Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

Name: Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: ¾ cup ketchup; 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; ¼ cup brown sugar; 2 tbsp honey; ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tsp ground mustard; 1 tsp smoked paprika; ½ tsp garlic powder; ½ tsp onion powder; 2-3 lbs chicken drumsticks (about 6-8 large drumsticks); Salt and pepper (to taste)

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When you're in the mood for fall-off-the-bone, juicy, and saucy chicken, these Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks are for you! The chicken cooks in just 15 minutes in the air fryer before being glazed with a sweet and tangy homemade BBQ sauce. It's the ultimate dish for game day, busy weeknights, or family parties!

Platter of BBQ Chicken Drumsticks with BBQ sauce.

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🍗 The Best Barbecue Chicken
🧂 Ingredients
👩🏻‍🍳 How To Make Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
💭 Top Tips
🥡 Storing & Freezing
📖 Recipe FAQs
🍽 Looking For More Chicken Recipes?
📋 Recipe

🍗 The Best Barbecue Chicken

Well, isn't this the best news ever? You don't have to wait for grilling season to have delicious BBQ chicken anymore! Thanks to the air fryer, you can quickly and effortlessly cook chicken in a matter of minutes. That's why these Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks, Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs, and Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken Wings are staples for weeknight dinners!

And the best way to take chicken drumsticks to the next level? A homemade Kansas-style BBQ sauce! It couldn't be easier with just 9 pantry staples, one pot, and 15 minutes. It's perfectly smoky, sweet, and tangy with rich, complex flavor. And when generously basted onto the chicken, it makes the most delicious, sticky and finger-lickin' good barbecue chicken!

This Air Fryer BBQ Chicken is great for when you need a quick snack or dinner on busy weeknights. But it's also perfect for game day, especially the Super Bowl, holidays, and parties! This kid-friendly recipe is sure to be a huge hit!

Why You'll Love It

Quick and easy: This 30-minute recipe couldn't be any easier. Both the BBQ sauce and air-fried chicken are very, very simple to make. This is the perfect recipe for air frying beginners!
Budget friendly: Chicken drumsticks are one of the most affordable cuts of chicken. And the easy BBQ sauce uses pantry ingredients that are cheap and easy to find as well.
Versatile: Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks can be served as a snack, game day appetizer, or well-rounded dinner when served with Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Glaze and Lemon Basil Rice.

🧂 Ingredients

Chicken drumsticks: I love the texture of chicken drumsticks with skin, but feel free to use skinless chicken if you'd like a leaner option. 2-3 lbs will be about 6-8 large drumsticks.
Ketchup: This is the main ingredient in the homemade barbecue sauce. If you're using a sugar-free or paleo ketchup, add more brown sugar or honey.
Apple cider vinegar: A mild vinegar that adds the perfect amount of tang.
Brown sugar: The hint of molasses helps deepen the flavor.
Honey: Makes the sauce sticky so it clings onto the chicken drumsticks.
Worcestershire sauce: For a deep, umami flavor to counteract the tanginess and sweetness.
Ground mustard: Adds another level of tanginess and slight heat.
Smoked paprika: Instead of being spicy, it gives the BBQ chicken a smoky flavor as if it's been cooked on a grill.
Garlic and onion powder: An easy way to add flavor without the prep work.

Substitutions & Variations

Feel free to use any cut of chicken you'd like! Split (party) chicken wings will cook the fastest, about 10-15 minutes. Bone-in chicken legs or breasts will take the longest, about 25-30 minutes in the air fryer. Meanwhile, bone-in chicken thighs will cook in 15-20 minutes. For best results, use a meat thermometer and cook until meat is 160-165ºF.
Substitute apple cider vinegar with another mild vinegar like rice wine, raspberry, white wine, or red wine vinegar.
If you're missing brown sugar or honey, you can replace it for the other. For example, use ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon brown sugar if you don't have any honey on hand.
If you have a BBQ seasoning or rub, feel free to use it in place of the spices. You can also season the chicken with it in addition to the salt and pepper.
The smoked paprika in this BBQ chicken helps adds a smoky element like it was grilled outdoors. But you can make it taste even more like it was cooked on a smoky, flame grill by adding a few dashes of liquid smoke to the barbecue glaze. A little goes a long way though!
Love spicy barbecue sauce? Add a little chili powder, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce to take it up a notch.
To make things even faster, you can use your favorite pre-made or store-bought BBQ sauce. Simply air fry the chicken drumsticks and brush the sauce on - quick and easy!
To make this gluten-free, use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce. Double check the ketchup and remaining ingredients to make sure it's safe.

👩🏻‍🍳 How To Make Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

Cooking BBQ sauce in pot and assembling drumsticks in foil-lined air fryer.

STEP ONE: First, make the BBQ sauce. In a pot over high heat, combine ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, ground mustard, paprika, garlic, powder, onion powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.

As soon as it starts to boil, turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until lightly thickened and dark. Make sure to whisk often to prevent the sugars from burning. Then remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

STEP TWO: Meanwhile, preheat the air fryer to 350ºF. Pat chicken drumsticks as dry as possible and season with salt and pepper.

