A homely recipe of grilled dry rub chicken legs can be your savior this holiday season when you have guests over and you want to make something quick yet delicious without sweating out hours in the kitchen!
After publishing many air fryer chicken recipes from the past many months, I still can’t get over air fryer chicken! It’s in fact part of my daily meals!
I keep experimenting with chicken in the air fryer and when I hit a jackpot, it makes it to the blog! Same goes with these grilled dry rub chicken legs!
I was so happy when these grilled chicken drumsticks came out perfectly juicy and beautifully seasoned with a thin crispy coating outside making it a seductive combination for our tastebuds.
What are these grilled dry rub chicken legs?
How do I define these grilled dry rub chicken legs!
To put it literally, this is a recipe of chicken legs which are generously coated with a flavorful mix of dry spices and then grilled to perfection!
And it can be a perfect holiday meal too as you can make a big batch of these grilled dry rub chicken legs for a crowd!
The added advantage of my grilled dry rub chicken legs is that they are made in an air fryer which for me is an absolutely fuss-free cooking method!
And that’s exactly why I get drawn to this marvelous cooking gadget so frequently!
You can absolutely grill them in a traditional oven but instead of using the bake mode, use the broil mode placing the chicken at the upper most level of the oven.
This will ensure that the distance between chicken and the source of heat is minimum which will not only cook the chicken faster but also give that beautiful charred effect of grilling!
You can also use this dry spice mix with other cuts of chicken like chicken thighs or chicken breasts and they will come out equally tempting and delicious.
You will just need to adjust the cooking time depending on what cut of meat you are using.
For chicken breasts, do not grill them for more than 10 minutes; else they will turn tough and dry. For boneless and skinless chicken thighs, 20 minutes of grilling hits the right spot!
For skin-on and bone-in chicken thighs, time to cook them perfectly will be almost similar to that of chicken drumsticks, about 25 minutes.
You can absolutely check the doneness of chicken in between to avoid overcooking as overcooked chicken is no good, which I am sure you will agree too!
Ingredients for grilled dry rub chicken legs
Chicken legs: I have used skinless chicken legs simply because I wanted to cut down any unnecessary fat that comes with the skin in my meals which means significantly fewer calories!
If you are worried that the skinless legs will become dry after being grilled, you can rest assured that they won’t!
Since I have made my grilled dry rub chicken legs in the air fryer, the legs won’t turn dry or tough as they won’t come in direct contact with fire.
All you need to do to retain the tenderness of your chicken legs is to spray oil over the drumsticks in between the air frying process while flipping them over. And you are sorted!
Onion powder: The dried onion powder adds the depth of flavor that’s much needed in the dry rub spice mix for making your grilled dry rub chicken legs addictively flavorful!
Garlic powder: Garlic is a must in any of my chicken recipes. Since this is a dry rub recipe, I used dried garlic powder so that it mixes evenly with all the other spices while imparting its incredible garlicky flavor.
Chilli powder/paprika: A dash of chilli powder, or paprika if you are more used to it, will add that subtle kick to the grilled dry rub chicken legs but it won’t make it too hot to handle.
You can use the one you are most comfortable with in terms of the level of spiciness. A Kashmiri red chilli powder will add a vibrant red color without too much heat.
Coriander powder: To add more depth to your dry rub spice mix making your grilled dry rub chicken legs more irresistible, add a generous amount of coriander powder to the mix!
You will be amazed to see how quickly the ground coriander levels up the flavor profile of your grilled chicken legs without practically zero effort!
Brown sugar: To bind together all the warm spices and the seasonings, I have added a couple tablespoons of brown sugar.
It won’t add any perceivable sweetness but balance the savoriness of all dry spices beautifully making the dry rub a go-to seasoning for all your future grilling!
Dried basil: Add a unique flavor to your grilled dry rub chicken legs by adding dried basil to the spice mix. Basil adds immense flavor even in its dried form.
You may also substitute basil with parsley or thyme or any other dried herb of your choice and each will make a unique dry rub with each selection!
Cornflour/cornstarch: This starch is a unique ingredient in this grilled dry rub chicken legs. Since I am using skinless chicken legs, this starch will create a somewhat thin crispy coating outside the meat.
Seasoning: Add salt and pepper to taste to your dry rub spice mix. This is the only space to season your chicken; so be generous so that the seasoning penetrates deep inside the meat.
Oil: Drizzle about a tablespoon of oil over the chicken legs once they are nicely coated with the dry spice mix. Also spray oil in between while grilling the chicken legs in the air fryer.
