Juicy and tender Air Fryer chicken legs with a crispy, seasoned coating. They cook up in just 30 minutes making them the perfect weeknight meal.
When we're on a tight budget, ground beef and chicken, particualy chicken drumsticks, become staples in our meals. They are affordable and can be purchased in bulk, allowing us to divide them into smaller portiions for later use.
While I have a few go-to recipes for chicken legs, I've recently had an obsession with these air fryer chicken legs. They cook quickly in the air fryer, and come out juicy with a perfectly crispy-seasoned skin. I have to say the Air Fryer has quickly become my new favorite way to prepare chicken legs!
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I never considered using my air fryer for chicken legs until I stumbled upon Mommy Bless's budget meal series on TikTok. I was amazed at how quickly the chicken legs cooked, and the best part is that I didn't have to crank up the oven. This is a huge plus for me, especially since I hate using the oven in the sweltering Texas heat. 🥵
These air fryer chicken legs are butterflied and coated in olive or avocado oil, then seasoned with a blend of garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, brown sugar, salt, pepper, cornstarch, and an all purpose chicken seasoning blend. They are cooked in the air fryer for 30 minuted, with a flip halfway through to ensure even cooking. My family raved about these chicken legs, so we have been enjoying them on repeat.
INGREDIENTS & SUPPLIES NEEDED:
- 🍗Chicken Legs
- 🌻 Olive, avacado or sunflower oil
- 🍚 Light brown sugar
- 🌿 Smoked paprika
- 🧄 Garlic powder
- 🧅 Onion powder
- 🐔 All purpose chicken seasoning (I use Danno's)
- 🧂 Salt & Pepper
- 🌽 Cornstarch - (helps create a crispy skin)
- 🔪 Sharp knife or kitchen shears (to butterfly chicken)
- 🥣 Large bowl
I prefer to clean bone-in chicken before cooking, even though it doesn't kill bacteria and isn't recommended. I find it helps get rid of any surface slime, cuts down on strong smells, and makes the chicken more tender. I soak the chicken in a mixture of salt and lemon juice for about 15 minutes, then rinse it under cool running water and pat dry with with paper towels. I always make sure to thoroughly clean the countertop and sink with bleach to keep everything safe.
Next you will need to butterfly the chicken legs. Butterflying the chicken legs creates more surface for flavor and the chicken cooks in half the time. Find the thickest part of the each chicken leg and use a sharp knife or kitchen shears and slice down along the bone from the meaty end to the tip.
Add the chicken to a large bowl and toss with oil. Add all of the spices, brown sugar and cornstarch, and rub the seasoinoings into the chicken legs (I use rubber gloves for this part) until each piece is well coated. If you feel the chicken needs more seasoing add enough to your liking. Cover the chicken and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. For even more flavor marinade for 6 hours.
Remove the chicken from the refrigeraton and pre-heat the air fryer to 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Line the baking sheet with foil or use a air fryer liner. Spray the liner with non-stick spray.
Arrange the chicken legs skin side up on the baking sheet. Air fry the chicken for 30 minutes.
Remove the chicken halfway through and flip the chicken legs. Place the chicken back into the air fryer and continue cooking for the last 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, crispy and reads 165 degrees on a thermometer.
When done, remove chicken and place on a seving platter.
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