An air fryer makes meals faster with less fuss and great flavor!

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!

plated Air Fryer Chicken Legs

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!

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

How to Air Fry Chicken Legs

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

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

Did you love this Air Fryer Chicken Legs recipe? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below! 

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text
5 from 53 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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Air Fryer Chicken Legs

These air fryer chicken legs are tender & juicy on the inside, seasoned & crispy on the outside!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 legs
Author Holly Nilsson

Equipment

a black air fryer
Air Fryer
Instant Read Thermometer on white background
Instant Read Thermometer
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Ingredients  

  • 3-4 chicken legs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon chicken seasoning* see note
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Preheat air fryer to 370°F.
  • Pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Drizzle olive oil over chicken legs and generously season with chicken seasoning, garlic powder, and salt & pepper to taste.
  • Place the chicken legs in a single layer in the air fryer basket, skin side down, and cook for 20 minutes.
  • Flip the legs over and cook an additional 5-10 minutes or until the legs reach 165°F.

Notes

*Premade chicken seasonings can vary in flavor and salt level. Season to taste or preference. 
Homemade Chicken Seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more or less to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Ensure legs aren't too crowded so air can circulate around them. Do not overlap.
5 from 53 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 242 | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 82mg | Potassium: 207mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American

 

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. My daughter is the fussiest eater. She will say she is vegetarian so she does not have to eat meat. She devoured these, I will print the recipe and definately share these/make them again.5 stars

  2. I made this for dinner today and it was SO GOOD!!!!! My husband and I were taken aback by the deliciousness of the crispy skin and juicy meat. I used the savoury herb chicken seasoning by Holly and added a bit of old bay as well! Adding this to our weekly rotation5 stars

  3. Excellent recipe! The homemade seasoning is what makes it good. I followed the recipe and my chicken came out looking just like the picture. It was moist and juicy and the skin was crunchy.5 stars

  4. Love the recipe but there is no indication if the air fryer should be set for air fry, bake, broil etc.

  5. I love using your recipes as a base when I’m cooking. I was looking for chicken legs in the air fryer and when I saw the link I knew I could use your temp and time, it would be reliable. My chicken legs turned out great!5 stars

    1. Hi Kristy, you may need to increase the time slightly. I would check the internal temperature to see how close to 165°F it is at 15 minutes and possibly cook it for another 5-10 minutes if necessary.

  6. Terrific flavor! I made your home-made chicken seasoning & your suggested oven method, since I don’t have an air fryer. I’m going to use the seasoning next for a whole roasted chicken.5 stars