These perfectly crispy Air Fryer Chicken Legs are going to be your new favorite way to enjoy your chicken drumsticks! This is our favorite way to enjoy juicy chicken legs as an easy dinner recipe, lunch option, or as a delicious game day snack!
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The Best Air Fryer Chicken Legs
This quick and simple recipe that only requires about 7 simple ingredients and can be made in less than 30 minutes, great for busy weeknights! Our family loves enjoying these crispy chicken drumsticks on Sundays for game day or just as a quick dinner option. They go with just about any easy side dish, have a perfectly browned, crispy skin, and the most juicy meat on the inside! The whole family is going to love this easy recipe!
Looking for another great air fryer chicken recipe? Try our Air Fryer Chicken Wings or Air Fryer Chicken Breasts – so good!
What You Will Need
- chicken legs – you should be able to find these at your local grocery store or butcher shop, they may also be called chicken drumsticks.
- extra virgin olive oil – drizzle a little bit on the outside of the chicken to get the skin nice and crispy.
- kosher salt, ground black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, & paprika – a simple seasoning combination that will bring lots of great flavor!
How To Make Air Fryer Chicken Legs
To get this simple air fryer recipe started, simply pat the chicken dry with clean paper towels to remove excess moisture.
Then rub each leg with some olive oil. In a separate bowl, mix together the seasonings and then sprinkle it all over the chicken legs.
Now spray the air fryer basket with a non-stick cooking spray and place the seasoned chicken legs in the basket in a single layer.
Pro tip: try to space the chicken legs out as much as you can to ensure even cooking and a crispy skin.
How Long Do I Cook Chicken Legs In An Air Fryer
Air fry the chicken legs for about 9-12 minutes per side, continue air frying for until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F. We recommend checking the internal temperature of the chicken legs with a meat thermometer (in the thickest part of the leg) at around 15-16 total minutes cooking time because some air fryers run hotter than others and you don’t want to overcook them.
Carefully remove the crispy chicken legs from the basket with some tongs and set on a plate to rest for about 5 minutes before serving. This will help the juices to redistribute and give you perfectly juicy chicken.
Best Ways To Serve Chicken Legs
This air fryer chicken legs recipe is amazing all by itself, just serve with any of your favorite dips, like BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, or blue cheese dressing! Or it’s a great recipe to make into a meal on for weeknight dinners and add some side dishes. A few of our favorite sides are air fryer broccolini, grilled sweet potatoes, or an easy creamy coleslaw!
Recipe FAQ
- seasoning: this recipe card was kept very simple, but feel free to amp up the flavor with our chicken seasoning or chicken marinade! Or add a little lemon juice, or some chili powder for a little bit of a kick.
- preheat: we recommend preheating your air fryer, but you don’t have to do this step. We just feel that it evens out the cooking process and gives you nice, crispy drumsticks.
- storage: any leftover chicken drumsticks can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. This is also nice to meal prep on Sunday and enjoy for lunches all week.
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Other Air Fryer Recipes You Might Like
Air Fryer Chicken Legs
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Description
Air Fryer Chicken Legs – a delicious and easy air fryer chicken legs recipe that is perfect for a busy weeknight!
Ingredients
- 6 chicken legs
- 2 teaspoons olive oil (or avocado oil)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 390 degrees F. for approx. 5 minutes.
- Pat chicken dry with clean paper towel.
- Combine salt, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika in a small bowl. Stir to combine.
- Drizzle chicken with olive oil and rub all over. Season generously with the seasoning ensuring the chicken is fully coated.
- Place chicken legs in air fryer basket and let cook 9-12 minutes per side, but start checking the internal temperature after approx. 15-16 minutes just in case your air fryer runs hot. Remove from air fryer when chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Set aside on a plate and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken leg
- Calories: 166
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 355.3 mg
- Fat: 6.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 0.5 g
- Protein: 25.3 g
- Cholesterol: 115.7 mg
Cindy says
Very good. My legs were pretty small so they only took 14 minutes total. I did turn them over halfway through and they were 170° after 14 minutes. They were Great!! Thx!!
Kathie says
Why does it say remove chicken thighs when it is a chicken leg recipe?
Erin says
Oh gosh, sorry about that, Kathie! Just a typo 🙂 Fixing it now!
Vicki says
Amazing! So flavorful.