Air Fryer
Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
Crisp reddish-golden skin and meat that pulls off the bone, in 22 minutes. Why the skin goes dry before the oil, and the spacing that decides whether it crisps at all.
Ingredients
- 8 chicken drumsticks (about 1kg), skin on
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp piri piri seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
Method
- Pat the drumsticks completely dry with kitchen paper. Wet skin steams instead of crisping.
- Rub them all over with the olive oil, then rub in the piri piri seasoning and salt, working it into the skin.
- Lay them in the air fryer basket in a single layer with space between each one.
- Air fry at 200°C (390°F) for 11 minutes.
- Turn them over with tongs and cook for another 11 minutes.
- Check the thickest part, away from the bone, reads at least 75°C (165°F). If not, give them 3 more minutes and check again.
- Rest for 3 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Both sources treat the oil as optional — the skin will crisp without it. It is there to help the seasoning stick and to brown more evenly.
- Timing varies with size: 20-22 minutes for smaller drumsticks, 22-25 for large ones. Go by the thermometer, not the clock.
- Space between them is what decides whether the skin crisps. A crowded basket steams. Cook in two batches rather than stacking.
- Swap the piri piri for cajun, jerk, curry powder or plain smoked paprika — the method is identical whichever you use.
- 75°C (165°F) is the UK food standard for poultry. Dark meat is forgiving above it and many cooks take drumsticks to 80°C (175°F) for a softer texture.
- Air fryer models vary. Treat the times as a guide, go by colour and crispness, and adjust the seasoning to your taste.
Watch it
More Air Fryer Chicken
Air fryer models vary in power and basket size, so treat the times here as a guide — go by colour and crispness rather than the clock, and adjust the seasoning and glaze to your taste.
Recipe source: Method corroborated across published UK air-fryer recipes: Liana's Kitchen (lianaskitchen.co.uk) and Flawless Food (flawlessfood.co.uk). Drumsticks patted dry, lightly oiled, rubbed with a dry seasoning and air fried at 200°C (390°F) for roughly 20-25 minutes, turned halfway, to an internal temperature of 74-75°C (165°F). Liana's Kitchen specify 22-25 minutes, Flawless Food 20-22 with a 3-minute rest; both treat oil as optional and both list piri piri among the seasonings, which is the version given here.