Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Legs: Quick, Easy Cooking

Cooking frozen chicken legs in an air fryer is a quick and easy way to prepare a tasty meal. The cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken legs and how crispy you like your skin, but it should take between 15 and 30 minutes. You can also add a sauce to your chicken legs, which will add to the cooking time.

How to season chicken legs for the air fryer

To season chicken legs for the air fryer, first pat the legs dry with paper towels. Place them in a large bowl and coat them with oil. Then, rub them with a seasoning mixture to cover them all over. You can use any seasoning you like, such as salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, or a pre-made blend. Make sure to season generously, as some of the seasoning will fall off during cooking.

Once the chicken legs are seasoned, place them in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Do not overcrowd the basket, as this will prevent the chicken from cooking evenly. If you have a lot of chicken legs, you may need to cook them in batches.

Set your air fryer to 360°F and cook the chicken legs for 15 minutes. Then, sprinkle a third of your seasoning on top, flip the legs over, and top with another third of seasoning. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the legs. Use tongs to flip the legs over carefully, as they will be hot.

Finally, spray the tops of the chicken legs with olive oil and sprinkle on the remaining seasoning. If desired, you can also brush on some BBQ sauce or another sauce of your choice. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the chicken is crispy on the outside and has an internal temperature of 165°F. Always use a digital meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken to ensure it is safe to eat.

How to get crispy skin on chicken legs in the air fryer

To get crispy skin on chicken legs in the air fryer, first spray the inside of the basket with olive oil. Place the frozen chicken legs in the basket and set the air fryer to 360°F. Cook for 15 minutes, then flip the chicken legs over and cook for another 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken legs. Spray the tops with olive oil and cook for another 5 minutes or until crispy on the outside and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. You can also increase the cooking temperature to 400°F for 3-5 minutes towards the end of the cooking time to get crispy skin.

To ensure the chicken is cooked evenly, make sure to flip it over halfway through the cooking time. You can also pat the chicken legs dry with paper towels before placing them in the air fryer basket. This will help to remove any excess moisture and promote crispy skin.

When seasoning the chicken legs, place them in a large bowl and coat them with oil and your desired seasoning mixture. Rub the seasoning all over the chicken legs to ensure an even coating. Then, place the chicken legs in the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure not to overcrowd the basket.

Cook the chicken legs for a total of 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through or until the skin is crispy and the chicken is cooked through. You can also brush the chicken legs with barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, or hot sauce 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

Always use a digital meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken legs. The minimum safe temperature for chicken is 165°F.

How to cook chicken legs evenly in the air fryer

To cook chicken legs evenly in an air fryer, first spray the inside of the basket with olive oil. Place the frozen chicken legs in the basket and set the air fryer to 360°F. Cook for 15 minutes, then flip the chicken legs over and add seasoning. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken legs. Use tongs to flip the chicken legs over again, then spray the tops with olive oil and add the remaining seasoning. If you want to add barbecue sauce, brush some on now. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the outside is crispy and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

It's important to note that you should not overcrowd the air fryer basket. If necessary, cook the chicken legs in batches. To ensure even cooking, flip the chicken legs over halfway through the cooking time. If you want crispy skin, you can increase the cooking temperature to 400°F for 3-5 minutes towards the end of the cooking time.

Always use a digital meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken legs. The minimum internal temperature should be 165°F. You can also pat the chicken legs dry with paper towels before cooking, and coat them with oil and seasoning before placing them in the air fryer basket.

Cooking times may vary depending on the size of the chicken legs. For smaller chicken legs, cook for closer to 18 minutes. For larger chicken legs, cook for closer to 22 minutes.

How to know when chicken legs are cooked in the air fryer

To know when chicken legs are cooked in the air fryer, you should use a digital meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature has reached 165°F. You should insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. You can also check that the skin is crispy and the meat is cooked through.

To cook frozen chicken legs in an air fryer, first spray the inside of the basket with olive oil. Then place the chicken legs in the basket and set the air fryer to 360°F. Cook for 15 minutes, then flip the chicken legs over and sprinkle with seasoning. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken legs. Use tongs to flip the chicken legs over again, then spray the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining seasoning. If you want to add barbecue sauce, brush some on now. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until the outside is crispy and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

If you want crispy skin, you can increase the cooking temperature to 400°F/200°C for the last 3-5 minutes of cooking time. You can also coat the chicken legs in sauce 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

It's important not to overcrowd the air fryer basket. If necessary, cook the chicken legs in batches.

How to cook frozen chicken legs in the air fryer without defrosting them first

You can cook frozen chicken legs in an air fryer without defrosting them first. First, spray the inside of the basket with olive oil. Then, place the frozen chicken legs in the basket. Set the air fryer to 360°F and cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, sprinkle a third of your seasoning on top, then flip the chicken legs over and add another third of seasoning. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken legs. Use tongs to flip the chicken legs over, then spray the tops with olive oil and sprinkle the remaining seasoning on top. If you want to add barbecue sauce, brush some on now. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until the chicken is crispy on the outside and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. You can also increase the temperature to 400°F for the last 3-5 minutes of cooking to get crispy skin. Always use a digital meat thermometer to check that the chicken has reached a minimum internal temperature of 165°F.

Frequently asked questions