Drizzling or spraying oil will prevent the chicken legs from drying too much, keeping them juicy and tender.
How to make grilled dry rub chicken legs?
Step 1: Wash and pat dry the chicken drumsticks. You may poke the thickest part of the meat with the edge of a sharp knife to let the spices go deep inside.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, first add the dry spices – onion powder, garlic powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, brown sugar, dried basil and salt & pepper.
Step 3: Give a good mix ensuring the brown sugar is not clumped together and everything gets mixed up to make a homogeneous spice rub.
Step 4: Then add the cornflour and give another good mix using a wire whisk. Your dry rub spice mix must be evenly mixed with no lumps; so take time here without rushing.
Step 5: Once you are happy with the dry rub, drop the chicken legs into the spice mix and start coating each leg with the spices. You can do it using your hand or a spatula.
Step 6: After mixing them for about 5 minutes or so, spray or drizzle about a tablespoon of oil over the chicken legs. Give another good mix for 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 7: Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 30 minutes allowing them to absorb all the flavors.
Step 8: When you are ready to grill, preheat your air fryer at 190 C / 375 F and set the timer to 25 minutes. Spray oil over the bottom surface of the air fryer basket.
Step 9: Once the air fryer is preheated, transfer the dry rubbed chicken legs to the air fryer basket placing them in a single layer.
Step 10: Spray oil over the chicken legs and start air frying them until halfway through cooking time. Then take the basket out.
Step 11: Flip over each chicken leg, spray oil over the flipped side and return the basket to the air fryer to continue air frying for remaining cooking time.
Step 12: After about 25 minutes your grilled dry rub chicken legs should be completely cooked through. You can check the doneness by cutting the thickest part of meat with the edge of a knife.
Step 13: If the meat cuts through easily and the juices run clear without any trace of pink, your chicken is ready to serve!
Step 14: Transfer the grilled dry rub chicken legs to a serving platter and sprinkle chilli flakes for some added kick! Serve them up with fresh salads on the side! Enjoy!
More delicious air fryer chicken recipes from Flavor Quotient
Grilled Dry Rub Chicken Legs | Air Fryer Chicken Legs with Homemade Dry Rub Spice Mix
Author: Priyanka
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 2 Servings
Ingredients
- Chicken drumsticks/leg – 6, skinless & bone-in
- Olive oil to spray or brush the chicken
For dry rub:
- Onion powder – 1 tsp
- Garlic powder – 1 tsp
- Coriander powder – 1 tsp
- Red chilli powder/paprika – 1 tsp
- Brown sugar – 1 tbsp
- Dried basil – 1 tsp
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cornflour/cornstarch – 2 tbsp
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the chicken drumsticks. You may poke the thickest part of the meat with the edge of a sharp knife to let the spices go deep inside.
- In a large mixing bowl, first add the dry spices – onion powder, garlic powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, brown sugar, dried basil and salt & pepper.
- Give a good mix ensuring the brown sugar is not clumped together and everything gets mixed up to make a homogeneous spice rub.
- Then add the cornflour and give another good mix using a wire whisk. Your dry rub spice mix must be evenly mixed with no lumps; so take time here without rushing.
- Once you are happy with the dry rub, drop the chicken legs into the spice mix and start coating each leg with the spices. You can do it using your hand or a spatula.
- After mixing them for about 5 minutes or so, spray or drizzle about a tablespoon of oil over the chicken legs. Give another good mix for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 30 minutes allowing them to absorb all the flavors.
- When you are ready to grill, preheat your air fryer at 190 C / 375 F and set the timer to 25 minutes. Spray oil over the bottom surface of the air fryer basket.
- Once the air fryer is preheated, transfer the dry rubbed chicken legs to the air fryer basket placing them in a single layer.
- Spray oil over the chicken legs and start air frying them until halfway through cooking time. Then take the basket out.
- Flip over each chicken leg, spray oil over the flipped side and return the basket to the air fryer to continue air frying for remaining cooking time.
- After about 25 minutes your grilled dry rub chicken legs should be completely cooked through. You can check the doneness by cutting the thickest part of meat with the edge of a knife.
- If the meat cuts through easily and the juices run clear without any trace of pink, your chicken is ready to serve!
- Transfer the grilled dry rub chicken legs to a serving platter and sprinkle chilli flakes for some added kick! Serve them up with fresh salads on the side! Enjoy!
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