This easy and healthy air fryer whole chicken recipe is a winner with crispy skin on the outside and juicy, tender meat on the inside. With just a few ingredients and minimal effort, you can quickly roast a whole chicken in your air fryer.
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If you love the convenience of rotisserie chicken, making it at home in your air fryer is not only economical, but it's a great way to ensure you're using clean ingredients.
Plus, air fryer roast chicken is perfect for meal planning. Taking the meat off the bone and cutting or shredding it for later use gives you lots of options to make tasty meals from one whole chicken. Win-win!
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Using An Air Fryer Makes It Easy
Air fryers are like mini convection ovens, circulating hot air around the food to cook and crisp it, depending on the food and how long you leave it in the appliance. Because air fryers use high heat and circulating air, the cook time is generally shorter as well.
Using an air fryer to cook a whole chicken takes about an hour, which is significantly less time than it takes to roast it in a slow cooker or roast it in the oven. This makes it great for weeknight meals. Plus, there's minimal cleanup, which is always a good thing.
If you're new to air fryers, check out my review of the best air fryers. Air fryers come in different shapes, sizes and price points. Size matters, especially when cooking large quantities or bigger items like a whole chicken. You want to make sure the air fryer is large enough to comfortably fit a whole chicken.
Not quite ready to air fry a whole chicken? Be sure and check out my easy boneless chicken breast air fryer recipe or my easy air fryer chicken wings.
Ingredients Needed
- Small whole chicken - I prefer free-range organic chicken, about 3-4 pounds.
- Seasoning spices: I make a homemade blend to rub on the chicken by using dried rosemary, sea salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and avocado oil.
How To Make Air Fryer Whole Chicken
Prep The Chicken
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray and preheat the air fryer to 375°F while you spend a few minutes of prep time with the chicken.
- Remove any giblets from inside the chicken. Rinse the whole chicken under cold water and place it on a cutting board or plate. Pat it dry with paper towels.
- Although optional, I like to tie the legs of the chicken before I place it in the air fryer. To truss the chicken, make sure it's breast side up with the legs positioned toward you. You'll need kitchen twine to tie the legs. Cut a piece of twine long enough to tie the drumstick legs together. Crisscross the legs for a more secure fit. Tie with a knot or bow and trim off any excess string.
Season The Chicken
- Make the seasoning blend for the chicken by combining rosemary, sea salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and avocado oil in a small bowl. Mix well with a fork.
- Pour the mixture on the chicken and rub it into the skin, coating evenly on all sides. Note: you may also want to add a bit of seasoning under the skin as well, to help infuse more flavor into the chicken meat.
Roast The Chicken
- Place the chicken, breast side down, into the preheated air fryer basket or tray.
- Cook the chicken for 30 minutes, then flip the chicken over to finish cooking and ensure even browning. Cook the chicken for 15-30 more minutes, depending on the size and weight of the chicken.
Check For Doneness
- Check for doneness by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
Remove And Let Rest
- Once cooked, carefully remove the whole chicken from the air fryer, tent with foil and let it rest for 20 minutes before serving. (Chicken will continue to cook and reach 165 degrees while resting.).
Ways To Serve
For a classic roast chicken dinner, my favorite way to serve it is with mashed cauliflower and roasted vegetables.
I have plenty of healthy ideas for what to serve with chicken, many of which use an air fryer, so you can get these sides on the table quickly! You'll find tasty recipes for asparagus, cauliflower rice, sweet potato salad, Brussels sprouts, side salads and more.
But what if you have leftovers, or are preparing the chicken to use throughout the week?
Carving the whole chicken into pieces for later meals is one way to go. You can also debone and shred the chicken for use in other recipes like salads, soups, and casseroles.
You can't go wrong with chicken salad! Prep this to have on hand for quick lunches throughout the week.
Make a protein-packed spinach and strawberry salad with chicken for a satisfying and easy dinner.
In the fall and winter, use the meat from the chicken to make comforting chicken soup.
Use chicken meat leftovers in my easy zoodles and veggie stir fry.
Oh, and don't throw out those chicken bones once you're deboned meat, use them to make homemade chicken stock.
Storage
Leftover chicken should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating and using.
Air Fryer Whole Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 small whole chicken (3-4 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
Spice mix
- 1 ½ teaspoons coarse sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F.
- Remove any giblets from inside the chicken and rinse it under cold water. Pat it dry with paper towels.
- In a small bowl, mix together the spice mix and avocado oil.
- Rub the chicken with the mixture, making sure to coat all sides evenly.
- Place the chicken breast side down in the preheated air fryer basket or tray.
- Cook the chicken for 30 minutes, then flip it over to finish cooking and ensure even browning.
- Continue cooking the chicken for an additional 15-30 minutes, depending on its size and weight. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness - the chicken should reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
- Once cooked, carefully remove the chicken from the air fryer. Tent it with foil and let it rest for 20 minutes before serving. The chicken will continue to cook and reach 165°F while resting.
Notes
Nutrition
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