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Air fryer chicken legs that are tender and juicy on the inside and crispy and caramelized on the outside. They are like grilled, only quicker and without a fuss. The best air fried chicken legs, period. Perfect for parties and game days as take less than 30 minutes to make. | ifoodblogger.com

Air Fryer Chicken Legs

Course: Dinner, lunch
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fried drumsticks, air fryer chicken, air fryer chicken legs, crispy chicken legs, healthy chicken
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 393kcal
Author: Victor
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 8 chicken drumsticks (or 4 chicken legs (drumstick plus thigh))
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt (plus more to taste)
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 4 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tbsp lime juice (or lemon juice)
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients except chicken, until well blended. Add the chicken legs.
  • Mix and massage the drumsticks by hand for about 2-3 minutes, or until all the liquids almost completely absorbed by the meat. Make sure that the chicken is evenly covered by the seasoning sauce. Massaging the chicken will allow the sauce to get quickly absorbed by the meat, flavorizing it inside out.
  • Place the chicken legs on the air fryer rack, leaving some space in between. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to do the frying in two batches.
  • Fry at 400F for 15 min. Flip and fry for 10 min more, again at 400F. Flip again and fry for 5 minutes more. If the legs look quite well-browned, you may not need to do the final 5 minutes of frying. 
    Note: you do not need to preheat the air fryer. Also, it's a good idea to keep an eye on the chicken during the process. Some air fryers cook hotter so your timings may vary. Keep a close eye on the chicken the first time you are making this recipe and adjust the timings as needed, or consider dropping the temperature if the chicken is browning too quickly before getting fully cooked inside.
  • Remove the drumsticks from the air fryer and transfer them to a serving platter. Serve hot, with your favorite side dish or a salad.

Nutrition

Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 1026mg | Potassium: 446mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 3.2mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1.7mg