Air Fryer Chicken Legs (So Easy & Crispy!)
Who doesn't love a crispy-skinned, deliciously seasoned chicken leg? And now you can make them perfectly in your air fryer in around 30 minutes. No need to babysit them on a grill, just coat in simple flavors you already have in your pantry, then let the air fryer do the work. You can either enjoy them as they are, with any sides you like, or brush with BBQ sauce just before the end of cooking.
Servings: 2 to 4
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 medium chicken legs (drumsticks) skin on bone in
- ½ tablespoon olive oil (approximately, to brush over the chicken to help the herbs/spices to stick)
- ½ tablespoon brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- ⅓ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅔ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Optional last-minute glaze
- ⅓ cup BBQ sauce (any you like)
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 390F/200C for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, mix all the seasoning together.½ tablespoon brown sugar, ¾ teaspoon paprika, ⅓ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon mustard powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ⅔ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Brush the chicken legs all over with the olive oil.4 medium chicken legs, ½ tablespoon olive oil
- Sprinkle the mixed seasoning all over the chicken (you can turn it with tongs so that it gets really well coated on all sides).
- Place the chicken into the air fryer basket. Leave a little space between each leg so that the air can circulate all around. Air fry for 25 to 30 minutes (turning half way through if you like), or until the skin is golden and crisp, the juices run clear, and/or the internal temperature is 165F or 75C in the thickest part. If you like, you can brush the chicken with your favorite BBQ sauce for the last 3 to 5 minutes of cooking for a sticky, even tastier version.⅓ cup BBQ sauce
Notes
Note on nutrition info: Note that this includes the addition of the BBQ sauce, and is based on 2 chicken legs per person. Obviously if you only serve 1 drumstick to each person, and skip the BBQ sauce, these values will be different.
Regular oven instructions: If you prefer to use your regular oven, you can bake on a lined baking sheet (at the same temperature as for the air fryer version) for around 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken legs.
Serving ideas: air fryer sweet potato wedges, regular potato wedges, Greek salad, parmentier potatoes, Greek lemon rice, olive oil toasts, or anything you like!
For extra crisp skin: Consider blotting the drumsticks with kitchen paper to get rid of any excess moisture before brushing with the oil.
Nutrition
Calories: 685kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 240mg | Sodium: 1485mg | Potassium: 680mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 719IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 3mg
