Fried Turkey Legs (Air Fryer)

Air fryer turkey leg on plate with roasted potatoes.

Fried Turkey Legs (Air Fryer)

Learn how to make the perfectly crispy, juicy and delicious Air Fryer Turkey Legs for your weeknight dinner or small Thanksgiving celebration at home.

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Total Time55

Servings: leg

Calories: 974kcal

Author: Karin and Ken

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

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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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