Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks are tender, juicy, and so delicious! These chicken legs are cooked in the air fryer until perfectly crispy, then slathered in a sweet BBQ sauce. This easy to make recipe can be served any time of year no matter the season!
Like air fryer chicken recipes? Try my popular Air Fryer Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Drumsticks or Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloins next!
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Recipe Video:
Why You Will Love This Recipe:
- These air fryer BBQ chicken legs are sticky and finger licking good without the need to use a grill! Enjoy tasty BBQ all year round no matter the weather.
- This family friendly recipe can be customized using your favorite BBQ sauce, whether it be sweet, spicy, or both! Some of my family’s favorites BBQ flavors are sweet, mustard based, and sweet and spicy.
- It’s quick and easy. These BBQ chicken drumsticks require little prep time and are ready in just 20 minutes. This is the perfect recipe to add to your dinner rotation. Pair them with a side of air fryer corn on the cob and air fryer loaded baked potatoes for a complete meal. Keep reading below to learn how to make the best BBQ chicken drumsticks in the air fryer.
Q&A:
Yes, see my instructions on how to make air fryer BBQ chicken drumsticks from frozen below.
Absolutely! You can use different cuts of chicken for this recipe. Just be sure to cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
These chicken drumsticks can be seasoned and marinated in the refrigerator up to 24 hours in advance.
What To Serve With Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks:
- Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
- Air Fryer Frozen Green Beans
- Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
- Creamy Cajun Corn Recipe
- Air Fryer Loaded Baked Potato
Equipment Needed:
Ingredients (Full recipe located in recipe card below):
- Chicken Drumsticks - I prefer to use medium sized drumsticks and not the super large ones.
- Brown Sugar - Adds extra flavor and crispiness to the chicken. You can omit if you can't have sugar.
- BBQ Sauce - I used Sweet Baby Ray’s Hickory and Brown Sugar BBQ sauce. I usually alternate between the different flavors that Sweet Baby Ray’s has. My favorites are sweet and spicy, hickory and brown sugar, sweet and spicy, and sweet golden mustard. Feel free to use your favorite BBQ sauce.
- Seasonings: salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder.
Air Fryer Instructions:
1. To a large bowl, add the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and brown sugar. Stir until well blended.
2. Add the chicken legs to the bowl and toss until well coated.
3. Spray or brush the air fryer basket with cooking oil.
4. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. This should only take 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Once the air fryer is ready, add the chicken drumsticks to the air fryer in a single layer and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, flip the chicken and cook for another 6 minutes.
6. Open the air fryer and brush all sides of the chicken legs with BBQ sauce. Air fry the chicken for another 2 minutes until the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Remove chicken from air fryer, let cool, then enjoy!
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks From Frozen:
1. Place the chicken drumsticks in a large Ziploc bag and top with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and brown sugar. Close the Ziploc bag and shake until the chicken is well coated.
2. Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Once the air fryer is ready, add the frozen chicken drumsticks to the air fryer in a single layer. Cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, flip the chicken and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
4. Open the air fryer and brush all sides of the chicken legs with BBQ sauce. Turn the air fryer up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and air fry the chicken for another 2 minutes until the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Remove chicken from air fryer, let cool, then enjoy!
Recipe Variations And Substitutions:
- Use your favorite store-bought BBQ sauce in this recipe or you can make your own.
- Use smoked paprika for the best flavor, but regular paprika can be used in its place if that’s what you have on hand.
Storage And Reheating Instructions:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in a preheated air fryer of 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 to 5 minutes until thoroughly heated.
Pro Tips:
- The air fryer used to test this recipe was the Instant Vortex Plus 6 quart. Since all air fryers cook differently, you may need to adjust the timing specific to the air fryer you are using.
- The USDA recommends that all chicken be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit as measured by an internal food thermometer.
Try These Easy Air Fryer Recipes Next!
- Easy Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks + Video
- Easy Air Fryer Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs + Video
- Easy Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloins + Video
- Easy Air Fryer Fried Chicken without Buttermilk + Video
- Easy Air Fryer Marinated Chicken Tenderloins + Video
- Easy Air Fryer Brown Sugar Chicken Thighs + Video
- Easy Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenders (no breading) + Video
- Easy Air Fryer Thin Boneless Pork Chops (no breading)
Easy Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 chicken drumsticks
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ¼ cup bbq sauce
Instructions
Air Fryer Instructions:
- To a large bowl, add the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and brown sugar. Stir until well blended.
- Add the chicken legs to the bowl and toss until well coated.
- Spray or brush the air fryer basket with cooking oil.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. This should only take 2 to 3 minutes.
- Once the air fryer is ready, add the chicken drumsticks to the air fryer in a single layer and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, flip the chicken and cook for another 6 minutes.
- Open the air fryer and brush all sides of the chicken legs with BBQ sauce. Air fry the chicken for another 2 minutes until the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove chicken from air fryer, let cool, then enjoy!
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks From Frozen:
- Place the chicken drumsticks in a large Ziploc bag and top with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and brown sugar. Close the Ziploc bag and shake until the chicken is well coated.
- Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once the air fryer is ready, add the frozen chicken drumsticks to the air fryer in a single layer. Cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, flip the chicken and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
- Open the air fryer and brush all sides of the chicken legs with BBQ sauce. Turn the air fryer up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and air fry the chicken for another 2 minutes until the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove chicken from air fryer, let cool, then enjoy!
Notes
Storage And Reheating Instructions:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in a preheated air fryer of 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 to 5 minutes until thoroughly heated.
- The air fryer used to test this recipe was the Instant Vortex Plus 6 quart. Since all air fryers cook differently, you may need to adjust the timing specific to the air fryer you are using.
- The USDA recommends that all chicken be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit as measured by an internal food thermometer.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate. For accurate nutritional information you should refer to the nutritional labels on the packages of the specific ingredients that you used.
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Jammie says
Made these last night! I love your recipes. So easy! Tastes just like bbq chicken made on the grill.
Jennifer Z says
Just made for my family for lunch. So easy and delicious!
Ivory says
Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.