A great low-carb dinner idea for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other time of the year is how to cook turkey legs in an air fryer with dry rub. These are great if you want more meat than our Ninja Foodi or Cosori air fryer whole turkey wings.
Air fryer turkey legs are great for a quick protein packed low carb dinner. During the holidays it’s perfect when there are only a few of you at home. Air fryer recipe success tonight. (affiliate links present).
For many of us succulent crispy turkey legs are one of the highlights of holiday meals. With the right techniques, you can achieve restaurant-quality turkey legs easily at home with the versatile Ninja Foodi. This electric pressure cooker and air fryer combo allows you to infuse intense flavor and tenderness into the meat, while also crisping up the skin to perfection.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll share my best tips and tricks for cooking foolproof turkey legs in the Ninja Foodi, from start to finish. After trying this method, you’ll never buy pre-cooked turkey legs again!
Why the Ninja Foodi Excels at Turkey Legs
The Ninja Foodi provides several advantages that make it exceptionally good for cooking turkey legs
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Pressure cooking – The Foodi’s pressure cooking ability quickly tenderizes the meat while sealing in moisture and flavor.
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Air crisping – Gives the skin an unbeatably crispy, golden texture without having to deep fry.
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Convenience – With pressure cooking and air crisping in one vessel, it makes cooking turkey legs incredibly easy and hands-off.
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Flavor infusion – Pressure and steam drive spices, herbs, and marinades deep into the meat.
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Speed – Turkey legs cook much faster than traditional roasting.
With the Foodi’s pressure, air crisp, and tender crisp functions, you can achieve superior results that surpass oven roasting.
Choosing the Best Turkey Legs
When selecting turkey legs for the Ninja Foodi, keep an eye out for:
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Size – Legs around 1-1.5 lbs tend to work very well. Larger or smaller legs may not fit or cook evenly.
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Shape – Look for legs with a curvier, rounder shape rather than a straight shape. Curves allow for better air flow.
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Skin – Legs with the skin intact adds delicious crispiness. Opt for skin-on.
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Quality – Choose fresh, antibiotic-free turkey legs when possible for the best flavor.
Ideal turkey legs for the Foodi are around 1 lb, curvy, with the skin on for the perfect crispy exterior.
Prepping Turkey Legs for Maximum Tenderness
Properly preparing the turkey legs before cooking is vital for ensuring tender, flavorful results:
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Pat dry – Gently pat the turkey legs with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Too much moisture will hinder browning.
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Trim fat – Use a sharp knife to trim off any large chunks of fat from the legs.
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Make slashes – Use a knife to cut several slits into the flesh side of the legs. This allows seasonings and heat to fully penetrate.
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Generously season – Thoroughly coat the legs all over with your favorite spices and herbs. Popular choices include salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, paprika, and garlic.
With the legs fully prepped, it’s time to start cooking.
Pressure Cooking for Maximum Flavor Infusion
Pressure cooking is the key to driving flavor deep into the meat for succulent, fall-off-the-bone turkey legs:
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Add liquid – The Foodi needs at least 1 cup of liquid to build pressure. Chicken or turkey broth works very well, but water can also be used.
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Place bone-side down – Positioning the legs with the bone side facing down allows the moisture to fully penetrate the meat.
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High pressure 20-25 minutes – Cook time will vary slightly based on size. Check for doneness after 20 minutes.
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Quick release pressure – After pressure cooking, manually release the pressure immediately so the legs don’t overcook.
The combination of pressure, steam, and seasonings infuses the turkey legs with incredible flavor and moisture.
Air Crisping for Perfectly Crispy Skin
Next, we’ll add the crowning touch – an ultra crispy, crackling skin:
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Pat legs dry – Gently pat off any excess moisture before air crisping.
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Coat with oil – Lightly brush or rub a tiny bit of olive oil over the skin to facilitate crisping.
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Air crisp 400°F for 5-8 minutes – Frequently check the legs until the skin reaches your desired level of crispiness.
The Foodi’s super hot circulating air crisps up the skin for a phenomenally crunchy, browned exterior.
Serving Up Your Masterpiece Turkey Legs
Your perfectly cooked turkey legs are ready to enjoy. Here are some mouthwatering ideas for serving them:
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Pair with traditional Thanksgiving sides like mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.
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Make unique turkey leg sliders with mini buns, BBQ sauce, and coleslaw.
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Dice up the meat and add it to soups, tacos, pasta, and other dishes.
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Serve on top of a fresh salad for a satisfyig main course meal.
With the Ninja Foodi, you can easily whip up incredible gourmet-quality turkey legs any time. Throw on different rubs and glazes to put your personal twist on this classic dish. Your family and friends will be begging for the recipe!
