Portions: 4 servings Calories: 144kcal |
Let me show you how long to cook drumsticks in air fryer and at what temperature. Air fryer chicken legs and drumsticks are incredibly tasty, have a beautiful color, and take little time and effort to make. Legs and drumsticks are my favorite part of the chicken, there's no coming back after you try these.
By - Revised . Original Jul 4, 2018.
Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks [Video+Recipe] Time & Temperature.
Why we ❤️ it
- In the air fryer, thighs are the best part of the chicken. For a quick dinner with simple ingredients and an easy recipe, this is the one you're looking for.
- I'll show you how and at what temperature to cook chicken in the air fryer, so you won't have any doubts.
- See how easy it is to season them to get juicy, tasty, golden brown chicken thighs with crispy skin.
Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks [Video+Recipe] Time & Temperature
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Utensils and tools
Ingredients
Chicken drumsticks
- 1 dozen chicken drumsticks
Chicken dry rub
- 1¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly-cracked, or ground
- 1¼ tablespoon salt
- 1¼ tablespoon garlic cloves
- 1¼ tablespoon onion powder
- 1¼ tablespoon sweet paprika
- ¼ cup vegetable oil, (you can use avocado oil, or olive oil)
Video
Preparation
1. Patting dry
Pat the raw drumsticks with a paper towel to remove excess moisture, this will result in crispier drumsticks.⚠️ Be careful of cross-contamination! Maintain proper hygiene when cooking raw chicken.
2. Seasoning the chicken
- Season the chicken with pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Drizzle with the oil and coat the drumsticks with the seasoning using a pair of tongs.Stir to coat the chicken all over.
3. Resting
- Place in a lidded airtight container (or covered with plastic film) and let it rest in the fridge for 1-2 hours for best results though you can cook them right away if you're in a hurry.
4. Preheating
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F [175°C] or the temperature in the chart further down for other cuts of chicken.
5. Cooking
- Place the chicken drumsticks in the air fryer basket in a single layer (see notes below).
6. Turning and cooking again
- Cook for 15 minutes and rotate to cook evenly, and keep cooking for another 15-20 minutes until the chicken skin is golden brown AND the internal temperature of the chicken measured in the thickest part reaches 165 °F (73.9 °C).
7. Serving
Remove from the basket and serve.See serving suggestions under
Top tips
- Easier cleaning: A good idea that will save you some time later is to line the bottom pan under the air fryer basked with aluminum foil or parchment paper to catch the drippings.
- Crispier chicken: For best results, do not pile up the chicken pieces. Place drumsticks in a single layer in the air fryer basket so the hot air circulates evenly. This may be a problem if you only have a smaller air fryer, in which case you may need to do it in two batches.
Some people swear by this tip, and you may want to try it: substitute ¼ teaspoon of baking powder for ¼ teaspoon of the salt the recipe calls for extra crispy chicken drumsticks. - Spicy: If you want some spicy crispy drumsticks, add 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or chili powder to the spice mixture.
- Other chicken cuts: For this recipe you can also try wings and full chicken legs. For the latter, cut the chicken legs into drumsticks and thighs. They will cook faster, and result in crispy air fryer chicken drumsticks and legs that are also more flavorful.
How long to cook chicken in air fryer
Different cuts of chicken require different cooking times, so to air fry chicken legs or drumsticks, you need to use higher temperatures than for breasts, for example. So if you make air fryer chicken wings, they will cook faster than drumsticks. Chicken thighs take longer than drumsticks to cook.
I have found that the cook time suggestions in my air fryer are pretty inaccurate. The best way to do it - for safer and better results - you should use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the chicken [source].
Chicken air fryer time and temperature
| Chicken cut | Cook temp. | Cook time |
| Drumsticks | 350°F [175°C] | 35-40 mins / to 165 °F (73.9 °C) |
| Wings | 350°F [175°C] | 25-30 mins / to 165 °F (73.9 °C) |
| Thighs or legs | 350°F [175°C] | 40-50 mins / to 165 °F (73.9 °C) |
Serving suggestions
You can serve this chicken with many of your favorite sides. My favorite choices are pasta salad, potato salad, air fryer or oven fried potato, or air fryer tostones.
The drumsticks come out very juicy, so I didn't find it required any sauce, but check this homemade BBQ sauce, if you want to try one.
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Learn more
Chicken drumsticks are the lower part of the leg, the upper part of chicken legs are the thigh. They consist of dark meat, and tend to have more tender meat, and more fat content.
Chicken drumsticks and all chicken should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (73.9 °C) measured in the thickest part, per USDA guidelines.
How long you need to cook chicken drumsticks in an air fryer will depend on the air fryer you have, and how well it measures the temperature in it. At a minimum, cooking time will be 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the drumsticks reaches 165 °F (73.9 °C) measured in the thickest part.
How long you need to cook chicken drumsticks in an air fryer will depend on the air fryer you have, and how well it measures the temperature in it. At a minimum, cooking time will be 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the drumsticks reaches 165 °F (73.9 °C) measured in the thickest part.
To cook frozen drumsticks in the air fryer the first step is to thaw it. If you are in a hurry and can't thaw them in the fridge - as recommended - you can use the thawing function of your microwave.
It is not safe or advisable to try to cook frozen drumsticks in the air fryer, so add a few more minutes of prep time to your cooking schedule if you thaw in the microwave.
Air fried French fries are a great side dish with this delicious recipe, especially if your can accomodate everything at once. Another of my favorites to serve with air fryer chicken thighs and drumsticks is pasta salad or potato salad.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
Do you have to boil the meat beforehand?
No, you don't need to boil it beforehand, just cook it in the air fryer.
This is my favorite recipe for drumsticks. Absolutely delicious and flavorful.
Thanks so much for trying it. I am very happy that you liked it.
Excelent recipe, easy to follow and very tasty.
Thanks for trying our recipe, I am glad you liked it.