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    You are here: Home » Air Fryer Recipes » Best Damn Air Fryer Greek Chicken Legs

    Best Damn Air Fryer Greek Chicken Legs

    Last Modified: July 12, 2024

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·5 from 1 review

    With this easy recipe, enjoy the most mouthwatering chicken legs, seasoned with vibrant Greek seasonings, made to perfection in your air fryer.

    Chicken legs seasoned with Greek seasonings and cooked in an air fryer. Served with fresh lemon slices and topped with parsley.

    Fresh lemon zest and a simple combination of pantry-friendly ingredients will help you to make the most unbelievable chicken in only about 20 minutes.

    Why I Love This Recipe

    From the very first bite, it’s a taste explosion of lemon, garlic and herbs, all reminiscent of Greek cuisine. These awesome flavors perfectly season our chicken legs. Our air fryer then does it’s magic.

    The result is chicken that juicy and tender on the inside, crispy and loaded with flavor on the outside. It’s become an instant hit for our dinner rotation.

    Ingredients

    We’ll start with 6 chicken drumsticks (bone-in, skin-on of course). The chicken will be seasoned with a dry rub made from:

    • Zest of 1 lemon
    • Oregano
    • Rosemary
    • Thyme
    • Garlic powder
    • Salt and pepper
    All the ingredients needed to make air fryer Greek Chicken

    We’ll use a little olive oil to keep everything together, and we’ll also add some baking powder to help crisp up the skin.

    Preparation

    One of the keys to making good chicken with crispy skin is to dry the skin as much as possible before cooking. For this recipe, all we need to do is use a couple of paper towels to absorb as much moisture as possible from the chicken. I like to take each one and gently wrap a paper towels around it and give it a good squeeze to get that skin nice and dry.

    How do we get the chicken crispy?

    We’re not using a breading or deep frying but we can still get some nice, crispy skin on our chicken.

    Drying the chicken with paper towels is the first essential step for crispy chicken skin in an air fryer. Excess moisture will steam the skin, keeping it soggy. Make sure to dry the chicken with paper towels.

    Adding baking powder to the seasoning does some fun science stuff. Basically, it raises the pH level which helps breakdown the proteins in the skin, which leads to a drier surface. Got all that? Me neither, but it works.

    Next we toss the chicken legs with oil and add our seasoning. Make sure to toss well so that the chicken is good and coated with all our delicious ingredients.

    Chicken drumsticks seasoned with Greek seasonings to make in the air fryer.

    That’s it. Your prep is done. Easy, right?

    Cooking

    Preheat your air fryer for about 5 minutes at 380°F. Add the seasoned chicken legs in a single layer to the air fryer when ready. Use the air fry setting and air fry for 18-22 minutes, or until the internal temperature is at least 165°(F) when measured with an instant read thermometer.

    Greek chicken legs cooked in an air fryer.

    When the chicken is done, remove from the air fryer and let rest for about 5 minutes before enjoying. This rest period is important as it lets the natural juices redistribute throughout the meat.

    Serving

    These Greek chicken legs are great with just about anything: rice, potatoes, fresh veggies, you name it.

    Our Instant Pot Rice Pilaf is a perfect side-dish! Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes are also excellent with our delicious chicken.

    Air fryer Greek chicken legs served on a plate with rice pilaf and lemon slices.

    I like to serve the chicken topped with fresh parsley and some lemon wedges on the side.

    Storage and reheating

    Store the cooked chicken legs in an air tight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

    To reheat, place in an air fryer preheated to 350°F for 5-7 minutes or until heated through.

    You can also reheat in the microwave. Heat in 1-minute increments until heated through.

    Doubling the Recipe

    You can easily make more than 6 drumsticks. Just double the ingredients. Most air fryers comfortably fit 6 drumsticks in a single layer. If doubling the recipe and using a standard 6qt air fryer, do two batches.

    Print

    Recipe

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    Recipe for air fryer Greek chicken legs.

    Crispy Air Fryer Greek Chicken Legs


    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    5 from 1 review

    • Author: RecipeTeacher
    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 6 chicken legs
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Mouthwatering chicken drumsticks are seasoned with a simple blend of Greek-inspired seasonings and cooked to juicy, tender, crispy perfection in your air fryer. 


    Ingredients

    • 6 chicken drumsticks
    • 1.5 tbs olive oil
    • 2 tsp dried oregano
    • 1.5 tsp kosher salt
    • 1 tsp dried rosemary
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • 1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp dried thyme
    • zest of 1 lemon

    Instructions

    1. Pat drumsticks as dry as possible with paper towels.
    2. Mix all dry ingredients in a small bowl or dish
    3. Add drumsticks to a large ziptop bag or bowl and coat with the olive oil. Add seasoning mixture and lemon zest and toss to coat drumsticks evenly.
    4. Preheat air fryer to 380°F. Add drumsticks to preheated air fryer and use air fry setting for 18-22 minutes or until drumsticks reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Turn drumsticks after 10 minutes.
    5. When done, remove from air fryer and let rest for 5 minutes before enjoying.
    • Prep Time: 10 min
    • Cook Time: 20 min
    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Air Fryer
    • Cuisine: Greek

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    1. Betsy says

      January 26, 2025 at 9:40 pm

      The flavor is fabulous! I had to cook my legs over 30 minutes.

      Reply
    2. Judy says

      July 17, 2024 at 9:48 am

      Will this work with skinless chicken legs.

      Reply
      • RecipeTeacher says

        July 17, 2024 at 11:04 am

        It will. You can leave the baking powder out.

        Reply
    Jason of Recipeteacher.com

    Hi, I’m Jason and i’m here to help you make easy, delicious homemade recipes. My approach is to provide the easy-to-understand instructions, use simple ingredients, and have you make the best meals possible.

    More about me →

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