These Air Fryer Chicken Legs are seriously the best chicken legs you will ever have! Seasoned to perfection, they come out perfectly juicy with crispy golden skin. As an added bonus, they are naturally compatible with a Whole30, Paleo and Keto diet and work as a great protein option for those following the 2B Mindset program.
Is there anything the air fryer can't do? These chicken legs (drumsticks) are just insanely juicey and delicious and I will most certainly be making them non-stop.
They are perfect when you need a quick lunch working from home or weeknight dinner. Serve with a few simply cooked vegetables and you have a healthy and delicious meal you are sure to add to your weekly rotation!
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Other Paleo recipes you will love.
Equipment
- Paper towels
- Large freezer bag (optional)
- Measuring spoons
- Air fryer: This recipe will work most air fryers. I personally have the Power XL Vortex Air Fryer 7 QT and I love it! It holds a ton of food, heats up super fast and the heat circulates really evenly.
Ingredients
- Chicken legs (drumsticks): Quality definitely makes a difference when it comes to the chicken in this recipe. Try to find pasture raised or organic chicken drumsticks with no hormones.
- Olive oil
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Dried thyme
- Dried oregano
- Cayenne (optional)
- Salt & pepper
Dietary & Lifestyle Information
These air fryer chicken legs are naturally Whole30, Paleo and Keto compatible. They are gluten free, dairy free, grain free and soy free. They also work as a terrific protein option for those following the 2B Mindset program.
Step by Step Instructions
Time needed: 25 minutes
- Preheat the air fryer at 400 degrees F.
- Mix the spices.
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and place in a large ziplock bag.
- Add olive oil to the chicken and massage to coat evenly.
- Add spice mixture to the chicken and massage to coat evenly.
- Place in the air fryer and cook at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.
- Flip the chicken legs and continue cooking at 400 degrees F for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the air fryer. Rest and serve. Enjoy!
Serving suggestions
These simple but oh-so-delicious chicken legs (or drumsticks) pair beautifully with just about any side dish!
I love serving them with Franks Hot Sauce, Noble Made BBQ Sauce or my Mint & Cilantro Chimichurri, all of which in addition to being delicious are Whole30 and Paleo compliant.
If you are currently on a round of Whole30, serve them with these Whole30 Mashed Potatoes or this delicious Greek Cucumber Salad.
For a low carb or Keto meal serve them with these super simple and delicious Garlic Butter Green Beans or Easy Grilled Bell Peppers.
The sky is the limit!
Check out these other side dish recipes.
Recipe FAQs
It kind of depends on your air fryer. Some air fryers get really hot really quick, while others need a few minutes to get going. My opinion on the matter is that a few minutes of preheating definitely won't hurt anything and it probably does help.
Just turn it on for the few minutes that it takes to prep the chicken and you should be good to go!
The safe internal temperature for chicken is 165 degrees F. And while I am usually a huge fan of my meat thermometer, I don't think you need one for this recipe.
You absolutely do not. In fact, I would highly recommend that you don't. While I realize this is a very traditional thing to do in many families, washing the chicken in the sink actually spreads germs and doesn't really do anything for the final product. Simply pat the chicken dry with the paper towel and you're good to go.
You certainly can! Simply multiply the ingredients by as many servings as you need.
The only think I would be careful of is not to overcrowd the chicken legs in the air fryer. This can affect cook time and prevent the drumsticks from getting that golden crispy skin.
Nope, you can totally use other oils. If you are Paleo or on a round of Whole30 simply make sure the oil you choose is compatible such as Avocado oil.
Tips for perfect Air Fryer Chicken Legs
- Buy high quality meat. I can't tell you how much of a difference this makes in this recipe. Try to find chicken legs or drumsticks that are organic and pasture raised with no added hormones.
- Preheat the air fryer. Just a few minutes will help ensure an even cook and juicy chicken!
- Make sure the chicken is evenly coated in the seasoning. This ensures every bite is perfectly packed with flavor!
- Don't overcrowd the air fryer. Make sure you space out the chicken legs so that the air can flow evenly around them. Crowding them in the basket prevents that golden crispy skin.
Other air fryer recipes you might enjoy.
2. Air Fryer Squash {Whole30 I Paleo I Low Carb}
Made this recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments!
Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Legs
Equipment
- Air fryer
- Paper towel
- Ziplock freezer bag (optional)
- Measuring spoons
- Small bowl
Ingredients
- 4 large chicken legs (drumsticks), about 1.5 lb
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- pinch cayenne optional
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer at 400 degrees F for 2-5 minutes while prepping the chicken.In a small bowl combine salt, pepper and remaining spices. Mix to combine and set aside. Take the chicken legs out of the fridge and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken legs in a large ziplock bag and pour in 1-2 tbsp of olive oil. Massage the bag so that the olive oil coats the chicken.Add the spice mixture to chicken in the bag and shake and massage until the chicken legs are evenly coated in the spices.Spray the basket of the preheated air fryer with a little olive oil (optional) and then place the chicken legs in the basket. *Do not overcrowd.*Cook in the air fryer at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Then flip the chicken legs and continue to cook at 400 degrees F for an additional 10 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove from the air fryer and rest for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
I love how chicken turns out in my air fryer. These chicken legs look amazing! Adding to my dinner list this week 🙂
I am definitely not using my air fryer to its full potential, because I have been cooking chicken legs in my oven like a sucker! Definitely going to give this a go this weekend, thank you so much for the recipe 🙂
Your chicken legs are browned to perfection - and they are air-fried! wow!
These were so amazing and so easy to make. I work from home and able to make these for lunch!
We love this recipe and love using our air fryer for recipes! Such a game changer and so delicious! Can’t wait to make these again!
ohh these come out of the air fryer so tender inside and crisp outside! love how easy this recipe is
Your chicken legs look delicious, love the idea of cooking them in the air fryer. Thanks for sharing.
These air fryer chicken legs came out tender and juicy. This is such a flavorful recipe. We'll be making this again and again!
I've been loving finding new ways to use my air fryer! Plus it's so nice not having to heat up the oven haha. Thanks for the idea!
I love this recipe! Super simple, comes out perfect every time, and my kids love it!
How many carbs do these have?
The family loved them! My favorite part is, no breading, thank you! Easy to make with existing pantry ingredients. You're a genius, Elizabeth!
Yay! So glad y’all liked them!
These are really tasty and so easy to make. We loved the flavor combo - thanks for a great recipe!
My family loves this recipe, thanks for sharing!
I made this chicken for dinner last night and it was incredible! So easy in the air fryer too!
These chicken legs are stunning! I can't wait to make them over the weekend (got some friends coming over).