These foolproof air fryer chicken drumsticks are crisp outside and wonderfully tender and juicy in the middle. Ready in practically half the time of baking them, for an easy weeknight dinner!
It’s my opinion that chicken drumsticks are one of the most underrated cuts of chicken. Thanks to the dark meat, they’re more flavorful, moist, and harder to accidentally dry out. Plus, by cooking chicken drumsticks in an air fryer, you’ll always have ultra-crispy skin on the outside and super-duper tender and juicy meat in the middle.
Better yet, the process is super quick and easy with just a quick 30-minute marinade and higher temp to help the skin crisp up perfectly in just 20 minutes. The results are crispier than baked chicken in less time, with way less oil than fried, and less mess, too. Plus, if you’re forgetful like me, you can even cook frozen drumsticks in an air fryer!
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What Part Of A Chicken Is A Drumstick
Chicken thighs and drumsticks are both dark meat that comes from chicken legs, with the drumstick being the lower part of the leg beneath the thigh.
Chicken legs are cost-effective (great for larger families and those on a budget). But they’re also super lean and contain higher levels of many vitamins and minerals than the white meat from a chicken. Plus, they make for a great addition to gluten-free and low-carb meals!
Enjoy more simple chicken basics like baked boneless chicken breasts or skinless, boneless thighs, fried chicken, or more air fryer chicken recipes like these air-fried chicken wings or even air fryer whole roasted chicken.
The Air Fried Chicken Drumsticks Ingredients
A simple spice blend, olive oil, and chicken drumsticks are all you need to make delicious air fryer drumsticks.
- Chicken drumsticks: use skin-on chicken legs for super crispy air fry chicken legs.
The Chicken Drumstick Marinade
- Olive oil: Or another neutral cooking oil. Butter would also work (or a combination of butter and oil).
- Seasonings: I used a simple but super flavorful chicken seasoning for this air fryer drumstick recipe:
- Garlic powder,
- Smoked paprika,
- Salt,
- Black pepper,
- Lemon juice (or lemon pepper seasoning),
- Brown sugar (optional – for caramelization and very subtle sweetness).
Add a bit of cayenne pepper for heat and/or onion powder for the extra aromatic flavor to the air fryer chicken drumsticks recipe.
How To Cook Chicken Drumsticks In Air Fryer
Follow this foolproof method for delicious chicken drumsticks in an air fryer in under 30 minutes (marinating time not included)!
First, use paper towels to pat the drumsticks dry for the marinade to adhere better. Then transfer the chicken to a large bowl or dish.
Prepare The Marinade
In a small bowl, combine the oil and all the spices, and mix well.
Then, pour the mixture over the chicken and use your hands (wear gloves if preferred) to ensure the meat is thoroughly coated.
How Long To Marinate Chicken Drumsticks
Cover the dish with plastic wrap (cling film) and refrigerate it to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes if you’re low on time, up to 12 hours.
You can technically bake it immediately, but even 30 minutes of marinating will make a noticeable difference in the flavor of the airfryer drumsticks!
How Long To Air Fry Chicken Drumsticks
Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF/200ºC.
Then, spread the drumsticks on the bottom of your air fryer (optionally lightly spray it with cooking spray first) in a single layer with a bit of space in between. Cook in multiple batches if necessary.
Air fry the drumsticks for 20 minutes, flipping once halfway. That’s how long to cook drumsticks in air fryer.
To ensure the chicken is properly cooked, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the drumstick, avoiding touching any bones. The temperature should read 170ºF/77ºC minimum. If it’s not ready, cook it for a few more minutes and check again.
Remove the air-fried chicken legs from the air fryer. Allow them to rest for 10 minutes for the juices to redistribute/settle. Then, enjoy the delicious air fryer chicken drumsticks with your sides of choice!
For Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Drumsticks
- Preheat the air fryer to 360ºF/180ºC and rub the marinade over the frozen chicken legs.
If the chicken is very icy or stuck together, first rinse it under cold running water to get rid of excess ice and pat it dry with clean paper towels. Alternatively, if they’re stuck, place them in the air fryer while it preheats.
- Transfer the drumsticks to your air fryer basket in a single layer, with a bit of space in between (this is important for crispy skin).
- Air fry the frozen chicken legs for between 25-35 minutes, flipping it at 15 minutes (the exact time will depend on the size of the drumsticks and your exact air fryer). Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature has reached 170ºF/77ºC.
Can I Bake the Marinated Chicken Drumsticks in the Oven Instead
If you don’t have an air fryer, you can still enjoy delicious baked chicken drumsticks – you just need a little more patience. As a bonus, many veggies also bake at 400ºF/200ºC, so cook them at the same time.
- First, pat the meat with paper towels and marinate it as written above. Also, preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC and prepare a baking tray with foil.
- After marinating the meat, transfer the drumsticks to the tray, leaving at least an inch of space between them.
- Bake the chicken for between 35-45 minutes. Flip them once at 20 minutes and check with a meat thermometer at the end to ensure the inside temperature has reached 170ºF/77ºC.
Note that the exact baking time will depend on the size and thickness of the chicken legs. You can also broil the chicken for a few minutes in the end for extra crispy skin.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes, loosely covered with foil.
