Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks are a classic southern recipe that are perfect for the Air Fryer. They cook up crispy on the outside and juicy and flavorful inside.
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Key to Success #1 – Season Every Step of the Way
One of the secrets to that good, down-home, southern Fried Chicken is seasoning everything that goes into it.
That means seasoning the naked chicken, seasoning the flour dredge, and seasoning the egg/milk mixture.
When I’m talking seasonings, I’m primarily talking salt and pepper.
You can add other seasonings if you choose.
If you read my blog, you know we’re big fans of the Slap Ya Mama seasoning blend and it would be great for some spicy fried chicken.
Key to Success #2 – Double Dip ‘Em
When you dip your chicken in flour then egg/milk mixture then flour again, this is called double-breading.
Double-breading results in a delicious crispy breading on your chicken and the breading will not fall off during cooking.
This double-breading method works just as well in the Air Fryer.
We fried two batches of chicken drumsticks and we had no issues with the breading falling off.
Key to Success #3 – Use a Light Spray of Oil
In my Air Fryer, I can fit 8 drumsticks into the fry basket at one time.
I have a Cozyna XL 5.8 QT Air Fryer.
If you have a smaller Air Fryer, you may not be able to get this many drumsticks in at one time.
Don’t forget to check out the 5 best non-toxic air fryers that don’t cause cancer.
When I put the drumsticks in the Air Fryer, I use a non-aerosol spray bottle to lightly spray the chicken drumsticks with olive oil.
The total oil used is probably less than 2 teaspoons.
These Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks can be made completely oil-free if you’d prefer.
I just think a light spray of oil makes the Chicken Drumsticks a little crispier.
I have these non-aerosol spray bottles that I use with my Air Fryer.
Each spray of the trigger dispenses about 1/4 teaspoon of oil, which is perfect for Air Fryer cooking.
I cooked my chicken drumsticks for exactly 20 minutes, turning halfway through cooking and they were perfectly cooked and crispy.
We had several left over but I’ve been eating them with my meals this weekend. So good.
You can even heat them up in the Air Fryer to ensue that they’re nice and crispy if you want.
Don’t forget to check out the 5 best non-toxic air fryers that don’t cause cancer.
If you’re looking for an Air Fryer Chicken recipe without breading, here are a couple great options:
Air Fryer Whole Roasted Chicken
Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Breast
Or
Save this Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks recipe to your favorite Air Fryer Recipes board or your Chicken Board.
Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds chicken drumsticks fresh
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat Air Fryer to 360 degrees F.
- In small flat bowl, whisk egg then add milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- In separate flat bowl, add flour and salt and pepper, to taste.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper then dredge each drumstick in flour then place in egg and milk mixture. Remove from egg mixture, shaking gently to remove extra liquid. Place back in flour and coat well.
- Place coated drumsticks in Air Fryer basket in single layer. Cook 10 minutes. Use tongs to flip drumsticks. Cook another 10 minutes. If needed, cook an additional 4-6 minutes until crispy and fully cooked.