Sticky BBQ Air Fryer Chicken Legs

These air fryer chicken legs are so simple to make with just 3 ingredients! Perfect to serve as an appetizer or part of a main meal, they require very minimal prep and are ready to serve in about half an hour. Deliciously sticky and made with my homemade BBQ sauce.

We eat a ton of BBQ around these parts. Whether it’s BBQ Ribs or pulled pork, it goes down in our house. Now I’ve added these bbq chicken legs to the mix and they are perfect for these busy weeknights.

It’s never been easy to make wonderfully crispy and juicy chicken legs! Made with my homemade BBQ seasoning and BBQ sauce, they are wonderfully sweet and tangy and a real crowd pleaser!

Serve them up as a tasty game day appetizer or as part of a main with my air fryer fries and carrot raisin salad.

How To Make Air Fryer Chicken Legs

• Preheat air fryer basket to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Season Chicken legs with BBQ Rub, making sure all pieces are fully covered.
• Place in air fryer basket and cook for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.

• Once 25 minutes is up, brush BBQ Sauce over all the pieces of chicken. Air fryer for an additional 5 minutes or until the BBQ is charred and sticky.

Can you reheat them?

If you do have leftovers, you can easily reheat them in the air fryer to get them nice and crispy again. Preheat the air fryer to 375F and cook them in a single layer for 5 to 7 minutes, flipping once, until cooked through. If you have an instant read thermometer, they should register at 165F.

Take care to only reheat the chicken legs once.

What’s the best BBQ sauce to use?

I admit it, I’m biased, but my homemade BBQ sauce is perfect for these chicken legs, and really takes them to another level. Of course, if you are pushed for time you can use your favorite store bought brand. Just make sure the BBQ sauce is thick enough to get sticky.

I like to use a dry rub first for a really deep and rich flavor. So delicious!

Why cook them in an air fryer?

These chicken legs are so easy to cook in the air fryer and they come out so wonderfully crispy and juicy. They cook to perfection every single time! It’s also quicker than the oven or grill. The cooking method is pretty hands off too , leaving you able to get on with other things.

Recipe Notes and Tips

• This recipe is easily doubled. If you are making more, be sure not to overcrowd the air fryer basket or they won’t get crispy all over.
• You can make the seasoning mix and bbq sauce days ahead of time so that it’s super quick to make these chicken legs.
• Be sure to preheat your air fryer before adding the legs. This will help them to cook evenly through and help them not stick to the basket.

You can use other parts of the chicken…

• Boneless chicken breast (6 oz each) – 13-14 minutes on 400 degrees Fahrenheit 
• Chicken legs and chicken wings – 30 minutes on 400 degrees Fahrenheit
• Boneless Chicken thighs – 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-17 minutes, flipping halfway through
• Bone-in chicken thighs – 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 22-25, flipping halfway through. Then crank up to 390 degrees for 5 minutes if you want crispy skin.
• Chicken Wings – Same time as these legs.

More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes

• BBQ Air Fried Chicken Breast
• Air Fryer Fried Chicken
• Fried Chicken Tacos
• Air Fryer Chicken Wings
• General Tso’s Chicken
• Lemon Pepper Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

Watch this video tutorial and see how I make these chicken legs from start to finish.

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4.94 from 15 votes

Sticky BBQ Air Fryer Chicken Legs

These air fryer chicken legs are so simple to make with just 3 ingredients! Perfect to serve as an appetizer or part of a main meal, they require very minimal prep and are ready to serve in about half an hour.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword air fryer chicken legs, bbq chicken legs, homemade bbq chicken legs

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 245kcal

Author Tanya

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs chicken legs rinsed and patted dry
• 1 ½ Tablespoon BBQ Rub
• ½ cup BBQ Sauce

Instructions

• Preheat air fryer basket to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Season Chicken legs with BBQ Rub, making sure all pieces are fully covered.
• Place in air fryer basket and cook for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
• Once 25 minutes is up, brush BBQ Sauce over all the pieces of chicken. Air fryer for an additional 5 minutes or until the BBQ is charred and sticky.
• Remove and enjoy.

Video

Notes

• This recipe is easily doubled. If you are making more, be sure not to overcrowd the air fryer basket or they won’t get crispy all over.
• You can make the seasoning mix and bbq sauce days ahead of time so that it’s super quick to make these chicken legs.
• Be sure to preheat your air fryer before adding the legs. This will help them to cook evenly through and help them not stick to the basket.

Nutrition

Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 434mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 297IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 3mg

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