These Air Fryer butterflied chicken legs are the perfect savory and crispy appetizer or main dish dinner you can put together in minutes.
They come together with just a few ingredients and are lip-smacking and delicious!
I’ve recently been using my Air Fryer a lot to make some delicious chicken recipes, and after the success of my Air Fryer BBQ chicken thighs, I thought of experimenting a bit, and that’s when I thought about using chicken drumsticks.
Ingredients For Air Fryer Butterflied Chicken Legs Recipe
Chicken legs: You’ll need fresh or frozen chicken legs. If you’re using the frozen variety, you need to thaw them first in order to make this recipe.
Flour: I used all-purpose flour to make the coating for the chicken legs. You can use whole wheat flour but it may change the flavor of these chicken drumsticks slightly.
Paprika: I used a mix of paprika and some smoked paprika to lend some extra flavor to the chicken legs. I find that smoked paprika is quite strong so a little goes a long way.
Montreal chicken seasoning: This has to be one of my favorite, versatile seasoning mixes. It just adds another level of flavor to the chicken legs because it’s a mix of a bunch of different herbs and spices.
Garlic Powder: This is optional as the Montreal seasoning has garlic in it. But if you like a nice flavor of garlic, go ahead and add it.
BBQ sauce: A generous brushing of some savory BBQ sauce will give a beautiful glaze.
Salt and pepper: And of course, a bit of salt and pepper to season the chicken.
How to Make Air Fryer Fried Chicken Legs
- Using a sharp knife, slice the side of a chicken leg open to create a butterfly-like structure.
- Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the butterflied chicken legs.
- Prepare the coating by mixing some flour and the other seasonings and spices and transfer it to a Ziploc bag.
- Add in the chicken legs and shake well to coat them nicely.
- Arrange them in an Air Fryer basket.
- Air fry them until golden brown, brush on some BBQ sauce, and serve hot.
***Salty Pot Tip: For the exact amounts, and detailed instructions along with tips for making this recipe perfect, check the printable recipe card below.
Tips & Variations For This Chicken Legs Recipe
- Make sure you leave a little space between each chicken drumstick when you make this air fryer chicken legs recipe to allow the hot air to circulate throughout the Air Fryer basket.
- Also, remember to flip the chicken drumsticks midway through the cooking time to get them crispy on all sides.
- I used chicken drumsticks for this recipe, but you can try the same recipe with chicken thighs or any other chicken cut.
How to Serve Butterflied Chicken Legs
You can serve these butterflied chicken drumsticks with some hot honey sauce for that extra sweet and (slightly) heat flavor drizzled over top, or some mushroom rice to turn it into a more substantial meal.
These chicken legs can be a wonderful party dish when paired with some tater tots, fries, or even a nice casserole dish.
The Second Act For This Chicken Leg Recipe
Got leftovers? You can separate the meat off the bone and mix it with your favorite sauce to make it a nice filling for your homemade tacos or quesadillas.
Another great idea is to chop up the meat and team it up with some veggies and rice to make a nice fried rice dish. (Don’t forget to add a fried egg on top!)
You can also toss the meat with some delicious veggies and your favorite stir-fry sauce to turn it into a veggie-forward easy stirfry on rice.
Storage Ideas & Suggestions
If you have any leftover butterflied chicken wings, you can refrigerate them for up to 2 days- just remember to use an airtight container.
You can reheat them in the microwave or the Air Fryer.
Freezing the cooked legs is an option as well. They’ll stay nice in the freezer for up to two months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw them overnight and reheat them in the air fryer to gain the crispiness back. If you don’t use the air fryer to reheat, the crispy outside may not be maintained when reheated.
Questions You May Have
Do I have to use flour to coat the chicken legs?
No, not at all. You can use a light dusting of cornstarch instead, or even rice flour. Also, you can leave the flour out completely, but I like the crispiness that it brings to the chicken legs. If you leave out the flour, don’t dredge the legs with the seasonings, just sprinkle them over the legs to your liking.
Can I use almond flour instead of all-purpose flour?
Honestly, I’ve never tried it, so I’m not one hundred percent sure how it would work out. If you try it, please let me know!
Did You Make This Air Fryer Drumstick Recipe?
I’d love to hear from you if you tried these chicken legs in the air fryer! Please leave a comment below and let me know if you made changes or cooked it as is!
Thanks for stopping by The Salty Pot today and I hope you have a fantastic week.
~Joanne
Air Fryer Butterflied Chicken Legs
Air fryer butterflied chicken legs is a fantastic technique for cooking drumsticks. The method ensures a crispy exterior, more seasoning surfaces, and a quick preparation, perfect for a mess-free, flavorful meal.
Ingredients
- 8 Chicken Legs / Drumsticks
- ½ cup All purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Smoked Paprika (optional)
- Garlic Powder (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons Montreal Chicken Seasoning
- As desired, BBQ sauce (your favorite!)
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, slice the side of a chicken leg open to create a butterfly-like structure. Slice through to the bone and peel back the skin and the meat and try to flatten it open like a book. (See notes)
- Sprinkle some salt, pepper, garlic powder and a sprinkle of paprika to the legs, both on the outside and the inside.
- Prepare the coating by mixing the flour, paprika, smoked paprika (if using), garlic, pepper, and Montreal steak seasoning. Transfer to a ziploc bag and give it a good shake to distribute and mix everything well.
- Add in the chicken legs and shake well to coat them nicely. (see notes)
- Arrange them in an Air Fryer basket (cut side down) trying not to have any of the legs touch each other in the basket.
- Air fry at 400 for 10 minutes. Flip the legs, cut side up, and continue to air fry for another 10 minutes.
- In the last few minutes of cooking, brush on some BBQ sauce, and cook for another 5 minutes to caramelize the outside of the chicken. The chicken should reach 165F for safe eating.
- Enjoy!
Notes
When butterflying the chicken, be very careful to not let the blade slip. The knife that you use should be very sharp and it's important to take your time until you get the hang of it. Do not try and cut THROUGH the bone.
Whenever I coat chicken (or any meat actually) in this ziplock bag manner, I prefer to only shake one piece of meat in the coating at a time. I find that when you add more than one, the pieces might touch and then prevent some of the coating from getting onto the chicken.
The safe internal temperature for cooked chicken legs is 165F. The juices should run clear.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 2 legsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 534Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 342mgSodium: 308mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 66g
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
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