Air Fried Chicken Drumsticks with BBQ Sauce

Gosh, these air fried chicken drumsticks are so good. The extra bbq sauce on these air fryer chicken drumsticks makes them finger licking good!

Easy Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks

Everyone in our test kitchen was so happy with these chicken drumsticks cooked in the air fryer. In less than 30 minutes we all had a fantsatic low carb and flavorful lunch. Everyone on the team loves drumsticks so it was delicious and it’s our go-to easy meal. No fuss, super easy, juicy and tender. And if you use a sugar free bbq sauce you’ll eat well without all the sugar guilt!

What Sauce to Cook with Air Fried Chicken? Don’t Burn Your Sauce

There’s so many options out there to. You can use your favorite jarred sauce and go to town! Just make sure to not cook it the drumsticks too hot because it will burn the sauce. That’s why we start with 360°F to cook the chicken drumsticks. There’s so many different thicknesses to drumsticks, so you’ll have to check to make sure they’re cooked through. There’s some drumsticks that are super HUGE and will take longer to cook. If that’s the case, cook the drumsticks first and then add the sauce for the remaining 10 minutes of air frying. That way, you don’t burn your sauce and have raw chicken in the middle. Hope you enjoy these air fried chicken drumsticks! YUM!

Video Making BBQ Chicken Legs in the Air Fryer:

Tips for Air Frying Chicken Drumsticks

• Drumsticks vary so much in size and thickness. Seriously, there could be a 15 minute difference between all the different sizes.
• Also, all air fryers cook a little different. So cook a small batch first on your first try. Then you’ll know better about what timing works best for your air fryer and the size of drumsticks that you normally buy.
• If you have very thick or big drumsticks, try piercing 2-3 deep cuts into the drumsticks at the thickest part. This can help thick chicken drumsticks to cook all the way through.
• Try to choose chicken drumsticks that are the same size. That way, this ensures all the drumsticks will be cooked evenly and around the same time.

Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Legs

Yield: 3 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 55 minutes mins

As chicken legs will vary in size and thickness, so will the cooking times. If you’re cooking really large or thick drumsticks or thighs, add a few more minutes and pierce the chicken at it’s thickest part to make sure the juices run clean. Use whatever BBQ sauce you love.

4.75 from 8 votes

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Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken legs (drumsticks or thighs-separated)
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 2 Tablespoons BBQ sauce (or sugar-free bbq sauce for keto)
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt , or to tase
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh crack black pepper , or to taste

Equipment

• Air Fryer

Instructions 

• In bowl combine oil, bbq sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Add chicken and stir to completely coat with in the marinade. Cover and marinate for about 20 minutes.
• Pre-heat air fryer at 360°F/182°C for about 4 minutes. Spray the air fryer basket with oil or use an air fryer perforated parchment sheet. Place chicken in air fryer
• Air Fry at 360°F/182°C for about 25-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the drumsticks or thighs. Turn the chicken after cooking for 15 minutes.
• Once cooked, let the chicken cool a bit and enjoy!

Notes

Air Frying Tips and Notes:

1. Shake or turn at least once while cooking. Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket.
2. If cooking in a non-preheated air fryer, it take longer to cook than if the Air Fryer is already pre-heated. Recipe timing is based on pre-heating the air fryer.
3. Recipes were tested in 3.4 to 6 qt air fryers. If using a larger air fryer, the recipe might cook quicker so adjust cooking time.
4. Remember to set a timer to shake/flip/toss as directed in recipe.

If your air fryer is preheated or if you are cooking multiple batches, you may need to reduce timing by a few minutes (unless preheating is called for in the recipe).

Video

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories: 275kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 80mg, Sodium: 582mg, Potassium: 220mg, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 79IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 1mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Low Carb, Paleo

Calories: 275

You’ll Also Love these Air Fryer Chicken and Pork Recipes

• Air Fryer Whole Roast Chicken with Herbs
• Juicy Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Chicken Bites
• Air Fryer Pork Belly Bites with BBQ Sauce
• Here’s some great recipes with chicken drumsticks 
• This recipe was originally published in 2019 and re-published in 2021 with updated recipe tips.