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Making chicken drumsticks in the air fryer is perhaps the easiest, healthiest and tastiest method ever. Don't believe me, try it and see for yourself. This recipe for Air fryer chicken drumsticks will ensure you will get the crispiest and juiciest chicken legs in 25 mins. Serve it as a low carb meal, or a snack, or an appetizer.
Feel free to use the button at the top of the page to go to the recipe directly or table of contents below to go to any section of the page you want. The recipe card has all the information that is needed to make the recipe perfectly. However, I try to provide a little more information in the post for the readers who are looking for it.
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How to make?
To make the perfect crispy and juicy air fried drumsticks, you only need three steps including one optional step of brining.
- Brining (optional if you have time )
- Marinating
- Air frying
- Make 3 to 4 slits on each drumstick with a knife. This helps the chicken legs to absorb flavors much better.
- An optional step of brining: Brining the chicken legs in salty Indian buttermilk makes them moister and flavorful. Always brine the chicken overnight or up to 2 days if you have time.
- To make Indian buttermilk for brining the chicken, simply whisk together 3 to 4 tablespoons of plain yogurt, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoons lemon juice with 2 to 3 cups of water in a large enough dish. Add the chicken drumsticks to this mixture making sure all the drumsticks are under the liquid level. Leave them in the refrigerator overnight or for around 10 to 12 hours to brine which will result in a very moist and juicy chicken. After brining, remove the drumsticks from the liquid, and proceed with the next steps.
- Mix all the ingredients together for the marination in a bowl.
- Apply this marination mixture evenly to the chicken drumsticks and let them marinate for an hour or at least 30 mins in the refrigerator. ( you can use a large ziplock bag to mix together chicken drumsticks and marination mixture easily)
- Preheat the air fryer for 3 mins.
- Place the marinated chicken drumsticks into the air fryer without touching each other and leaving enough space between each of them for air circulation. Do not overcrowd your air fryer as this will result in uneven cooking and steaming instead of air frying.
- Air fry at 380 F for 20 mins first. Open the air fryer bin at the 10-minute mark, spray or brush oil on the drumsticks, flip them and close the bin to continue cooking.
- At 20 minute mark, flip them again, change the temperature to 400 F and cook for the last 5 mins watching closely. Use the meat thermometer to check if the internal temperature reached 165°F to make sure they are cooked thoroughly. If you do not have a meat thermometer then remove a drumstick from the bin and cut it beside the bone and see if it is cooked properly inside before plating them.
What can I serve these air fried chicken legs with?
Serve them with your preferred choice of side dishes like steamed veggies, fries, soup, salad, rice, or your favorite sauce. Some of our favorites are
- Instant pot Steamed Broccoli
- 15 Min Tomato Egg Drop Soup with Shrimp
- Air fryer baked sweet potato
- Basmati Rice Instant Pot (Perfectly Fluffy)
Frequently asked questions
How long do drumsticks take in the air fryer?
Depending on the air fryer, Chicken drusmticks usually take from 20 to 25 mins to cook in the air fryer.
What temperature do you air fry chicken legs?
Add marinated chicken legs to the pre heated air fry basket and air fry at 380F for 20 mins and 5 more mins at 400F to crisp up the skin. Air frying at 380F for the first 20 mins instead of 400F ensures chicken is not overcooked on the outside and undercooked on the inside. It gives the perfect texture of juicy meat on the inside and crispy skin on the outside.
Can you stack chicken legs in an air fryer?
No, To ensure even cooking and an outcome of crispy chicken legs you need to avoid stacking chicken legs in an air fryer. Allow enough place for airflow and arrange chicken legs in a single layer without touching each other.
How do you know when chicken drumsticks are done?
You will know that the chicken drumsticks are done when they reach the internal temperature of 165F at the thickest part of the meat beside the bone. If you don't have a meat thermometer then see that the meat is no longer pink beside the bone by slicing through with a knife.
What is the secret to crispy fried chicken in air fryer?
