Name: Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4-6 chicken drumsticks; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I used canola oil); 2 teaspoons smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon chili powder (use less if you don't like spicy food); ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon salt

Crispy, juicy, and flavorful chicken legs cooked in the Air Fryer! This recipe is so easy to make, the chicken drumsticks are very well seasoned, and they take just 25 minutes in the Air Fryer to be ready!

A close up of golden chicken drumsticks cooked in the air fryer.

If you own an Air Fryer, and want to Air Fry pretty much everything like I do, then you’ve come to the right place! This is the best recipe for Air Fryer drumsticks that you will find on the internet.

The chicken is very well seasoned, and it turns out moist and juicy, but also crispy on the outside.

The reason why I love my Air Fryer so much, is how convenient it is. It cooks my food quickly compared to an oven, the texture of the food is always great, and it’s just so easy to clean up! So here’s my recipe for Air Fryer chicken legs:

Table of Contents

The Ingredients

Chicken drumsticks – as many as you would like to cook, or can fit in your Air Fryer. I have a large Air Fryer and can fit 4-6 drumsticks at once.
Seasonings: I kept it simple, and used smoked paprika, chili powder, ground black pepper, and salt. You can also do dried oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Oil. Use vegetable oil or olive oil to season the chicken, and turn it crispy and nice when it’s cooked.

Tools That You Will Need:

An Air Fryer. This is my favorite air fryer that I’ve been using for years now. It comes with a large square basket that can fit a lot of food, and it’s very easy to clean up. The quality is also great, I’ve had it for years and the non-stick coating did not come off or anything.
Stainless steel locking tongs
I can’t live without this non-stick grill pan accessory, I use it all the time!
I love these measuring spoons to measure out the seasonings.
These are the mixing bowls that you see in all of my pictures, they’re honestly the best!
This air fryer magnetic cheat sheet is very handy, it contains cooking time and temperature to cook 66 most common ingredients which I find very useful.
I also really like these air fryer parchment liners, they’re not just for steaming and you can use them for cooking things like fries or chicken without worrying that the food will stick to the basket. They’re also quite cheap and there are 100 pcs in a package.
And for a full set of air fryer accessories, I recommend this set.

Placing the seasoned drumsticks in an air fryer basket.

How to Air Fry Drumsticks?

First, you need season the drumsticks. Place in a bowl, drizzle with oil, and add your seasonings. Make sure that they’re well coated.
Pop in the Air Fryer basket (no need to preheat it), make sure that it’s not overcrowded and the drumsticks are not touching.

How Long Do Drumsticks Take in the Air Fryer?

Air Fry at 390°F (200°C), for 25 minutes.

Do You Have to Flip Chicken in an Airfryer?

It’s important to flip the chicken as you air fry it halfway through.

Crunchy golden air fryer drumsticks in an air fryer basket.

Make sure to check out my baked BBQ chicken drumsticks!

How to Check If the Chicken Is Cooked Through and Safe to Eat?

You can check the doneness of the chicken by using a fork and a knife and cutting through a small piece to see if the meat is well cooked.

You could also check using a kitchen thermometer. Insert the thermometer in the center of the chicken, and the internal temperature of the chicken should be read 165°F or 75°C.

If the chicken temperature hasn’t reached 165F, then cook for 2-3 more minutes.

An oval serving plate with 4 drumsticks, greek potatoes, and a dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauces

You can either mix mayonnaise, with Frank’s hot sauce, and sweet chili to make a creamy sweet chili mayo.

Or,

Mix sour cream, with Dijon mustard, honey, and Worcestershire sauce to make a honey mustard dipping sauce.

Dipping a baked drumstick in sweet chilli mayo dip.

If you are planning to add hot sauce to the drumsticks, do that after the Air Frying. Just dip them in sauce, and they’re ready!

You can also make BBQ chicken drumsticks if you like, by cooking the chicken as instructed above for 20 minutes, then brush the chicken with BBQ sauce and cook for 5 more minutes. Oh and please give these Air Fryer chicken wings a try, they are SO good!

A close up shot of the the well done and juicy drumstick meat from the inside.

What to Serve Chicken Drumsticks With?

Here’s a Video to Show You How I Made These Drumsticks in the Air Fryer

More Air Fryer Recipes

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

5 from 33 votes

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