These easy Air Fryer Drumsticks cook up supremely tender and juicy with perfectly crispy skin. This isn’t your average chicken dinner recipe! Just a handful of ingredients and under 30 minutes to make. Gluten-free, paleo, keto, low carb and Whole30 compliant.
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The Best Crispy Air Fryer Drumsticks
Easy chicken dinners are a must-have, and this Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks is a tough one to beat. It’s quick and simple, and it uses a lot less oil than other fried chicken recipes, thanks to the air fryer. And that’s not all – the air fryer helps the skin on your drumsticks get extra crispy. Yum!
We use our family tried and true blend of spices to season my chicken, but you can use whatever flavorings you like! The recipe is super flexible and can be adjusted to suit your tastes.
Why Use an Air Fryer for Chicken Drumsticks
You may be wondering how it’s possible to cook chicken that has an ultra crispy skin, but stays super juicy and tender on the inside. The anwswer is the Air Fryer! Not only does it excel at cooking the chicken, but it’s also a much healthier process than traditional methods of frying.
The Air Fryer reduces calorie content by up to 80%, and air-fried food contains far less fat than its pan-fried counterparts. Plus, there’s no aimless loitering by the stove or close contact with hot oil. So grab out your Air Fryer and go make this delicious fried chicken!!!
Don’t have chicken drumsticks? Try our Air Fryer Wings, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs and Air Fryer Chicken Tenders or Air Fryer Chicken Breast next!
What You’ll Need
This is my go-to ingredient lineup for air fryer drumsticks. Just the chicken itself, the oil and a few basic spices!
- Chicken Drumsticks: You’ll need about 1 pound of drumsticks.
- Avocado Oil: Or olive oil.
- Coarse Sea Salt: Or kosher salt, to taste.
- Garlic Powder: To bring out the flavor of the chicken.
- Onion Powder: For depth of flavor.
- Freshly Cracked Black Pepper: To taste.
- Fresh Chopped Parsley: For garnish.
How to Make Drumsticks in the Air Fryer
These air fried chicken drumsticks are so easy to make. If you’ve cooked with the air fryer before, you already know what to do!
- Heat Air Fryer: If your air fryer requires preheating, preheat it to 390°F, as needed.
- Season Chicken: Pat the drumsticks dry on both sides with paper towels. Drizzle them with oil, then sprinkle them evenly with salt, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.
- Place in Air Fryer: Working in batches (depending on the size of your air fryer), place the drumsticks in the air fryer basket, skin side down, in a single layer, making sure they are not crowding or overlapping.
- Cook: Cook at 390°F for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, open the air fryer basket and use tongs to flip the drumsticks. Continue to cook them for another 12-15 minutes (or longer), until they’re no longer pink and the internal temperature is 165°F.
- Serve & Enjoy! Sprinkle the drumsticks with fresh chopped parsley, if desired, and serve.
Tips for the Best Air Fryer Fried Chicken
Air fryer chicken isn’t difficult to make by any means, but these tips will help you out nonetheless!
- Don’t Open the Air Fryer Too Much: Only open the air fryer to flip your chicken and to check whether or not it’s done. If you open the door and let out heat too often, it could affect how the chicken cooks.
- Avoid Overcrowding the Basket: Unless you have a large enough air fryer, you’re going to want to work in batches. The chicken should not be crowding or overlapping in the air fryer basket.
- Check Doneness with an Instant Read Thermometer: The simplest way to check the doneness of your chicken is with a meat thermometer. Once the internal temperature reaches 165°F, your drumsticks are ready!
Serving Suggestions
I have tons of yummy go-to dishes I like to serve with chicken drumsticks. Here are just a few!
- Pair with Zucchini Fries: My crispy Air Fryer Zucchini Fries are the ultimate healthy side dish to serve with air fryer chicken.
- Serve with Rice: Who doesn’t love rice and chicken? My easy Cauliflower Fried Rice tastes wonderful with these juicy drumsticks.
- Pair with Veggies: Fresh Air Fryer Broccoli or Air Fryer Asparagus are another delicious side dish to serve with fried chicken.
- Serve with Mashed Potatoes: Sometimes all you need to make a meal complete is a bowl of creamy Cauliflower Mashed and Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes! These recipes are fool-proof.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Place leftover drumsticks in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 3 days. To reheat them, cook them in a 350°F air fryer for 5 minutes. Once the 5 minutes are up, increase the temperature to 390°F and continue cooking until the chicken is hot and crispy.
Can I Freeze Chicken Drumsticks?
Yes! These freezer-friendly chicken drumsticks are amazing for long-term meal prep.
First, place the cooled chicken drumsticks in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze them for 30 minutes. Then, transfer the drumsticks to an airtight container or freezer bags and store them for up to 2 months. Thaw out frozen chicken drumsticks in the fridge before reheating.
More Air Fryer Recipes to Try
Looking for more healthy air fryer recipes? Be sure to read our guide for How to Use An Air Fryer and try the recipes below:
These easy Air Fryer Drumsticks cook up supremely tender and juicy with perfectly crispy skin. This isn't your average chicken dinner recipe! Just a handful of ingredients and under 30 minutes to make. Gluten-free, paleo, keto, low carb and Whole30 compliant.
- 4-6 chicken drumsticks about 1 lb
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
- 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt or kosher salt, to taste
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- fresh chopped parsley for garnish
If your air fryer requires preheating, preheat to 390°F, as needed.
Pat the chicken dry on both sides with paper towels. Drizzle with oil then sprinkle evenly with salt, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.
Working in batches (depending on the size of your air fryer), place the drumsticks in the air fryer basket, skin side down, in a single layer, making sure they are not crowding or overlapping.
Cook at 390°F for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, open the air fryer basket and use tongs to flip the drumsticks. Continue to cook for another 12-15 more minutes (or longer), until no longer pink and the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley, if desired.
Recipe Video
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