Crispy Air Fried Chicken Recipe
Making air fryer chicken at home in your airfryer is easier than you think! I love this crispy air fried chicken drumsticks recipe because it uses basic pantry ingredients most of us probably already have on hand. I also substitute for chicken wings or chicken tenderloins or chicken thighs or mix it all up and make them all! The recipe is easy enough that I think it’s a good meal for a weeknight dinner.
Whether you walk the small kitchen appliance aisle of Sam’s Club or Costco or Target…there is one thing that’s clear and that’s the popularity of air fryers! There is something so super convenient about a small countertop appliance that is versatile enough to cook delicious meats, vegetables, homemade, frozen food, and even bread! And it’s all healthier!
Fun Fact About Air Fryers and Convection Ovens
Did you know that an air fryer uses convection to cook food? We call it a “fryer” but of course there’s no oil…so we know it’s not really being fried….but what it’s actually doing is using a unique perforated basket to expose all sides of the food to the air, and then using fans to circulate the heat and cook the food faster and on all sides, making it crispier and more like a traditional oil fried food.
Many people don’t realize their home oven has a convection setting! I knew mine had it but I didn’t know how to use it. It’s like a super sized air fryer – because it’s a full size oven it means I can cook a large quantity in one batch instead of multiple in a small air fryer! If your oven doesn’t have a convection setting, then air fryers are a great countertop option! If it does, check out crisper baskets for oven use (can find on Amazon or anywhere really). I got mine from Costco last year, I haven’t seen it again at Costco but you can get the exact same crisper pan (for the same price) at Amazon. I use this in my regular oven using the convection setting.
Air Fried Chicken Wings or Boneless Chicken
This crispy air fried chicken recipe calls for small to medium size chicken drumsticks, however you can swap them out for chicken tenderloins or chicken wings or even boneless thighs – you may need to adjust your cooking time a bit – but the batter in this recipe will work great on any kind of small pieces of chicken you’d like to air fry!
Need to make more than 4 servings of air fried chicken? No problem, double the recipe. Only need 2 servings of chicken drumsticks for dinner tonight? No problemo, half it. Easy peasy.
Be sure to pin this recipe so you can find it later!
Crispy Air Fried Drumsticks
Lightened up healthy air-fried chicken is delicious and easy! This recipes uses pantry basics you probably already have on hand and is a kid-friendly recipe! This recipe will double coat the chicken in cornstarch to make it extra crispy.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. Chicken Drumsticks
- 3 Egg Whites
- 1 cup Cornstarch
- ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
- ¼ tsp Onion Powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- Avocado Oil Cooking Spray
Instructions
Rinse chicken and pat dry. - Whisk egg whites in a bowl and set aside.
- Mix onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Place chicken into spices and coat.
- Add cornstarch to bowl and coat chicken thoroughly.
- Remove chicken from cornstarch bowl.
- Dip each piece of chicken into the egg whites and coat thoroughly, then place back into cornstarch and coat with a second layer of cornstarch.
- Spray cooking basket with avocado oil spray (or your preferred cooking oil spray).
- Add chicken in a single layer, with no overlapping pieces. May require 2 batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Set air fryer to 400 degrees and cook for 10 minutes.
- Flip the chicken and cook for 10 more minutes until golden brown and cooked all the way through. Depending on the size of the chicken pieces and your air fryer cooking times may vary by a few minutes, please always check that chicken is cooked thoroughly before eating.
Rinse chicken and pat dry. Notes
Chicken should be cooked to a minimum of 165 degrees. We suggest cooking drumsticks and thighs (dark meat chicken) to 175.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 585Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 288mgSodium: 412mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 57g
Nutritional information provided is not always accurate. Please calculate nutrition using the actual products you use to prepare any recipe and consult a registered dietician for help.
Double Coating of Cornstarch
Using a double cornstarch coating, air fried chicken comes out extra crispy in your air fryer at home, and more like the junky (but delicious) traditional oil fried chicken.
Serving Suggestions
Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken
Coat the chicken with buffalo sauce and serve with blue cheese dressing! You can use wings, thighs, drumsticks. or boneless chicken…chef’s choice! Keep your eye out at Costco for Primal Kitchen Buffalo Sauce and Bob’s Famous Bleu Cheese Dressing.
Serve with Coleslaw, Beans and BBQ dipping Sauce
Embrace all the traditional! I like to pair these healthier, lightened up air fryer chicken with traditional fried chicken sides like these: coleslaw, beans, bbq sauce, pickles, biscuits or cornbread.
Air Fried Chicken Salad
Prepare boneless air fryer chicken, slice it up and top your favorite salad with this crispy, healthier version of fried chicken! We recommend the Costco salad kits like ceasar salad or avocado ranch!
Pair your air fried chicken with Kirkland Signature Bourbon or Costco Apple Pie
Read Next:
Lilo & Stitch Costco Squishmallows
The new Disney Lilo and Stitch Movie is out and Costco has 3 20-inch Lilo…
Costco Garlic Rosemary Rack of Pork Instructions and Review
This year for Easter, Costco has a new version of the seasoned Rack of Pork,…
3 Home Safety Deals at Costco for Spring
Every Spring Costco has a great sale on these three home safety items. They don’t…
Costco Lemon Blueberry Loaf
Back by popular demand in the Bakery is Costco Lemon Blueberry Loaf! Is it good?…
Blueberries and Cream Muffins – Now in 8 Packs at Costco
We liked the Blueberries and Cream muffins from the Costco Bakery. Costco has updated their…
Banana Nut Loaf – New in Costco Bakery
New this week in the Costco Bakery is the Banana Nut Loaf – made with…
Crispy Air Fried Chicken Recipe
- pantry ingredients
- easy
- double coated for extra crispiness
- use drumsticks, thighs, wings or breast
- healthier, lightened fried chicken
