Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Drumsticks
My Air fryer frozen chicken drumsticks recipe will show you how to cook frozen chicken legs in the air fryer, how long to cook, tips, and more. With this easy and quick recipe, the drumsticks come out flavorful, juicy inside, and tender with crispy skin.
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
This air fryer frozen chicken drumsticks recipe is a time saver for when you forget to thaw chicken and you need to make a delicious, quick dinner for the family.
You can cook frozen chicken legs in your air fryer, and it comes out great, just as if you are cooking it from fresh.
For this post, I have used raw frozen chicken drumsticks that were not preseasoned nor breaded; however, you can use any of those too.
I used a few simple herbs and spices to season the chicken before cooking them to perfection. Cooking frozen chicken in
Frozen chicken is budget-friendly and handy to have in the freezer, and this recipe is quick, with a cooking time of under 40 minutes.
Related – Air fryer frozen chicken thighs, Frozen chicken wings in air fryer.
Ingredients You Will Need
Chicken legs – Use chicken drumsticks or leg quarters
Paprika – I like to use this for my chicken seasoning. You can use the smoked one.
Onion granules – Use onion powder if that’s what’s available.
Garlic granules – Substitute with garlic powder
Parsley
Pepper– Use black pepper, cayenne pepper, chilli flakes, or any type of pepper you prefer.
Salt
Olive oil
Sauce – This is optional. Some sauces you can use are BBQ sauce, teriyaki sauce, honey soy sauce. I didn’t add any for this post, but i use them regularly when making this recipe.
How To Cook Frozen Chicken Drumsticks In in Air fryer
Bring out the raw frozen drumsticks from the freezer. If there’s a lot of ice on it, rinse it under the tap to deglaze.
Make the marinade by mixing the paprika, parsley, onion, garlic granules, black pepper, salt, and oil.
Rub the deglazed chicken drumsticks with the marinade. Make sure that all the parts are covered with the marinade.
Arrange the chicken legs in the air fryer basket. Don’t overlap them.
Set the air fryer to 200C/400F and cook the drumsticks for 15 minutes, bring out the basket, flip the drumsticks, and air fry for another 15 minutes.
If using sauce like bbq sauce, teriyaki or, honey soy, brush on the drumsticks and air fry for another 5 minutes.
Bring out the air fryer basket, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes then serve.
How Long To Cook Frozen Chicken legs in Air fryer
How long to cook frozen chicken legs in the air fryer depends on the size of the chicken, and the temperature at which you cook it. Below is a guide you can follow.
Frozen chicken drumsticks – When air fried at a temperature of 200C/400F, it will take at least 30 minutes to cook average-sized frozen drumsticks.
Frozen chicken leg quarters – For medium-sized, this will take between 35 – 40 minutes at a temperature of 180C.
Tips
- If the drumsticks are stuck together, run them under water to separate them into individual pieces before seasoning.
- If you are unable to separate them by just running them under water, air fry chicken legs for 4 minutes, then separate them into individual pieces, season, and continue to air fry till they are cooked.
- The pepper quantity stated in this recipe is a guide and can be adjusted to how hot you like your food.
- The oil added to the seasoning ensures that the seasoning sticks to the frozen chicken.
- If using sauce like bbq sauce or honey soy sauce to glaze, add it in the last 5 minutes as instructed. If added earlier, it will cause the chicken to brown quickly and might burn on the outside.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket, as air needs to circulate in the air fryer for even cooking. Place the frozen drumsticks in a flat single layer. Don’t overlap them.
- Air fryer brands vary and so does their timing, so you might have to adjust the temperature of your air fryer and it might require you to cook for longer.
- If unsure if the chicken is cooked to a safe standard, then check the internal temperature with an instant-read meat thermometer. If it is at least 165F/75C, it is safe to eat.
More Chicken Recipes
Air fryer chicken and vegetables
Chicken breast in tomato sauce
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Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 7 pieces Frozen chicken drumsticks
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon Onion granules
- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic granules
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons Oil Olive, sunflower or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Bring out the raw frozen drumsticks from the freezer. If there's a lot of ice on it, rinse under the tap to deglaze.
- Make the marinade by mixing the paprika, parsley, onion, garlic granules, black pepper, salt, and oil.
- Rub the deglazed chicken drumsticks with the marinade. Make sure that all the parts are covered with the marinade.Arrange the chicken legs in the air fryer basket. Don't overlap them.
- Set the air fryer to 180C/360F and cook the drumsticks for 15 minutes, bring out the basket, flip the drumsticks, and air fry for another 15 minutes.
- If using sauce like bbq sauce, teriyaki or, honey soy, brush on the drumsticks and air fry for another 5 minutes.
- Bring out the air fryer basket, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes then serve.
Notes
- If the drumsticks are stuck together, run them under water to separate them into individual pieces before seasoning.
- If you are unable to separate them by just running them under water, air fry chicken legs for 4 minutes, then separate them into individual pieces, season, and continue to air fry till they are cooked.
- The pepper quantity stated in this recipe is a guide and can be adjusted to how hot you like your food.
- The oil added to the seasoning ensures that the seasoning sticks to the frozen chicken.
- If using sauce like bbq sauce or honey soy sauce to glaze, add it in the last 5 minutes as instructed. If added earlier, it will cause the chicken to brown quickly and might burn on the outside.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket, as air needs to circulate in the air fryer for even cooking. Place the frozen drumsticks in a flat single layer. Don’t overlap them.
- Air fryer brands vary and so does their timing, so you might have to adjust the temperature of your air fryer and it might require you to cook for longer.
- If unsure if the chicken is cooked to a safe standard, then check the internal temperature with an instant-read meat thermometer. If it is at least 165F/75C, it is safe to eat.
They are delicious 😋
Thank you for the feedback.
I will be making this recipe this week, probably. It looks simple and the end product pic looks delicious … I have the Emeril Lagasse 360 XL Air Fryer, I will test the timing & doneness, but I feel positive I will have no problem. Thanks for sharing this recipe
Thank you! Looking forward to read from you when you’ve tried the recipe.
Tried this tonight and it was delicious! This recipe is a keeper!
Happy to read this! Thank you Bella for the feedback.
Made the chicken legs last night but we love Indian Tandoori chicken and your air fryer timing was perfect. Just sliced small slits in the chicken, rubbed tandoori paste all over the chicken and marinated overnight. Thanks again for such great instructions and timing….
Hi Patti, Thanks so much for the feedback.
These were so yummy. Had no idea I could air fry frozen drumsticks. Thank you for sharing. I will definitely make these again.
Thank you for the feedback:)