By following these tips and techniques for preparing and cooking turkey legs in the Ninja Foodi, you are guaranteed to achieve superior results with juicy, fall-off-the-bone meat and an amazingly crispy skin. Pressure cooking infuses big flavor fast while air crisping puts a perfect finishing touch on that crunchy exterior.
So next time you get a craving for tender, savory turkey legs, look no further than your Ninja Foodi. These step-by-step instructions will help you master mouthwatering turkey legs with ease.
How to Cook Turkey Legs in Air Fryer
These aren’t much different than chicken legs, just take longer. You can soak in buttermilk and coat with breadcrumbs or just season the outsides like we did here. Set inside the basket, flipped halfway until it reaches 165 F. Anyone can air fry anything and make it taste amazing and out of this world with the right rub.
- This much will fit in your air fryer basket at once: two turkey legs
- Olive oil spray
- Sea salt
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Basil
There wasn’t really a question as to how I was going to season these babies. Years ago, I made this turkey dry rub, and it was a HUGE hit. So I just cut the recipe in half, which was meant to cover the whole bird. Even so, I’ve made it with just salt, pepper, and Old Bay. That’s my favorite secret ingredient for “everything.”
Just mix the seasonings together, rub it on and you’re ready to cook once your machine is preheaed. First put these in the Instant Pot. Then start the garlic mashed potatoes. Everything will be done at the same time, so you can enjoy it all at once.
Ninja Foodi Turkey Legs
You might want to serve that traditional dish, but you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a whole bird. Two legs would be enough for you, and you could use the rest to make a recipe the next day. The lid that comes with the Foodi and the “air crisp” button will be used to make this.
Last week we shared how to cook turkey legs and thighs and we just couldn’t stop there. Since it was so good, I thought I’d show you another Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner recipe. This is especially great if you only have two people in the home during the holidays.
If you love extra crispy food and quick recipes, here are some resources to start with:
- My favorite models are the Foodi or this Cosori, which can do two things at once.
- There are more Ninja Foodi recipes here as well, so save both of them.
- Putting food in a hot basket is the best thing to do. this is how to preheat air fryer first.
- Here is a free air fryer cooking time chart that you can print out and put on your fridge.
While I was shopping for food, these caught my eye. I was trying to decide what to cook next. I hadn’t experimented much with them so I thought “why not”. I thought it would be hard to go wrong at about $4 for two big pieces, so I bought two packages to try them out.
This set was enough for me because the first time I used it, they turned out great! I first tried this crispy crunchy method and then used it on baked turkey legs. Loved that too.
Ninja Foodi Turkey Legs Pressure Cooker/Air fryer Combination Cooking
FAQ
Can you cook a turkey in the Ninja Foodi?
What temperature should turkey legs be cooked at?
How do you cook a turkey breast on a ninja foodi?
Place the turkey breast on the rack inside the Ninja Foodi’s cooking pot. Close the lid and select the “Pressure Cook” function. Set the cooking time to 25 minutes. Once the cooking time is up, allow for a natural pressure release for about 10 minutes.
How long do you Pressure Cook a Turkey in Ninja foodi?
Determining the pressure cook time for a turkey in the Ninja Foodi is straightforward: The number you get is the pressure cook time in minutes. For example, a 10 lb turkey would cook for 19 minutes (10 x 2 – 1 = 19). This formula works like a charm to prevent over or undercooking.
How long to cook a Turkey in a ninja foodi air fryer?
Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Carefully turn the turkey breast, coat it again with olive oil spray and a dash of rosemary if you prefer. Cook for an additional 30 minutes at 350 degrees. How to cook a Turkey in a ninja foodi air fryer?
How do you cook turkey legs in an air fryer?
Preheat air fryer to 390 degrees F. Mix together dry rub ingredients in a bowl. Rub on all sides of legs. Spray inside of air fryer basket with olive oil spray and lay legs inside. Spray top of legs with olive oil spray. Close drawer and air fry turkey legs at 390 degrees F for 21 minutes.
How do you Crisp a Turkey in Ninja foodi?
Remove the turkey and strain the liquid into a bowl. If your turkey is small enough, you can put the turkey back into the Ninja Foodi to crisp up the skin using the AC function. Or, you can always transfer the turkey to a roasting pan and crisp it up with the broil setting (or high heat setting) in the oven just before serving.
How to make Ninja foodi Turkey Tenderloin for Thanksgiving?
If making ninja foodi turkey tenderloin for Thanksgiving, keep in mind that 1 average size tenderloin will feed 1 person. So plan accordingly. You can marinate turkey in spices, add a little bit of olive oil and keep in the fridge overnight. This simple process will help infuse seasonings flavors into the meat.