Ninja Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks are crispy and juicy – the ultimate combination. These air fryer chicken drumsticks are not only bursting with flavor but on the dinner table in under 30 minutes. A quick dinner that’s delicious and nutritious with just 2 ingredients!
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We are big fans of the air fryer. It has added variety to meals and is an easy and lower-calorie way to get foods crispy on the outside, quickly.
Between these air fryer chicken legs, air fryer salmon patties, and air fryer chicken thighs, we’ve got some delicious recipes on the site!
HOW TO MAKE
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees
- Using a paper towel, pat the chicken dry
- Season both sides with dry ranch dressing
- Place onto air fryer rack
- Spray top of drumsticks with non-stick cooking spray
- Cook 10 minutes, flip, then cook 10 more minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees
Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
PRO TIP: Let the air fryer preheat for 3-5 minutes before adding your ingredients.
It is really important not to skip the preheating step. I know we have all contemplated skipping the preheated step at one point or another. Not this time! Preheating allows your chicken to cook and crisp evenly.
Using a paper towel, pat the chicken dry on both sides of each chicken leg.
This is key to a crispy piece of chicken. Patting the chicken dry allows for excess moisture to be removed. Less moisture, crisper!
Season both sides with dry ranch dressing. I go back and forth between using a packet of dry ranch dressing and making it homemade.
I prefer to use my Instant Pot for Frozen Chicken Recipes and my air fryer for thawed chicken recipes. If your looking for a slow cooker chicken leg recipe, <- that is a must-try!
Homemade Ranch Dressing makes a great dipping sauce for these chicken legs. However, the ranch seasoning gives the chicken a great flavor you honestly don’t even need a dipping sauce.
DIPPING SAUCES
One of my favorite things about eating chicken drumsticks is the dipping sauce. I love to try different sauces. Here are a few recipes for you to try!
PRO TIP: You can either dip the cooked chicken legs in a sauce or toss in a sauce before serving.
Once the air fryer chicken legs are seasoned, place onto the air fryer rack. Spray the top of the chicken drumsticks with non-stick cooking spray.
HOW LONG To Cook?
Cook 10 minutes, flip, then cook 10 more minutes.
Keep in mind that each air fryer model will cook differently. I recommend using a meat thermometer to temp the chicken after cooking for 10 minutes on each side.
If not at 165 degrees Fahrenheit, cook for 5 more minutes then temp. Repeat until the internal temperature is reached.
PRO TIP: Try to limit the number of times you open the door of your air fryer while cooking. This lets the hot air escape.
If using the Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Oven, or a similar air fryer, make sure to place the baking pan on the rack under the air fryer pan as the chicken will drip and the pan will catch the juices rather than having to clean them from the bottom of the air fryer.
FAQ
You can. It is recommended that you use thawed drumsticks. You will need to add 5-10 minutes to the cooking time or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit if cooking with frozen chicken.
In my experience, cooking thawed drumsticks in the air fryer results in a crispier piece of chicken. You are able to remove more of the moisture before adding to the air fryer.
Unfortunately, you can not stack chicken in an air fryer. I know it can be tempting to cram multiple chicken legs on the air fryer tray. I typically fit 6-10 drumsticks on the air fryer tray depending on the size of the chicken leg.
Stacking could cause the chicken to be undercooked or not crispy. No one wants to bite into raw chicken or non-crispy fried chicken!
If you are cooking fried chicken for a crowd, we recommend making a few batches of this recipe.
Deep-fried foods are typically higher in fat content compared to foods cooked using another cooking method. By using an air fryer to cook your favorite deep-fried foods, you can eliminate excess calories and fat.
Air fryers circulate hot air around the food versus requiring you to drop food into a large pot of oil to create the crispiness we all enjoy.
If you are looking to switch to a cooking method that has the potential to lower the fat and calorie content, an air fryer might be for you.
Looking for other chicken recipes?
- Chicken Tortilla Chip Casserole
- Chinese Honey Garlic Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
- Instant Pot Chicken Stew
- Southwest Chicken Chili
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.
The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.
Ninja Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
Equipment
- nonstick cooking spray ✅
Ingredients
- 8 chicken drumsticks ✅
- 1 Packet Dry Ranch Dressing Mix ✅
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer. Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Prep the chicken and then season. Using a paper towel, pat the chicken dry. Season both sides with dry ranch dressing. Place onto the airfryer rack. Spray top of drumsticks with non-stick cooking spray.8 chicken drumsticks, 1 Packet Dry Ranch Dressing Mix
- ⭐️Air fry. Cook 10 minutes, flip, then cook 10 more minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Notes
Nutrition
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Beth says
I had only tried fried foods (moz sticks etc) in my air fry until this chicken. Amazing! Loved them.
manoj says
The simplest and yet the best air fried chicken recipe I have tried.This is the best chicken! I did take the suggestion of yours and cooked them as u said on each side. They are juicy, crispy and flavorful! Thank you for the recipe!