Air fryer naturally gives a very crispy fried chicken with juicy meat inside if you use proper marination. But if you still want a much more crispier chicken then use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and ½ an egg white along with the marination mixture and this will give you much more crispier chicken. However, I never felt the need for it if I use the below recipe.
Storing suggestions
I strongly suggest making them right before serving as they taste best immediately. You can marinate them beforehand ( even up to 2 to 3 days before ) and air fry them right before eating.
But if you have any left overs, store them in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 3 to 4 days and reheat them in the air fryer right before serving. You can reheat at 370F for up to 4 to 5 mins in the air fryer. Spray a little oil if required for reheating.
Recipe
Air fryer Chicken Drumsticks
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Air fryer chicken drumsticks recipe is an easy, healthy, and delicious way to make Air fryer chicken legs. It gives you the juiciest chicken ever with a very crispy skin on the outside.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken drumsticks ( about 1.7 lbs )
For brining (optional step if you have time)
- 2 cups Indian buttermilk (directions are given below)
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Lemon juice
For Marination
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil (or any other oil with a high smoke point)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic cloves or garlic paste or ¾ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt or to taste ( use a little less if brined in salty buttermilk)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 3 tablespoons greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons chilli paste ( I used Sambal Oelek chilli paste)
- 1 teaspoon soya sauce
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder or cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Make 3 to 4 slits on each drumstick with a knife.
- Optional step: To make Indian buttermilk for brining the chicken, simply whisk together 3 to 4 tablespoons of plain yogurt, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoons lemon juice with 2 to 3 cups of water in a large enough dish. Add the chicken drumsticks to this mixture making sure all the drumsticks are under the liquid level. Leave them in the refrigerator overnight or for around 10 to 12 hours to brine which will result in a very moist and juicy chicken. After brining, remove the drumsticks from the liquid, and proceed with the next steps.
- Mix all the ingredients together for the marination in a bowl.
- Apply this marination mixture evenly to the chicken drumsticks and let them marinate for an hour in the refrigerator. ( you can use a large ziplock bag to mix together chicken drumsticks and marination mixture easily)
- Preheat the air fryer for 3 mins.
- Place the marinated chicken drumsticks into the air fryer without touching each other and leaving enough space between each of them for air circulation. Do not overcrowd your air fryer as this will result in uneven cooking and steaming instead of air frying.
- Air fry at 380 F for 20 mins first. Open the air fryer bin at the 10-minute mark, spray or brush oil on the drumsticks, flip them and close the bin to continue cooking.
- At 20 minute mark, flip them again, change the temperature to 400 F and cook for the last 5 mins watching closely. Use the meat thermometer to check if the internal temperature reached 165°F to make sure they are cooked thoroughly. If you do not have a meat thermometer then remove a drumstick from the bin and cut it beside the bone and see if it is cooked properly inside before plating them.
- Serve them immediately with your preferred choice of side dishes like steamed veggies, fries, soup, salad, or rice. I strongly suggest making them right before serving as they taste best immedietely. You can marinate them beforehand ( even up to 2 to 3 days before ) and air fry them right before eating.
Notes
- Brining gives that extra insurance to make sure that the chicken is really juicy and absorbs flavors while cooking even with different qualities of chicken. But if you don't have time for brining, you can skip it as I made sure that the marination recipe also has ingredients like yogurt and lemon juice which helps in flavor absorption, and juicy chicken with crispy skin.
- Every air fryer heats differently, so watch closely for the last 5 mins and remove promptly once done to avoid burning.
- Air fryer naturally gives a very crispy fried chicken with juicy meat inside if you use proper marination. But if you still want a much more crispier chicken then use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and ½ an egg white along with the marination mixture and this will give you much more crispier chicken. However, I never felt the need for it if I use this recipe.
- Category: Main course
- Method: Air fryer
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Air fryer chicken drumsticks, Air fryer drumsticks, Air fryer chicken legs, Air fried chicken legs
Make these today and enjoy the juiciest and crispy chicken ever with your family. Pin the recipe for later. Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions or feedback. Happy air frying !!
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