Air Fryer Chicken Legs
If you’re looking for an easy dinner recipe, try this Air Fryer Chicken Legs! They are juicy and crispy. Tossed in seasonings and mayonnaise, they’re full of flavor and absolutely delicious!
Air Fryer Chicken Legs
Air Fryer Chicken Legs is one of our favorite super-simple weeknight dinner recipe! The kids call these chicken drumsticks. Whatever you call them, this cut of chicken is so juicy, moist and very forgiving when you overcook them!
Cooking chicken legs in the Air fryer is so easy! With little prep and marinating time, you’ll have absolutely delicious chicken dinner in no time. The circulating hot air in the fryer makes the chicken legs perfectly crispy with charred skin on top!
The chicken is tossed in spices and mayonnaise. Mayonnaise gives more flavor with less marinating time. I find that marinating for at least for thirty minutes or one hour gives maximizes the flavor.
This chicken legs recipe doesn’t need extra sauce but you can use BBQ sauce if you prefer. Brush the chicken drumsticks with the sauce in the last five minutes.
Serve the Air fried chicken legs warm with your favorite sides. Check my Air Fryer Recipe collection for our favorite Air fryer side dishes like Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli Or Air Fryer Crispy Roast Potatoes.
Step by step process
How To Make Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
Cooking drumsticks in the Air fryer couldn’t be any easier. Here’s how to do it.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Make 2 cuts in the thickest part of the chicken leg and one cut on the other side. This will help spices seep into the chicken.
- In a small mixing bowl, add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cayenne, lemon juice and mayonnaise. Whisk until combined.
- Toss the chicken legs with the spice mixture until well coated. Leave it to marinade for at least 30 minutes or one hour.
- Preheat the Air fryer at 400℉ for 3 to 5 minutes. Line the Air fryer basket with foil for easy clean up.
- Place the chicken legs on the air fryer basket. Don’t overcrowd. Cook in batches if needed.
- Cook for 15 minutes. Flip chicken drumsticks and cook for another 5 minutes. You can also check for doneness by using an instant read thermometer. Look for an internal temperature of 165℉ for cooked chicken.
- Serve warm with you favorite side dish.
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Best Tips For Flavorful Chicken
- Leave the skin on for crispy air fryer chicken legs.
- Pat the chicken dry thoroughly.
- Make cuts in the thickest part of the flesh for flavors to seep in.
- Let the chicken marinate for an hour or more for flavor.
- Preheat the Air fryer for 3 or 5 minutes according to manufacturer’s instruction.
How To Prep/Store/Freeze
Air fryer chicken legs are great to make ahead and ideal for meal prep. Store the marinated chicken in the fridge, covered, for a day.
Freeze them in a zip lock bag in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and cook in the Air fryer.
Store the leftover chicken legs in an air tight container in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat them in the oven or Air fryer.
Serving Ideas
Serve them with fluffy mashed potatoes and a side of salad.
We also like them with crispy potatoes in the Air fryer. These Air fryer chicken legs are great with any sides or on their own. That’s how my kids eat it most of the time!
Here are more sides:
- Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes
- Air Fryer Carrots
- Best Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
- Perfect Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli
DID YOU MAKE IT? Please leave a comment and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe!
Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Legs
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs chicken legs (around 8 to 10) skin on
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper or red chili powder
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Make 2 cuts in the thickest part of the chicken leg and one cut on the other side. This will help spices seep into the chicken.
- In a small mixing bowl, add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cayenne, lemon juice and mayonnaise. Whisk until combined.
- Toss the chicken legs with the spice mixture until well coated. Leave it to marinade for at least 30 minutes or one hour.
- Preheat the Air fryer at 400℉ for 3 to 5 minutes. Line the Air fryer basket with foil for easy clean up.
- Place the chicken legs on the air fryer basket. Don't overcrowd. Cook in batches if needed.
- Cook for 15 minutes. Flip chicken drumsticks and cook for another 5 minutes. You can also check for doneness by using an instant read thermometer. Look for an internal temperature of 165℉ for cooked chicken.
- Serve warm with you favorite side dish.
Notes
- Meal Prep – store the marinated chicken in the fridge for one day. In the freezer in a zip lock bag for 3 months.
- Thaw in the fridge and cook in the Air fryer as per the recipe.
- Store – leftover chicken in an air tight container for 3 days in the fridge. Reheat them in the oven or in the Air fryer.
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This is the very best marinate I use it not only for chicken legs but any chicken, I do substitute oregano with Italian seasoning and leave out the garlic. I am going to try it on shrimp I bet it will be great as well. Thanks
Hi Laverla, that’s nice to hear. We love this marinade as well. It’ll be great with shrimp too.
Wow! 10 legs and plenty of coating to do all of them; :left in fridge for an hour, lined air fryer and followed the time and temperature. Poultry seasoning that I had contained all of the ingredients and I added powdered garlic and onion. Lime juice instead of lemon and I never thought that a non cooking man like myself could please my wife and kids so much. They want more.
That’s awesome, Felix!
I don’t usually leave comments for recipes, but this was so good (and easy to make), I just had to. Easily one of the best marinades I’ve made for drumsticks and didn’t even have to marinate for long. A delicious option for weeknight dinner!
Thank you so much, Sue! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
These turned out well! Thank you Barbara
I’m glad to hear that barbara. Thank you 🙂
just made this recipe. Absolutely the best ‘chicken’ in general I have made to date. Just loved it!
Thank you so much Barbara! You made my day!
Looks delish! Doesn’t the foil defeat the purpose of air circulating?
Thanks Anna! Not exactly. circulating air will heat up the foil in turn heating up the food on it. Same concept as in the oven. In this case, foil makes clean up easier.
Tasty and no fuss. Love it. Thank you
Awesome! I’m glad you liked it.
Very easy and yummy.
Have not tried them but they sound easy! And good!
Thank you! Yes, they are so easy and you’ll love it!
they sure are the best chicken legs its the spices that make them so yummy
Thank you! Yes, spices make all the difference.