Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Legs
BBQ chicken isn't just for the summer months! When you have an air fryer at home, you can enjoy delicious barbeque any time of year. The next time you're craving that sweet, smoky flavor, just use this easy recipe for air fryer BBQ chicken legs. Made with a blend of simple spices and topped with your favorite sauce, this easy dinner recipe is perfect for any occasion - from a quick weeknight dinner to a fun party with friends.
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What Do I Need to Make Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Legs?
There's no need to fire up the grill if you're craving BBQ! All you need are a few of your favorite barbecue ingredients and your air fryer. To make your own chicken legs in the air fryer, you'll need:
- Chicken legs
- Barbeque sauce
- Avocado oil
- Onion powder
- Smoked paprika
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Oregano
How Do I Make Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Legs?
Using your air fryer is quick and easy way to whip up a plate of delicious BBQ. All you have to do is follow these quick and easy steps for cooking your BBQ drumsticks in the air fryer:
Step One: Season the Chicken
Remove the chicken from the package and pat it dry with a paper towel to help the seasoning stick to the skin. Stir together the avocado oil, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and oregano in a small bowl. Press each chicken leg into the seasoning to coat all sides.
Step Two: Air Fry the Drumsticks
Place the seasoned drumsticks in the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving space between each piece. Cook the chicken at 380 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes.
Step Three: Add the BBQ Sauce
When the drumsticks are cooked through, remove them from the air fryer and brush all sides with barbecue sauce. Return the chicken legs to the air fryer and cook an additional 2 minutes, until the sauce is caramelized.
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Can You Cook BBQ Sauce in the Air Fryer?
You can't have BBQ chicken without sauce! Luckily, cooking your chicken legs with your favorite sauce is safe-even when using your air fryer. The key to adding sauce to your chicken is to do it at the end of the cooking cycle to keep it from burning.
Cook the seasoned chicken in the air fryer until it's done, then top it with sauce. After adding the sauce, you'll only need to cook the chicken 2 to 3 more minutes to give the sauce time to cook and caramelize.
How Do I Know My Chicken Legs are Done?
The cooking time of your chicken legs may vary depending on the type of air fryer you're using and the thickness of the drumsticks. Thicker drumsticks may take longer to cook than smaller ones. That's why it can be challenging to know when your chicken is finished cooking in the air fryer.
The best way to check the doneness of your chicken is to use a meat thermometer. The internal temperature of your chicken should be at least 165 degrees to be safe to eat.
How Do I Store BBQ Chicken Legs?
These delicious chicken legs are the perfect family-friendly dinner, so they'll probably be eaten up as soon as you serve them! But if you have a few leftovers, store them in the refrigerator until you're ready to eat them again.
Transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and keep them chilled for up to three days. To reheat the chicken, cook it at 350 degrees in the air fryer or oven until they're heated through. Or warm them in the microwave until they're hot.
Can I Use Other Cuts of Chicken to Make BBQ Chicken in the Air Fryer?
This easy recipe can be made using any cut of chicken! In addition to preparing drumsticks in the air fryer using this cooking method, you can also use:
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- Bone-in chicken thighs
- Chicken leg quarters
- Bone-in chicken breasts
- Chicken wings
The seasoning blend and BBQ sauce will taste great on any cut of chicken. But it's important to keep in mind that different chicken cuts may take longer to cook in the air fryer. When using different types of chicken, set the air fryer to cook at 380 degrees and use these cooking times as a guide to ensure each piece is cooked through:
- Thighs: 18 to 22 minutes
- Breasts (boneless): 16 to 18 minutes
- Breasts (bone-in): 25 to 30 minutes
- Leg quarters: 20 to 25 minutes
- Wings: 15 to 20 minutes
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Tips
Making chicken legs in your air fryer is one of the best ways to prepare them! That's because it's super quick and easy to cook them with this handy appliance. And with the help of these cooking tips and tricks, you'll be able to whip up this easy recipe in your sleep.
- Don't overcrowd the basket. It's better to cook your chicken legs in batches than overcrowd the basket with too many pieces. That's because your air fryer needs plenty of space around each piece of chicken for the air to flow properly.
- Flip the legs, if needed. Remove the basket from the air fryer a little over halfway through the cooking time to check the cooking progress. If it looks like one side of the legs is cooking more than the other, try flipping the pieces for more even cooking.
- Adjust the seasoning and sauce to suit your tastes. You can easily change the flavor of your chicken legs by using more or less seasoning and sauce. Adding other spices to the seasoning mix is another simple way to change the flavors to suit your family's tastes.
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Legs
Ingredients
- 6 chicken drumsticks
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 380°F (193°C) for about 5 minutes.
- Pat the chicken drumsticks dry with a paper towel. This helps the seasoning adhere better.
- In a bowl, coat the chicken drumsticks with the avocado oil, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper and oregano.
- Place the seasoned drumsticks in the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving space between each piece.
- Cook the chicken drumsticks in the air fryer at 380°F (193°C) for 18-20 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and the skin is crispy.
- Once cooked, remove the drumsticks from the air fryer and let them cool slightly.
- Brush the drumsticks with the barbecue sauce, coating them evenly on all sides.
- Return the drumsticks to the air fryer for an additional 2 minutes to caramelize the BBQ sauce.
Notes
- The cooking time may vary depending on the size and thickness of the chicken drumsticks. Thicker drumsticks may require additional cooking time.
- It's important to preheat the air fryer to ensure even and consistent cooking.
- You can customize the flavors by using different barbecue sauce variations according to your preference, such as sweet and tangy or spicy.
- Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your taste, adding more or less smoked paprika, salt, or other spices.
- Make sure to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken drumsticks, ensuring they reach the safe minimum temperature of 165°F (74°C) for poultry.
- Serve these delicious air fryer BBQ chicken drumsticks as a main course for a family dinner or as a crowd-pleasing appetizer for gatherings.
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