These Air Fryer Chicken Drumstick Fillets are a quick and easy way to cook these economic chicken fillet pieces. The air fryer ensures that they cook evenly and stay perfectly juicy whether you plan to season and serve as is or add them to another dish.
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Drumstick fillets are a fairly newly available cut here in the UK. I don’t know when they actually appeared however. It is my understanding that they are relatively unique to the UK (as a pre-prepared cut available to buy). I’m sure that you could de-bone a drumstick anywhere in the world if you with to. But to be honest I’m not sure I’d go to the effort!
But as a ready prepared product, they are very convenient. And like I said, economical – they’re one of the cheapest cuts available. Of course drumsticks have some of the darkest meat on a chicken and anyone in the know will tell you that that’s where the real flavour is.
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How to Serve
You can serve these drumstick fillets in a million different ways. You’ll see that I’ve simply seasoned them with paprika and garlic salt. They can be eaten just like this or seasoned or sauced however you wish. You can make the flavours match the rest of your meal or keep them plain and simple. You can also add the cooked fillets to other dishes like soups, stews and curries.
I kept things simple when taking the photos for this recipe. Some crispy fries, a nice creamy coleslaw, a good mixed leaf salad and some sweetcorn with chopped bell peppers and red onion. Add a few dipping sauces, that’s a classic easy meal done and dusted.
Ingredients
Chicken Drumstick Fillets
As I’ve mentioned, these fillets are now fairly easy to find and buy in British supermarkets. I’ve not seen them in any actual butcher shops yet but who knows, it is always worth an ask. I have only seen them sold as bone-less and skin-less but I suspect someone is likely selling a skin on version. If you find these, the cooking instructions remain the same.
You can also use some sharp scissors to cut though the flesh and then around the bone to de-bone drumsticks yourself. I’m not convinced the reward is worth the effort but you do you.
You’ll see my first instruction is to trim the fillets up. I found that they come with much sinew attached. Each bit that was handing off was easy to cut off. The sinew will render down as the fillets cooked so there is no need to go to town doing this, you will not be able to remove every little bit even if you wanted to. Think about when you roast a whole chicken, you don’t have lots of obvious chewy pieces to deal with. It’s the same deal when the bone is removed.
Oil
The oil is essential to ensure that the fillets do not dry out. It also helps the seasoning to adhere to the chicken. So please do not skip this essential step.
I generally use a neutral vegetable oil when making these simple recipes. There is no flavour to clash with any seasonings, sauces or sides. But of course if you want to use another oil like olive or coconut oil then you can do. Just ensure that the flavour of what you choose complements the rest of the meal.
Seasonings
I’ve just used a 50/50 mix of garlic salt and paprika. Salt is essential so even if you use nothing else, please make sure to use salt. Otherwise you can go wild with seasoning mixes, either bought or homemade. You can use herbs, citrus juice or zest or even sauces/marinades.
If you want to use any sauces which have a significant sugar content, I would advise brushing this on just for the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Otherwise it may catch and burn.
Allergen Information
This recipe is free from egg, dairy, gluten and nuts.
Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
How Long to Air Fry Drumstick Fillets
You’ll note from the recipe instructions and images below that I cook the fillets tucked under themselves. This simulates the original shape of the drumstick but there are two more reasons I do this.
The first is so you can fit more fillets into the air fryer basket. Splayed out and only a few fillets fill my basket. Secondly I find that this makes the fillets that little but thicker which gives the outside more time to get a little char and colour without drying out the fillets. Cooking this way takes 15 minutes.
If you are in a hurry and have room to spare, the fillets will cook in 8 to 10 minutes when fully rolled out.
How to Air Fry Drumstick Fillets From Frozen
I only recommend doing this if you have fully prepped the chicken before freezing it. Trim the fillets up and freeze them tucked under themselves on a tray. Once frozen you can move them to an airtight bag of box.
To cook from frozen you will need to make sure there is no ice on the chicken and that the fillets are thoroughly dry. I suggest running the chicken under the cold tap to every so slightly defrost the surface. Dry them really well and then add the oil and seasoning as usual.
Weirdly enough, the chicken doesn’t need to cook for any longer when it is being cooked from frozen as it does when cooked from fresh.
Leftovers – Storage & Reheating
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for several day or frozen for longer storage.
You can reheat the chicken fillets or eat/use them either cold or hot. My preferred way to reheat is actually in the microwave. This is quick but it also keeps the meat juicy.
