Name: Air-Fried Peruvian Chicken Drumsticks with Green Crema
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: olive oil for brushing; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 cloves garlic, grated; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika; 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano; 0.25 teaspoon ground black pepper; 6 (4 ounce) chicken drumsticks; 1 cup baby spinach leaves, stems removed; 0.75 cup sour cream; 0.25 cup cilantro leaves; 0.5 jalapeno pepper, seeded; 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice; 1 clove garlic, smashed; 0.25 teaspoon salt; 0.25 teaspoon ground black pepper

Air-Fried Peruvian Chicken Drumsticks with Green Crema Recipe

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks with Crema Sauce

This simple yet flavorful recipe for air fryer chicken drumsticks served with a creamy spinach cilantro sauce is perfect for a quick and delicious meal. The drumsticks are coated with a zesty marinade and cooked to perfection in the air fryer, while the crema sauce adds a fresh, creamy kick to each bite.

Ingredients

This recipe yields 6 servings:

Olive oil for brushing
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
teaspoon smoked paprika
teaspoon dried oregano
teaspoon ground black pepper
6 (4 ounce) chicken drumsticks

Crema Sauce:

1 cup baby spinach leaves, stems removed
cup sour cream
cup cilantro leaves
jalapeno pepper, seeded
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, smashed
teaspoon salt

Directions

Step 1: Brush the air fryer basket with olive oil to prevent sticking.

Step 2: In a large bowl, combine honey, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, grated garlic, salt, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and black pepper. Mix well.

Step 3: Add the chicken drumsticks to the bowl and toss them to coat evenly with the marinade.

Step 4: Arrange the drumsticks in the air fryer basket, standing them upright and leaning them against the basket walls and each other to maximize space and ensure even cooking.

Step 5: Set the air fryer to 400F (200C) and cook the drumsticks for 15-20 minutes. Check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. When the thickest part of the drumstick reaches 165F (74C), they are done. Flip or rearrange the drumsticks halfway through cooking for an even result.

Step 6: While the drumsticks cook, prepare the crema sauce. Place the spinach, sour cream, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, garlic, and salt into a food processor.

Step 7: Blend until the sauce is smooth and creamy.

Step 8: Once the drumsticks are done, drizzle the crema sauce over the top and serve with the remaining sauce on the side for dipping.

Recipe Tip

Any leftover crema sauce can be stored in an airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Its perfect as a salad dressing, baked potato topping, or even as a flavorful addition to tacos.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Nutrition	Amount	% Daily Value
Calories	271	-
Total Fat	18g	23%
Saturated Fat	7g	33%
Cholesterol	82mg	27%
Sodium	574mg	25%
Total Carbohydrate	6g	2%
Dietary Fiber	1g	2%
Total Sugars	3g	-
Protein	22g	44%
Vitamin C	5mg	6%
Calcium	59mg	5%
Iron	2mg	9%
Potassium	284mg	6%

Servings Per Recipe: 6

Comments

Janice

10/06/2025 01:52:54 PM

I didn't let not having an air-fryer deter me from trying this recipe. I used chicken thighs instead of drumsticks. It's truly a delicious recipe. I definitely will make again! Maybe I'll get an air-fryer in the new year - I hear they're great! :-)

Dana Levy

10/20/2019 09:28:10 PM

Great recipe but I made some changes. These changes are for 4 pounds of wings. I doubled the oregano, halved the salt, added a smashed large garlic bulb, added the same amount of chipotle and cayenne powders as the smoked paprika. I also marinated the wings for about an hour. I made the crema ahead of time so the flavors could meld. I added a lot to the sauce. I added a teaspoon each: oregano, garlic, chipotle, cayenne, onion; a whole avocado and red pepper, leaving out the jalepeno. I didn't have one. I added a tablespoon of olive oil and 1/4 cup grated red onion. It came out great! A keeper in my home.

Kathie

05/02/2020 11:31:29 PM

This was delicious! I changed a few things. I used boneless chicken thighs so I quadrupled the sauce. I put olive oil in the bottom of each Pyrex dish then placed the chicken thighs along with the sauce to cook on 350° for 30 mins. As far as the green Crema, which was absolutely delicious! I used plain dairy free yogurt instead of the sour cream because I am dairy free. I served mine over rice and for greens I served spinach and dandelions. I will definitely be making this again! Thank you to the submitter!!

SillyBass6226

03/20/2023 10:47:30 PM

Excellent. Omitted salt, added pinch of cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon of granulated garlic (in addition to minced garlic). Turned down the air fryer to 325 to avoid burning too much. Will definitely make again. I'd add a picture but I ate them all!!!

Donnell

08/28/2023 06:46:44 PM

Loved this recipe. The creama sauce is the star of this dish. Its fresh light and perfectly counter balances the bold taste of the chicken. I also recommend you marinate the chicken for at least an hour for best flavor. The idea of cooking the drumsticks angled against the the edge of the fryer is genius to create even browning. Saving this recipe to for the future. Especially for the sauce!

Trish-the-Dish

02/09/2024 03:08:24 AM

I followed Kathie's lead and baked these in the oven for approx. 40 min. at 375 with the sauce on top. The green crema is very good and we used it on top of the drumsticks as well as the spinach avocado salad we had with it. I used the green crema the next day on breaded chicken wraps for lunch. This recipe will be made again.

DREGINEK

01/03/2023 12:29:13 AM

If I could go back, I would have marinated the drumsticks for a couple hours before air frying. The chicken had great flavor! Just not “strong” enough. I also recommend halving the green creama sauce. You simply don’t need that much unless doubling the chicken and/or have extra rice or salad to serve it with. Nice recipe!

Chiffon

10/25/2020 03:42:12 AM

I followed the recipe very closely, but I made 4 large drumsticks instead of six. I don’t have an air fryer so I made them in my countertop convection oven and baked them at 375 degrees until done. I had all of the ingredients so this worked out great. Delicious! The chicken seasoning is perfect, and I scraped the bottom of the pan,after removing the chicken, and I ate that yummy stuff on a corn tortilla. Yee haaa. The sauce! Oh, my...I am glad it made a lot because I made some Mexican red rice and put some extra sauce over it. Yummmm This sauce is so good that I would use it as a salad dressing or a dipping sauce, or criminey! Eat it with a spoon! Delish. Would be good with Indian food as well.

Velvet Long

03/20/2025 12:03:41 AM

My family loved loved loved this recipe. I most definitely will be making this again!👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

MJPrize

05/08/2024 06:49:45 PM

The chicken came out pretty good especially for coming out of an air fryer, although strongly flavored of oregano, but the sauce was aggressively boring. The sauce mostly had a green vegetal flavor with cilantro hints rather than anything particularly tasty. Like the other "bad" reviews mention, it tastes like it's missing a step or ingredient. I added a bunch of ranch powder and pickled jalapenos to mine and made it more similar to Chuy's creamy jalapeno dip, so it ended up fine.

SilkyLime6969

04/13/2024 09:25:41 PM

It was delicious!!!

COLBY RIVERO

04/06/2024 03:14:18 AM

did not like missing ingredienst

Gary Wilson

04/05/2024 05:07:29 PM

Bro, I need to show this off.

John Davis

03/13/2024 07:55:23 PM

Made it and felt like a culinary genius.

sheehydeirdre96

06/16/2023 12:03:37 PM

Just OK, surprised by the rave reviews. I do like the idea of using the the air fryer for chicken legs, but this wasn't particularly flavorful, even with letting it marinate for a few hours. The creama was OK.