Air fryer drumsticks and legs give you crisp skin and juicy meat without a deep-fat fryer. Budget Saver Chicken Legs (2kg Pack) is the family 2kg pack; Chicken Drumsticks x2 – Butcher’s Pick is the smaller butcher's pick when you only need a couple. Both sit in chicken and chicken legs; legs also land in BBQ packs.
Air fryer method
Pat dry and oil lightly; salt, pepper, and paprika or your favourite rub. Preheat to 180°C. Cook 22 to 28 minutes for typical drumsticks, turning or shaking once at halfway, until the thickest part near the bone hits 75°C and the juices run clear. Larger leg quarters sit at the longer end. Crowded basket steams the skin — cook in two rounds from a 2kg pack rather than stacking. Rest three to five minutes so the juices settle. If the skin needs more colour, 2 to 3 minutes at 200°C at the end usually does it. From fridge-cold meat, start checking at 20 minutes; from a fuller basket add a couple of minutes and always confirm with a probe near the bone, not just the thin tip.
Oven and BBQ backup
Oven: 200°C for 35 to 45 minutes on a rack, turn once, same 75°C target. BBQ: medium indirect until nearly done, then a minute or two over direct heat for char. Marinated packs colour faster — check early. Shop BBQ meat when you are building a mixed grill with burgers and ribs alongside.
What to serve
Chips, slaw, corn, or a sharp green salad. Leftover cold drumsticks travel well in lunchboxes; reheat covered so the meat stays moist. Browse chicken for wings and thighs when the week needs a change of cut.
Times above are a guide for home ovens, air fryers and slow cookers — always trust a probe over the clock, and rest meat before you carve so the juices stay in the slice, not on the board. British packs vary a little in thickness, so start checking a few minutes early the first time you cook a new size.
Write your own fridge note the first time you cook a new pack size — home ovens and air fryers vary, and a two-minute early check beats dry meat. Rest on a warm plate, not a cold board, so the juices stay put when you carve or plate up.