Air fry chicken legs in ninja foodi

This easy air fryer chicken legs recipe using my Ninja Foodi is a go-to staple in my house. You only need a few dry ingredients and cooking spray to kick things off and about 25 minutes before dinner is on the table for your family. I just love that! 

I have to get better about making my FULL meal in the Ninja Foodi. Right now, I only make my proteins because I just bought the kitchen tool and am still learning the ropes. However, recipes like Frozen Chicken Wings In The Ninja Foodi , Ninja Foodi Whole Chicken Recipe, and Chicken Cutlets Breaded In The Ninja Foodi Recipe are LIFESAVERS.

And yes, I know we eat a lot of chicken and I write a lot about chicken …. I will start posting about other things. I promise. It’s just that this blog showcases my true day-to-day and this is really what I make for my family.

My only complaint about this recipe is that you have to make this easy air fryer chicken legs recipe in two batches. I wanted to make about 12 drumsticks and really wanted to ensure that they got nice and crispy on all sides.

I don’t have any extra tools that would allow me to stack in my air fryer while using my Nina Foodi. So, I thought it was best to repeat the process twice. I have three children – two of which are 12 and 14. We needed 12 drumsticks. In fact, we only had 3 left over when it was all said and done! Even my little 6-year-old had 2 helpings!

So, just be conscious of your time when starting this recipe. You might need to do it twice. I used that time to make my sides – which you can see in this video if you watch.  It starts around 10:22. Or you can just watch the whole entire “cook dinner with me and clean with me” recap. That’s up to you. 🙂 

I made a broccoli and cheese casserole which was a bit time-consuming. I don’t have that recipe on the blog, but these side dishes would go nicely instead:

• Tatertot Casserole (omit the ham) 
• Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
• Ham and Pea Pasta Casserole (this is SO GOOD – omit the ham.) 

Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks Ingredients 

This air fryer chicken drumsticks recipe only requires a few ingredients besides the actual chicken. 

• Flour – Flor helps make the skin crispy.
• Garlic Salt – the perfect addition to almost any dish.
• BBQ seasoning – You could make your own or just buy a premixed version from the store.
• Salt and Pepper – It’s always important to salt and pepper at every level of cooking.
• Paprika – A underused spice if you ask me!
• Cooking spray – This is what you use instead of oil.
• Chicken legs – Make sure you don’t overcrowd your air fryer when layering.

Looking for some easy and delicious dinner ideas? You’ve come to the right place! “40 Delicious Dinner Ideas” is packed with recipes that are simple to cook and only require ingredients you likely have in your refrigerator right now. So why wait? Get cooking!

Grab your copy of my latest e-cookbook today!

These photos were taken from my video. So, I am sorry if they aren’t up to par with the rest of my blog. I won’t do this OFTEN – but this was real life dinner and I didn’t think to actually stop and take pictures of every step as I was actually filming for my YouTube channel. 

I will – moving forward – stop and take pictures of all my food processing steps for my weekly cooking videos. Not all of them make it on the blog – so if you’d like to subscribe to my YouTube channel, here is the link. 

Either way, you get the idea! And the process will be the same – EASY AND SIMPLE. The outcome will also be the same – DELICIOUS chicken legs for the family in minutes. YUM! I just love my Ninja Foodi. SO SO MUCH.

How To Make Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks In The Ninja Foodi

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Grab a large plate and combine your flour, seasoning, salt, and pepper. Combine. Then grab your cooking spray and give the inside of your Ninja Foodi a good coating. 

Next, wash your chicken then spray each chicken drumstick with cooking spray as well. This will help the flour mixture stick to the skin of the bird. 

After you cover each drumstick, place it onto the bottom of your Air Fryer piece in the Ninja Foodi. Fit in as many as you can. I think in my first batch I was able to fit 5 or 6. This recipe required me to cook two batches. 

Set the Ninja Foodi to Air Fryer, 400, and 25 minutes. At the 12 minute mark, open up the top and flip your chicken pieces and respray with cooking spray. This will give you that little extra crunch that we are all looking for! Close the lid and continue to cook. 

When the timer ends, open the lid and take your chicken out. If you’d like the legs to be a bit crisper you can cook for an additional 5 minutes. That is up to you. I ended up doing that for my second batch. Full disclosure. 

What Recipes To Make With Leftover Chicken

If you have any leftovers, consider the following recipes. These are all great options for leftover chicken!! I would just pull the fried skin off. 

• Chicken Noodle Soup
• Turkey Stuffing Casserole – but make it with chicken
• Stuffed Sweet Potatoes 

I hope you enjoyed this Air Fryer Chicken Legs recipe idea. It is really easy to make and will become a family favorite I am sure. Why order fast food when you can make a healthier option at home for less? Who can say no to chicken drumsticks from an air fryer? I mean… air fryer drumsticks are the perfect dinner idea! 

Have Your Chicken Delivered Straight To Your House

This section contains affiliate links. 

Did you know that Perdue Farms started a new service that allows you to order packages of beef, poultry, and pork – customized to your needs – all through their new online portal? These chicken drumsticks were delivered straight from Perdue Farms and I cannot tell you how convenient it is to not have to worry about shopping for meat at the grocery store! 

If you’d like 15% off your order plus a packet of diced chicken, be sure to use my link here. I’m working with Perdue as an ambassador and they provided me a link to share with my readers. How fun! 

Related:

• Chicken franchese recipe
• Ninja Foodi Oatmeal
• Frozen Chicken Thighs In The Ninja Foodi Made With Lemon And Garlic
• Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts With Bacon Recipe

Print This Easy Air Fryer Chicken Legs Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup of flour
• 2 tablespoons of garlic salt
• 3 tablespoons of BBQ seasoning 
• 1 tablespoon of pepper 
• 1 tablespoon of paprika 
• cooking spray
• 12 chicken legs

Instructions

Grab a large plate and combine your flour, seasoning, salt, and pepper. Combine. Then grab your cooking spray and give the inside of your Ninja Foodi a good coating. 

Next, wash your chicken then spray each chicken drumstick with cooking spray as well. This will help the flour mixture stick to the skin of the bird. 

After you cover each drumstick, place it onto the bottom of your Air Fryer piece in the Ninja Foodi. Fit in as many as you can. I think in my first batch I was able to fit 5 or 6. This recipe required me to cook two batches. 

Set the Ninja Foodi to Air Fryer, 400, and 25 minutes. At the 12 minute mark, open up the top and flip your chicken pieces and respray with cooking spray. This will give you that little extra crunch that we are all looking for! Close the lid and continue to cook. 

When the timer ends, open the lid and take your chicken out. If you'd like the legs to be a bit crisper you can cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 544Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 329mgSodium: 1104mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 64g