Looking for an easy budget-friendly dinner? Try our finger-licking-good Air Fryer Crispy Curry Chicken Legs for a spicy, savory, and sweet bite of Thai heaven. The secret is in the mild massaman curry paste marinade that uses ONLY ingredients you can easily find in the grocery store.
One bite and you will be hooked! These air fried chicken drumsticks get extra crispy with just 10 minutes of prep time, just like our Super Easy Baked Wing Ding. All the delicious flavors of deep-fried chicken but with less fat and no breading. Air frying, baking, and grilling instructions are included in the recipe for your convenience.
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Ingredients
Red curry paste is a delicious blend of red chili pepper, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, shallots, coriander root and kaffir lime leaves and has so many uses. It can be found in the Asian Food section of the typical grocery store. We hope you’ll have a little left over to try our Thai Red Curry Salmon recipe. The Thai Kitchen brand has a gluten free red curry paste, if that is a concern for you.
Peanuts – dry roasted or cashews or other seeds like our Easy Roasted Pepitas. If you choose to use a but butter reduce the amount to 1 tablespoon.
Chicken drumsticks (legs) – can also use chicken thighs or wings but they less time to cook. Chicken leg quarters take longer to cook. If you want a vegan option, try substituting with eggplant.
Fish sauce – gives that salty savory finish. If you need to stay gluten-free use red boat.
Oil – healthy olive oil or can even use coconut oil
Honey or maple syrup to balance the heat.
Lime zest adds a pop of flavor. Usually, kaffir lime leaves are an essential Thai ingredient. However, regular limes are an easier to find ingredient.
Aromatic spices – cumin and curry
Massaman Curry Substitute?
If you live close to an Asian market it is so easy to come by premade massaman curry. You can certainly use pre-made massaman curry paste for this air fryer crispy curry chicken legs recipe and save some time. However, for the rest of us, finding that beloved rich and heavily spiced Massaman curry can be near impossible to come by. That is exactly why we created our adapted version with easy to find ingredients found in a western grocery store.
People love our massaman curry substitute because it has all the flavors of a mild massaman curry (แกงมัสมั่น) but without all the fuss. We’ve ‘doctored’ up a traditional red curry paste to transform it into some with thing those delicious Northern Thailand flavors.
Usually massaman curry has cardamon, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, cumin, bay leaves, nutmeg and mace added to it as well. If you have those spices on hand, feel free to add them. We chose the most important spices to deliver the maximum amount of flavor with the least amount of effort and time.
How to Make Thai Massaman Curry Paste ?
You can make curry paste in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle. If you are using a food processor you can add the ingredients in at the same time and then blend until smooth. You can add a tiny bit of water or coconut milk to get the mixture moving.
However, with a mortar and pestle it is best to add the ingredients in this order for the best results.
Add the garlic cloves with a little salt as an abrasive and bash well
Next add the peanuts and crush.
Now add the red curry paste and adjust to your spice level
Add the zest of a lime and mix
Cumin and cinnamon are added at this time
Next comes the fish sauce
Honey is drizzled in
Now a couple tablespoons of oil and stir
Healthy Chicken Marinade
The best way to infuse lots of flavor into chicken legs is to marinate them overnight in the refrigerator with aromatics and spices, just like we did with our Tea Smoked Chicken Legs. However, if you are in a rush, at least 15 minutes to a half hour of marinating time is best.
You really need to get in there and rubs the drumsticks all over with the Thai curry paste. However, you don’t want to be doing that with your bare hands. If you accidently wipe your eyes or anywhere else, you will know about it and you won’t ever do that again! There are a couple of ways to avoid the burn from chili peppers.
- Use disposable gloves when touching the marinated chicken drumsticks.
- Place the chicken drumsticks and the massaman curry paste in a plastic bag. Seal it up and rub it all around.
How to Get Crispy Chicken Skin?
- If using frozen chicken drumsticks, it is best to let them fully thaw first.
- Dry the drumsticks with a paper towel BEFORE seasoning and marinating. This is THE most important step. Whether you are cooking drumsticks or honey hot wings - dry them well.
- Season the drumsticks with salt and pepper before rubbing them with the massaman curry paste marinade.
- Pre-heating your air fryer for a good 5 to 10 minutes at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) before air frying also helps.
- Spray your air fryer basked with spray oil to prevent sticking and tearing of the crispy chicken skin.
- In addition, spray the chicken on all sides with oil to ensure maximum crispiness before air frying.
- Do not open the door to your air fryer to keep checking on them - you will lose heat.
