Air fryer parmesan drumsticks are a delicious way to cook chicken that’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

These chicken drumsticks are so easy and can be served with any side salad including our strawberry spinach salad or a simple greek salad. Or whip up a batch of air fryer brussels sprouts and serve with rice for an easy healthy meal.

parmesan chicken drumsticks with chopped fresh parsley on white plate

Air Fryer Parmesan Drumsticks

Chicken drumsticks are one of the cheaper chicken cuts making them budget-friendly.
These can be prepped and cooked in under 30 minutes!
They’re also easy to cook in an air fryer and produce the crispiest skin with tender meat.
All you need are a few simple spices you probably already have in your pantry, plus freshly grated parmesan cheese.
These are similar to our popular air fryer chicken drumsticks made with a simple homemade spice mix.
There are so many delicious ways to cook chicken in an air fryer, including our easy chicken thighs recipe, salt and pepper wings, and you can even cook a whole frozen chicken!

bowl of raw drumsticks, bowl of melted butter, bowl of grated parmesan and spices.

Recipe Ingredients

CHICKEN: I used eight chicken drumsticks for this recipe. You can cook more in your air fryer, but make sure they’re in a single layer for even cooking.
PARMESAN: To get the best results, use freshly grated parmesan cheese.
BUTTER: You can use melted salted butter, cooking oil or even milk.
SPICES: This recipe uses dried oregano, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper.

Looking into air fryer with crispy parmesan drumsticks

How To Make Air Fryer Parmesan Chicken Drumsticks

Mix parmesan and spices in a bowl. In a separate bowl, melt the butter according to full recipe instructions below.
Dip one drumstick at a time, first in melted butter and then toss with grated parmesan mixture until coated.
Cook in air fryer for 24-26 minutes, flipping halfway through. Serve and enjoy!

Storage: Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3-4 days and reheated in the air fryer to crispen up again. Cooked chicken can also be reheated in the microwave.

close up of crispy air fryer parmesan drumsticks

Recipe Tips

Pat the drumsticks dry with a paper towel before adding them to the butter bowl. This will remove any excess moisture.
Always flip the chicken halfway through cooking to get an even crispiness.
Check the chicken in the last couple of minutes to make sure they’re not overcooking. Every air fryer is different so it might take a little bit of practice to get used to your temperature and how it works.
How To Tell When Chicken Is Done: The safest internal temperature for cooking poultry is 165°F. You can use a simple meat thermometer, which will be poked into the thickest part of the chicken to read the temperature.

looking down into air fryer with crispy parmesan drumsticks

More Air Fryer Recipes

Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks are so crispy and a classic.
Crispy Air Fryer Potatoes are delicious. I will eat a whole bowl of these myself easily.
Crispy Brussels Sprouts are crispy and the perfect side dish for chicken.
Air Fryer Frozen Fish Sticks are a great way to get the crispiest fish sticks fast.
Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Wings taste just like wings from the pub and are a big hit with my family.

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Air Fryer Parmesan Chicken Drumsticks

Air fryer parmesan drumsticks are a delicious way to cook chicken that's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

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Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

8 chicken drumsticks
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
½ Tbsp dried oregano
1 ½ tsp dried parsley
1 ½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp salt and pepper - ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground pepper
½ cup butter - melted

Instructions

Lightly coat the inside of the air fryer tray or basket with non stick cooking spray.
Pat the chicken drumsticks with a paper towel.
Mix together grated parmesan, dried oregano, dried parslely, paprika, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Melt ½ cup butter in a different bowl.
First, dip the chicken drumstick in the melted butter. Coat on both sides.
Next, toss with the parmesan mixture. Coat both sides. Repeat the last two steps until all chicken drumsticks are coated.
Place chicken in a single layer in air fryer – cook in two batches if needed.
Cook at 400°F for 12 minutes then flip over.
Cook an additional 12-15 minutes or until chicken reaches 165°F as an internal temperature when poked with a meat thermometer.

Recipe Notes:

Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3-4 days and reheated in the air fryer to crispen up again. Cooked chicken can also be reheated in the microwave.
Pat the drumsticks dry with a paper towel before adding them to the butter bowl. This will remove any excess moisture.
Always flip the chicken halfway through cooking to get an even crispiness.
Check the chicken in the last couple of minutes to make sure they’re not overcooking. Every air fryer is different so it might take a little bit of practice to get used to your temperature and how it works.
How To Tell When Chicken Is Done: The safest internal temperature for cooking poultry is 165°F. You can use a simple meat thermometer, which will be poked into the thickest part of the chicken to read the temperature.

Nutrition

The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.

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