An easy Air Fryer Chicken Legs Recipe that turns out super tasty and juicy, thanks to a secret ingredient: Mayonnaise!
Slather chicken legs with mayo and the perfect blend of seasonings, then toss them in the air fryer. Dinner will be ready in 25 minutes!
The Best Air Fryer Chicken Legs
Mayo and Mustard Chicken Legs in the air fryer are on a regular rotation at our house. This simple recipe takes inexpensive cuts of chicken and makes them taste amazing, with crispy skin and juicy, flavorful meat.
You can use this air fryer chicken legs recipe to air fry bone-in chicken legs, chicken thighs, or chicken quarters.
As a bonus, you don’t need to use any oil to air fry crispy chicken legs!
If you’re looking for a recipe to make chicken legs with a different flavor, check out our Air Fried Chicken Drumsticks with a dry spice rub that includes Italian seasoning and smoked paprika, or Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks with a crispy breading. Or if you are in the mood to use your slowcooker, you should try slow cooker Indian butter chicken.
Ingredients In Air Fryer Chicken Legs
Chicken Legs – The timing of this air fryer recipe works perfectly for bone-in chicken legs or drumsticks. You can also use it to make bone-in chicken thighs or chicken quarters (which are the leg and thigh together).
Mustard – Regular yellow mustard adds tons of flavor to the marinade for these chicken legs.
Mayonnaise – This creamy spread is good for more than just sandwiches! Use it to mix up a creamy seasoning for chicken legs that will help the skin get extra crispy.
Garlic – Minced fresh garlic makes this chicken extra savory, and it’s going to smell amazing while it’s cooking!
Seasonings – We’re adding onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you ASAP
How to Make This Air Fryer Chicken Legs Recipe
- Prep the Chicken. Rinse and pat dry the chicken legs, and remove any excess skin or fat that might be there.
- Mix the Marinade. Add mustard, mayonnaise, seasonings, and minced garlic to a small bowl.
- Stir until smooth.
- Coat the chicken legs with the mayo mixture, being sure to spread it on all sides of each piece.
- If you’d like to, cover the chicken and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
- Otherwise, or when the chicken has marinated, add it to the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Air Fry at 400°F/200°C for 15 minutes.
- Flip the chicken over, and continue cooking for another 5-8 minutes, or until done.
These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please see the recipe below.
Recipe Tips
- Adjust the seasonings. Mustard and garlic are delicious with some dried herbs, but you can try your favorite seasonings in this mayo marinade too.
- If you have time, let the chicken marinate in the mayonnaise spread for an hour or two in the fridge before cooking it.
- If your chicken legs or pieces are larger, you may need to add additional cooking time.
- Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/74C.
- Be sure not to overfill the air fryer basket. If needed, cook the chicken legs in batches.
What To Serve With Air Fryer Chicken Legs
These garlic mustard chicken legs are delicious with any of your favorite air fryer side dishes!
Try them with an Air Fryer Baked Potato and Air Fryer Green Beans.
Or Air Fryer Frozen Curly Fries and a Greek Salad.
FAQs
Creamy mayo creates a delicious marinade that is thick enough to slather all over the chicken. It adds moisture to the meat and browns up beautifully when the chicken is cooked.
I suggest marinating the chicken legs in the mayo and mustard mixture for an hour, and up to 12 hours. Longer than that and the texture of the meat will start to change.
The mayo treatment helps to get the skin on the chicken extra crispy, but if you want to, you can remove it before seasoning.
It’s important to dry the chicken well before adding seasonings. You should also be sure that your air fryer basket isn’t too crowded. Both of these things can contribute to chicken not getting crispy in the air fryer.
Sure! Most air fryer recipes can be converted to oven recipes, just like oven recipes can be converted to air fryer recipes! For these chicken legs, bake them, covered, in a 375°F oven for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for 10-15 minutes more, or until fully cooked.
Pro Tips
More Easy Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
If crispy chicken is your thing, you have to try our recipes for Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets, or Air Fryer Boneless Wings. Both are super crispy and perfect for dipping.
Looking to cook a Whole Chicken in the air fryer? You totally can!
If you’re cooking with a Ninja Foodi, be sure to grab our air fryer chicken recipes specific to that machine. Start with Ninja Foodi Chicken Thighs.
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Air Fryer Chicken Legs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 chicken legs
- 2 tbsp mustard
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 3-4 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- Add mustard, mayo, garlic and spices to a small bowl. Stir until smooth.
- Rinse and pat dry the chicken legs, and remove any excess skin or fat that might be there. Spread the chicken with the mayo mixture, being sure to coat all sides.
- Place the chicken legs in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air Fry for 15 minutes at 400°F/200°C.
- Flip the chicken over, and continue air frying for 10 minutes.
- Test for doneness, and add 5-7 minutes of additional time if needed to fully cook the chicken.
Notes
- If your chicken legs or pieces are larger, you may need to add additional cooking time.Â
- Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/74C.
- Be sure not to overfill the air fryer basket. If needed, cook the chicken legs in batches.Â
Nutrition
Air Fryers can vary greatly. Please take the time to learn your specific air fryer. You may need to adjust times and temperatures based upon your air fryer. All though this website attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, the information should only be considered an estimate. Varying factors such as different product types, different brands, etc. can change nutritional information. It is your responsibility as a consumer to read all labels to make sure the ingredients fit your dietary needs as well as calculate your own nutritional information as a double check.
Lovely recipe – can’t wait to try it!