This is the best air fryer chicken drumsticks you will ever make! Chicken legs marinated in honey soy sauce then air fried until tender and juicy. This recipe is a crowd-pleaser and It would be ready in 20 minutes.
No breading, no egg washing, just a simple and easy straight to the point recipe. You will love this one, let me show you how to make it in easy steps
Air fryer chicken legs recipe with no breading
This honey soy air fryer chicken is one recipe that is after my heart. I love it so much that I am sharing it with you. You really don’t want to know how many times I have made it already since I bought my air fryer. This little gadget just like my instant pot is used almost every day now. It is so convenient and easy to clean up too.
There is no messing about in the kitchen with this recipe, everything comes together so quickly that once you perfect this recipe, you will no longer be measuring the marinate ingredients again. A three-step recipe you will absolutely love.
The chicken leg is one of the easiest and forgivable cuts of chicken to make in an air fryer, you can hardly go wrong with it or overcook it. It is juicy and able to withstand all sort of heat thrown at it. That is why it’s one of the most common meats found at a BBQ party.
On that note, if you are one of those that only use their air fryer to cook frozen chips, nuggets and the likes, you need to stop! Making fresh food from scratch like this chicken drumsticks is very easy and quick.
Related post: if you are loving the idea of today's recipe then you will love my easy baked chicken drumsticks.
Why you will love this recipe
- It is affordable and uses simple everyday ingredients.
- Packed full of flavour.
- No breading or deep frying needed.
- Cooks faster than when its oven baked.
- It is healthy
Air fryer chicken legs ingredients
Chicken drumsticks: you can also substitute this for chicken legs or quarters (this is a combination of chicken leg and thigh)
Honey
Dark soy sauce
Ginger powder and garlic powder
Black pepper: this can be substituted for white pepper.
Vegetable oil: In case you are wondering if you needed oil in this recipe, the answer is yes. I only used about ½ tablespoon for this recipe, this will help give the chicken a beautiful finish when it is cooked.
How to make the best chicken drumstick in the air fryer
Start by making the marinade: to a small mixing bowl, add honey, soy sauce, ginger powder, garlic powder, vegetable oil and mix together until well incorporated.
Put the chicken legs in a big mixing bowl or a Ziploc bag, pour the marinade over the chicken reserving about 1 ½ tablespoon for later. Cover the bowl with a cling film and marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours if time is not of the essence. (If you have just brought the chicken out of the fridge, you can leave it to marinate on the countertop if you would be marinating for just 30 minutes. Anything over that, please, put it back in the fridge and bring it out about 15 minutes before you cook)
Preheat the air fryer at 180C/356F for 5 minutes, arrange the marinated chicken in the air fryer basket and cook for an initial 10 minutes. Remove the air fryer basket then brush the remaining marinade all over the chicken, flip and brush until you have exhausted the marinade. Place the basket back in the air fryer and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. The chicken should be cooked for a total of 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken to a plate, garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds, serve and enjoy!
What to serve with chicken drumsticks
If you are wondering what to eat this chicken with, below are some ideas of what to pair them with if you are not serving as a party finger food.
Pan fried gnocchi with spinach
Tips
- Let the sizes of the chicken legs guide you for how long to cook it for. I try to buy or select chicken that are of equal sizes when cooking so that they can cook evenly and in a timely manner too. Start checking on the chicken from 15 minutes, but the best way to know if your chicken is cooked is by using an instant thermometer.
- Let’s talk about air fryer drumsticks cooking time: It is also important to note that the cooking temperature used to cook the chicken would also determine how long you will cook them for. If cooking at a temperature higher than 180C/356F then I will recommend you start checking from 12 minutes.
- Don’t cook this chicken on high temperature because of the sticky marinade used, it will burn the outer part of the chicken quickly which may result in an undercooked chicken.
- You will be left with some marinade that the chicken sits in, please do not use this again on the chicken. Discard it, that is why the recipe states that you reserve some of the unused marinade to baste the chicken with later.
FAQs
Can this be made ahead?
Yes, you can marinade the chicken for up to 24 hours in the fridge. Make sure it is stored at the right temperature. The cooked chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Can you cook raw chicken in the air fryer?
Yes, you can. You can cook chicken in the air fryer from raw. Make sure you check the temperature before consuming. The internal temperature of cook chicken should read 165F/73F when you use an instant meat thermometer.
More air fryer recipes
How to cook chicken breast in air fryer
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Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 8 chicken drumsticks substitute this for chicken legs or quarters, this is a combination of chicken leg and thigh
- ⅓ cup Honey
- ¼ cup dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper substitute for white pepper.
- ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Start by making the marinade: to a small mixing bowl, add honey, soy sauce, ginger powder, garlic powder, vegetable oil and mix together until well incorporated.
- Put the chicken legs in a big mixing bowl or a Ziploc bag, pour the marinade over the chicken reserving about 1 ½ tablespoon for later. Cover the bowl with a cling film and marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours if time is not of the essence. (If you have just brought the chicken out of the fridge, you can leave it to marinate on the countertop if you would be marinating for just 30 minutes. Anything over that, please, put it back in the fridge and bring it out about 15 minutes before you cook)
- Preheat the air fryer at 180C/356F for 5 minutes, arrange the marinated chicken in the air fryer basket and cook for an initial 10 minutes. Remove the air fryer basket then brush the remaining marinade all over the chicken, flip and brush until you have exhausted the marinade. Place the basket back in the air fryer and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. The chicken should be cooked for a total of 20 minutes.
- Remove the chicken to a plate, serve and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional data: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use. Under no circumstances will thedinnerbite.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE RATE IT AND LEAVE ME A COMMENT. USE #THEDINNERBITE OR TAG @THEDINNERBITE ON INSTAGRAM SO I CAN SEE YOUR PHOTOS, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR CREATIONS. THANK YOU!
Denise B. says
Can the chicken that is marinating be frozen in the marinade?
Ajoke says
Yes, you can freeze raw chicken with marinade.