This article provides everything you need to know to make delicious, crispy keto-friendly chicken drumsticks in your air fryer. Whether you're following a low-carb diet or simply looking for a healthy and quick dinner option, this customizable recipe is sure to become a favorite.
Why Air Fry Chicken Drumsticks?
Air frying offers a healthier alternative to traditional frying methods, using hot air circulation to cook food with minimal oil. This results in crispy, juicy chicken drumsticks without the added fat and calories.
Key Benefits
- Healthy: Air frying reduces the amount of oil needed compared to deep frying.
- Quick: Chicken drumsticks cook in about 20 minutes in the air fryer.
- Customizable: Easily adjust herbs, spices, and sauces to suit your taste.
- Keto-Friendly: This recipe is designed to be low-carb, making it suitable for ketogenic diets.
Ingredients You'll Need
- 8 chicken drumsticks (fresh or thawed, high quality preferred)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (or avocado oil, canola oil, sunflower oil)
- 1 tsp celtic sea salt (or any quality sea salt)
- Your choice of herbs and spices (see suggestions below)
Spice Blend Options
Here are a couple of options for spice blends.
Spice Blend Option 1
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Cayenne pepper
- Chili powder
- Paprika
- Cumin
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Swerve brown sugar sweetener (optional)
Spice Blend Option 2
- Salt
- Pepper
- Paprika
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
Lemon Herb Marinade
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Salt
- Pepper
- Parsley
- Thyme
- Garlic granules (or powder)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here are two ways to cook the drumsticks, one with a dry rub and one with a wet marinade.
Method 1: Dry Rub
- Preheat your air fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 2-10 minutes.
- Prepare the chicken: Dab the raw chicken legs dry with paper towels.
- Oil the Chicken: Place drumsticks in a bowl or a plastic bag and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat.
- Mix the spices: In a small bowl, combine your chosen herbs and spices. Mix well.
- Season the chicken: Sprinkle the herb and spice mixture all over the drumsticks, ensuring they are evenly coated.
- Air fry the drumsticks: Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Place the drumsticks in the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure they aren't overlapping. Cook at 400°F (200°C) for 10 minutes.
- Flip and continue cooking: Remove the basket and flip the chicken drumsticks. Cook for another 8-10 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) and the skin is nice and crispy.
- Rest and serve: Let the crispy chicken legs sit for 5 minutes before eating.
Method 2: Wet Marinade
- Prepare the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, parsley, thyme, and garlic granules (or powder).
- Marinate the chicken: Place the chicken in a shallow dish or large zip-top bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken, ensuring each drumstick is fully coated. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or refrigerate overnight for enhanced flavor.
- Preheat your air fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 390°F (199°C).
- Air fry the drumsticks: Place your air fryer drumsticks in a single layer inside the air fryer basket or tray, leaving space around each piece. You may need to cook in batches. Air fry for 20-22 minutes at 390°F (199°C), or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) and the chicken is golden brown on top.
- Rest and serve: Once done, remove from the air fryer basket with silicone tongs and sprinkle with freshly squeezed lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt (optional). Let the chicken rest for five minutes then serve them hot out of the air fryer.
Cooking Tips for Perfect Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
- Preheat the air fryer: Running your air fryer for a few minutes before adding the food helps the skin puff up and get a crispy texture.
- Don't crowd the basket: Put the chicken in your air fryer pan in a way they aren’t crowding each other. Air fryers need air to circulate around the chicken drumstick to get a heat so high it makes meat taste fried.
- Use a digital thermometer: Check the temperature of the chicken when you’re already opening the air fryer to flip them. Insert a digital thermometer into the middle of the thickest part of the chicken drumstick without touching bone. Chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees internally. If chicken has not met 165 degrees internally, add another 2-5 minutes to cook time.
- Marinate for flavor: Marinating chicken before cooking, even for just 30 minutes in some olive oil, lemon juice, and herbs, can infuse a ton of flavor.
- Dry the chicken: Before adding any oil or spices, pat the chicken dry with paper towels so the skin gets nice and crispy.
- Flip halfway through: For even cooking and browning, flip the chicken drumsticks halfway through the cooking time.
- Consider Baking Powder: The slightly alkaline mixture raises the skin’s pH levels, which allows proteins to break down more efficiently, giving you crisper, more evenly browned results. Simultaneously, it combines with the bird’s natural juices, forming carbon dioxide gas that leaves you with a layer of tiny bubbles.
- Don't wash the chicken: Washing the chicken in the sink actually spreads germs and doesn't really do anything for the final product. Simply pat the chicken dry with the paper towel and you're good to go.
Cooking Time Guidelines
| Appliance | Time | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Instant Pot Air Fryer | 15-20 minutes (check) | 400°F (200°C) |
| Instant Pot with Crisping Lid | 15-20 minutes (check) | 400°F (200°C) |
| Ninja Foodi + Broiler Lid | 15-20 minutes (check) | 400°F (200°C) |
| Phillips Air Fryer | 15-20 minutes (check) | 400°F (200°C) |
| Oven | 35-40 minutes | 400°F (200°C) |
Note: Cook time may vary a bit depending on the size of your drumsticks.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Serving Suggestions
Chicken goes with just about everything - so it’s easy to pick a delicious, easy, and flavorful side dish to pair with this meal! We love serving chicken with spicy beans, air fryer french fries, roasted potatoes, quick-pickled beets, rice pilaf - or really, any of our delicious easy side dishes.
Keto-Friendly Sides
- Cheesy cauliflower broccoli rice
- Slow cooker creamed spinach
- Loaded broccoli salad
- Garlic Butter Green Beans
- Easy Grilled Bell Peppers
Other Sides
- French fries
- Sweet potatoes
- Roasted veggies
- Mashed potatoes
- Diced potatoes
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover cooked chicken drumsticks in a sealed container or zippered freezer bag in the fridge for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to four months.
Can You Cook Frozen Chicken Drumsticks in the Air Fryer?
Yes, frozen drumsticks will take a little longer than fresh drumsticks but just a few minutes more. You want to cook them until the internal temperature is 165°F. However, for this recipe, it is recommended defrosting them first so the spices and the baking powder stick to the skin better.
Adding Sauce
Adding sauce is a great way to layer flavor onto your chicken legs- there are two ways to do this. We love to cook our chicken first, getting a crispy, crunchy skin, and then toss in sauce - similar to chicken wings. You can also crisp chicken, toss in sauce, and continue cooking in the air fryer, to build a “crust” of the sauce as the chicken cooks. Do not add sauce early, as it will keep chicken flabby.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
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