This recipe for Easy Air Fryer Drumsticks may be my favorite recipe on this blog! Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, they taste just like they have been deep fried but with a fraction of the oil! These drumsticks are Keto, Whole 30 and Gluten-Free friendly! And, by using Olive Oil, this is a heart healthy recipe too! This makes an easy and healthy recipe for lunch or dinner!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
HEALTHY – Gluten-Free, Low Carb, Keto and Whole30 compliant, these Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks are a healthy recipe perfect as a lunch, dinner or even game day snack. We don’t put any breading on them. And there is no added preservatives or sugar! Just a little Olive Oil and spices. It just as delicious, but much healthier than fried chicken!
QUICK AND EASY – It takes just minutes to prepare the chicken and throw them in your Air Fryer. Aside from turning them over halfway through cooking, this is a “set it and forget it” recipe!
EASY CLEANUP – Compared to pan frying or grilling chicken cleaning up is so easy! No oil to scrape off of pans or pots and no grills to clean!
KID FRIENDLY – This is a great recipe for little hands to grab and eat! No strong flavors and a solid dose of protein makes this a great family friendly meal!
Air Fryer Drumsticks
My 11-year-old son LOVES drumsticks. Every Thanksgiving, he always calls one of the Drumsticks. So, I’m amazed that it’s taken me this long to try to cook Chicken Legs in an Air Fryer. But, today, I decided to try it. Oh man, Air Fryer Drumsticks, where have you been all my life. This is definitely one of my new favorite recipes! And, the best part, this recipes is Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Keto and Whole 30 Friendly! And, even better than that; you only need 6 ingredients and about 3 minutes of prep to get this recipe going! Here is what you will need!
- CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS – We can fit 4 drumsticks in our Air Fryer comfortably. So that is how many we used. No need to rinse them first. Just pat them dry with a paper towel. And try to make them all about the same size so that they cook evenly. And make sure you leave the skin on! That helps to give them that delicious crisp! If you’d like, and if you have room in your Air Fryer Basket, you could also cook whole air fryer chicken legs which have the chicken thighs attached.
- OLIVE OIL – With it’s fairly high smoke point, Olive Oil works well for Air Fryers. Avocado Oil is also great if you have it.
- SEASONINGS – We use a combination for onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt and pepper. But you can really use any flavor combination you’d like. Some people like to add a little cayenne pepper for some heat. Or some paprika to add some smokiness.
What To Serve With Your Drumsticks
This recipe is perfect for a quick and easy lunch OR dinner.
Serve it with a tasty side dish like Potato Wedges, Eggplant Fries or just a simple side salad!
Chicken Drumsticks are also great to serve with a dipping sauce! BBQ Sauce, Buffalo Sauce, Buffalo Ranch, Ranch or Honey Mustard are all great sauces to dip your chicken into! Or just to a dab of hot sauce on top like Tabasco or Texas Pete!
Storage and Freezing
Store leftover chicken in a ziplock baggie or airtight container in your refrigerator. To reheat, cover with a paper towel and reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds. I also love to eat them cold! You can also reheat them in your oven at 300 degrees for 10 minutes or just pop them in your Air Fryer again!
You can freeze Air Fryer Drumsticks. Just allow them to fully cool and put in a freezer safe bag or container. They will be good in your freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge.
Notes, Tips and Variations
- COATING THE DRUMSTICKS- I simply drizzled the Chicken Legs with the Olive Oil, then dumped the seasonings on them and then just rubbed everything in by hand. If you want a less mess option of this, you can put them in a large, ziplock bag and shake them up to coat them.
- AVOCADO OIL- Avocado Oil works great in an Air Fryer due to it’s high smoke point (520 degrees). I often use it but just didn’t have any today, so I used Olive Oil. But if you want to sub for Avocado Oil, go for it!. Other oils with a higher smoke point are Grapeseed Oil, Peanut Oil or Vegetable Oil.
- EXTRA CRISPY?- If you want to add even more crispiness to these Air Fried Drumsticks, try adding 1 Tbsp of Baking Powder to the seasonings. Make sure you coat the chicken legs evenly. This will add some crisp to the outside.
- COOKING TIMES AND DONENESS – All Air Fryer are a little different and cook at different temperatures no matter what you set it at. So keep an eye on your drumsticks while cooking. Use a digital thermometer to check for doneness. Stick it in the chicken away from the bone and make sure the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees.
- FLIP CHICKEN – Flip your chicken halfway through cooking time to ensure even cooking.
- DON’T OVERCROWD THE AIR FRYER BASKET – In order for any air fryer to work correctly, the hot air needs to be able to freely circulate around the basket. So don’t overcrowd the Air Fryer Basket. Make sure the drumsticks are laying in a single layer with space between them. Depending on the size of your Air Fryer, you may need to cook in batches.
I hope you enjoy this Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks Recipe. Let me know how they turned out for you in the comments section!
NEED ANOTHER CHICKEN AIR FRYER RECIPE? CHECK OUT:
- AIR FRYER HONEY SRIRACHA CHICKEN WINGS
- AIR FRYER DRY RUB CHICKEN WINGS
- AIR FRYER PANKO CRUSTED CHICKEN TENDERS

Air Fryer Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Drumsticks
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
Instructions
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Preheat your Air Fryer to 390 degrees.
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Put your Drumsticks in a large bowl, and drizzle olive oil over them.
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Add Salt, Pepper, Onion Powder and Garlic Powder.
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Rub Chicken Legs to make sure they are evenly coated in oil and spices.
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Spray Basket with non-stick cooking spray. Cook Chicken legs for 14 minutes. About halfway through, turn them for even cooking.
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