Roast chicken legs in the Ninja Crispi

I roast chicken legs in my Ninja Crispi four at a time in the 3.8 L container, using the Roast mode. A whole 250 g chicken leg, drumstick attached, takes 35 to 40 minutes: just enough time to cook the meat through to the bone and crisp the skin on both sides.

On Sundays, they go into the fridge for my weekday lunches. For thighs or drumsticks on their own, the settings change: I switch to Air Fry with shorter times, detailed below.

Roast chicken legs in the Ninja Crispi

Recipe by Marion LundCourse: Main courseCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

people

Prep

10

minutes

Cook

40

minutes

Total time

50

minutes

Four whole 250 g chicken legs roasted in the 3.8 L container: Roast 35 to 40 minutes, turn halfway through cooking, until 75 °C core temperature.

Ingredients

• 4 whole chicken legs with skin (about 250 g each)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp mild paprika

• 1 tsp Herbes de Provence

• 1/2 tsp fine salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Place the crisper plate in the 3.8 L container, then the PowerPod mounted on its adapter. Select Roast, 5 minutes, and preheat empty.
• Meanwhile, mix the oil, paprika, herbs, salt and pepper. Score each leg on the flesh side, along the bone, then brush the mixture over all sides.
• When the beep sounds, lift the PowerPod and place the legs on the hot crisper plate, skin side down, without overlapping. Replace the PowerPod, set Roast for 40 minutes, and press START. On a Crispi Pro, Pro Grill or DualZone: Roast at 190 °C, same duration.
• When 20 minutes remain, lift the PowerPod to pause and turn the legs skin side up using silicone-tipped tongs. Replace the PowerPod and press START.
• At the end beep, insert a cooking thermometer into the thickest part without touching the bone: at least 75 °C. If it is lower, run for a few more minutes of Roast and check again. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Bone-in chicken thighs, in Air Fry

Same mixture on 4 to 6 bone-in thighs of 150 to 170 g, in the 3.8 L container, without preheating: Air Fry 20 to 24 minutes, until 75 °C core temperature. On the Crispi Pro, in the 5.7 L container: 4 to 5 pieces, Air Fry at 180 °C, 22 to 26 minutes.

Whole legs in Roast, thighs and drumsticks in Air Fry

Air Fry chicken times, ranging from 15 to 26 minutes, are aimed at cuts: bone-in thighs of 150 to 170 g, drumsticks of 120 g. A whole 250 g leg, drumstick attached, needs longer: Roast, 35 to 40 minutes in the 3.8 L container, turned halfway through.

For individual cuts, here are the benchmarks from the Crispi Quick Start Guide, in Air Fry and without preheating:

• Bone-in thighs (150 to 170 g): 4 to 6 pieces, 20 to 24 minutes in the 3.8 L container; 2 pieces, 18 to 22 minutes in the 1.4 L container.
• Boneless thigh fillets (90 g): 4 to 6 pieces, 17 to 19 minutes in the 3.8 L container; 2 to 3 pieces, 15 to 18 minutes in the 1.4 L container.
• Drumsticks (120 g): 6 drumsticks, 18 to 22 minutes in the 3.8 L container; 2 to 3 drumsticks, 17 to 20 minutes in the 1.4 L container.

On the Crispi Pro, in the 5.7 L container: thighs at 180 °C (22 to 26 minutes bone-in, 20 to 25 minutes boneless), drumsticks at 200 °C, 20 to 25 minutes.

Roast on the Crispi, 190 °C on adjustable models

On the basic Crispi, Roast runs on time alone, with no temperature setting. The adjustable models start Roast mode at 190 °C: I stick with this value and the same duration, and let the thermometer decide.

• Crispi: Roast, 35 to 40 minutes, 3.8 L container with the adapter.
• Crispi Pro, Pro Grill, DualZone: Roast at 190 °C, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Crispi Pro 5 modes: no Roast, switch to Bake at 190 °C, same duration.

The 5-minute preheat is not mandatory. I do it so the legs land on a crisper plate that is already hot, skin side down. Without it, I set the same duration and rely on the thermometer.

75 °C core temperature, then leftovers in Recrisp

The skin browns well before the meat is cooked near the bone. The cooking thermometer is the final word: 75 °C in the thickest part, without touching the bone. Clear juices and shrunken skin come on top of that, never instead of it.

For my lunches, I let the legs cool uncovered in the container: closed too early, condensation softens the skin. Then, with the storage lid clipped on, into the fridge they go.

To reheat, I cut each leg in two at the joint, thigh on one side, drumstick on the other. Then Recrisp, crisper plate in place, 5 to 12 minutes, until 75 °C core temperature. I only reheat the meat once.

Paprika and Herbes de Provence, or another mix: what do you put on your chicken legs?

Frequently asked questions

Can you adjust the temperature on the basic Crispi?

No. On the basic Crispi, Roast is time-only: 35 to 40 minutes for 4 legs of 250 g in the 3.8 L container. The Crispi Pro, Pro Grill and DualZone models start Roast at 190 °C, which is the value I stick with.

Do I need to turn the legs during cooking?

Yes, halfway through. I place them skin side down on the hot plate, then turn them when 20 minutes are left: the skin ends up facing the heat and crisping on both sides.

Can I replace the legs with chicken breasts?

Yes, using Air Fry: 4 breasts of 200 g brushed with oil, 23 to 26 minutes in the 3.8 L container, turned halfway through. The check remains the same: 75 °C core temperature on the thermometer.

What about a whole chicken?

Yes, up to about 1.2 kg in the 3.8 L container, in Roast for 55 to 60 minutes. Everything is in my whole roast chicken in the Ninja Crispi recipe.