If you prefer to reheat in the air fryer, the best thing to do is to loosely wrap the chicken in foil along with a drop of water. cook until the chicken is piping hot. As you are effectively steaming the chicken, it will again stay nice and juicy.
Common Air Fryer Questions – A Brief Guide to Air Frying
- What exactly is an air fryer?
- What are the benefits of using an air fryer?
- Are all air fryers the same?
- Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
- Do air fryers need to be pre-heated?
- What is the best temperature to air fry at?
- What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
- Can food be cooked from frozen in an air fryer?
- Can I reheat food in an air fryer?
- Are air fryer liners a good idea?
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What Exactly is an Air Fryer?
Very simply, an air fryer is a small convection (fan) oven. The benefit is that the hot air is circulated all around the food being cooked which speeds up the cooking time and cooks the food more evenly.
What are the Benefits of Using an Air Fryer?
Size, time and energy usage. Air fryers are ideal for cooking smaller quantities. Heating up a space that the food just fits into requires less energy and means that the heat source is much closer to the food. Combining these two things can speed up the cooking time.
Are all air fryers the same?
Nope! The term air fryer is now used very broadly. I consider there to be 4 main types:
Basket Air Fryers
These are what I would consider to be the most common, especially in the UK. A boxy type unit has a pull out drawer/basket. Food isn’t usually visible whilst cooking.
Some larger models have two drawers so different items can be cooked at different temperatures or for different times.
This is the type that you’ll see in the images in this recipe. I mostly use a Cosori Lite 3.8L (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal. It isn’t an overly expensive or fancy model.
I’ve also recommended to several friends and family the model with a slightly larger basket. This is the Cosori 4.7L (CAF-L501) with a 4.7 litre basket. The unit is no larger than the 3.8 litre model on the outside but does have a larger internal basket capacity. I’ve since bought this version to use for some recipes where my smaller model was just too small. I’ll always note this in the recipe.
Rotary Air Fryers
Round air fryers with a paddle in the centre that rotates to move the food. This is the type I used for years – the most common is a Tefal Actifry.
Rotary types are not usually good for recipes where the food is breaded, glazed, likely to break up or in a tray/container. They do however make the best chips and roasted veg.
My 2 in 1 version like the one I’ve linked also has a rotating tray for things that could be broken up by a paddle, but the height clearance with the lid isn’t deep enough to use it to cook some items like sausage rolls. I’ve now actually retired by Actifry in favour of having my two basket type fryers.
Mini Oven Air Fryers
These usually have a glass door, shelves and overall are really quite large. You can cook quite a decent quantity of food in them so are best if regularly cooking for multiple people. They often come with extra features like a rotisserie spit or kebab skewers.
Multicookers with Air Fryer Functions
Some like Ninja 11 in 1 and some of the earlier versions with a few less functions, have an air fryer option. They mostly operate the same as a basket fryer but the basket drops in the top rather than sliding in like a drawer.
Some electric pressure cookers like Instant Pots can also air fry when used with a specific lid.
Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
As much as I do love air frying, the honest answer to this is no. And the more detailed answer is that it will always depend on what you’re cooking, how much of it you’re cooking and what type and size of air fryer you have.
Once you need to cook in more than 2 batches, it often makes more sense to use an oven. If you already have the oven on to cook other items, it may make more sense to throw one more item in rather than using an additional appliance.
I don’t think either method is often necessarily better than the other. The important point to note is that there is absolutely no difference in the finished product.
Do Air Fryers Need to Be Pre-Heated?
The answer to this is rather annoying – it depends. It depends entirely on your model and type of air fryer. The best advice I can offer is to check your manual and follow their guidance. My Cosori models have a preheat function. I press a button and it heats at 205c/400f for 4 minutes.
It’s also worth noting that regardless of whether you are supposed to pre-heat or not, if you are cooking in batches, it is quite likely that anything after the first batch will cook a little quicker because of the retained heat. It is best to check on them before the cooking time is completed.
What is the best temperature to Air Fry at?
It will always depend on what you are cooking and from what state. All of my air fryer recipes don’t use temperatures above 200c/390f because many of the most common fryers in the UK don’t go above this. Mine goes to 230c/450f and I use this temperature a lot but it is no help for me to share recipes which many people can’t use.
What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
Not all air fryers have different settings like this. When they do it usually relates to the fan speed. The default setting to use will always be “air fry” so unless something else is specifically stated in the recipe, always use the air fry option.
There are other air fryers that have an additional heating element which cooks from underneath rather than just the top. Just as with the other settings, unless you are using a recipe which states to use a second heating element, stick with just using the top down air fry option.