- Bring your marinated chicken breasts out of the refrigerator for a few minutes before putting them in the air fryer. This ensures more consistent cooking.
- Turn your chicken legs midway turning the cooking process to ensure all sides are crispy and delicious.
Equipment
Our Air Fryer Crispy Curry Chicken Legs were cooked in our COSORI Air Fryer Toaster 12-in-1 Countertop Convection Oven. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may or may not be able to air fry all the drumsticks at the same time. For optimal results, you do not want your chicken legs touching so all the surfaces get extra crispy from the forced air.
If you do not own an air fryer- no worries. We have also included baking directions below in the recipe card. You can also grill your chicken drumsticks if Mother Nature is cooperating.
Rocking Side Dishes
We have made this finger licking massaman chicken curry recipe three times this week. It’s that good! Try these tasty Thai Cuisine side dishes for a complete meal.
If you want Thai inspired menu, try our Grilled Watermelon Salad and a side or starter of our Gluten-Free Thai Shrimp Pancakes.
Are you hosting a gathering? Start your guests off with a Tropical Fruit Rambutan Cocktail and then finish off the night with a cool and refreshing No-churn Dairy Free Mango Swirl Ice Cream.
Frequent asked Questions (FAQ’s)
The approximate cook time is between 20 to 25 minutes depending on the size of your chicken legs (drumsticks).
Chicken drumsticks need to be cooked until the internal meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees F (74 degrees C) and the juices run clear. Make sure to check the temperature in the thickest meatiest part of the leg and not near the bone for an accurate reading.
The best way is to preheat your air fryer or oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and then place the chicken legs back in the air fryer for approximately 6 minutes or until warmed through and the skin is crispy again.
According to the USDA, you can keep cooked chicken up to 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or can be frozen for up to 4 months.
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Air Fryer Crispy Curry Chicken Legs
Equipment
- air fryer Oven and Grilling Directions included
Ingredients
Massaman Curry Paste (or use store-bought)
- 3 extra large garlic cloves or 6 medium peeled
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup peanuts roasted
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 2 teaspoons lime zest or zest from 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
Chicken
- 6 chicken legs (drumsticks) prepped and dried well with a paper towel or about 2 pounds (each leg is about 4 ounces and has about 1.5 ounces of chicken meat without the skin and bones – plan on two per person or more if you have a hungry crew.)
- salt and pepper as desired
- massaman curry paste ingredients above or can use store bought
- 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup or sugar alternative of choice
- 1 tablespoon oil
- spray oil to prevent sticking
Garnishes - optional
- peanuts roasted and crushed
- cilantro, green onions and chili peppers
Instructions
Make the massaman curry ( or you can use pre-made from the market )
- Place all ingredients for the massaman curry (garlic, salt, peanuts, Thai red curry paste, zest of 1 lime, cumin, cinnamon and fish sauce) in a food processor or use mortar and pestle to blend well. If having a hard time getting the ingredients to blend in the food processor, add 1 teaspoon of water or coconut milk at a time just to get it going. On the other hand, if you are using a mortar and pestle, bash and blend together all ingredients, except the fish sauce. Stir fish sauce in last so you don't make a mess.
- Stir in honey and oil into the massaman curry paste. Set aside.
- Dry chicken drumsticks well and season on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken legs in a big bowl or in a large sealable plastic bag. Add in the homemade massaman curry paste with the added honey and oil and rub well to cover the whole surface of the chicken legs. We used gloves and did this with our hands. Allow to chicken legs to marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight covered in the refrigerator. Marinating allows the flavors to develop and penetrate the chicken. If you do not have the time to marinate, these massaman glazed chicken legs are still delicious.
Air Fry Directions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Spray the air fryer tray and the chicken legs with spray oil. Air fry chicken drumsticks for about 15 minutes and then flip over on the other side and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. Chicken drumsticks are cooked when the juices run clear, the chicken is golden brown and/ or the meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. Cook time will vary, depending on how large your drumsticks are.
Oven Baked Chicken Drumstick Directions
- Preheat the oven to 390 degrees F or 200 degrees C. Line the baking tray and grease well to prevent sticking. Bake the chicken drumsticks uncovered in the middle rack of the oven for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10minutes or until the chicken juices run clear, the chicken legs are golden brown and/or the meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F.
Grilling Directions
- Preheat your grill to a medium heat or about 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Clean, prepare and grease grill grates. Spray your chicken legs with a little oil spray or drizzle or a little extra olive oil to prevent sticking. Grill chicken legs on the grill covered (indirect heat) for about 35 minutes or until the internal temperature is at least 165 F and the juices run clear. Periodically turn the chicken legs so they get crispy on all sides.
