Crispy Chicken Legs in Air Fryer

Buttermilk chicken legs in air fryer are crispy on the outside but tender and juicy on the inside. Copycat Kentucky Fried Chicken without the oil!

• You can use any brand electric air fryer you have, or take out your Ninja Foodi so you too can make these air fryer chicken legs this week.

I kid you not, this is a great copycat Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe that is much faster than heating up your oven.

This requires defrosted legs but if you forgot you can quickly make some Instant Pot frozen drumsticks instead. Then once they’re done air fry them with some bbq sauce on top and enjoy.

This first step is key to making these moist drumsticks for sure. It’s all about the buttermilk.

Yes we’ve made Instant Pot chicken legs too but if you want that crunch (I know you do), a large air fryer is a must!

That is right, grab a container when you’re at the store getting the rest of your ingredients. You probably have a gallon freezer bag in the drawer but you’ll need that too for the marinating process.

This is what you’ll need for chicken legs in air fryer

1. Chicken drumsticks
2. Buttermilk
3. Panko bread crumbs
4. Flour
5. Baking powder
6. Butter
7. Lots of seasonings so they taste amazing
   1. way beyond salt and pepper
8. Olive oil spray is great to get REALLY crispy skin when you cook the chicken those last few minutes
9. A meat thermometer is handy to ensure the meat has reached a safe 165 degrees
10. Barbecue or hot sauce to add on the outside of your air fryer chicken drumsticks before serving

We have made chicken in the air fryer in it’s whole form before. That one had no breading on the outside and yes it’s a great recipe you should try as well. BUT when you’re ready for delicious crispy chicken skin this is the way to go.

Here are the quick and easy steps to follow so you can make these in less than 30 minutes yourself:

• Soak your chicken legs in a freezer bag filled with buttermilk for at least 2 hours in your fridge.
• Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees.
• In a shallow dish or bowl combine together your breadcrumbs, flour and seasonings.
• Roll each drumstick into the flour mixture, shake off excess, and place inside your air fryer basket. Make sure you do not overlap them to allow the hot air to crisp all sides.
• Cook at 390 degrees for a 15 minute cooking time.
• Then remove each one, brush with melted butter on all sides, flip over, and continue cooking for 10 more minutes or until they’re as crispy as you’d like.
• To create a REALLY crispy skin you can lightly spray outside with olive oil spray but for this I haven’t had to do that, the butter has been adequate.

If you are interested in a faster, easier recipe for air fryer fried chicken you can use a pre made chicken batter mix like we have in the past. 

• I would say both are good. It just depends on whether you want to go the extra step to make your own coating. It isn’t hard to do so but sometimes right off the shelf is nice too.

Tips to remember whether you use your own crispy breading or a container full:

Can you stack drumsticks in air fryer?

Yes, you can stack homemade or frozen french fries in air fryer, but other foods like chicken and burgers should not be.

The most important thing you need to remember when using your air fryer is that this machine cooks food by circulating hot air around it. In order for the cooking to happen effectively all the surface of your food needs to be exposed.

Your best bet to get really crispy chicken legs in air fryer is to cook in several batches so you can keep each one in just one layer.

Do you have to preheat an air fryer? That is something I have experimented with and here are my findings, okay my opinions:

No, at the end of the day the air fryer does not have to be preheated. BUT, when you do not preheat it, you will most likely need to leave your meal in slightly longer. The preheating process only takes about 2-3 minutes and is worth it to do. If you forget though don’t fret, just add an additional minute or two.

Can I put frozen chicken in air fryer?

I have a few answers to this. I’ve not done this with legs but have made a tender air fryer frozen chicken breast! Amazingly enough it comes out really delicious with just salt, pepper and some seasonings.

From there you can add any sauce you like and serve with a healthy side dish like our air fryer fried zucchini and…….

Of course what should I serve with drumsticks is a really long list but I will mention a few of our favorites below:

• You can make this healthy buttery cauliflower in your hot air machine, or we’ve made mashed cauliflower in a pressure cooker too.
• Fried pickles are a fun thing to make after your chicken is done.
• These are by far the best mixed vegetables we make all the time
  • Easy brussel sprouts in the oven are great too
• We have a bunch of other air fryer dinner recipes you can enjoy together here too

You should try our easy baked chicken legs with homemade teriyaki sauce next. Here are more Ninja Foodi chicken recipes like Ninja Foodi drumsticks to try here!

Then try adding it to a chicken casserole and enjoy the next day.