Option to line air fryer basket with foil or paper liners for easy clean-up. Add a single layer of drumsticks, with space between each one, and air fry for 8-10 minutes. Flip and continue air frying for 8-10 minutes until internal temperature is 160ºF or juices run clear.

Finished BBQ sauce and glazing sauce onto drumsticks in air fryer.

STEP THREE: Set aside ¼ cup BBQ sauce to the side for dipping.

STEP FOUR: Baste chicken drumsticks with the rest of the BBQ sauce on all sides. Air fry for an additional 3-5 minutes, then let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Close up of chicken drumsticks with bbq sauce on the side.

💭 Top Tips

For this recipe, I'm using the 6-Quart Instant Vortex Air Fryer. I love the large basket so it's easy to make a big batch every time. However, each air fryer is different so I recommend testing with a single drumstick first to determine the best temperature and cook time.
Don't let the BBQ sauce boil. This easy BBQ sauce doesn't require much but you do need to keep a close eye on it! As soon as you see bubbles forming, turn the heat down to let it simmer at medium to medium-low. Stir it very often so the sweetener doesn't burn.
Make sure your chicken is dry. This will help the BBQ sauce to stick onto the chicken. Pat it really thoroughly with paper towels before air frying it. That's also why we're skipping the oil!
For easy clean-up, I recommend lining your air fryer with foil or paper liners. The BBQ sauce will make the fryer super messy so I like to line it foil for easier cleanup. Just make sure to carefully line it after it's preheated so the weightless foil isn't flying around.
Use a meat thermometer for best results. This is an absolute essential in the kitchen! Chicken drumsticks come in all different sizes so the cooking time will vary. You want to cook it to 160°F at the thickest part of the drumstick, avoiding the bone, before covering it in sauce. The additional 5 minutes of cooking and resting will bring it up to the desired 165°F. If you go over this temperature, don't worry! Dark meat (like chicken legs, wings, and thighs) are more forgiving and will still stay juicy! If you don't want to see any blood spots, you can even cook it up to 180-190ºF.
To make Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks in the oven, preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil and place seasoned drumsticks on foil about 1" apart. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until internal temperature is 160°F, flipping halfway. Then brush with BBQ sauce and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.

What To Serve With Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

Vegetables: For a well-rounded and balanced meal, serve drumsticks with Roasted Carrots and Green Beans, Bang Bang Brussels Sprouts, or Watermelon Beet Salad.
Sides: Classic BBQ chicken calls for classic side dishes! Baked beans, mac and cheese, cornbread, potato salad, and mac salad are all crowd favorites!
Game day: For Super Bowl or sports parties, serve a variety of game day favorites. Vietnamese Fish Sauce Chicken Wings, Mexican Meatballs, and Instant Pot Chili are always winners.
Make a big batch of sticky Air Fryer BBQ Chicken and shred the meat for pizza, quesadillas, sandwiches, salads, or nachos.

Plate of two drumsticks with a bite in one.

🥡 Storing & Freezing

Storing: Let Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks cool completely. Then store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up 5 days.
Store any leftover BBQ sauce in a separate sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Freezing: You can also freeze the cooked BBQ Chicken. Let cool completely, then place into a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. It will keep in the freezer for up to 4 months. You can pour any leftover barbecue sauce into a separate sealed container and freeze for up to 4 months too.

Reheating: For the best results, reheat the chicken in the air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (or let it warm up empty for 3-4 minutes) and cook 3-5 minutes until the chicken is hot, with or without foil. Add about 5 more minutes if reheating from frozen.

Make Ahead: The homemade BBQ sauce can be made up to 1 week in advance. The chicken air fries very quickly and effortlessly so I recommend cooking it fresh.

📖 Recipe FAQs

How do you keep BBQ chicken moist?

Make sure to use a meat thermometer to make sure you don't overcook and dry out the chicken. I also recommend using dark meat (chicken thighs, drumsticks, or wings) for juicier results. For extra soft and juicy chicken, brine it for 24 hours before cooking. You can do a dry brine with salt or your favorite BBQ rub or a wet brine with salt and water.

Do you put BBQ sauce on before or after?

I recommend putting the BBQ sauce on after the chicken's been cooked. Glazing the chicken too early can burn the honey and brown sugar that's in the sauce.

How do you make BBQ sauce not taste like ketchup?

Ketchup or tomato sauce is usually the base for BBQ sauce. Make sure to add plenty of seasoning, sugar, and liquid to transform the ketchup into BBQ sauce. Cooking the sauce also helps mellow out the ketchup flavor.

You can even add new ingredients to taste. Chili powder, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice will all reduce the ketchup flavor from the sauce.

What's the difference between chicken legs and drumsticks?

Chicken legs and chicken drumsticks often get mixed up. They’re actually 2 different cuts of meat. Chicken legs are the whole leg portion of the chicken. It's made up of both the thigh and the drumstick connected together as one piece. Chicken drumsticks are the end piece of the leg, cut off from the thigh.