These Air Fryer Turkey Legs are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and seasoned to perfection. You’ll need just 10 minutes of prep time and under an hour of cooking time to put them together. It’s really the perfect recipe for anyone who doesn’t want to put in too much effort into roasting a whole turkey.
I’ve tried making slow cooker turkey legs before, and they turned out fantastic. But this time, I was really craving that crispy, crunchy outside that comes with air frying.
My air fryer haddock and air fryer skirt steak, which are both family favorites, had the perfect crispiness on the outside, and that’s when I thought of cooking turkey legs in the Air Fryer too. This easy recipe has to be up there on my list of favorite air fryer recipes.
Why You’ll Love This Air Fried Turkey Legs Recipe
- Quick and easy: It’s an easy recipe that requires minimal effort and ingredients. It’s perfect for someone who doesn’t want to spend too long in the kitchen.
- Juicy and delish: Turkey legs get cooked to perfection inside the Air Fryer. They’re crispy, moist and tender all at the same time.
- Versatile: You can experiment and try different variations of the recipe by playing around with the seasonings and spices.
- Perfect any time: Whether it is for a weeknight family meal or a small Thanksgiving dinner with the family, this turkey drumstick recipe is perfect.
Ingredients
- Turkey legs or drumsticks: I would recommend using fresh turkey drumsticks here. Choose ones that are roughly the same size, and will easily fit into your air fryer basket.
- Oil: Feel free to use any cooking oil of your choice. Canola oil, avocado oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil and even sesame oil are all great choices.
- Poultry seasoning: Use your favorite poultry seasoning mix. This is what lends the turkey legs all that incredible flavor.
- Other seasonings: I also used some garlic powder, onion powder, dried sage, smoked paprika, salt and a bit of black pepper.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Make it spicy: Add a dash of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper into the mix to lend the air fryer turkey a kick of heat.
- Meat swap: Loved the flavors and textures? You can replicate the same recipe with chicken drumsticks too!
How to Make Air Fryer Turkey Legs
Preheat your Air Fryer to 390°F and get all the ingredients ready.
Step 1: Prepare the spice rub. Combine the oil, spices and seasonings in a small bowl..
Step 2: Coat turkey legs. Pat dry the turkey legs and coat them entirely with this spice rub.
Step 3: Air fry. Transfer them to the Air Fryer basket and air fry them for 40-45 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and crispy on the outside.
Step 4: Rest and serve. Get the turkey legs out of the Air Fryer basket, allow them to rest for a few minutes and then serve!
⭐️ Hint: To get a nice crispy exterior on the turkey legs, flip them over midway through the cooking time.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy my air fryer chicken tenders recipe. For ways to use your leftovers, take a look at our Leftover Turkey Carcass Soup, Turkey and Stuffing Casserole (Crock Pot),Turkey Gravy Without Drippings. Also, try our The Best Oven Roasted Turkey recipes for another great way to make a great dinner!
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store your leftover turkey legs in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container or a resealable bag. You can also store them in the freezer for up to three months, wrapped in a freezer safe bag or container.
- Reheating: Reheat your turkey legs in the air fryer at 350 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes or until they are warm in the center or in your oven on 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
On a boring weeknight when I’m confused about what to put on the dinner table, I often turn to this turkey legs air fryer recipe. I love pairing it with my favorite vegetable medley casserole or some simple honey maple carrots.
This recipe could also be perfect for a small Thanksgiving celebration at home, when you don’t want to put in the effort to roast a whole turkey, but still want to have Thanksgiving turkey. For the holidays, pair it with some turkey gravy, butternut squash potato cakes and some cornbread and sausage stuffing.
Recipe Tips
- Make cleanup easy: To minimize the mess while making turkey legs in the air fryer, line the basket with some parchment paper before you add the turkey legs in.
- Time it right: If you’re using lean turkey legs, you might need slightly less time to cook them, so keep that in mind.
- Avoid overcrowding: This one’s the golden rule of air frying pretty much anything. Don’t overcrowd your air fryer basket, and leave enough space between each turkey leg to allow the hot air to flow through and crisp them up.
- Pat dry: Make sure you pat dry each turkey leg and remove every bit of moisture from the surface before you coat them in the spice rub. This will help the skin crisp up nicely.
- Let them rest: Make sure you let the turkey drumsticks rest for a few minutes before you serve them. This allows them to retain all the juices and have that perfectly moist inside.
Recipe FAQs
Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the turkey legs. If it reads 165 degrees, they’re cooked and ready to be served..
I would recommend thawing the frozen turkey legs overnight in the refrigerator and then using them for this recipe. They will not cook well if you start with frozen turkey legs. Likely it will cook on the outside and not cook on the inside at the proper rate and you will end up with raw turkey legs.
Yes, you can! In fact, marinating the turkey legs overnight will actually help them get more tender, and they’ll absorb all those delicious flavors better.
Video
More Delicious Turkey Recipes
Do you like turkey? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Fried Turkey Legs (Air Fryer)
Equipment
- Brush
Ingredients
- 1 turkey leg
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil canola, vegetable oil, peanut oil or sesame oil instead
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 390°F for about 3-5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix together the avocado oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, black pepper, dried sage, and poultry
- Pat the turkey leg dry with paper towels.
- Rub the seasoning mixture all over the turkey leg, ensuring is well coated.
- Place the leg in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry the leg for 40-45 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) and the skin is crispy and golden brown.
- Let the leg rest for a few minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Time it right: If you’re using lean turkey legs, you might need slightly less time to cook them, so keep that in mind.
- Avoid overcrowding: This one’s the golden rule of air frying pretty much anything. Don’t overcrowd your Air Fryer basket, and leave enough space between each turkey leg to allow the hot air to flow through and crisp them up.
- Pat dry: Make sure you pat dry each turkey leg and remove every bit of moisture from the surface before you coat them in the spice rub. This will help the skin crisp up nicely.
- Let them rest: Make sure you let the turkey drumsticks rest for a few minutes before you serve them. This allows them to retain all the juices and have that perfectly moist inside.
- Make cleanup easy: To minimize the mess while making turkey legs in Air Fryer, line the basket with some parchment paper before you add the turkey legs in.
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