Air Fryer Chicken Legs

Air fryer chicken legs take less than 5 minutes to prepare and cook up extra juicy with crispy skin. So easy!

Simply season, place in the air fryer basket, and hit the start button. Chicken legs in the air fryer are picnic-perfect in minutes!

Easy Air Fryer Chicken Legs

Like most air fryer recipes, chicken cooks quickly and easily and comes out deliciously juicy!

Less than 5 minutes prep and clean-up is a breeze.
3 ingredients, chicken, a drizzle of oil and your favorites spice mix or seasonings.
These cook in about half of the time of baked chicken legs.
This simple recipe works on thighs, quarters, drumsticks, and wings, too!
Dark meat stays incredibly tender and juicy while the skin gets extra crispy.

New to Air Frying?

I have and love this Cosori Air Fryer, you can find more info on choosing an air fryer here.

If you’re new to air frying, check out our favorite air fryer recipes for beginners. Find all air fryer recipes here.

Ingredients and Variations

CHICKEN: Chicken legs are the thigh and drumstick combined, making them a larger portion for bigger appetites. This recipe uses bone-in and skin on chicken. A drizzle of oil helps the seasoning stick and the skin get crispy.

This recipe works with chicken thighs or as an air fryer chicken drumsticks recipe, cooking time will for drumsticks and thighs is closer to 22 minutes.

SEASONING: Below I’ve included our favorite mix of spices to toss the chicken with and we sometimes add a sprinkle of onion powder too. You can use your favorite premade chicken seasoning but some can be quite salty. For homemade, try DIY Chicken Seasoning or Lemon Pepper Seasoning!

How to Air Fry Chicken Legs

Pat chicken dry and drizzle with oil. Generously season.
Place pieces in a single layer in a preheated air fryer, skin side down, & cook (per recipe below).
Flip & continue cooking until the internal temperature reads 165°F.

PRO TIP: Add a tiny pinch of corn starch to homemade seasonings to keep them from clumping and to help adhere to foods.

No air fryer? No problem! Bake chicken legs in the oven at 400°F for 40-45 minutes or until chicken reaches 165°F.

Pro Tips

Pat the chicken dry with a clean paper towel so the seasonings adhere and the skin crisps better.
Don’t overcrowd the air fryer, heat needs to circulate all around the food. Cook in batches if needed and keep warm under foil or in the oven. Heat all of the cooked chicken for 3 minutes before serving.
Cooking skin side down for most of the time keeps the skin from burning.
Chicken legs will continue to cook after they’ve been removed from the air fryer. Let them rest before serving so the juices stay sealed in.

More Air Fryer Chicken

Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan – a family favorite
Air Fryer Chicken Breasts – from fresh or frozen
Parmesan Air Fryer Chicken Wings – extra crispy
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders – seasoned & breaded
Air Fryer Whole Chicken – totally effortless
Air Fryer Chicken Drumstick Recipe – bbq chicken drumsticks

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