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Home » Healthy Recipes » Air Fryer Marinated Chicken Drumsticks

Air Fryer Marinated Chicken Drumsticks

Last Updated July 18, 2022. Published July 7, 2022 By Davinah Cenou Montezuma

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pinterest image for marinated chicken drumsticks

This post may contain affiliate links to products I use and highly recommend. You can read my full disclosure .

Cook marinated chicken legs (or marinated chicken drumsticks) in your air fryer with this simple Air Fryer Marinated Chicken Drumsticks recipe. It uses an easy marinade that works great on turkey thighs, chicken thighs, whole chicken, and marinated chicken wings. Add the chicken to the marinade for up to 2 days in advance for a ready-to-cook air fryer meal prep.

cooked Marinated Drumsticks on a plate surrounded with slices of lemon

Why Make Air Fryer Marinated Drumsticks

  • Simple homemade marinade: this marinated chicken legs recipe includes a six-ingredient marinade that uses pantry staples and easy-to-find ingredients like olive oil, garlic, and lemon. It also skips things like added sugar.
  • Make in the air fryer: You can bake, roast or slow cook your marinated chicken, but the air fryer serves as the quickest way to get a crispy, yet juicy result.

Ingredients Needed

  • Chicken Drumsticks: I’m using fresh chicken legs for this recipe. If you have frozen chicken, then I recommend thawing it before adding it to the marinade.
  • Chicken Marinade: The ingredients for the marinade are quite simple. You’ll need to gather sea salt, a salt-free herb seasoning, garlic cloves, black pepper, olive oil (or avocado oil), and lemon juice.
salt, black pepper, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, chicken drumsticks and herb seasoning on separate bowls

How to Air Fry Marinated Chicken Drumsticks

  1. Make the marinade: Add the salt, herb seasoning, garlic, black pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice to a large bowl. Whisk to incorporate.
  2. Add the chicken to the marinade & marinate: You can keep your chicken in a bowl that has a lid or a large freezer bag. I keep the chicken in for at least 4 hours.
  3. Put the chicken in the air fryer: I shake off excess marinade and add my chicken drumsticks in an even layer to the air fryer basket.
  4. Air Fry the chicken legs: I cook my chicken at 400 degrees and flip them at the halfway point to ensure even browning and crisping of the chicken drumstick skin.
steps to cook marinated drumsticks in an air fryer

Top Cooking Tips & FAQs

  • Marinate for up to two days: the longer you allow your chicken the marinate, the better in terms of flavor. I add my chicken legs and marinade to a large zipper bag and store it in the refrigerator until I am ready to cook them later in the week.
  • Freeze uncooked chicken with the marinade for later: Sometimes, meal plans change. You can also add the chicken with the marinade on it to the freezer (one benefit of using a freezer bag to store it). Simply take your chicken out 24 hours before you want to use it so that it can thaw in the refrigerator.
How long do chicken drumsticks take to cook in an air fryer?

This depends on the size of the chicken legs. Generally, though, they take 24-30 minutes to cook.

How many drumsticks can fit in an air fryer?

This depends on the size. I can usually fit 4-6. Just ensure that they are in a flat even layer. If you stack the chicken drumsticks, they will not brown evenly and take longer to cook. So, it’s best to do them in batches if they don’t all fit.

Can you put aluminum foil in an air fryer?

Yes. You can put aluminum foil in an air fryer. Be sure to check out my guide to see the best ways to use it and when you should not.

Recipes to Enjoy This With

  • Keto Creamed Spinach
  • Pressure Cooker Cabbage
  • Pressure Cooker Collard Greens
  • Air Fryer Green Beans Recipe

More Marinated Chicken Recipes

  • Marinated Chicken Wings
  • Baked Chicken Thighs
  • Indoor Grill Chicken Kababs

If you try this recipe, please stop back and leave it a star rating and/or a review in the comments. Stay connected & share photos of your creations with me & others on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! 

close up shot of Marinated Drumsticks

Air Fryer Marinated Drumsticks

Cook marinated chicken legs (or marinated chicken drumsticks) in your air fryer with this simple Air Fryer Marinated Chicken Drumsticks recipe.
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Ready in: 30 mins
Cuisine: American
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Servings: 4
Calories: 195kcal
Author: Davinah
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Use DRDAVINAHS at checkout to save on some equipment & ingredients!

Recommended Equipment

Ninja Foodi

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Chicken Drumsticks
  • 1 tsp Natural Ancient Sea Salt, use DRDAVINAHS to save!
  • 1 tbsp 24 Herbs Sprinkle Seasoning (Salt-free), or another salt-free mixed herb seasoning like Herbs de Provence or Italian Seasoning
  • 2 tbsp Garlic, cloves, minced, about 8 cloves
  • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1/3 cup Olive Oil, or avocado oil
  • 3 tbsp Lemon Juice, fresh or bottled work

Instructions

  • Add the salt, herb seasoning, garlic, black pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice to a large bowl. Whisk to incorporate.
  • Pat the drumsticks dry with a paper towel.
  • Add the chicken drumsticks to the bowl, and mix them evenly with the marinade.
  • Cover and marinate for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight)
  • Take the chicken about 15-30 minutes before cooking.
  • Stir the chicken in the marinade one last time.
  • Add the chicken to the air fryer cooking basket in an even layer.
  • Air crisp the drumsticks at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes per side.

Recipe Notes

  • Marinate for up to two days: the longer you allow your chicken the marinate, the better in terms of flavor. I add my chicken legs and marinade to a large zipper bag and store it in the refrigerator until I am ready to cook them later in the week.
  • Freeze uncooked chicken with the marinade for later: Sometimes, meal plans change. You can also add the chicken with the marinade on it to the freezer (one benefit of using a freezer bag to store it). Simply take your chicken out 24 hours before you want to use it so that it can thaw in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Details

Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 371mg | Potassium: 209mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 75IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg

The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into Spoonacular API, a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used. The keto sweeteners I use have 0g net carbs & are not included because sugar alcohols do not impact most people. This is provided as a courtesy, but you can do your own calculations if you wish!

Share this RecipeIf you enjoy this recipe, share a link to it via email or Facebook, pin it, or leave a rating. Please don’t copy/paste the instructions to other websites. Thanks for helping the website grow!

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Filed Under: Air Fryer Recipes, Chicken Leg Recipes, Chicken Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Keto Appetizer Recipes, Keto Dinner Recipes, Keto Recipes, Ninja Foodi Recipes, Whole30 Recipes

Comments

  1. Jules says

    January 3, 2023 at 3:17 am

    5 stars
    Your food blog is amazing. Love everything I have tried so far

    Reply
    • Dr. Davinah's Eats Team says

      January 3, 2023 at 9:03 pm

      We really appreciate you stopping back to write such a thoughtful review! 🙂

      Reply

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close up photo of Davinah - the blogger behind Dr. Davinah\'s Eats welcome text that reads, \"I\'m Davinah\" I'm an educator & hardcore foodie who realized eating "all the things" couldn’t last forever. After getting my PhD in Education, I decided to make eating healthier my next big goal. Here, you'll find my collection of keto, low-carb and whole food comfort food recipes. Read More

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