Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Cook the most delicious BBQ Chicken Drumsticks every time in your air fryer! They come out sticky and crispy on the outside and perfectly moist and juicy on the inside. You only need 4 ingredients and less 25 minutes!
Why It Works
Get ready to go to flavor town, because these four ingredient BBQ Chicken Drumsticks are absolutely incredible! They’re seasoned with savory spices, coated with sticky bbq sauce, and cooked to perfection… in the air fryer!
Learn how to cook anything in your air fryer with our free cook time chart!
The air fryer is great for cooking everything from pork tenderloin to chicken thighs to meatloaf to “boiled” eggs, and you can whip up your favorite chicken drumsticks, too!
That means you’ll have beautifully cooked chicken legs on your plate in under 25 minutes, with hardly any clean up at all!
So grab your ingredients and let’s get cooking!
👉 Want to make your chicken on the grill? Check out my gas or charcoal grilled BBQ Chicken Drumsticks recipe!
Ingredients
Ingredients Notes:
- Use my homemade blend of sugar-free BBQ Spices, any store-bought blend, or mix together 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/4 tsp. each salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, & onion powder. Optionally, add a pinch of cayenne for extra heat.
- To ensure even cooking, try to get chicken legs that are all about the same size and weight.
- Make my Whole30 and sugar-free BBQ sauce or use your favorite store-bought sauce.
- I highly recommend the pastured chicken from Porter Road!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat your air fryer. If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat setting, simply turn it on and wait about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, pat the chicken legs with a few napkins or paper towels until they’re dry on all sides. Drizzle them with oil and sprinkle the seasoning.
Use your hands to turn the chicken, making sure they’re coated on all sides.
Step 2: Spray or brush the air fryer basket or rack with oil. This will help keep the chicken from sticking!
Use long, plastic-tipped tongs to place the chicken inside the air fryer.
👉 Don’t overcrowd the air fryer! Make sure you leave a little room between each drumstick to allow the air to flow between them. It’s far better to work in batches than to overfill the basket.
Close the air fryer and set for 18-22 minutes, depending on the size of your drumsticks and strength of your air fryer. You will have to watch closely near the end of cooking and experiment a little.
Step 3: Halfway through cooking, open the air fryer basket. Use the tongs to turn the drumsticks, then brush each piece with a little bit of bbq sauce.
Close the air fryer basket and continue cooking.
IMPORTANT: At the 18-minute mark, open the air fryer basket to check on the chicken. Use a meat thermometer to check to see if the internal temperature has reached 165°F (74°C), per USDA.
Continue cooking for another 1-4 minutes, if necessary, until the chicken is cooked through.
Once it’s done, use the tongs to carefully remove the chicken from the air fryer and set it on a plate or platter for serving.
Tips & FAQ
Always make sure to preheat your air fryer, just like you would for almost all grilled and baked recipes. It helps ensure even cooking and accurate cook times.
Absolutely! You can prep the chicken by coating it with the oil and seasonings up to 18 hours in advance. Keep it covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook it.
Serve bbq chicken drumsticks with your favorite picnic or bbq side dishes. Purple cabbage slaw, pickles, potato salad, deviled eggs, or corn on the cobb. Salads like Broccoli Bacon salad or Quinoa Arugula Salad go really well with bbq chicken too!
According to USDA, the safe internal temperature for chicken is 165°F (74°C). Use a meat thermometer for accurate readings.
To store leftovers, set the cooled chicken to an airtight container or bag and seal. Transfer to the refrigerator and store for 3-4 days, per USDA.
More Air Fryer Recipes
If you’re new to air fryer cooking, get my printable air fryer cooking times chart!
I’d love to hear about your experience making this recipe!
Please leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @cookathomemom.
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken drumsticks about 4 drumsticks
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons bbq seasoning (or use 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/4 tsp. each salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, & onion powder. Optionally, add a pinch of cayenne for extra heat)
- 1/4 cup bbq sauce
Video
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 380°F (193°C). If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat setting, turn it on and wait about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, pat the chicken legs with a few napkins or paper towels until they’re dry on all sides. Drizzle the chicken with oil and sprinkle on the seasoning, turning to coat them on all sides.
- Spray or brush the air fryer basket or rack with oil. Place the chicken inside the air fryer, leaving room between each drumstick to allow the air to flow.Close the air fryer and set for 18-22 minutes, depending on the size of your drumsticks and strength of your air fryer. You will have to watch closely near the end of cooking and experiment a little.
- Halfway through cooking, open the air fryer basket. Use the tongs to turn the drumsticks, then brush each piece with of bbq sauce. Close the air fryer basket and continue cooking. Once the chicken has been cooking for 18 minutes, open the air fryer basket to check on the chicken. Use a meat thermometer to check to see if the internal temperature has reached 165°F (74°C).Continue cooking for another 1-4 minutes, if necessary, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Once cooked, use the tongs to carefully remove the chicken from the air fryer and set it on a plate or platter for serving.
Notes
- Preheat your air fryer before cooking.
- Spray the air fryer basket with oil before adding the chicken. This will help prevent the meat from sticking.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer! Leave a little room between each drumstick and cook in batches if necessary.
- To cook on the grill, check out my gas or charcoal grilled BBQ Chicken Drumsticks recipe!