Garnishes (optional)
- Garnish Air Fryer Crispy Curry Chicken Legs with roasted crushed peanuts, cilantro, chili peppers and fresh limes if desired. Enjoy!
Jasline says
That is a lot of garlic and chili and spices! The drumsticks look absolutely delicious!
sweetsimplestuff says
There is no such thing as too much garlic! 🙂
lambyknits01 says
Ha! I love your explanation for immunity 🙂 These drumsticks look delish! Thank you for sharing 🙂
machisan says
Amazing food photography, that would be perfect for my dinner. i just love garlic.
Healthy World Cuisine says
If you are living in Asia- one cannot survive without garlic! Take care and looking forward to keeping in touch. BAM
Charles says
Hi Bam, I see I'm with most people on the "1-2 bulbs per week", though I can easily use more... it all depends on what I'm doing. For example, I used a whole bulb last night when I was roasting something, but other times I can go for a week and only use a few cloves. It depends on my mood a lot I think - I love the look of the drumsticks though, you can't beat a nice pile of golden drumsticks!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hello Charles, it sounds like you have a very average use of garlic. I also go through times, especially when I cook lots of Chinese food that we go through a "tremendous" amount of garlic. Then much less when cooking Japanese cuisine. In addition we have 4 people in our family so of course we use a little more. I hope your day is grand. Take Care, BAM
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
Delicious! There is no such thing as too much garlic. =)
yummychunklet says
Love the idea of this glaze on these drumsticks!
Martyna @ Wholesome Cook says
Wow, you made your own paste! Most of the time I use store-bought additive-free ones! I wish you could send some leftovers my way....
wok with ray says
I love how you perfectly baked those drumsticks. They are making me drool, big time! LOL! I hope you are having a lovely week, BAM!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Ray. I have the most unpredictable oven. I have had someone come out and look at it but it sometimes will not hold a certain temperature. So I guess I should let everyone know that the cooking time will VARY. Half of the time my oven was at 190-200 degrees Celsius and the other half of the time it was 176 celsius. I guess it just makes cooking a little more challenging. That's all. Take Care, BAM
Karen says
My husband just mentioned yesterday that he can't believe how fast we use whole heads of garlic. This recipe will definitely make me run to the market for more. It sounds great!
Healthy World Cuisine says
I know it is just the 2 of you so this is quite an impressive inventory usage. Have a super week. Take Care, BAM
zestybeandog says
I can't get enough garlic, I put it in EVERYTHING!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Jen, you sound like my sister. My sister wakes up in the morning puts a little olive oil and garlic in the pan and asks her kids , "so what do you guys want for breakfast?" Its a tough one when they ask for pancakes... LOL Take care, BAM
ceciliag says
No such thing as too much garlic, even a little travels to your breath in seconds so i say just go the whole hog, which reminds me i have to call the swine herd! have fun Bam darling! c
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks for the high five on garlic support! Do you know that there has been some really strange restaurants named after the use of garlic? "The Stinking Rose" or maybe "Hogs Breath Cafe" Very interesting and the clients do not seem to mind a bit as it is all about the great food. I have really been enjoying the farm these days so much going on. You are such a busy girl! Take Care, BAM
Kathleen Richardson says
I have to admit, BAM, that I learned my best cooking in a small cafe that used only garlic powder. The real stuff (and onions) seems to bother my older stomach -- darn! Are you sure that recipe will feed two hungry teenage boys? Maybe two girls or one boy? Your photos and the recipe do tempt me, as all your recipes do.
Healthy World Cuisine says
In a pinch or a garlic 911 emergency have been known to also use garlic powder. Garlic powder can be a little bit stronger than real garlic and so I tend to use a little bit less. You know you are right maybe I should change the serving pattern to 1 hungry teenage boy. What was I thinking? LOL Take Care and have a great week. BAM
RecipeAdaptors says
I use garlic in most things, but not a lot as my husband says he doesn't like it to be too strong a flavour. Boring!
Healthy World Cuisine says
You so have to get your hubby on the garlic bandwagon. He does not know what he is missing. Have a great week. BAM
Dawn says
Oh my word, I just ate dinner, and these still look amazing, I want to jump into the screen and grab a bite!! I can smell the garlic from here!! 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Dawn! I am sure you can smell the garlic from the opposite end of the world. LOL But it is a good caramelized sweet garlic flavor and super yummy. Take Care, BAM