Of course if and when you become more confident with air frying, using recipes and the settings of your air fryer, you can start adapting them to suit.
Can Food Be Cooked From Frozen In An Air Fryer?
Absolutely! To cook from frozen you usually will need to reduce the cooking temperature and increase the time to make sure your food is cooked right through to the middle.
It is best to check my individual recipes for cooking from frozen advice as some items are a little different. And there are occasionally exceptions to the rule.
Can I Reheat Food In An Air Fryer?
Yes. As a general rule I reheat food for roughly 1/3 of the original cooking time at the same temperature. Or at 10 degrees lower for half the time for larger items.
Are Air Fryer Liners a Good Idea?
Unless otherwise stated, I do not use liners when air frying. Basket and rotary type air fryers are designed to be used without liners. Mini oven types will generally require some kind of tray like with a regular large oven although most come with crisper racks to use.
There are many air fryer liners available including quite thick silicone ones. These will affect the cooking times and possibly temperatures of your cooking/baking. I also don’t like how cooking juices are prevented from dripping through the basket rack. This can stop food from crisping all the way around.
When I do want to collect the juices, I mostly use some foil, or occasionally a foil tray which can be washed and reused.
If you do prefer to use them, once you have got a feel for how they affect your cooking and baking, you may need to make adjustments to the recipe accordingly.
More Air Fryer Recipes
All my recipes with instructions for how to cook or bake them in the air fryer can be found in my Air Fryer Recipe Index.
Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did it turn out?
Still Have Questions?
Simple! Just contact me and I will do my best to help as quickly as I am able. Head over to my Contact Me page, any of my social media channels or post a comment at the bottom of this page and I’ll see what I can do.
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The Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Drumstick Fillets Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 Boneless Chicken Drumstick Fillets - around 60g/2oz each
- 2 tsp Vegetable Oil - – see notes
- 1 tsp Seasoning - – see notes
Instructions
- If your air fryer requires pre-heating, Start this setting now.
- Thoroughly dry 8 Boneless Chicken Drumstick Fillets.
- Use scissors or a small sharp knife to remove any residual pieces of bone or cartilage that might remain. Also remove any flappy bits of skin or fat. You don't need to trim off every spot of fat etc, this is just to tidy them up and prevent any rogue bits catching and burning.
- Drizzle over 2 tsp Oil and 1 tsp Seasoning and toss to thoroughly coat the chicken.
- Fold each of the fillets under itself so they're more their original drumstick shape.
- Place the drumstick fillets into the air fryer basket. Leave a little space between each so the air can circulate.
- Cook for 15 minutes at 200c/390f. There is no need to turn them
- Check the chicken is cooked through, you can see this by making a cut and checking that the meat is white in the centre of the thickest part. If there are any pink juices showing, continue cooking for 2 minutes at a time.
To Air Fry From Frozen
- Cook for 15 minutes at 200c/390f.
- Check that the chicken is cooked through in exactly the same way as if you are cooking from fresh.
Notes
- Oil – Choose your oil to match your flavouring. For example use garlic, salt and rosemary with olive oil or for a more neutral flavour, sea salt and black pepper with vegetable oil.
- Seasoning – Choose any seasoning mix, spices or dried/fresh herbs. Make sure that salt is included in the mix. You can also add a little citrus juice.
- I used vegetable oil with a 50/50 mix of garlic salt and paprika.
- The air fryer version of this recipe is tested in a Corsori Lite (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal.
- Not all models advise preheating is required. Please follow the recommended instructions for your model. Mine has a specific preheat setting which is 4 minutes at 205c.
- For this recipe, I can easily fit 8 chicken drumstick fillets in the basket at a time. This gives more than enough room to allow air to circulate – I could probably squeeze in a couple more.
- As all air fryer models are a little different, you may find that you can fit more or less in at a time. Some models include stacking shelves which will increase capacity.
- Required cooking times and temperatures can also vary between models and brands. If you know that your air fryer runs a little hotter than most recipes suggest, use a lower temperature. And vice versa. Equally if you find that food cooks more quickly in your machine than instructions usually state, reduce the cooking time (or check it earlier) and vice versa.
Dave says
I love the flavour of drumsticks and the boneless fillets are so much easier to eat. I used some chilli flavoured oil with a little salt and they were delicious.
Karen says
Didn’t know you could get this boneless cut, I’m not a fan of drumsticks because of all the bones. Found in my local store and cooked them exactly as suggested, and they were great, all the taste and none of the faff.