Allow me to introduce you to our Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks, a delightful recipe that's healthy, quick, and exceptionally delicious. This recipe transforms a simple chicken drumstick into a mouthwatering delight with the help of your air fryer.
Our Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks are easy to make and incredibly versatile. The secret lies in the variety of dry seasonings we suggest.
From All-Purpose Seasoning, Curry Powder, BBQ to spicy Piri Piri, Italian Herb, and more, you can easily adapt this recipe to suit your mood or the theme of your meal.
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Before going into the full details of the recipe, we invite you to watch our video slideshow showing the effortless process to air fry crispy chicken drumsticks in an air fryer.
Or continue reading for more advice, including seasoning ideas and advice for making the best air fryer chicken drumsticks.
Ingredients
Ready to cook up some delicious drumsticks? You'll need a few items from the supermarket before you get started.
Chicken Drumsticks
Obviously, you'll need chicken drumsticks for this recipe. The timings on this post are for just the drumsticks, not whole chicken legs (they will need longer).
If using frozen drumsticks, make sure to defrost overnight in the fridge before cooking drumsticks in the air fryer.
If using other chicken joints, adjust the cooking time accordingly. Visit the blog posts below for the joint you are using.
Other Air Fryer Chicken Joint Recipes
We have more air fryer recipes for others of chicken joints you can see below
Seasoning
When it comes to seasoning, you can adjust to your taste! In this example, we used a medium curry powder to give the chicken a slightly spicy kick.
Here are some other seasoning ideas you can try.
- All Purpose Seasoning
- BBQ Rub
- Piri Piri
- Jamaican Jerk
- Smoked Paprika
- Italian Herb
- Morrocan Spice Mix
- Cajun Seasoning
- Southern Fried Chicken Seasoning
Or make your own spice mix or rub. Make sure to use dried herbs and spices, as fresh ones will burn in the air fryer.
Oil
You can use oil with the seasoning or rub it in dry. They both work well. It depends on your preferences for using oil.
If you do use oil make sure to choose one that can take high-heat cooking. For example, vegetable, sunflower, avocado, coconut or olive oil (but not extra/extra virgin olive oil).
If you don't add oil to the chicken with the seasoning, I recommend adding a few sprays of cooking oil over the seasoned chicken before air frying.
We also lightly oil the air fryer tray to prevent sticking.
Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbs bring a burst of freshness to your air fryer drumsticks. Avoid using fresh herbs before air frying as they may become charred. Instead, save them to sprinkle generously over the perfectly cooked drumsticks for a touch of flavour.
Spice up your seasoning by picking the perfect herb to match the dish you're cooking. We used parsley, but coriander, basil, oregano and thyme also work great! Experiment with different herbs to find the taste you like best.
Equipment
You'll need a few essential pieces of equipment to make these delicious air fryer chicken drumsticks.
Air Fryer
The most important one is an air fryer. We highly suggest the Ninja Dual Zone Air Fryer, renowned for its ability to cook food rapidly and evenly. With the capacity to cook between 8 to 12 drumsticks, accommodating 4 to 6 in each basket, it proves ideal for a satisfying family meal.
Food Bag
Use a food bag for easy seasoning of the chicken. You could use a bowl instead.
Tongs
Also, you'll wanna grab some tongs to move the chicken around in the air fryer.
Thermometer
Oh, and for that extra piece of mind, a meat thermometer ensures the chicken is perfectly cooked!
Instructions
To create these seasoned drumsticks in air fryer, follow our straightforward steps:
Preparation
Place your drumsticks in a large food bag or a bowl. Add your preferred seasoning to the chicken for enhanced flavour. (1 tablespoon should be enough for 6 chicken drumsticks. Add more seasoning if using more chicken pieces or for a stronger flavour)
Add ½ tablespoon of olive oil to the bag or bowl if you like to use oil.
Seal the bag and ensure the seasoning is evenly coated on all parts of the chicken drumstick.
Lightly coat the air fryer basket base with oil or spray oil.
Arrange the drumsticks in the air fryer basket. If you haven't used oil, use spray oil to cover the chicken.
How to Air Fry Chicken Drumsticks
Now the prep is complete, it's time to cook the drumsticks in the air fryer.
Temperature
Set the air fryer to 200°C / 400°F.
Cooking Time
To cook chicken drumsticks, air fry for 20-22 minutes.
Flip
For the best, even cooking and crispy skin, flip the drumsticks halfway through.
