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Air Fryer Chicken Legs

By: Author nutmegnanny

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These air fryer chicken legs are rubbed with spices and olive oil, and cooked up easily in the air fryer! Super crispy and packed full of flavor!

Air Fryer Chicken Legs sitting on parchment paper.

If you ask me, the chicken leg is totally underrated.

It’s both juicy and meaty, packed full of protein and flavor, and not only super easy to cook but oftentimes a very economical part of the chicken. 

These air fryer chicken legs are rubbed with a flavorful blend of spices like cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, coriander, turmeric, kosher salt, black pepper, and a little olive oil. Using the air fryer gives them a crispy exterior and a juicy meaty interior, without adding tons of extra fat!

These air fryer chicken legs come together quickly, so even on busy nights, you’ll always have time to put together a filling meal.

Trust me, you’re going to love these crispy air fryer chicken drumsticks!

Ingredients to make Air Fryer Chicken Legs.

Ingredients for air fryer chicken legs

  • Chicken legs with skin – Chicken legs with skin on them will ensure they stay juicy and develop crispy skin in the air fryer!
  • Olive oil – This will help our chicken legs brown nicely and also help the spice blend to adhere to the chicken legs. 
  • Spice blend – I’ve used a combination of cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, coriander, and turmeric for a bold and vibrant mix of flavors. 
  • Kosher salt and black pepper – Salt and pepper are necessary for enhancing all of the flavors of the spice blend and the chicken legs. 
A bowl of raw chicken seasoned in a bowl.

Serving suggestions

So you’ve got your main course, now what?

Here are my favorite sides to serve with these juicy air fryer chicken legs:

Making crispy chicken legs in the oven

Instead of cooking your chicken legs in the air fryer, you can easily cook them in the oven and get crispy results!

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper.

Bake for 20 minutes, flip, and bake for another 20 minutes until crispy and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.

Air Fryer Chicken Legs just cooked sitting in the air fryer basket.

Air Fryer FAQ

An air fryer is a tabletop convection oven.
It mimics the outcome of a deep-fat fryer but without oil. Hot hair is moved around via a fan that quickly and crisply cooks the food. The two most common air fryers you’ll see are basket-style (that is what I have) or convection/toaster oven-style. There are pluses to both, but I prefer my basket style.

I prefer the basket-style air fryer as it’s smaller and takes up less room than the toaster oven-style air fryer. My biggest tip regarding air fryers is to pick a style that will work best for your family and the amount of food you will cook. My large basket-style air fryer can cook up to 12 wings, 2-4 servings of french fries, etc., which works well for my household.

The answer to this will depend on your brand. It is ALWAYS best to double-check all brand recommendations by reading your user manual or visiting their website and seeing if they address this question on their site. My air fryer brand is basket style, and the outer and inner baskets are dishwasher safe.

Air Fryer Chicken Legs served with a cilantro lime dipping sauce.

Storage and leftovers

Any leftover air fryer chicken legs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To reheat, simply place on a microwave-safe dish covered loosely with a damp paper towel, and heat for 2-3 minutes until heated thoroughly. 

Air Fryer Chicken Legs in the air fryer basket.

More chicken recipes

Air Fryer Chicken Legs

Author: Brandy O’Neill
These air fryer chicken legs are rubbed with spices and olive oil, and cooked up easily in the air fryer! Super crispy and packed full of flavor!
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6 chicken legs

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Add your chicken legs to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
  • In a small bowl mix together olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, coriander, turmeric, kosher salt, and black pepper.
  • Pour the spice mixture over the chicken and toss to combine and coat the chicken legs.
  • Add the chicken to the basket of the air fryer, and make sure the chicken is not touching or stacked on top of each other – you may need to work in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.  
  • Air fry at 370 degrees F for 10 minutes, flip the chicken and cook for 10-15 minutes longer until the chicken is 165 degrees F inside.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 62g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 328mg | Sodium: 360mg
Course Air Fryer
Cuisine American
Keyword air fryer chicken drumsticks, air fryer chicken recipes, chicken drumstick, chicken legs, crispy air fryer chicken, crispy chicken drumsticks, crispy chicken legs
Did you try this recipe?Leave a comment and 5 star review!
Air Fryer Chicken Legs pin for Pinterest.
Brandy

About Brandy!

I am a food lover and recipe developer bringing you delicious recipes that taste great and are easy to make! My food is inspired by travels around the world and my love of flavorful food. A list of things that make me happy: cats, Coke Zero, houseplants, and travel. Read more...

Recipe Rating




Marsha

Wednesday 21st of June 2023

Absolutely delicious, and so quick to make!

Brandi

Tuesday 20th of June 2023

I love using my air fryer. This is the perfect weeknight meal I will make over and over.

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