My Forking Life

  • Air Fryer
  • Pressure Cooker
  • Jamaican
  • Browse Recipes
  • Breakfast
  • Entree
  • Side Dishes
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Air Fryer
  • Pressure Cooker
  • Jamaican
  • Browse Recipes
  • Breakfast
  • Entree
  • Side Dishes
  • About
search icon
Homepage link
  • Air Fryer
  • Pressure Cooker
  • Jamaican
  • Browse Recipes
  • Breakfast
  • Entree
  • Side Dishes
  • About
×
Home » Recipe Index » Air Fryer

Sticky BBQ Air Fryer Chicken Legs

Published: May 1, 2020 · Modified: May 7, 2024 by Tanya · This post may contain affiliate links · 35 Comments

Spread the Flavor and Share

Jump to Recipe -

These air fryer chicken legs are so simple to make with just 3 ingredients! Perfect to serve as an appetizer or part of a main meal, they require very minimal prep and are ready to serve in about half an hour. Deliciously sticky and made with my homemade BBQ sauce.

Sticky BBQ Air Fryer Chicken Legs on a white work top


 

We eat a ton of BBQ around these parts. Whether it's BBQ Ribs or pulled pork, it goes down in our house. Now I've added these bbq chicken legs to the mix and they are perfect for these busy weeknights.

It's never been easy to make wonderfully crispy and juicy chicken legs! Made with my homemade BBQ seasoning and BBQ sauce, they are wonderfully sweet and tangy and a real crowd pleaser!

Serve them up as a tasty game day appetizer or as part of a main with my air fryer fries and carrot raisin salad.

How To Make Air Fryer Chicken Legs

  • Preheat air fryer basket to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Season Chicken legs with BBQ Rub, making sure all pieces are fully covered.
  • Place in air fryer basket and cook for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Seasoned chicken legs in the air fryer basket
The cooked chicken legs in air fryer basket before being glazed
  • Once 25 minutes is up, brush BBQ Sauce over all the pieces of chicken. Air fryer for an additional 5 minutes or until the BBQ is charred and sticky.
The chicken legs in the air fryer ready to serve

Can you reheat them?

If you do have leftovers, you can easily reheat them in the air fryer to get them nice and crispy again. Preheat the air fryer to 375F and cook them in a single layer for 5 to 7 minutes, flipping once, until cooked through. If you have an instant read thermometer, they should register at 165F.

Take care to only reheat the chicken legs once.

What's the best BBQ sauce to use?

I admit it, I'm biased, but my homemade BBQ sauce is perfect for these chicken legs, and really takes them to another level. Of course, if you are pushed for time you can use your favorite store bought brand. Just make sure the BBQ sauce is thick enough to get sticky.

I like to use a dry rub first for a really deep and rich flavor. So delicious!

Why cook them in an air fryer?

These chicken legs are so easy to cook in the air fryer and they come out so wonderfully crispy and juicy. They cook to perfection every single time! It's also quicker than the oven or grill. The cooking method is pretty hands off too , leaving you able to get on with other things.

Recipe Notes and Tips

  • This recipe is easily doubled. If you are making more, be sure not to overcrowd the air fryer basket or they won't get crispy all over.
  • You can make the seasoning mix and bbq sauce days ahead of time so that it's super quick to make these chicken legs.
  • Be sure to preheat your air fryer before adding the legs. This will help them to cook evenly through and help them not stick to the basket.

You can use other parts of the chicken...

  • Boneless chicken breast (6 oz each) - 13-14 minutes on 400 degrees Fahrenheit 
  • Chicken legs and chicken wings - 30 minutes on 400 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Boneless Chicken thighs - 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-17 minutes, flipping halfway through
  • Bone-in chicken thighs - 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 22-25, flipping halfway through. Then crank up to 390 degrees for 5 minutes if you want crispy skin.
  • Chicken Wings - Same time as these legs.

More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes

  • BBQ Air Fried Chicken Breast
  • Air Fryer Fried Chicken
  • Fried Chicken Tacos
  • Air Fryer Chicken Wings
  • General Tso's Chicken
  • Lemon Pepper Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

Watch this video tutorial and see how I make these chicken legs from start to finish.

Print Pin SaveSaved!
4.94 from 16 votes

Sticky BBQ Air Fryer Chicken Legs

These air fryer chicken legs are so simple to make with just 3 ingredients! Perfect to serve as an appetizer or part of a main meal, they require very minimal prep and are ready to serve in about half an hour.
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword air fryer chicken legs, bbq chicken legs, homemade bbq chicken legs
Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes minutes
Total Time 35 minutes minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 245kcal
Author Tanya
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ lbs chicken legs rinsed and patted dry
  • 1 ½ Tablespoon BBQ Rub
  • ½ cup BBQ Sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat air fryer basket to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Season Chicken legs with BBQ Rub, making sure all pieces are fully covered.
  • Place in air fryer basket and cook for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
  • Once 25 minutes is up, brush BBQ Sauce over all the pieces of chicken. Air fryer for an additional 5 minutes or until the BBQ is charred and sticky.
  • Remove and enjoy.

