Air fryer chicken legs come out golden and crispy every time! This recipe calls for marinating the chicken legs in a seasoning (with a secret ingredient!), and then air frying them to a perfect crispy exterior. I make these and reheat them in the air fryer when I need a quick protein with a meal!
1 Net Carb per Chicken Leg
The BEST way to cook chicken legs!
These air fryer chicken legs are the best way to cook drumsticks. The meat is tender and juicy, and the crispy skin has a light seasoning that coats it and makes it taste almost like fried chicken (but lighter, and in my opinion, better!).
My air fryer is used to cook meat more than anything else. It’s a great way to cook it quickly and is super simple for quick meals. If you’re wanting more protein in your diet, this is a great way to do it!
These Air Fryer Chicken Legs come out perfectly golden and extra crispy – thanks to a secret ingredient in the spice blend! I use baking powder, which does have corn starch in it, to crisp up the skin. This is optional – but the amount of starch that’s added to your meal is negligible and makes these irresistible!
Chicken legs are an economical protein, so I love these for feeding kids when we have play dates at our house.
The dark meat is higher in fat and nutrients, so it’s perfect for low carb diets. It’s juicy meat that falls of the bones!
What You’ll Need:
- Chicken Legs (this method works well with bone-in chicken thighs and chicken wings also!)
- Avocado Oil (or olive oil)
- Lemon Juice
- Baking Powder
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
- Onion Powder (plus garlic powder, if desired)
- Thyme
- Paprika
Kitchen Tools:
An air fryer is such a great device to have on hand for super quick, super healthy meals.
I use the Ninja Air Fryer. I am typically just making meals for myself, and it’s the perfect size to cook a complete meal for 1 or meat for a small family. There are larger options, but this one is a great price for what it does.
How to Cook Chicken Legs in an Air Fryer
Step 1: Mix together the baking soda and spices in a small bowl.
Step 2: Rub the chicken legs down with the avocado oil and lemon juice, and then season the chicken with the spice rub. I like to refrigerate my chicken legs for about an hour to let the flavors marinate, but even if you just allow them to sit coated in the spices while the air fryer preheats, they will turn out delicious!
Step 3: Preheat the air fryer to 400º F for 5 minutes. Place the chicken legs in the air fryer basket. Be sure not to overcrowd the air fryer so they have space to brown on all sides. I only cook 5-6 chicken legs at a time in my Ninja Air Fryer.
Step 4: Cook the chicken legs in the preheated air fryer at 400º F for 20 minutes, until the chicken skin is crispy and golden brown and the chicken is cooked throughout. The internal temperature needs to reach 165º F, but these will cook beyond that temperature if the skin is browned and crisp, so I don’t typically check it with a meat thermometer.
How to Create a Perfect Keto Meal
Chicken legs are one of the best foods for the keto diet. They are inexpensive, easy to cook, and offer a great balance of muscle meat to fatty tissues.
Eating chicken pieces that have lots of connective tissues, like the legs and wings, means you’ll benefit from the collagen found in chicken.
This same basic recipe can be used for any bone-in chicken parts. Chicken thighs and breasts will need to be cooked for 3-5 minutes longer than chicken legs.
Low Carb Sides to serve with Air Fryer Drumsticks:
If you’re not low carb, these go great with pretty much any of your favorite sides!
Other Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast Recipe
- Air Fryer Soft Boiled Eggs
- Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
- Air Fryer Spicy Salmon Bites
Try this recipe? Be sure to share your cooking with me on Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram, and tag @BlissfullyLowCarb !
Air Fryer Chicken Legs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- pinch cayenne pepper optional
- 10 chicken legs
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice plus extra for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- Add chicken to a marinating dish, and coat with the avocado oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle the seasonings on, and rub to evenly coat. Refrigerate for up to an hour to marinate.
- Set the air fryer to cook at 400º F for 25 minutes. Allow the fryer to preheat for 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken to the air fryer, and cook for the remaining 20 minutes. My air fryer is small, so I only cook 5 chicken legs at a time. Be sure to leave space between chicken legs so they can brown and crisp up on all sides.
- Drizzle chicken legs with lemon juice prior to serving, if desired.
Love this recipe. I have just bought an air fryer
Yay! These are my favorite dinner.
The recipe says to use baking powder but in your story you say baking soda? Which to use?
It’s baking powder. Thanks for bringing this to my attention! I will go in and edit that.
Can skinless drumsticks be used for this recipe?
I wouldn’t use skinless drumsticks in the air fryer — or if you do, shorten the cooking time to keep them from drying out!