Looking for an easy chicken dinner with a crispy twist? Try these 30-minute Crispy Brown Sugar Air Fryer Chicken Legs that are packed with flavor and crispy chicken skin!
Table of Contents
- Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Legs
- Is Air Fried Chicken Healthier?
- Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Legs
- How Long Do Chicken Drumsticks Take in the Air Fryer?
- How to Know When Chicken is Done Cooking
- Tips for Success
- What Goes with Fried Chicken Legs?
- How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Get the Recipe
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Legs
It may be winter, and it may be cold out, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy nice, crispy chicken. These Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Legs are made in just half an hour, and they’re just like that perfect grilled chicken you made all summer!
If you’re tired of regular old chicken breast, now is a great time to try out these juicy chicken drumsticks. Seasoned with a little brown sugar, smoked paprika, ground mustard and more, this air fried chicken has flavors like you wouldn’t believe!
The best part? The air fryer cooks these chicken legs in almost half the time they would take in the oven!
Is Air Fried Chicken Healthier?
Air fried chicken is definitely healthier than traditional fried chicken. It’s prepared with very little olive oil and some brown sugar (you can omit the sugar if you want to) and then placed into the air fryer to cook.
An air fryer is a mini convection oven that imitates the effects of fried chicken, without all of that oil that actually goes into making fried chicken. If you don’t have an air fryer, I highly recommend getting one!
Recipe Ingredients
So what goes into preparing these chicken legs? You’ll need the following:
- Chicken Legs/Drumsticks: you’ll need 8 of them, about 2 – 2.5 pounds total.
- Oil: use a healthier oil with a high smoke point like avocado oil or olive oil.
- Brown Sugar: to give the chicken a touch of molasses and sugary sweetness!
- Garlic and Onion Powder: for seasoning the chicken.
- More Seasoning: I also used kosher salt, ground mustard, smoked paprika, cumin, and black pepper, but feel free to play around with the seasonings.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Legs
If you’re a fan of quick and easy dinner recipes, you’ll love these air fried drumsticks. After you season them, all you have to do is put them in the air fryer and wait for them to come to crispy perfection.
Remove the Fat: Trim any excess fat from each chicken leg and pat dry. Place chicken legs in a large bowl or plastic resealable bag.
Coat Chicken Legs in Oil: Pour oil over the chicken legs and toss with tongs to fully coat each leg.
Season the Chicken Legs: Add the spices to the bowl or bag and toss until each chicken leg is well coated in the mixture.
How Long Do Chicken Drumsticks Take in the Air Fryer?
Not long at all! Place the chicken in the air fryer, either on trays or in the basket depending on your model, and air fry at 400°F for 20 minutes. Make sure to rotate the chicken halfway through cooking.
You may have to adjust the time depending on what kind of air fryer you have. If you know that your air fryer cooks faster at higher temperatures, consider reducing the cook time.
How to Know When Chicken is Done Cooking
When the chicken is done it should be golden-brown, crispy on the outside and have an internal temperature of 165°F when done cooking.
Make sure that it reaches that temperature, with the help of a meat thermometer, so that you don’t undercook the chicken.
Tips for Success
All in all, pretty simple! There’s always little tips and tricks to great chicken though, so make sure to read through the following:
- Dry Chicken After Trimming Fat: it’s really important that you take the time to complete this step. Removing the excess moisture before applying the oil means that the skin will be extra crispy!
- Don’t Stack the Chicken Legs: you want the skin directly on the tray so that it can crisp up. This will also ensure that the chicken cooks all the way through.
- Preheat the Air Fryer: don’t forget to preheat the air fryer, just like you would with the oven! If you put the chicken in before it gets to 400°F, you’ll have to increase the cooking time.
What Goes with Fried Chicken Legs?
Now that you have these fried chicken legs, what should you serve with them? Great question! Here are some of my suggestions:
- Fries: this chicken is great with a side of homemade fries, like these Baked Sweet Potato Fries! Classic Oven Roasted Potatoes are always tasty, too.
- Mac and Cheese: creamy Mac and Cheese goes perfectly with crispy chicken.
- Baked Beans: another fun option for more of a bbq feel. Don’t miss my recipe for the BEST baked beans!
- Salad: if you’re looking to keep it healthy, a nice green salad or even some roasted vegetables would be good sides for this chicken. I personally love a good Greek Salad or Broccoli Salad!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Air fryer chicken legs can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days, or frozen for 2-3 months. Make sure to thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating.
To reheat, you can microwave the chicken, or pop them back in the air fryer for a couple minutes! I prefer to air fry mine again for a few minutes because it revives that crispy skin and makes it crispy once again!
More Easy & Delicious Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters
- Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
- Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos
- Air Fryer Salmon
- Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
- Air Fryer Corn On The Cob
Crispy Brown Sugar Air Fryer Chicken Legs
Ingredients
- 8 chicken legs/drumsticks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Trim any excess fat from each chicken leg and pat dry. Place chicken legs in a large bowl or plastic resealable bag.
- Pour oil over the chicken legs and toss with tongs to fully coat each leg.
- Add the spices to the bowl or bag and toss until each chicken leg is well coated in the mixture.
- Place the chicken in the air fryer either on trays or in the basket depending on your model and air fry at 400°F for 20 minutes. Rotate the chicken half way through cooking.
- Chicken should be golden brown, crispy on the outside and with an internal temperature of 165°F when done cooking.
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