Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Legs
These Air Fryer lemon pepper chicken legs are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and seasoned to perfection.
With just 5 minutes of prep, you can make a nice batch of these addictive chicken legs in your Air Fryer. Team them up with some jalapeno honey mustard to enjoy as an appetizer or serve with some rice or your favorite sides to make a quick weeknight meal.
Chicken is my absolute favorite protein to work with. It's so effortless to cook and can be enjoyed in so many ways- from soups and curries to grilled, baked and of course, even air fried.
I had a big pack of chicken legs waiting to be put to use, so I teamed it up with my favorite homemade seasoning, and whipped up this easy and effortless appetizer that everyone just devoured. And of course, not without my black peppercorn aioli and chimichurri aioli to go with it.
Quick Look
- 🔪Prep time: 5 minutes.
- ⏲️Cook time: 25 minutes.
- 👪 Servings: 4.
- 📋Main ingredients: Chicken, oil, seasonings.
- ♨️Cooking method: Combine chicken legs with oil and seasonings 🡢 mix well 🡢 air fry until golden brown.
- ⭐Difficulty: Easy.
- 🥣Serving ideas: Drizzle some Sichuan chili oil or jalapeno honey over the air fried lemon pepper chicken legs right before you serve!
Jump to:
- Quick Look
- What's So Great About the Recipe?
- Recipe Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Legs
- 💭Top Tip
- Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- How to Serve Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Legs
- Troubleshooting and FAQs
- More Appetizers to Try
- Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Legs
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- It's ridiculously easy to make. Simply mix everything together, air fry and you've got some delicious chicken legs ready to be devoured.
- It's customizable! You can change up the seasonings (try my homemade Creole seasoning and Thai seasoning mix) to make different versions of the air fried chicken legs.
Recipe Ingredients
Chicken legs: Chicken drumsticks work best for this recipe. You can try using other cuts too, but you'll need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Seasonings: To season, I used a mix of garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, paprika and some of my homemade lemon pepper seasoning- and of course, some salt and pepper. You can also add some jalapeno flakes for a kick of heat.
Oil: To help the seasonings stick to the chicken. You can use any cooking oil of your choice.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- For extra flavor, you can use an infused oil like lemon infused olive oil or habanero oil (if you want that kick of heat).
- To make things quicker, you can skip the individual seasonings and toss the chicken legs in some store-bought or homemade buffalo sauce and make air fried buffalo chicken legs.
- My homemade BBQ sauce also makes for a wonderful alternative to try. It works wonderfully as both a dip and a marinade!
How to Make Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Legs
Step 1: Wash and pat dry the chicken legs.
Step 2: Transfer to a bowl and combine with seasonings and oil.
Step 3: Mix well to ensure the chicken legs are nicely coated.
Step 4: Air fry for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
💭Top Tip
Add a teaspoon of cornstarch into the mix while coating the chicken legs. This will make them extra crispy!
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Make sure you flip the chicken legs midway during the cooking time. This will ensure even cooking.
- Avoid overcrowding the Air Fryer basket. Make sure there's enough room around the chicken legs for the hot air to flow through and crisp them up nicely. I realized this when I made my Air Fryer Buffalo chicken tenders.
- Consider preheating the Air Fryer for a few minutes before adding in the chicken legs. This helps crisp up the skin right from the beginning!
- Excess moisture is the enemy here, so make sure you pat dry the chicken legs before coating it.
- You can also use a bit of baking powder into the mix while seasoning the chicken legs. This crisps up the chicken legs- I did this when I made my hot honey chicken wings too.
How to Serve Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Legs
Top these zesty Air Fryer lemon pepper chicken legs with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro and freshly squeezed lemon juice right before you serve. You can also team them up with an assortment of sauces like I do- I love pairing them with my lemon sour cream sauce, creamy jalapeno mayo or a nice drizzle of my fiery habanero hot honey or my favorite garlic habanero hot sauce.
You can also pair them with rice and a side of roasted broccoli and potatoes or some crispy Mexican roasted potatoes.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
Once cooled, you can store the leftover lemon pepper chicken legs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
You can reheat the leftover chicken wings by simply popping them in the Air Fryer for a few minutes.
You can use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. If it is 165°F or more, it is done.
More Appetizers to Try
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Air Fryer lemon pepper chicken legs or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Legs
Ingredients
- 4 chicken legs
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the chicken legs.
- Transfer to a bowl and combine with seasonings and oil.
- Mix well to ensure the chicken legs are nicely coated.
- Air fry for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
Notes
- Add a teaspoon of cornstarch into the mix while coating the chicken legs. This will make them extra crispy!
- Make sure you flip the chicken legs midway during the cooking time. This will ensure even cooking.
- Consider preheating the Air Fryer for a few minutes before adding in the chicken legs. This helps crisp up the skin right from the beginning!
- Excess moisture is the enemy here, so make sure you pat dry the chicken legs before coating it.
