These quick and easy air fryer buffalo drumsticks make the best weeknight meal. Ready in under 30 minutes, these spicy drumsticks only need a few pantry staple ingredients, and have the most delicious crispy skin. They're also gluten free and low carb.
Jump to:
I think I'm making it pretty clear that my family and I love anything buffalo chicken! From chicken salad to crispy tenders, we want it spicy.
My family loves to eat drumsticks because they're so flavorful, juicy, and a fairly inexpensive cut of chicken. The grocery store near me usually sells them for $1.29 a pound, which is a fantastic price for anyone on a budget. This easy protein also pairs well with almost any healthy side dish, like smashed potatoes, crispy zucchini, or air fryer frozen broccoli.
These air fryer buffalo drumsticks truly are one of the best weeknight dinners you can make. They're healthy, gluten free, low carb, and ready in under 30 minutes, which is an essential for these busy days. I hope your family loves them as much as mine, enjoy!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE AIR FRYER BUFFALO DRUMSTICKS
EQUIPMENT:
- Air fryer
- Large mixing bowl
- Tongs
- Small saucepan
INGREDIENTS:
- Chicken drumsticks: These are a delicious and inexpensive cut of chicken that are hard to overcook
- Baking powder: This helps to achieve that crispy skin
- Spices: I just used garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika to give a little extra flavor
- Buffalo sauce: You can use homemade, or store bought- I like Primal Kitchen
HOW TO MAKE BUFFALO DRUMSTICKS IN THE AIR FRYER
- Preheat air fryer to 380 degrees F
- Lay your chicken drumsticks out on a piece of parchment paper and pat them dry with a paper towel
- Add the dried chicken legs to a large mixing bowl and season with baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika
- Use tongs to place the seasoned chicken legs in a single layer into your preheated air fryer basket and cook for 22-24 minutes, flipping halfway through
- While the drumsticks are cooking, heat up your buffalo sauce in a small saucepan on the stove over medium low heat
- Once the chicken legs are done cooking, use tongs to transfer them to a clean mixing bowl and toss with the warm buffalo sauce
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
STORING AIR FRYER BUFFALO DRUMSTICKS
You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To use leftovers, you can eat them cold, pick the chicken off and use in a salad, reheat in the air fryer at 350 F for 3-4 minutes or in the microwave, covered, for 1-2 minutes.
EXPERT TIPS AND TRICKS
- Pat the chicken dry to help get that crispy skin
- Be sure to flip them halfway through the cooking time
- Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature reaches 165 F
- Cooking time will vary based on air fryer brands
- Leave the buffalo sauce off if you have kids and serve it on the side
- Serve immediately for best results
FAQs
This recipe is designed to use thawed chicken legs, so the cooking time is based on that ingredient. You can cook frozen drumsticks in the air fryer, but they take 35-40 minutes to cook at 360 F.
If you don't have an air fryer you can make baked buffalo drumsticks! To do that, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F, then place the seasoned chicken legs on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes.
If I'm not using homemade sauce, I like to buy Primal Kitchen or Sweet Baby Ray's buffalo sauces.
When I make these, I usually serve them with potato salad and cut veggies. But you can also pair buffalo chicken legs with salad, roasted zucchini, air fryer corn, or chips with salsa or guacamole!
MORE RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE
- Crispy air fryer drumsticks
- Air fryer chicken leg quarters
- BBQ chicken wings
- Healthy buffalo chicken quesadilla
- Dairy free buffalo chicken dip
Did you make my easy air fryer buffalo drumsticks? If you did, I would appreciate you leaving a comment and star rating down below. Additionally, follow me on Instagram and tag me if you make this or any other of my easy air fryer recipes!
PrintQuick Air Fryer Buffalo Drumsticks
These delicious air fryer buffalo drumsticks are quick, healthy, and packed with flavor. You'll just love the crispy skin, juicy meat, and the fact that they're gluten free and low carb!
- Prep Time: 5 Minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 3 Servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken drumsticks
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ cup buffalo sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees F
- Lay the chicken drumsticks out on a piece of parchment paper and pat them dry with a paper towel
- Place the dried chicken legs into a large mixing bowl and season with baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika
- Use tongs to place the seasoned legs in a single layer into your preheated air fryer basket and cook for 22-24 minutes, flipping halfway through
- While the drumsticks are cooking, heat up your buffalo sauce in a small saucepan on the stove over medium low heat
- Once the air fryer chicken legs are done cooking, use tongs to carefully transfer them to a large, clean bowl and toss with the warm buffalo sauce
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Pat the chicken dry to help get that crispy skin
- Be sure to flip them halfway through the cooking time
- Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature reaches 165 F
- Cooking time will vary based on air fryer brands
- Leave the buffalo sauce off if you have kids and serve it on the side
- Serve immediately for best results
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days
Keywords: air fryer buffalo chicken legs, buffalo chicken legs air fryer, buffalo drumsticks air fryer
Leave a Reply