Air Fryer Turkey Legs Recipe

Air Fryer turkey legs are a simple and delicious dinner idea ready in less than 40 minutes. The meat is moist and flavorful with a simple bbq rub and sticky citric maple syrup.

These sweet and smoky air fryer turkey legs are the perfect alternatives to roasting an entire bird, and it is way faster than roasting turkey legs in the oven. Like with the air fryer turkey breast and the air fryer turkey thighs recipes, this recipe requires ingredients you may have at home, or you can find easily at your local grocery store. 

You can serve individual portions of turkey as part of the holidays or just as a weeknight dinner made in the air fryer can serve you a lot of time. You can double this recipe if you are looking to serve more people. 

Barbecue rub is the base flavor for this turkey leg recipe, creating a smoky base. The maple syrup adds sweetness and creates a sticky glaze that slightly caramelizes in the fryer. Finally, melted butter adds richness and helps to make the meat more succulent.

When you cook turkey legs in an air fryer, it’s just as tasty as when you make deep-fried turkey legs. You’ll get the same crispy skin and meat that falls off the bone, only with less oil, making it much less messy and healthier, too!

Ingredients

Barbecue rub: if you can, use a salt-free barbecue rub. You can then add salt yourself to create a flavor you enjoy. Unfortunately, some of the rubs available have a lot of salt, which can be overpowering and isn’t great if you’re watching your sodium intake.

**Find the full list of ingredients along with the recipe instructions at the end of this post**

How to cook turkey drumsticks in air fryer

To make this easy turkey legs air fryer recipe follow these steps below.

Step 1) Pat the drumsticks dry with paper towels. Place in a large cutting board or a medium baking sheet pan. Gently slide a spoon under the skin to loosen; spritz with oil and rub the turkey drumsticks with the dry rub and salt all over, including under the skin, to infuse flavor.

Step 2) Meanwhile, combine the butter, maple syrup, apple cider, and lemon zest in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.

Step 3) Place the turkey drumsticks in the air fryer basket in a single layer and cook to 380ºF degrees for 15 minutes. Using a silicone brush, brush the maple butter on one side and cook for three more minutes. Turn the turkey legs, cook for another 15 minutes, brush with maple butter, and cook until an instant meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the leg reaches 180ºF degrees. 

Step 4) Remove from the basket and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Recipe tips

• Make sure you get the BBQ rub under the skin and on it so that it can permeate the meat more effectively.
• Different sized drumsticks can have different cooking times, so always use a meat thermometer to check that yours have cooked all the way through before serving.
• When you flip the legs over, brush a little of the marinade on them again to ensure that they are flavorful.
• Feel free to play around with herbs and spices to come up with your favorite flavors.
• You can always make more crispy turkey legs if looking to serve more people.
• Store leftovers air fryer turkey legs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for 3 months.
• If making turkey legs in air fryer oven, the cooking time could be longer, and you need to preheat for 10 minutes before starting to air fry the legs.

How long to cook turkey legs in air fryer

Air fryer turkey legs take around 30 minutes to cook (depending on the size). 

Cook them for 15 minutes on one side, then flip them over for the remaining time.

What to serve with air fryer turkey drumsticks

Think of sides you normally serve on thanksgiving dinner or if it is summer slaw and salads are a great alternative when serving your air fryer turkey legs.

They taste great served on top of a bed of mashed cauliflower, with corn on the cob thrown in for good measure. Air fryer green beans and other air fryer side dishes recipes.

How to season turkey legs

The turkey leg seasoning used in this recipe is BBQ rub, a little melted butter, maple syrup, and some apple cider or juice to add a fresh, zesty taste.

You could follow the method in this recipe with any seasoning you like, though, some good combinations are:

• Garlic and paprika.
• Thyme, oregano, rosemary, and garlic.
• Simple salt and pepper.
• Cajun seasoning.

When seasoning turkey legs, always rub the herbs into the meat to absorb the flavor, and be sure to get plenty under the skin, too.

Where to buy turkey legs

You can buy turkey legs in any grocery store. Depending on the weight, they will come in a package of two or three.

How to store air fryer turkey legs

If you have leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator or the freezer. 

Always ensure that you store leftovers safely within two hours to avoid the risk of contamination, and cool them completely before putting them in the fridge/freezer.

Seal your drumsticks in an airtight container to keep them at their best. 

Turkey legs will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to reheat roasted turkey drumsticks

To reheat turkey leg in air fryer:

• Preheat your air fryer to 380°F.
• Air fry the meat for 6-8 minutes, or until warmed all the way through.

To reheat in the oven:

• Preheat your oven to 400°F.
• Put the meat in an oven-safe dish, and cover with foil (preventing it from drying out).
• Cook for 15-20 minutes until warmed all the way through.

You can use a meat thermometer to check whether the drumsticks have reached a safe temperature of 165ºF.

More air fryer recipes

• Air Fryer Turkey Breast
• Turkey Thighs in Air Fryer
• Turkey Bacon in the Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Turkey Tenderloin Recipe
• Air Fryer Cornish Hens
• Tuna steaks in the Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Turkey Wings Recipe

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