These air fryer buffalo chicken drumsticks are ready in 30 minutes and slathered in a homemade buffalo sauce made with hot sauce, butter, and a touch of Worcestershire. Crispy skin, juicy meat, and easier to eat than wings!
Quick question – why is buffalo sauce always reserved for wings?! Where is the drumstick love?
I mean, don’t get me wrong. We love wings in this house. (See: air fryer lemon pepper wings and garlic parmesan wings as proof!)
But, a drumstick? So much easier to eat. Meatier, and juicier, and just generally a lot less work.
Enter my Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks. All the saucy goodness you love about a wing, but bigger!
They’ve got more meat than wings, the skin crisps up really well in the air fryer, and they’re way less fiddly to eat. I went through a few rounds of testing to nail the spice rub before tossing them in the sauce, and that base layer of smoked paprika, garlic, and chili powder makes a real difference. Don’t skip it.
I’ve found that blotting the chicken dry before seasoning is the step most people skip, and it’s also the reason most people end up with soggy skin. Dry chicken = crispy skin. That’s the biggest trick!
Let’s do this!
3 Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
Crispy without the mess. The air fryer does all the work and you don’t have to deal with a pot of hot oil or a greasy stovetop situation.
The sauce is so good. It’s just hot sauce, butter, vinegar, and Worcestershire, but it comes together into something way better than any bottled sauce. Of course, store bought wing sauce is going to be fine too.
Totally customizable heat. Dial it up with extra cayenne or pull back and skip it entirely. Either way, the flavor is there.
Ingredient Notes, Swaps, & Tips:
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You’ll need: Drumsticks and a mix of spices, including smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and chili powder.
The homemade wing sauce consists of Frank’s RedHot, butter, vinegar, worcestershire, and a dash of cayenne. Feel free to sub this homemade sauce for store bought.
The smoked paprika helps to give these a subtle smoky flavor. We love this stuff and use it over regular paprika pretty much always. Just has a little extra oomph. Highly recommend!
If you want a sweet heat situation, stir a tablespoon or two of honey into the buffalo sauce before tossing. It balances the vinegar really nicely. For a milder version, just leave out the cayenne completely and the sauce is still super flavorful.
Check your internal temp before pulling them out. You’re looking for at least 165°F, but I usually go to around 175°F for drumsticks. They’re a little more forgiving than breasts and the meat gets even more tender at that higher temp.
If your air fryer runs on the smaller side, cook in two batches rather than crowding them. They won’t crisp up the same if they’re overlapping.
Step by Step:
Pat the wings dry to remove any moisture from the skin and then coat them in a bit of oil. This is going to help the skin crisp up as it cooks.
Add all of the seasonings to the chicken and use your hands to coat the chicken drumsticks in all that flavor. Make sure to cover it all well.
Air fry the drumsticks at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking for optimal crispy goodness. You’ll likely need to work in batches here.
Whip up the buffalo sauce while the chicken cooks and then toss the cooked drumsticks in the sauce. I love that you can leave a few out for spice-averse kiddos if you need too!
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Serving Ideas:
Set them out as a game day spread alongside other finger foods. Like wings, but meatier!
Serve classic style with celery sticks and a side of blue cheese or ranch for dipping.
Keep it simple with a green salad on the side for an easy weeknight dinner.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat in the air fryer at 370°F for 5 to 6 minutes to get the skin crispy again.
These don’t freeze great once sauced, but you can freeze the cooked unsauced drumsticks for up to 2 months.
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