What To Serve With Chicken Drumsticks
Air fryer chicken drumsticks are an excellent all-purpose, versatile protein side dish to enjoy alongside:
- Mashed potato,
- Baked fries (or air fryer fries from frozen),
- Grains like brown rice, bulgur wheat, vegetable pilaf, quinoa, etc.,
- Pasta dishes – like easy garlic and olive oil Pasta (Pasta Aglio e Olio) and baked feta and cherry tomato pasta,
- Stuffed vegetables,
- Vegetable sides like:
You can also cut any leftovers into chunks and add them to salads or enjoy them chilled as part of a picnic spread with potato salad, coleslaw, pickles, and dips like ranch dressing, hot sauce, etc.
FAQs
Chicken dark meat (i.e., the legs and thighs) is technically safe to eat at 165ºF/75ºC. But it’s better to cook it to an internal temperature of between 170-175ºF/77-79ºC. The meat is tougher, so it needs longer to lose the tough stringiness and become tender and juicy.
The only accurate way to ensure the air-fried drumsticks are ready is to use a meat thermometer and ensure it reads between 170-175ºF/77-79ºC.
There are several reasons you may notice areas of pink in the cooked air fryer drumsticks. None of these means it’s unsafe to eat as long as the internal temperature is at least 165ºF/75ºC.
First, young chickens can have more porous bones. The marrow within appears pinkish and can stain the bone and surrounding chicken, no matter the temperature of the meat.
Also, pH levels can affect pinkness – the higher the pH level, the pinker the meat.
A protein called myoglobin helps deliver oxygen to muscle cells, giving them a darker color. Since the leg muscles are more heavily worked, this can result in pink/red patches, even in fully cooked air fryer chicken drumsticks.
Even if you don’t plan to eat the skin, keeping it on while cooking drumsticks in an air fryer will protect the meat from drying out and adds extra flavor. The downside is that you lose the marinade flavor if removing it afterward.
Make a small cut in the skin near the bone at the bottom of the drumstick. Then, using your fingers, gently loosen and pull off the skin.
I like to use a marinade with an acidic ingredient, like lemon juice, to help tenderize the meat.
More Air Fryer Recipes
- Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders (From Scratch)
- Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
- Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs 2 Ways
- Easy Air Fryer Cod
- How To Reheat Fried Chicken In Air Fryer
- The Perfect Air Fryer Steak
If you try this air fryer chicken legs recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
The Best Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 19.4 oz drumsticks 7 small ones
- 2 tablespoon olive oil or another neutral cooking oil or even 50/50 oil and butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 lemon 1.5 Tbsp juice or 1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar optional for caramelization and color
Suggested Equipment
Instructions
- Use paper towels to pat the drumsticks dry for the marinade to adhere better. Then transfer the chicken to a large bowl or dish.
- In a small bowl, combine the oil and all the spices, and mix well.
- Pour the mixture over the chicken and use your hands (wear gloves if preferred) to ensure the meat is thoroughly coated.
- Cover the dish with plastic wrap (cling film) and refrigerate it to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes, if you're low on time, up to 12 hours.You can technically bake it immediately, but even 30 minutes of marinating will make a noticeable difference in the flavor of the air fryer drumsticks!
- Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF/200ºC.
- Spread the drumsticks on the bottom of your air fryer (optionally lightly spray it with cooking spray first) in a single layer with a bit of space in between. Cook in multiple batches if necessary.
- Air fry the drumsticks for 20 minutes, flipping once halfway.To ensure the chicken is properly cooked, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the drumstick, avoiding touching any bones. The temperature should read 170ºF/77ºC minimum. If it's not ready, cook it for a few more minutes and check again.
- Remove the air-fried chicken legs from the air fryer and allow them to rest for 10 minutes for the juices to redistribute/settle. Then, enjoy the delicious air fryer chicken drumsticks with your sides of choice!
For Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Drumsticks
- Preheat the air fryer to 360ºF/180ºC and rub the marinade over the frozen chicken legs.If the chicken is very icy or stuck together, first rinse it under cold running water to get rid of excess ice and pat it dry with clean paper towels. Alternatively, if they’re stuck, place them in the air fryer while it preheats.
- Transfer the drumsticks to your air fryer basket in a single layer, with a bit of space in between (this is important for crispy skin).
- Air fry the frozen chicken legs for between 25-35 minutes, flipping it at 15 minutes (the exact time will depend on the size of the drumsticks and your exact air fryer). Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature has reached 170ºF/77ºC.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Allow the chicken to cool (for no longer than 2 hours), then transfer it to a covered dish/airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.Freeze:Â Flash freeze the cooked drumsticks (not touching) on a tray until solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag to freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before enjoying them, chilled or reheated.Reheat: You can reheat the meat either in the microwave (in 20-30 second increments) or air fry the chicken legs once more until heated through and crispy.
Notes
- Bring them to room temperature: Remove the chicken drumsticks from the fridge 25-30 minutes before you air fry drumsticks, to help them cook more evenly. Â
- Don’t crowd the chicken: It needs space for air to circulate to become crispy.
- Cooking time may vary: Due to the size and thickness of the drumsticks.
- To add sauce/glaze: (like BBQ sauce or buffalo sauce) Brush it over the meat in the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
- Check the temperature: This is the only accurate measure of if meat is ready. For air-fried chicken drumsticks, you need an internal temperature of 170-175ºF/77-79ºC.
- Leave the air-fried drumsticks to rest: For 10 minutes for the juices to settle and redistribute.
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