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    Home » Recipes » Air Fryer

    Air Fryer Chicken Legs

    By: Jessica · Posted: Sep 28, 2020 · Updated: Oct 16, 2024 · This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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    Jump to Recipe 5 comments
    5 from 8 votes
    air fryer chicken legs

    An easy air fryer chicken legs recipe, showing how long to cook them and even an optional quick (no-flour) breading recipe that’s perfect for low-carb eaters!

    Air fryer recipes have become a fan favorite around here and now, these are ranking at the top of our list!

    These chicken legs (or drumsticks) are amazing when cooked in the air fryer and with this recipe, they’re cooked and ready to eat in only 35 minutes! Choose between two different ways to season with this recipe: bbq & garlic parmesan!

    You’ll also love this baked chicken drumsticks recipe, how to boil chicken legs, and this slow cooker chicken legs recipe as a back-up!

    Air Fryer Chicken Legs

    Air Fryer Chicken Legs

     

    Oooooh my goodness. Don’t you just love it when a recipe accidentally turns out to be a new favorite in your house?

    Well chicken legs in the air fryer are just that in our home. After experimenting with a large pack of chicken legs the other day, and sharing a video of it on my Instagram stories, this recipe has now become a favorite in kitchens everywhere!

    Need an air fryer? This Chefman air fryer is our favorite!

    Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

    • Chicken legs are usually very affordable.
    • Like chicken wings, you can flavor these chicken legs with your favorite seasonings, rub, or sauce, especially this homemade teriyaki recipe that we’ve been using lately!
    • “Chicken on a stick” (what my son calls them) are very kid-friendly!
    • If you have time, you can place your chicken legs in a brine recipe to add some extra flavor!

    Tips:

    What’s the Difference in Chicken Legs and Drumsticks?

    According to Atomic Wings, a chicken leg has two parts to it. A thigh and a drumstick. But I often see/hear most people call the drumstick a “leg”.

    Do you have to use flour to fry chicken legs in the air fryer?

    No! That’s what’s great about this recipe. They’re made without flour but still have a crispy, crunchy texture and it’s perfect for low carb (keto) eaters!

    Can you put raw chicken in an air fryer?

    Yes! The great thing about air fryers (I use this air fryer!) is that they’re great for reheating, cooking frozen items, and cooking raw meat, quickly!

    What temperature do you air fry chicken legs?

    We’ve found that cooking chicken legs in our air fryer on 400° is our favorite and allows the chicken to get that crispy outside!

    How long do drumsticks take in the air fryer?

    If you’re planning on making these, know that all air fryers can be different. With my air fryer, I cooked them at 400° for 20-25 minutes. When you’re cooking them, make sure to check the internal temperature to see if they have reached 165°, which is when they should be done and safe to eat.

    air fryer chicken legs with a parmesan garlic butter breading

    Can you air fry chicken without flour?

    Yes! It’s really easy to toss chicken legs in to the air fryer and cook them as plain as you like them, WITHOUT breading! The cook time will not change (from the recipe below with the garlic parmesan crust) but you may just want to put some sort of olive oil or something similar so they don’t stick to your air fryer “rack” or basket, depending on the model of air fryer you’re using.)

    Garlic Parmesan “Breading” or BBQ Chicken Legs

    Or, if you’re interested in the “breading” see the recipe card or video below for the different ways I seasoned and/or breaded them!

    Chicken Legs in the Air Fryer Video Tutorial:

    While experimenting with these chicken legs the other day, I shared with my Instagram audience in my stories and I thought it may be helpful for you to watch along. Feel free to skip down below to get the recipe card asap!

    NOTE: In the video, I split the batch of chicken legs, and cooked half with a garlic parmesan butter “breading” and the other half with a bbq seasoning/sauce.

    Recipe for Garlic Parmesan Chicken Legs – Low Carb!

    To get this “golden brown” chicken leg, like you see below, it’s incredibly easy and is also “low-carb” so when something looks this good AND is an ideal option when cutting carbs… that’s a “win” in my book!

    air fryer chicken legs in white dish

    Ingredients for Garlic Parmesan Legs

    It’s super easy, all you’ll need for this version is,

    • butter (melted, but not hot)
    • garlic powder
    • parmesan cheese
    • salt and pepper
    • chicken legs

    For the full recipe and amounts of ingredients, see the recipe card below!

