🍗🥔 Air Fryer Garlic Chicken Drumsticks & Crispy Potatoes
Garlic-marinated drumsticks with crackly skin paired with crispy, fluffy potatoes. Big flavor, minimal cleanup.
🧾 Ingredients (Serves 3–4)
Chicken:
- 6–8 chicken drumsticks (patted very dry)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp dried oregano or thyme
- ½–¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Potatoes:
- 1 lb baby potatoes, halved
- 1–1½ tbsp olive oil (or spray)
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried herbs
- Salt & pepper
🔪 Instructions
1) Season the chicken
- Toss drumsticks with oil, garlic, and spices.
- Let sit 15–30 minutes (or up to overnight for deeper flavor).
2) Start the chicken
- Preheat air fryer to 380°F (193°C).
- Arrange drumsticks in a single layer.
- Cook 12 minutes, then flip.
3) Add the potatoes
- While chicken cooks, toss potatoes with oil and seasonings.
- After flipping the chicken, add potatoes to the basket (around or on a rack).
- Cook another 12–15 minutes, shaking potatoes halfway.
4) Finish crisping
- Increase to 400°F (200°C) for 3–5 minutes to crisp the skin and edges.
5) Check doneness
- Chicken should hit 165°F (74°C) internally.
- Potatoes should be golden and fork-tender.
6) Serve
- Rest chicken 5 minutes.
- Finish with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt.
❓ Q&A
Q: Basket too small—what now?
A: Cook in batches, or do chicken first (keep warm), then potatoes. Overcrowding = steaming, not crisping.
Q: How do I get extra crispy skin?
A: Dry the chicken thoroughly, don’t skip the high-heat finish, and avoid stacking.
Q: Can I use chicken thighs?
A: Yes—bone-in thighs work great; add a few extra minutes.
Q: Parboil potatoes?
A: Not required, but a quick 5-minute parboil + dry can boost crispiness.
💡 Tips
- Use a rack if your air fryer has one—better airflow for both items
- Shake potatoes every 5–7 minutes
- Add Parmesan or chili flakes at the end for a flavor bump
- Leftovers re-crisp well at 375°F for 3–5 minutes.