.
- Onion Powder and/or garlic powder
Can you air fry chicken legs from frozen?
Yes, you can, and here’s how…. But keep in mind the time needs to be at LEAST doubled to account for the frozen drummies.
- Set your Air Fryer to 350 degrees, spray a light layer of cooking spray on your basket, and put your frozen drumsticks (without the seasoning) into the basket in a single layer. Fry for 25 minutes flipping them halfway through.
- Coat the partially cooked drumsticks with the flour mixture (be sure to use a bowl and NOT a bag) and put the drumsticks back into the Air Fryer with the Air Fryer at 375 degrees. Fry for an additional 15 minutes flipping them halfway through.
- Be sure to use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature is 165 degrees. That may mean the last bit of frying time needs an extra 5 minutes to come to full temp.
Instructions for Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks:
- Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 350-degrees F / 180-degree C. Place the drumsticks in the air fryer basket without overlapping.
- In a Ziploc bag or large bowl, stir together all-purpose flour, red paprika, salt, black pepper powder, baking powder, and onion powder.
- In a bowl toss the chicken drumsticks with olive oil until coated. Add chicken to the Ziploc bag and mix until the drumsticks are well coated with the spice mixture.
- Air fry for 10 minutes. Flip and then cook for another 10 minutes or until lightly brown and charred. Set on paper towels.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot. Enjoy!
Can you stack chicken legs in an air fryer?
Nope! If you are needing to make a lot of crispy chicken drumsticks you’ll need to make them in batches. Don’t be tempted to stack drummies on top of each other. They need to be in a single layer to create a yummy crispy skin.
Try serving your drumsticks with buffalo sauce & ranch or bbq sauce for extra flavor fun!
What side dish do I serve with Chicken Drumsticks?
Have you tried my low-carb Cauliflower Mock Potato Salad? Oh gosh, so good and great for those on a keto diet! I serve a simple green salad or steamed veggies with chicken drumsticks.
AIR FRYER CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS RECIPE
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon red paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 6 chicken drumsticks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Chopped cilantro for garnishing
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 350-degrees F / 180-degree C. In a Ziploc bag, stir together all-purpose flour, red paprika, salt, black pepper powder, baking powder, and onion powder.
- In a bowl toss the chicken drumsticks with olive oil until coated. Add chicken to Ziploc bag and mix until the drumsticks are well coated with the spice mixture.
- Place the drumsticks in the air fryer basket without overlapping.
- Air fry for 10 minutes. Flip and then cook for another 10 minutes or until lightly brown and charred.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can store the chicken drumsticks in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the refrigerator or around 3 months in the freezer.
- You can use 1-2 tsp of garlic powder in the recipe for an added flavor.
- Make sure not to overcrowd your air fryer.
- Don’t skip using baking powder as it helps the chicken crisp up.
- You can make this recipe in the oven as well. Bake them at 425 F or 220 C for 20-25 minutes or until lightly brown and charred.
- You can toss the chicken in your favorite sauce after it’s cooked and crisped up.
Can you air fry chicken legs from frozen?
Yes, you can, and here’s how…. But keep in mind the time needs to be at LEAST doubled to account for the frozen drummies.- Set your Air Fryer to 350 degrees, spray a light layer of cooking spray on your basket, and put your frozen drumsticks (without the seasoning) into the basket in a single layer. Fry for 25 minutes flipping them halfway through.
- Coat the partially cooked drumsticks with the flour mixture (be sure to use a bowl and NOT a bag) and put the drumsticks back into the Air Fryer with the Air Fryer at 375 degrees. Fry for an additional 15 minutes flipping them halfway through.
- Be sure to use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature is 165 degrees. That may mean the last bit of frying time needs an extra 5 minutes to come to full temp.
