These are my phenomenal Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks with a buffalo hot honey coating and blue cheese dipping sauce. I use the word phenomenal, because my boyfriend devoured ALL of the 1kg chicken drumsticks I made in one day...so I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as he did.
We've coated these air fryer chicken drumsticks in a buffalo and flour mixture to make them as crispy as possible. They're sweet, slightly crispy, spicy, and perfect served with the tangy cheesy blue sauce.
If you're looking for more air fryer recipes, then check out my air fryer bacon recipe, my crispy pork belly recipe, or my air fryer chicken meatballs recipe!
For all of you buffalo fans, check out my buffalo chicken wrap recipe that take around 15 minutes and are a great lunch recipe!
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About Emily's Recipe
If you're new here, hi! I'm Emily - a recipe developer, food content creator, and cookbook author! Thanks for stopping by to check out my Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks recipe. I really hope you enjoy it and please do let me know in the comments if you give it a go!
If you'd like to join a community of food lovers, just subscribe to my newsletter for recipes, cooking tips, and foodie chats. Now, let me tell you a bit more about this recipe...
Texture: we've got a lightly crispy outside with a gorgeously moist and "fall off the bone" centre of the chicken drumstick.
Taste: we're talking spicy from the buffalo sauce, sweet from the honey, and creamy from the blue cheese dipping sauce.
Ease: you'll need to use your hands for this recipe...it requires coating the raw chicken drumsticks in wet and dry mixtures. But once you've done that, it's pretty simple!
Top Tips: 1. double coat the chicken drumsticks to lock in that moisture and create an extra crispy outside. 2. cook on high heat, then low and slow to get the chicken to fall off the bone. 3. toss in the hot honey sauce once cooked, for extra flavour!
Would I make this again? yes, this is a great one for an appetiser or when you're simply craving crispy chicken drumsticks with oodles of flavour.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Chicken drumsticks: I love how much meat you can find on chicken drumsticks but feel free to use chicken legs or chicken wings!
Buffalo sauce: just use your favourite brand of buffalo sauce. You can alternatively use hot sauce.
Paprika: mild paprika is perfect! You can omit this if you don't want it too spicy.
Garlic powder: this is to ensure that our chicken tastes even better! Feel free to omit.
Oil: just vegetable oil is great.
Flour: plain flour is what we need for this recipe. Feel free to use gluten-free if you'd like.
Cornstarch: this helps create a light and crispy coating. Omit if you don't have it.
Baking powder: once again, this helps create a light and well baked coating.
Blue cheese: any blue cheese is great. If you don't like blue cheese, then just omit or replace with goats cheese.
Sour cream: for a balanced creaminess. You can also use greek yogurt or creme fraiche.
Mayonnaise: this not only adds a creaminess to the dipping sauce but also a sweetness.
Honey: to add a bit of sweetness to our air fryer chicken drumsticks, we toss them in a buffalo and honey mixture once cooked! You can use agave or maple syrup if you'd like!
The full list of ingredients and quantities is at the bottom of this blog in the recipe card!
Step by step instructions with photos
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Set aside.
Step 2: In another large bowl, combine the chicken drumsticks with paprika, garlic granules, buffalo sauce, oil, and salt. Mix thoroughly to coat every single chicken drumsticks. Then toss in the flour mixture. Then toss back in the wet mixture, then toss back in the flour mixture creating a light but double coating.
Step 3: Place your chicken drumsticks into your air fryer (or on your air fryer tray). Make sure your drumsticks aren't touching. Then place in the air fryer for 8 minutes at 220C/420F (this will crisp up the outside), then reduce the temperature and cook at 150C/300F for 30 minutes (this makes the chicken fall off the bone).
Step 4: While your chicken is cooking, make your cheese sauce dip by combining blue cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, and chives until smooth.
Step 5: In a small bowl, combine hot sauce with honey. Once your chicken drumsticks are cooked to perfection, place them in a large bowl and pour over the hot honey sauce. Toss and combine until the chicken drumsticks are covered in sauce. You could alternatively brush each chicken drumstick with the sauce instead.
Step 6: Place your hot honey buffalo air fryer chicken drumsticks on a serving dish with the blue cheese sauce. Top with chives or chopped parsley, and serve up hot!
What to do with leftovers
Storage: once cooled, place the air fryer chicken drumsticks in an airtight container and into the fridge and store for up to 3 days.
Freezing: you can totally freeze these. Just store in an airtight container for up to 3 months (don't forget to label with contents and date). Leave to thaw/defrost overnight before reheating.
Reheating: to reheat the drumsticks, I'd recommend placing them back in the air fryer to crisp and warm them up for 15 minutes at 170C/340F.
FAQs
Absolutely! They would work well in the air fryer too.
No, but if you substitute out the flour for a gluten-free option, then you're good to go!
Then I would recommend removing any sign of the buffalo or hot sauce, and stick with the blue cheese dipping sauce and additional spices for the chicken coating.
More recipes you might enjoy!
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Phenomenal Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken drumsticks
For the chicken dry coating
- 1 cup flour 120g
- ½ cup cornstarch 60g
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
For the chicken season coating
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules
- 100 ml buffalo sauce
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the blue cheese dipping sauce
- 60 g blue cheese
- 2 tablespoon sour cream
- 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 10 g chives
Air fryer chicken drumstick extra coating
- 3 tablespoon buffalo sauce
- 3 tablespoon honey
Garnish
- 10 g chives or parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder with a whisk. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, combine the chicken drumsticks with paprika, garlic granules, buffalo sauce, oil, and salt. Mix thoroughly to coat every single chicken drumstick. Then toss in the flour mixture. Then toss back in the wet mixture, then toss back in the flour mixture creating a light but double coating.
- Place your chicken drumsticks into your air fryer. Make sure your drumsticks aren't touching. Then cook in the air fryer for 8 minutes at 220C (this will crisp up the outside), then reduce the temperature and cook at 150C for 30 minutes (this makes the chicken fall off the bone).
- While your chicken is cooking, make your cheese sauce dip by combining blue cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, and chives until smooth. Taste and season accordingly.
- In a small bowl, combine hot sauce/buffalo sauce with honey. Once your chicken drumsticks are cooked to perfection, place them in a large bowl and pour over the hot honey sauce. Toss and combine until the chicken drumsticks are covered in sauce. You could alternatively brush each chicken drumstick with the sauce instead.
- Place your hot honey buffalo air fryer chicken drumsticks on a serving dish with the blue cheese sauce. Top with chives or chopped parsley, and serve up hot.
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