Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks

Make this tasty air fryer chicken drumsticks recipe tonight. It is super easy to prepare and ready from start to finish in under 30 minutes! 

Air fried chicken drumsticks are a delicious way to cook drumsticks. The method makes one of the cheapest meats a meal the whole family will request over and over. Air fryer chicken legs have crispier skin than those baked in the oven and are ready faster! 

As air fryers have become a common kitchen appliance, the benefits of air frying are more widely understood as well. With air fryer recipes, food is ready quick with crispy results like deep fried, but without all the added fat. Hot circulating air does the "frying" instead.

If you have chicken wings instead, check out my Garlic Parmesan Wings recipe. It includes both Air Fryer and Oven directions.

How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks

Let's make a batch of these crispy air fryer chicken legs. Here you can follow along with the process of making these air fried drumsticks with step-by-step pictures. If you are experienced with cooking, especially with air fryers, you may prefer to jump down to the printable recipe card.

The recipe makes approximately 4 servings.

Prep Time: 5 mins  Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients you will need:

Here is all you need to make juicy chicken drumsticks in the air fryer:

• 1 ½ - 2 pounds chicken drumsticks
• 1 tablespoon classic olive oil (or any high heat oil, such as avocado oil or vegetable oil)

Chicken Drumstick Seasoning Mix

This blend of seasonings gives lots of flavor to the skin of the drumsticks.

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
• Pinch ground cayenne pepper

Directions:

Preheat your air fryer to 390 degrees F.

Mix together the spices for the chicken seasoning in a small bowl and set aside.

Lightly pat the chicken drumsticks dry with paper towel to remove excess moisture.

Put the drumsticks in a large bowl. Pour in the olive oil and add the seasonings.

Toss the chicken drumsticks until well coated with the spice blend.

Place chicken drumsticks in a single layer in the air fryer basket of the preheated air fryer. Avoid crowding the chicken, so the hot air can easily circulate between the pieces. This is how you get nice crispy skin and properly cooked chicken.

Air fry for 20 minutes, flipping after 10 minutes. My air fryer alerts at halfway point, if your doesn't perhaps set a timer.

Finish air frying the remaining 10 minutes.

SAFETY NOTE: Even when you have crispy chicken drumsticks that look perfect on the outside, it is still a good idea to check the internal temperature of the drumsticks with a meat thermometer to ensure they have reached at least 165 degrees f. This is the recommended cooked chicken temperature for food safety from the USDA.

Serving

There are a wide array of dipping sauces that will go great with these crispy air fried drumsticks. Here are just a few:

• Honey Mustard dressing
• Yum Yum sauce
• Ranch (Try my Avocado Lime Ranch dressing)
• Katsu sauce
• Chick-Fil-A Sauce
• Seasoned Sour Cream
• BBQ sauce

The best way to make these crispy chicken drumsticks into an easy meal is to team it with a simple side dish like pasta salad, fried rice, broccoli au gratin, pea salad or crockpot mashed potatoes. Air fryer Pierogies or Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries would also be great with these seasoned chicken legs. My personal favorite though is a big scoop of old school potato salad with mayonnaise.

Variations on the Air Fryer Drumsticks Recipe

While the recipe is quite simple, variations are endless. The basic preparation method will remain the same, but the chicken can be seasoned so many ways.

• Turn up the heat and use Cajun seasoning spice mix on the drumsticks instead of the blend shared here.
• Want SUPER CRISPY chicken? Add a couple teaspoons of baking soda to the spice mixture. It helps create a crispier coating.
• Marinate the chicken pieces in Italian dressing instead of using the oil and spice mix. Results won't be quite as crispy and flavorful, but it's even easier and still tastes good.
• My marinated Asian Chicken Drumsticks can also be prepared in the air fryer. Simply oil the basket or mist the legs with oil after marinating.
• Toss the cooked chicken legs in Buffalo sauce. It like them even better than the chicken wings version!

FAQ

Answers to a few commonly asked questions regarding chicken legs and drumsticks in the air fryer.

I hope you enjoy this easy chicken drumstick recipe. Let me know how it turns out and I want to hear about the great spice mixes and sauces you use on this basic air fryer recipe.