    “BBQ” Air Fryer Chicken Legs

    In the video that I shared above, I mentioned that I was also making bbq chicken legs. With that, I attempted to whip up a bbq sauce that a dear friend shared with me but using just regular, store-bought bbq sauce is perfectly fine!

    But if you’d like to try making a fun spin on bbq sauce, you can play with the following ingredients to see if you like the combo my friend uses:

    • Sweet Baby Rays (Original)
    • Honey
    • A1
    • Garlic Pepper
    BBQ Sauce Air Fryer Chicken Legs

    To make bbq legs, you’ll want to cook them withOUT BBQ sauce for at least 20 minutes and then coat them in bbq sauce and cook for the remaining 5 minutes.

    If you cook with the sauce on, the sauce can burn.

    Can I just coat the legs with sauce after the total cook time?

    You can, but there’s something so magical about cooking them IN the sauce for the last few minutes. It gives the legs a “sticky” texture and really lets the flavoring soak in to the chicken.

    Side Dishes to Serve with Chicken Legs

    If you’re looking for something to serve as a side dish with these chicken legs, we love the following:

    • Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes (or your favorite way to cook them!)
    • Low Carb Potato Salad
    • Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

    More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes

    If you love chicken as much as we do, you’ll also love cooking chicken in the air fryer with this buffalo chicken tenders recipe.

    Recipe

    Chicken legs that were cooked in the air fryer.

    Air Fryer Chicken Legs

    Jessica Burgess
    Air Fryer Chicken Legs: A recipe showing how long to cook and even an optional quick (no-flour) breading recipe that's perfect for low-carb eaters!
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 legs
    Calories 408 kcal

    Video

    Equipment

    • air fryer

    Ingredients

    • 8 chicken legs (drumsticks)
    • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
    • 1 stick butter salted, 8 tablespoons
    • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • dash pepper

    Instructions
     

    • NOTE: I have purchased LARGE chicken legs before, and the measurements in this recipe only covered 3 chicken legs and the cook time of 20 minutes was not nearly enough. So reducing the temperature of the air fryer and cooking for a longer period of time may also be necessary if using large chicken legs. (A temperature of 400 degrees may burn the butter/parmesan crust if cooked at a high temp for too long.)
    • Melt butter in shallow dish and add in parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
    • Dip chicken legs in butter mixture and coat all over.
    • Place chicken legs (in a single layer, do not stack on top of one another) in to air fryer.
    • Cook on 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. 
    • Air fryers can be different. Make sure internal temp of chicken legs have reached 165 degrees.

    Notes

    For PLAIN (no garlic parmesan) you can simply cook the legs in the air fryer without the spices and seasonings. NOTE: you may want to coat the legs in a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
    For BBQ Chicken Legs, see notes in blog post for tips to make them the best!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2legs | Calories: 408kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 156mg | Sodium: 596mg | Potassium: 284mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 526IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

    Keywords air fryer, chicken, chicken legs, drumsticks
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Comments

      5 from 8 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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    1. Diana says

      September 14, 2021 at 9:04 am

      5 stars
      Love this recipe! So easy and the chicken turns out so juicy and delicious. Another winner recipe from Fantabulosity! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        September 14, 2021 at 10:43 am

        Aww, I’m so glad that you liked theis chicken legs recipe, thank you so much Diana!!

        Reply
    2. Beth says

      April 02, 2021 at 10:41 am

      5 stars
      Yum! Love being able to use my air fryer! Such an easy and quick recipe! Excited to give this a try!

      Reply
    3. Toni says

      April 02, 2021 at 9:51 am

      5 stars
      I love how quick and easy this is to make!! Thank you!

      Reply
    4. Allyson Reed Zea says

      April 02, 2021 at 8:33 am

      5 stars
      I love using my air fryer to make chicken legs! Everything is seriously better in the air fryer!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Jessica! - Owner and Creator of the blog and brand, Fantabulosity.

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