Can You Put Drumsticks In An Air Fryer? (read this first)
There’s nothing quite as tasty as freshly cooked chicken drumsticks. Cooking chicken drumsticks in an air fryer is simplicity itself and ensures they are cooked to perfection.
Using this recipe to cook your chicken drumsticks means you can get on with other tasks while they’re cooking. That’s because cooking drumsticks in the air fryer requires no watching and no turning etc. After just 25 minutes you will be able to serve the tastiest healthy meal to your family.
Why Air Fried Chicken Drumsticks Are Best
- Healthy
Unlike frying chicken drumsticks in a deep fat fryer or frying pan, air frying uses hardly any oil at all. This makes these chicken drumsticks a far healthier option. - Safe
There’s no need to watch over them as they cook. The chicken drumsticks will be safe to be left cooking on their own. There’s no chance of the oil splashing, catching fire or the chicken burning. - Quick & Easy
Using an air fryer to cook your chicken drumsticks is a fast and simple way to get perfect results time after time.
How To Cook Chicken Drumsticks In An Air Fryer
To cook chicken drumsticks in your air fryer just follow these simple instructions.
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Drumsticks
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
Method
- Preheat the air fryer to 195 C (380 F)
- Mix the herbs, spices, olive oil and seasonings together in a bowl
- Rub the mixture all over the drumsticks
- Spray the air fryer basket lightly with oil
- Arrange the drumsticks in a single layer ensuring there is a gap between each one
- Air fry for 20 minutes turning at around the halfway point
- Set the temperature to 200 C (400 F) and cook for a further 5 minutes
- Using a meat thermometer, check that the internal temperature of the chicken at the fleshiest part is 75 C (167 F)
- If not cook for a further 1 minute
- Serve
Recipe Variations
The herbs and spices we have used for this recipe are our personal preferences. You can substitute for your own favourites, maybe adding chilli flakes or Mexican spices.
We used olive oil but any good quality oil with a high smoke point can be used.
What’s The Smoke Points Of Different Cooking Oils?
Here’s the smoke point of most of the common cooking oils you can get in the UK
| Type Of Oil | Temperature of Smoke Point |
|---|---|
| Coconut Oil | 177 C (350 F) |
| Rapeseed Oil | 204 C (400 F) |
| Vegetable Oil | 204 C (400 F) |
| Extra Virgin Olive Oil | 210 C (410 F) |
| Grapeseed Oil | 215 C (420 F) |
| Sunflower Oil | 232 C (450 F) |
| Peanut Oil | 232 C (450 F) |
| Extra Light Olive Oil | 243 C (470 F) |
| Ghee (Clarified Butter) | 250 C (482 F) |
| Avocado Oil | 299 C (570 F) |
Cooking Tips
To get the best from your air fried chicken drumsticks you should;
- Allow the chicken drumsticks to reach room temperature before cooking (this can take 15 to 30 minutes)
- Pat the skin of the chicken dry using kitchen paper before applying the coating
- Always allow a space between each drumstick in the basket to ensure they cook evenly
- Allow the drumsticks to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving
SEE ALSO: Best Meat Thermometers (good digital probes)
Frequently Asked Questions
Cooking chicken drumsticks in the air fryer is the easiest and safest way to cook them. You will also get consistent results every time.
Chicken drumsticks will take around 20 to 25 minutes to cook to perfection in the air fryer.
It is safe to cook raw chicken in an air fryer. All you need to do is ensure the internal temperature of the chicken reaches at least 75 C (167 F) once it’s cooked.
It’s not 100% necessary that you turn the chicken drumsticks while they’re cooking in the air fryer, but it will ensure that they are cooked evenly if you turn them at around the halfway point.
