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Do you fancy a delicious BBQ chicken dinner ready in about 30 minutes? Then you've come to the right place!
I'm delighted to show you how you can create this quick and easy dinner in your air fryer.
So get ready to enjoy some finger licking good barbecue chicken drumsticks!
Why You Will Love This Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Recipe
You will absolutely love this Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Recipe because:
- These bbq chicken drumsticks are DELISH! The chicken is tender and juicy and when coated in your favorite barbecue sauce it is irresistable!
- Making this in your air fryer is super EASY! You'll definitely want to file this under your "easy chicken recipes" recipe category.
- You only need 3 ingredients and your air fryer and you're ready to go!
- You'll have a delicious chicken dinner on your table in about 30 minutes.
So now let me tell you what ingredients you will need for this easy recipe!
🥘 Ingredients
As has been noted, you will only need 3 simple ingredients to make this air fryer chicken recipe. They are:
- Chicken drumsticks - try to select drumsticks that are similar in size to each other so they can be finished at the same time
- Dry rub - use your favorite dry rub for this dish
- Barbecue sauce - use your favorite barbecue sauce
And that's all you will need for this delicious recipe! Oh by the way, as you can see oil is not listed as one of the ingredients! However, if you want you can rub a little olive oil onto the drumsticks prior to adding the dry rub.
If you don't have a dry rub available, you can simply season with what you have on hand. Some suggestions are salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
🔪 Super Easy Instructions
Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Then liberally season the drumsticks with your favorite dry rub.
Now place the drumsticks in a single layer in your air fryer basket. It's important that they are in a single layer and try not to crowd them. You will need to cook the chicken in batches if you have more chicken than will fit in a single layer in your air fryer.
Parchment paper is optional. If you'd like to line your basket with parchment paper that's absolutely fine.
If your air fryer requires preheating, then set it to 350F and let it preheat for a few minutes (without parchment paper) until you reach the desired temperature.
Cook the drumsticks in your air fryer for around 20 minutes at 350F. After 20 minutes, use an instant read meat thermometer to get the internal temperature of the chicken to get an idea of how much longer you may need to cook the chicken to reach a target internal temperature of 170F.
You can also use a MEATER + wireless meat thermometer which will guide you as to how long you actually need to cook the chicken to get your desired results (more about this below). If you are using a MEATER + thermometer then insert it prior to cooking and use it as a guideline to fine tune your cooking time.
Now baste the all sides of the drumsticks with your fave barbecue sauce. Most likely you will baste the chicken as you find it in the air fryer basket, then turn it over with tongs and baste the other side.
Leave it on the flip side to cook for somewhere up to 10 additional minutes (see below). Baste it once more when finished. Slather that sauce on your chicken to your heart's content!
Target Internal Temperature For Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
I mention cooking up to 10 additional minutes because there are variations amongst different air fryers so you may need to adjust your cooking time just a bit. Additionally your chicken pieces may be larger or smaller than the chicken pieces I used for this recipe. Feel free to open up your air fryer at any time to check on your chicken.
The most important thing is to be sure to cook until the internal temp reaches around 170F. If it hasn't reached this temperature, return the drumsticks to cook at 350F for a few more minutes.
You can use an instant read meat thermometer, or I recommend the MEATER + Wireless Meat Thermometer for best results. The MEATER + Thermometer can be used inside your air fryer and will stay inserted in your chicken during the cook time.
The MEATER Meat Thermometer is a wireless blue tooth enabled thermometer which I now find indispensable. You can set your desired temperature using the MEATER app and it will tell you when your food is ready. It's a game changer!
If you are using the MEATER, then insert it at the beginning of the 20 minute cooking time. Follow the MEATER guidelines to help you adjust the cooking time to get the best results for your bbq drumsticks.
What To Serve With Your BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Your delicious Air Fryer BBQ Chicken pairs well with all of your favorite side dishes! Some I'd like to recommend are Southern Macaroni Salad, Refreshing Southern Cucumber Salad, and Delicious and Hearty Pink Beans.
I hope you will agree with me that these drumsticks are finger licking delicious!
FAQ
Yes! Your air fryer does a great job of cooking raw chicken to the perfect temperature that you desire!
Your air fryer is a great appliance to use for creating some delicious drumsticks! When cooking drumsticks in the air fryer, you actually don't need any oil (as in this recipe) so it's healthier too!
350F is a good temperature to cook chicken drumsticks in your air fryer. The air fryer is like a convection oven so it's best not to use a temperature that is too high as you won't achieve best results.
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Super Easy Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Equipment
- instant read meat thermometer
- MEATER + meat thermometer optional but it's a game changer for when you cook meat!
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken drumsticks keep the skin on and try to select drumsticks that are roughly the same size
- 2 tablespoon dry rub use your favorite dry rub for this dish; season the chicken very liberally with the dry rub; also see notes below for suggestions on seasonings to use if you don't have a dry rub available
- ¾ cup barbecue sauce use your favorite bbq sauce for this dish; may need to adjust the quantity of sauce called for in this recipe to your needs
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Then liberally season the drumsticks with your favorite dry rub. Now place the drumsticks in a single layer in your air fryer basket. It's important that they are in a single layer and try not to crowd them. You will need to cook the chicken in batches if you have more chicken than will fit in a single layer in your air fryer. If you like, you can line your basket with parchment paper.
- If your air fryer requires preheating, then set it to 350F and let it preheat for a few minutes (without parchment paper) until you reach the desired temperature. Cook the drumsticks in your air fryer for around 20 minutes at 350F. (If you are using a MEATER thermometer then insert it prior to cooking and use it as a guideline to fine tune your cooking time). After 20 minutes, use an instant read meat thermometer to get the internal temperature of the chicken (if not using the MEATER).
- Now baste the all sides of the drumsticks with your fave barbecue sauce. Most likely you will baste the chicken as you find it in the air fryer basket, then turn the drumsticks over with tongs and baste the other side. Leave it on the flip side to cook for somewhere up to 10 additional minutes to an internal temperature of 170F. (See notes below).
- Baste it once more when finished. Slather that sauce on your chicken to your heart's content!
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