Seasoned with brown sugar and savory spices, these air fryer chicken legs have irresistibly crispy skin and juicy, tender dark meat. Ready in 30 minutes, these sweet-and-savory brown sugar chicken legs will disappear fast!
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Why I Love this Air Fryer Chicken Legs Recipe
This is hands down my favorite quick weeknight chicken legs recipe. In fact, the air fryer is probably my favorite method of preparing chicken legs (or any cut of chicken that’s on the bone)! When you have bone-in, skin-on chicken, you can always trust the air fryer to get the best crispy skin and tender, juicy meat. What really sends this easy recipe over the top is the combo of sweet and savory flavor – it’s seriously drool-worthy. Check out why I always keep my air fryer plugged in for this recipe:
- Crispy: The way that the air fryer crisps up the chicken skin so perfectly, while keeping the meat nice and juicy, is the very best part of this whole recipe!
- Quick: Everything comes together in just half an hour. Season your chicken legs, toss them in the air fryer and let it do all the work.
- Flavorful: Seasoned with a little brown sugar, smoked paprika, ground mustard and more, this air fried chicken has flavors like you wouldn’t believe!
- Inexpensive: This budget friendly recipe dresses up your chicken legs with simple ingredients (just oil and spices) that you may already have on hand.
Key Ingredients
Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this recipe for chicken legs in the air fryer. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Chicken Legs: This recipe calls for 8 of them, which is about 2 to 2.5 lbs total. Of course you can make a half batch if you only need a few!
- Oil: You’ll need an oil with a high smoke point, like avocado oil. Olive oil can burn at higher temperatures.
- Brown Sugar: If you’re ever in a pinch, you can make your own brown sugar by combining 1 cup of granulated white sugar with 1 tbsp of molasses.
- Spices: I’ve found through some tasty trials and errors that the very best combination of seasonings is garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, ground mustard and smoked paprika.
How to Make Brown Sugar Chicken Legs in the Air Fryer
Season your chicken legs, pop them in the air fryer, and try not to burn your mouth when you take a bite as soon as they come out. It’s really that easy! Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions and to watch the step-by-step video.
- Season: Evenly coat the chicken legs with oil, then sprinkle with seasonings.
- Air fry: Cook the chicken in the air fryer at 400°F for 20 minutes. Make sure to rotate half way through cooking.
Chef’s Tips and Variations
- Check the internal temperature: 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 an instant-read meat thermometer, so that you don’t under-cook the chicken.
- Different cooking time: 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 or lowering the temperature to 375°F.
- Dry the chicken after trimming fat: Removing the excess moisture with a paper towel before applying the oil means that the skin will be extra crispy!
- 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.
- Don’t stack the chicken legs: You want the skin directly on the tray, with space around each leg, so that the air can circulate around the legs. This will ensure that the chicken cooks all the way through, but also give you that amazing crispy skin!
What to Serve with Brown Sugar Legs in Air Fryer
- 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. It’s a classic Southern pairing.
- Baked Beans: Another fun option for more of a bbq feel, try 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. I personally love a good Greek salad or this filling broccoli salad!
Crispy Brown Sugar Chicken Legs in Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 8 chicken drumsticks or legs
- 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
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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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I don’t have ground mustard. What can I use as a substitute?
You can skip it or add a little dijon mustard instead!
can i do it in the oven?
Yes! They can be baked at 400°F for about 35 minutes, you want them to reach an internal temp of 165°F!
Just wondering if you could use same recipe using chicken wings? And if so, how much time?
Yes you can use this same marinade on chicken wings! To cook chicken wings in the air fryer – Cook chicken wings in a single layer at 400°F for 10 minutes, flip the wings and then cook another 8 to 10 minutes – until cooked through.
This is the best chicken recipe I have tried with my air fryer. Thanks for sharing!!
Very good…cooked for 35 minutes in air fryer oven not basket type. Will make again!
It was delish! My legs were pretty big so I barely had enough to coat but the flavor was spot on! I followed the recipe to a tee. Next time I will increase the measurements of the ingredients and also hold back a tad on the salt. Thanks for the recipe.
Husband loved this recipe. Will definitely make again.
We did not have dry mustard, but all other ingredients were used. Oh my! They were delicious! Even better than teriyaki chicken that I adore!
I will definitely be making them again and will add the dry mustard.
As someone else said, I think I will also add the garlic and onion powder.
A winner for sure!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hii these came out delicious! I’m
On keto so I used my brown sugar substitute, and they came out great.
Your nutrition facts are for all 8 drumsticks?
Hi Jessie! So glad you enjoyed them, thanks for sharing how they work with a brown sugar substitute! And the nutrition is for 1 chicken leg, it’s automatically calculated using a recipe nutrition program. It’s not guaranteed, but gives you a good idea. I recommend calculating nutrition yourself using the brands you used in the recipe (as different brands of ingredients can have very different nutrition amounts). Hope this helps!
what about using a regular oven
Yes thank you, I realized that afterwards! When I actually had a few minutes to read through everything . That’s perfect, I’m sure it’s close enough for me to use as a guide. Only difference is my brown sugar.
Again, thank you for sharing this recipe, they came out delicious! I’m actually making them again tonight with brown sugar bacon wrapped asparagus
Glad to hear you enjoyed them! And YUM! Sounds like a delicious dinner!
Yes! They can be baked at 400°F for about 35 minutes, you want them to reach an internal temp of 165°F!
This was my first air fryer recipe. So delicious & easy! We’re hooked! Thank you
Easy and delicious! My 9- year old son devoured two pieces. I made half the batch with bone-in chicken thighs. They cooked about 5 minutes more than the drumsticks and were also delicious.
Good one
Looks good