Air Fryer Turkey Legs
Air Fryer Turkey Legs are a delicious, healthy, and easy way to cook turkey legs. The air fryer cooks the meat evenly and produces crispy skin. This makes them perfect for a quick snack or as the main course with delicious side dishes!
Turkey legs are widely enjoyed as part of a holiday meal, or as a snack in theme parks like Disney or Universal Studios. They can also be a healthy and delicious part of your regular meal rotation!
Turkey legs are larger than chicken drumsticks and can be a bit tougher, so they benefit from being cooked in the air fryer. The air fryer cooks the meat evenly and produces crispy skin without deep frying them.
You can find turkey legs at most supermarkets, especially during the holiday season!
❤ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ease. Air frying is a fuss-free way to cook turkey and an excellent method for beginners.
- Convenience. This is the perfect portion of turkey and is less expensive than turkey breast.
- Flavor Flexibility. The sauce and dry rub options are endless.
- They’re healthy! Turkey legs are low carb, high protein, and a great option for carnivore, keto, paleo, and Whole30.
🍗 Ingredients You’ll Need
- Turkey Legs – Turkey legs can usually be found in the grocery store near the other cuts of turkey. You can find them more easily during the Christmas and Thanksgiving holiday seasons.
- Avocado Oil – This is my go-to quality, high-heat cooking oil. Learn more about selecting the best oil for air frying here.
- Spices and Seasonings – Salt, pepper, and garlic powder enhance the naturally savory, pleasantly gamey flavor. Keep reading for more yummy options.
📖 How To Make Turkey Legs In The Air Fryer
1️⃣ Prep and preheat: Set the turkey legs at room temperature to take the chill off for about 10-12 minutes before you’re ready to begin cooking. Then, pat them completely dry with paper towels. Set the air fryer to 375°F, and let it preheat for 3-5 minutes.
2️⃣ Coat with oil and seasonings: While the air fryer preheats, drizzle the oil over the dry turkey legs and use your hands to rub the oil all over the skin. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, distributing the seasonings evenly.
3️⃣ Cook turkey legs in air fryer: Place the wings in the preheated basket, and set the timer for 40 minutes. At the 20-minute mark, use tongs to flip, and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes (or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.)
4️⃣For extra crispy skin, turn the heat up to 400°F and let the wings cook for 3-5 minutes or until the skin is crispy.
5️⃣ Let rest and serve. Remove the wings with tongs, and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving with your favorite sides. Enjoy!
👩🏻🍳 Recipe Tips
- Soak the turkey legs in brine or turkey marinade. This is optional, but it will deepen the flavor and make the legs more tender than they already are.
- To achieve crispy skin, turkey legs must come to room temperature and be patted completely dry before adding them to the preheated air fryer basket.
- The turkey legs need wiggle room, so no stacking or overcrowding. Cook in batches if needed.
- The time and temperature may vary because of how big your legs are and the functionality of your air fryer. So keep an eye on them and adjust the temp and timing as needed.
- The safe internal temperature of turkey legs is 165F. I recommend using a meat thermometer to check for doneness. You can remove them from the air fryer when they’re a few degrees cooler as the temperature will continue to rise while they rest.
🧂 Seasoning Ideas
If a sauce, dry rub, or spice blend is delicious with chicken wings, it’s guaranteed to taste great with turkey wings. These are some of the many ways to switch up the flavor.
- Air fryer smoked turkey legs – Add a dash or two of liquid smoke to the oil before seasoning the turkey legs for a smoked turkey flavor.
- Dry wings – Toss with poultry seasoning, Tajin, Cajun seasoning, herbes de Provence, mushroom salt, lemon pepper, Old Bay, Jamaican jerk rub, or dry BBQ rub.
- Wet wings – If you prefer saucy legs, you can toss them in your favorite marinades and wing sauces while they’re still hot and crispy. Buffalo, honey mustard, BBQ, garlic parmesan, Korean BBQ, Thai chili, blackened ranch, teriyaki, and habanero ranch are just a few of the many options.
🍽What To Serve With Turkey Drumsticks
Serve your turkey legs with these healthy sides:
- Air Fryer Mashed Potatoes
- Sugar-free Cranberry Sauce
- Gluten-free Stuffing
- Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
- Keto Green Bean Casserole
🧊 Storing & Reheating
Storing: Turkey legs are best-enjoyed hot from the air fryer. If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, let them cool and refrigerate in an airtight container or zip-top bag for 3-4 days.
Freezing: Cooked turkey legs can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: Return the turkey legs to the air fryer and reheat at 370F for 10-12 minutes, until the skin is crispy and the meat is warmed.
❔ FAQ
Can I use frozen turkey legs?
Yes, but they must be thawed in the fridge and patted completely dry to remove any excess moisture for the skin to get crispy.
How long do you cook turkey drumsticks in an air fryer?
Air fryer turkey legs cook in about 40 minutes at 375F. This will depend on your individual air fryer, so keep an eye on them and adjust the time as needed.
What is the best temperature to cook turkey legs in the air fryer?
The ideal air fryer temperature for turkey legs is 375F. This will give you crispy skin and juicy meat. If you want extra crispy skin, turn up the heat to 400F.
Do you put oil on turkey legs before air frying?
You’ll need to coat the turkey legs in oil before adding any seasonings. This helps the seasoning stick to the meat and prevents the skin from drying.
🥩 More Meat to Make in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Turkey Wings
- Shake and Bake Chicken
- Shake and Bake Pork Chops
- Buffalo Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Shredded Chicken
- Air Fryer Bratwurst
- Air Fryer Chicken Legs
Air Fryer Turkey Legs
Equipment
- air fryer or Ninja Foodi, Philips, Cosori, Power, Black and Decker, Dash, Farberware, Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, Chefman, or T fal air fryer
Ingredients
- 2 turkey legs
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Set the turkey legs at room temperature to take the chill off for about 10-12 minutes before you’re ready to begin cooking. Then, pat them completely dry with paper towels. Set the air fryer to 375°F, and let it preheat for 3-5 minutes.
- While the air fryer preheats, drizzle the oil over the dry turkey legs and use your hands to rub the oil all over the skin. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, distributing the seasonings evenly.
- Place the wings in the preheated basket, and set the timer for 40 minutes. At the 20-minute mark, use tongs to flip, and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes (or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.) For extra crispy skin, turn the heat up to 400°F and let the wings cook for 3-5 minutes or until the skin is crispy.
- Remove the wings with tongs, and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving with your favorite sides. Enjoy!
