Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

You won’t miss the grill with these easy air fryer BBQ chicken drumsticks! They’re crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and slathered in delicious BBQ sauce. You only need four ingredients to make them, and they’re ready in just 25 minutes!

These air fryer BBQ chicken drumsticks are my current dinner obsession. I love using the air fryer as an easy alternative to the oven, and these chicken legs have quickly become one of my go-to weeknight meals. They come out juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and coated in bold BBQ flavor that goes with just about any side I serve.

What really sells me on this recipe is how simple it is. I lightly coat the drumsticks in olive oil, toss them with a BBQ seasoning for smoky-sweet flavor, then let the air fryer do its thing. A brush of my favorite BBQ sauce for chicken at the end gives them that sticky, saucy finish without any extra effort. It’s the kind of easy dinner I find myself making on repeat.

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Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks Recipe

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 25 minutes mins

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You won't miss the grill with these easy air fryer BBQ chicken drumsticks! They're crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and slathered in delicious BBQ sauce. You only need four ingredients to make them, and they're ready in just 25 minutes!

6

Ingredients

• ▢ 6 chicken drumsticks
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons BBQ seasoning
• ▢ ½ cup BBQ sauce

Instructions 

• Preheat your air fryer using the preheat function or by heating it at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes. Pat the chicken drumsticks dry with a paper towel and then brush them on all sides with olive oil. Sprinkle them evenly with BBQ seasoning. 
  6 chicken drumsticks, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons BBQ seasoning
  
• Carefully place the chicken drumsticks in the hot air fryer, making sure that they are not touching, and cook for 10 minutes. 
  
• Brush the tops of the chicken drumsticks with BBQ sauce, flip them over, and brush the second side with BBQ sauce. Cook for an additional 8-10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
  ½ cup BBQ sauce
  
• Allow the chicken to rest in the air fryer for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy immediately with your favorite sides. 
  

Video

Notes

We love chicken drumsticks for this recipe, but you can swap them for your favorite cut. Boneless skinless chicken breasts will need about 8 minutes per side while bone-in skin-on chicken thighs will need about 12 minutes per side.

If you don’t have store-bought BBQ seasoning on hand, you can make this quick dry rub: 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 drumstick, Calories: 218kcal (11%), Carbohydrates: 13g (4%), Protein: 14g (28%), Fat: 12g (18%), Saturated Fat: 3g (19%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 70mg (23%), Sodium: 326mg (14%), Potassium: 258mg (7%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 8g (9%), Vitamin A: 218IU (4%), Vitamin C: 1mg (1%), Calcium: 65mg (7%), Iron: 2mg (11%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.

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