Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
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Check out air fryer chicken drumsticks whenever you need a quick and delicious meal. This crispy chicken is loaded with flavor and won’t take long to make at all!
Download the Cooking Time Chart and say goodbye to rubbery chicken forever!
Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
Bust weeknights make it easy to throw in the towel and order an unhealthy meal from the drive-thru. But I’ve realized that if I have easy recipes that I can go to in a pinch, I’m less likely to serve something unhealthy for dinner.
This easy dinner recipe is one of my favorites for sure. Air fryer chicken drumsticks are so flavorful and they always end up with tender and juicy meat. The whole family enjoys them and I never get tired of making them since it’s such a simple dish.
We pair it up with another quick and easy side dish like air fryer frozen green beans or air fryer sweet potato fries to complete the meal. So delicious and a perfect meal to serve when we want plenty of protein.
Whip up this golden brown chicken with crispy skin anytime you’re craving fried chicken. It’s a healthier option that will still give you the tasty crunch and mouthwateringly flavor you’re looking for!
Feel free to add dessert, too! Like Italian Anise Cookies or Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Once you try this easy chicken recipe, you’ll see why I love it so much. It’s great because:
- Clean-up is so easy! Just wash the few prep dishes and the air fryer, then I’m done and I can relax for the rest of the evening. There’s nothing worse than a sink full of dishes, am I right?
- It only takes about 20 minutes to make this entire recipe. If you have to cook multiple batches then it will take a bit longer, but otherwise you can finish it pretty quickly!
- Since you’ll be using bone-in meat for this recipe, you’ll always have crispy drumsticks with tender, fall-apart meat. It’s hard to make bone-in chicken dry, and air frying it with this cooking method always has it turning out perfect.
Ingredients
Many of these simple ingredients can be found in your spice cabinet. Here’s what you need to make air fryer drumsticks:
- chicken drumsticks
- salt
- black pepper
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- brown sugar
- dried onion flakes
- baking powder
- Creole seasoning
- Italian seasonings
- olive oil
- liquid smoke
- chopped parsley to garnish
Substitutions and Variations
Liquid smoke is optional, but feel free to swap it out with something a bit different like coconut aminos or Worcestershire sauce.
If you don’t have Creole seasoning, you can substitute smoked paprika, seasoned salt, or your favorite poultry seasoning.
While this recipe uses chicken drumsticks, you can use the same seasonings and method of cooking to make chicken wings! Just keep in mind that you’ll likely need to adjust the cooking time.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
Follow these step by step instructions to make delicious air fryer chicken drumsticks in no time:
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (204°C) for 5 minutes. After pre-heating, spray the cooking tray inside with non stick cooking spray.
Dry the chicken drumsticks well with paper towels so that the seasonings can stick to the chicken skin.
Mix together all spices and seasonings in a small bowl. Then place the dried drumsticks ino a large bowl zip-top bag and pour the seasoning mixture over the chicken. Toss the drumsticks to evenly coat them in the seasonings.
Add liquid smoke drops to olive oil and grab a basting brush. Place 4 seasoned chicken legs into the greased air fryer basket and brush them with the olive oil mixture.
Bake in the air fryer for a total of around 13 minutes, turning them over at the 7-minute mark. When you turn them, reapply the oil mixture.
Once the drumsticks reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) they are ready to eat. Repeat this process if you have a second batch.
Garnish the air fried chicken with chopped parsley and then serve with your favorite sides!
How to Store Leftover Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
Transfer leftovers to an airtight container or zip top plastic bag. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, place back into the air fryer or in the oven until the skin crisps bac up and the chicken reaches a safe internal temperature.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
I love to serve these crispy air fryer chicken drumsticks with many different delicious side dishes. Sometimes I’ll do something so super easy, like air fryer frozen french fries. Other times, I’ll make a big ol’ batch of mashed potatoes.
Serve with super heathy sides like air fryer baby carrots or air fryer broccoli when you want to keep things low carb. A tasty comfort food side like lemon ricotta pasta would also be delicious.
You can also serve your chicken with your favorite dipping sauce if you want! BBQ sauce, buffalo sauce, ranch dressing and even avocado aioli. I’ve got a healthy copycat Chick-fil-a sauce that would be tasty too.
Tips for Success
Check out these tips so that your chicken turns out the best of the best:
- Use an instant read meat thermometer to check the temperature of each chicken drumstick. You’ll want to make sure that the chicken is fully cooked through! Just be sure you’re only temping the meat and not hitting bone with the thermometer.
- Air frying cook time can be a little different with each different model. Add on a few minutes or subtract some time if need be! The size of your chicken drumsticks can also effect the cook time as well.
- It is really important to pat the chicken skin dry with paper towels before cooking. Excess moisture can make the chicken chewy.
FAQ
No, you should never stack drumsticks when cooking them in the air fryer. Stacking meat will effect the cooking process and will keep the skin on the chicken from getting crispy. Place them in a single layer so you can get perfectly crispy chicken legs.
Olive oil spray is a great healthy option to use as nonstick spray in the basket of an air fryer. It will keep food from sticking without any weird ingredients!
More Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 8 chicken drumsticks thawed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning or substitute smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 drops liquid smoke optional
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F (204°C) for 5 minutes. After pre-heating, spray inside cooking tray with cooking spray.
- Dry the drumsticks with an absorbent paper towel to ensure the seasonings will stick.
- In a bowl mix the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, dried onion flakes, baking powder, Creole seasoning, and Italian seasonings.
- Place the trimmed, dried drumsticks in a bowl, or a large zip-lock bag. Pour in the spice mixture and shake or stir to coat.
- Stir the liquid smoke drops into the olive oil. They won’t mix well, but that’s okay.
- Place 4 seasoned drumsticks in the air fryer, and brush them with the olive oil.
- Bake in the air fryer for a total of around 13 minutes, turning them over at the 7-minute mark. Reapply oil as you turn them over.
- Remove drumsticks from the air fryer and check them for doneness by making a slice in one. Drumsticks are done when an internal meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. Repeat if you have a second batch.
- Garnish with chopped parsley, or as desired, and serve with your favorite sides. Enjoy!
