For the perfect versatile meat dish, air fryer chicken drumsticks are a top choice. They are perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and packed with a nice flavor.
These easy-to-make air fryer drumsticks are a great addition to hearty sides like rice or potatoes – and give off a BBQ vibe right in the kitchen!
Before you make these air fryer chicken drumsticks, have a read through this recipe tip section:
If you’d like to see the step-by-step process for how to make chicken drumsticks in the air fryer, have a read through this section.
Otherwise, you can skip below to the card to get started cooking!
First, if the chicken drumsticks are quite wet, place the legs on a plate and pat them dry with a paper towel. If they don’t have too much excess moisture, there is no need to dry them first.
Next, place the drumsticks in a medium-sized mixing bowl and add in the oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper (optional).
Toss until the chicken drumsticks are evenly coated in the oil and spices.
Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Once heated to temperature, place the chicken drumsticks in the air fryer tray.
They should be in a single layer on the tray to make sure that they cook evenly and air fry to a nice crisp. If your air fryer is too small to accommodate this amount of drumsticks, cook them in two batches.
Cook the chicken for a total of 15-20 minutes. Flip the drumsticks over after about 10 minutes.
Since every air fryer is different (and the drumsticks might be slightly different sizes), your total cooking time may vary. For reference, ours cook to temperature at around 17 minutes total.
Once the chicken drumsticks are cooked through and crispy on the outside, remove them from the tray.
Serve the chicken with a side like rice, fried potatoes, or French fries.
Chicken drumsticks in the air fryer are best when enjoyed fresh out of the air fryer when they are crispy. You can store any leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge.
Since it’s cooked chicken, eat the should be eaten within 3-4 days maxium.
When stored in the fridge, the skin will lose its crispiness so we like to pull the good chicken meat off the legs to use in wraps, salads, or other dishes!
Alternatively, you can also place the chicken drumsticks back into the air fryer to reheat and slightly crisp up the skin.
Drumsticks are great as a part of a larger meal or served with different gameday snacks like air fried crispy pickles.
Since they give off more of a summer vibe, they go great with brown rice or fried potatoes.
You can also serve them with a creamy pasta salad or a leafy green salad with an oil and vinegar dressing to complement the flavor of fried meat and spices.
If you are looking for more chicken recipes, check out these tasty ideas – all made from fresh chicken!