Chicken will have 'crispy and caramelised' skin in 20 minutes if you ditch the oven

If there's one thing are renowned for, it's achieving a crisp texture on otherwise tender foods. and are among the most popular foods in these modern appliances, but many home are wary about meat. However, the air fryer holds the secret to turning soft chicken skin into a textured delight without using copious amounts of oil or butter.

Seasoning is also essential for any meat you cook in an air fryer, particularly chicken drumsticks. A Food52 contributor shared a simple garlic air-fried chicken that can be prepared in five minutes. They said: "Air fryer chicken legs that are tender and juicy on the inside and crispy and caramelised on the outside. Easy to make and very tasty."

Crispy air fryer chicken recipe

Ingredients

• Two tbsp oil
• Six chicken drumsticks
• One tsp lemon juice
• One tsp garlic powder
• Two tsp paprika
• Half tsp salt
• One tsp oregano
• One tsp black pepper
• One tsp dark brown sugar

Method

Coating the chicken in delicious seasoning is the first step in ensuring the texture and flavour are spot on.

Add the oil and lemon juice to a bowl, followed by the garlic powder and dried oregano.

Sprinkle in the pepper and the brown sugar before adding the chicken legs to the bowl. Move them around in the bowl to coat every side of the drumsticks.

Set the chicken aside for at least 30 minutes to soak up the seasoning and oil, then preheat the air fryer to the chicken setting, or 200C if you don't have a specific setting.

Place the chicken legs inside the air fryer and close it after 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the chicken legs from the air fryer when the timer is up. Serve them hot as a snack or accompany them with vegetables, salad, or potatoes for a complete meal.