Air-Fried Ranch Chicken Drumsticks

Air-fried ranch chicken drumsticks served with mashed potatoes, gravy, and rice on a plate.  

Air-Fried Chicken Drumsticks

If you are looking for a savory, flavor-packed, fall-off-the-bone, ranch-style chicken drumstick, I recommend trying these. These drumsticks were easy to make, mess-free, flavorful, family-friendly, and an easy-bite. 

Today I have a special guest who is helping me write this blog - my 14 year old son. He is taking a cooking class through a homeschool and part of that class is him helping me with this blog post. 

• Difficulty Level: Easy
• Serving size: 10-12 chicken drumsticks
• Total cook time: 30 minutes
• Total prep time: 5-10 minutes
• Family friendly: Absolutely! My fiancé, son and I loved them 
• Nutrition Facts: For the chicken drumsticks, it is 170 calories in 4oz
• Serving suggestions: Serve with mashed potatoes and gravy, brown rice, green beans, or you can dip in your favorite sauce

Why You Will Love These Air Fryer Ranch Chicken Drumsticks

You will love these chicken drumsticks because they are so perfectly seasoned. Although we didn't have a ranch seasoning, we were able to make a homemade ranch that tasted just the same! We paired ours with a side of mashed potatoes, gravy, and brown rice. 

These chicken drumsticks are far from dry - they are the most tender, juicy, moist, and succulent chicken drumsticks we have ever made. In the past, we have had dry chicken and it tastes bland and not good. These drumsticks were so good that we didn't even want to dip them in any sauces - although we did add gravy on top. 

These drumsticks were so good that we didn't even want to dip them in any sauces - the aroma alone will make your mouth water, and the seasoning caramelizes beautifully in the air fryer.

What Makes This Recipe Different?

Unlike most chicken drumsticks that are deep-fried in heavy oil, these are air-fried to golden perfection - giving you that satisfying crispy skin with far less mess and grease. The air fryer circulates hot air around each piece, locking in moisture while rendering the skin for a delicate crunch. You can even adjust the cook time to customize your crisp level - the longer you air fry, the crunchier the skin becomes.

Another standout feature is the homemade ranch seasoning blend. Instead of relying on a store-bought packet, we mix pantry staples like basil, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, and white pepper to create a ranch flavor that’s fresh, aromatic, and fully customizable. Don’t have black pepper? Swap in white pepper like we did. Missing parsley? Basil adds a slightly sweet, earthy twist.

This recipe is quick, family-friendly, and adaptable - you can serve it as a weeknight dinner with sides like mashed potatoes and green beans, or make a double batch for game-day snacking. It’s the perfect balance of flavor, texture, and convenience that makes air fryer chicken drumsticks a must-try.

Pro Tips

• Pat drumsticks dry before seasoning for maximum crisp.
• Preheat air fryer fully to lock in juices.
• Flip halfway for even cooking.

Inspiration

This recipe was inspired by two recipes: Keto Cooking Christian and Sweet Peas and Saffron. We used Keto Cooking Christian as the main chicken drumstick recipe source and Sweet Peas and Saffron for the homemade ranch seasoning. 

If You Enjoy Chicken Recipes, You May Also Want to Try 

How to Store

Store the chicken drumsticks in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat in the Air Fryer at 400 degrees for 3-5 minutes. You can also reheat in the microwave.

Adjust to Your Liking

  • Although we didn't add sauces, feel free to dip in your favorite sauce
  • We used a brown gravy for the mashed potatoes and also covered the drumsticks in it as well
  • Feel free to add different seasonings in with the ranch mixture (oregano, Italian seasoning, basil, and rosemary)
  • Add crushed red pepper flakes to give the drumsticks a hot kick - or dip in a hot sauce
  • You can also deep-fry for a different type of crisp and texture

Ingredients for Air-Fried Ranch Chicken Drumsticks

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  • 2 tbsp Olive or Vegetable Oil 
  • 2 tbsp butter (melted)
  • 10-12 chicken drumsticks
  • 1 tbsp basil seasoning
  • *1 tsp dried dill weed
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp white pepper
Ingredients for topping/dipping
Ingredients for Air-Fried Ranch Chicken Drumsticks
Not all ingredients pictured

How to Make Air Fryer Ranch Chicken Drumsticks

✓ Step #1: Make the ranch seasoning - Combine basil seasoning, dill weed, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. 

✓ Step #2: Add seasoning to chicken drumsticks – In a bowl, add the chicken drumsticks, 1 tbsp of olive or vegetable oil and top with 3/4 of the ranch seasoning. Preheat the Air Fryer to 400 degrees for 30 minutes. 

✓ Step #3: Air fry drumsticks – Add remaining oil to the air fryer. Air fry drumsticks for 15 minutes. Melt the butter in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. After 15 minutes, top the drumsticks with butter and add the remaining ranch seasoning. Flip the drumsticks over and cook for 15 more minutes.

✓ Step #4: Enjoy – Remove the chicken drumsticks from the air fryer and let sit a few minutes. Serve with rice, mashed potatoes, vegetables, toast, or green beans. 

A plate of ranch chicken drumsticks and mashed potatoes with gravy.

What Did You Think?

Did you make these drumsticks? Did you dip them in any sauces or like them as is? Let me know what you did so I can try different variations!

How You Can Support Savvy with Abbie

✓ Pin this recipe on Pinterest

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