Check Chicken Internal Temperature
The easiest way to check if chicken is cooked is by using a meat thermometer, they are cheap to buy and give you reassurance.
Ensure the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F) using an instant-read thermometer.
If you do not have a thermometer, another way to check your chicken drumstick is cooked through is to pierce the chicken. If the juices run clear, the chicken is likely cooked through. Cutting into a thicker part of the meat can indicate whether or not it is cooked. The inside should look opaque and be white or lightly coloured.
Rest
Allow the air fryer drumsticks to rest for 3 minutes. Serve the delicious crispy skin chicken drumsticks with a sprinkle of fresh herbs, such as parsley.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this scrumptious air fryer chicken drumstick recipe with your favourite side dishes.
Sticking with the Indian theme, we served our curried drumsticks with pilau rice, indian salad of cucumber, tomatoes and onion and a sweet mango chutney.
Expand your options with delicious air fryer sweet potato fries or crispy air fryer chunky chips, perfectly paired with our delectable Miller and Carter onion loaf. Alternatively, indulge in the comforting combination of creamy mashed potato and a delightful parsley sauce.
Other side dish ideas
Check out these juicy chicken drumsticks, with their tender meat and crispy chicken skin.
📖 Step by Step Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken Drumsticks - with Skin
- 1 tablespoon Dry Seasoning - See notes for dry seasoning suggestions, we have used curry powder in this example.
- Spray Oil
Optional
- ½ tablespoon Olive oil
- Fresh Herbs - to serve
Instructions
- Place 6 Chicken Drumsticks in a large food bag. You can cook more if your air fryer drawer has room. You may need more seasoning!*can use a bowl if preferred.
- Add the 1 tablespoon Dry Seasoning. (see notes below for seasoning ideas)Optional* You can add ½ tablespoon Olive oil to the bag, too if you want to. But it will cook fine with just a few sprays of Spray Oil if you want to keep it healthier.
- Seal the bag and rub it into all parts of the chicken until evenly coated.
- Spray or rub the air fryer basket base with oil.
- Place chicken drumsticks into the air fryer basket. If you have not used oil already, use Spray Oil to cover the chicken drumsticks lightly.
- Airfry at 200°C / 400°F for 20- 22 minutes. *Time can vary depending on the chicken drumstick size and your air fryer model.You can turn them halfway through cooking for even cooking and crispy skin. But you don't have to!
- Check the safe internal cooking temperature for chicken is 74°C (165°F) with an instant-read thermometer. Or cut into a drumstick to check it is cooked through.
- Allow to rest for 3 minutes and serve with a sprinkle of Fresh Herbs. We used parsley.
- Serve with your choice of side dishes. We had ours with pilau rice and a side salad.
Video
Notes
Dry Seasonings for Chicken Drumsticks
You can buy all sorts of dry seasonings from the supermarkets or make your own blend-up. All Purpose BBQ Piri Piri Italian Herb Paprika and Onion Jamaican Jerk Curry Powder Morrocan Cajun Southern Fried Chicken SeasoningNutrition
Storage Advice
To store leftover chicken drumsticks properly, you need to cool them down as soon as possible after cooking and put them in an airtight container.
Ensure to eat the chicken within 2-3 days of cooking. They can be enjoyed cold or reheated.
Freezing
If you plan on freezing, freeze the cooked chicken immediately after it has cooled. Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating
When reheating previously air-fried chicken drumsticks, the easiest way is in a microwave. It depends on how many you reheat to how long it takes.
Amy Liu Dong
I love making easy and quick yet delicious recipes like this.
I am pretty my husband will love this!
Luke and Kay
Dear Amy,
We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed using our air fryer chicken drumsticks recipe! We strive to bring easy and delicious recipes to everyone's tables, so we're glad it was a hit with ourselves and your husband. 🙂
Ann
The chicken came out so crispy, which is exactly how I prefer it! Will definitely make this again!
Luke and Kay
Hi Ann,
Thanks so much for taking the time to review our air fryer chicken drumsticks recipe! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed it and that there was a perfect level of crispiness. 🙂
Jamie
Awesome! Another chicken recipe for our very reliable Air Fryer! The result looks incredibly delicious and the texture makes it so enticing and very tempting! I love it already!
Luke and Kay
Hi Jamie, thank you for trying our Air Fryer chicken drumsticks recipe! We're delighted to hear that you love the result. We put a lot of work into making sure our recipes are both delicious and easy to follow, so we really appreciate your positive feedback. We hope you can continue to enjoy our other air fryer recipes. 🙂