Video

Notes

  • This recipe is easily doubled. If you are making more, be sure not to overcrowd the air fryer basket or they won't get crispy all over.
  • You can make the seasoning mix and bbq sauce days ahead of time so that it's super quick to make these chicken legs.
  • Be sure to preheat your air fryer before adding the legs. This will help them to cook evenly through and help them not stick to the basket.

Nutrition

Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 434mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 297IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 3mg
My Southern Air Fryer ECookbookFind all my Top Southern Air Fryer recipes in one place! My Southern Air Fryer ECookbook!
Subscribe to my YouTubeSubscribe to my YouTube Channel for full length recipe videos. Click the bell icon to be notified when I upload a new video.
Tried this recipe? Share on InstagramMention @Myforkinglife or tag #myforkinglife!
Although myforkinglife.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Under no circumstances will myforkinglife.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.

More Air Fryer Recipes

  • air fryer fish on white plate with tatar sauce and lemons
    Crispy Air Fryer Fish Recipe
  • roasted chicken on cutting board
    Air Fried Spatchcock Chicken
  • cooked meatloaf in air fryer basket
    Air Fryer Meatloaf (Juicy and Tasty)
  • candied pecans in a bowl with cinnamon stick and pinecone around it
    Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugared Pecans

Spread the Flavor and Share

Comments

    4.94 from 16 votes (3 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Wanda Montgomery says

    March 12, 2025 at 9:22 pm

    These turned out sooooo good. Thank you 😀

    Reply
    • Tanya says

      March 13, 2025 at 7:23 am

      Thanks Wanda! So happy you liked the chicken legs.

      Reply
  2. Addie says

    March 21, 2023 at 5:05 pm

    Hi, Tanya, I made this last night using both your seasoning and BBQ sauce recipes, the only difference being I substituted Swerve for the sugars since I have to watch mine.
    That said, I did sneak in about a half teaspoon of light molasses into the sauce. 🤭

    Reply
    • Tanya says

      March 23, 2023 at 8:35 am

      Thanks Addie! So happy the subs worked for you too.

      Reply
  3. Jessica says

    December 28, 2022 at 8:18 pm

    I made this tonight for a quick dinner and they turnwd out perfect. The legs were crispy sticky from the sauce and so good. This recipe is a keeper!

    Reply
    • Tanya says

      December 30, 2022 at 9:32 am

      Thanks Jessica! So happy you liked the recipe 🙂

      Reply
  4. Susie says

    July 20, 2022 at 6:36 pm

    I picked this recipe, because it was too hot to grill today. So easy to make and yummy! Everyone in my family enjoyed it!

    Reply
    • Tanya says

      July 21, 2022 at 1:41 pm

      Thanks Susie! So happy you all liked the recipe 🙂

      Reply
  5. Tina says

    July 04, 2022 at 5:35 pm

    I was new to the air fryer , wanted to have a homeless couple over for BBQ 4th of July I saw your recipe and all the good comments and made your drumsticks... OMIGOSH!!! These turned out great! Looked just like those pictured! I just subscribed! THANKS A MILLION for making my dinner EXCELLENT, and I used to HATE DRUMSTICKS! Now I love them! The last thing that is cheap to buy in grocery store these days!

    Reply
    • Tanya says

      July 05, 2022 at 2:07 pm

      That's awesome Tina! So glad everyone enjoyed the ribs 🙂

      Reply
  6. Vicki says

    November 04, 2021 at 8:27 pm

    I forgot to mention that I used your barbecue rub recipe, and that had a lot to do with them being so good!

    Reply
« Older Comments

Welcome!

Welcome to My Forking Life! Hi, I'm Tanya, attorney, busy wife and mom, and lover of quick, easy, and delicious meals.

More about me

Popular Recipes

  • Jamaican Oxtails Recipe

  • air fried chicken in air fryer basket
    Air Fryer Fried Chicken

  • brown stew chicken in pan
    Brown Stew Chicken

  • Pressure Cooker Shrimp Paella

Holiday Favorites

  • sweet potato pie on a plate
    Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

  • spoon lifting gravy out of gravy dish
    Easy Recipe for Gravy without Drippings

  • creamy baked macaroni and cheese, the best baked macaroni and cheese, creamy mac and cheese
    Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese

  • Stirring the giblet gravy with a spoon.
    Grandma's Giblet Gravy Recipe

as seen on...various online websites text listed

Footer

↑ back to top
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • About Tanya

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 My Forking Life

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.