Everyone loves roast chicken – crispy skin, and juicy yet delicate meat. It’s kind of a hassle to cook the traditional way, and so here’s my recipe for cooking roast chicken in the air fryer!
This air fryer roast chicken recipe has quickly become a staple in my kitchen. It’s so much quicker and more convenient than oven roasting (and waaay easier than going to the store for a rotisserie chicken 🤭).
It’s also great for meal prep. Air frying a whole chicken means dinner one night, then loads of leftovers to use during the week, for things like tacos, salads, sandwiches, etc.
For some more easy air fryer roasts try this air fryer roast beef, air fryer roast pork, or this air fryer turkey breast.
What do you need?
Whole chicken
The key to selecting a chicken for air frying is to make sure you get the one that is the right size for your air fryer.
A small or medium whole chicken, size 13-16 (1.3-1.6 kg/ 3-3½ lb), is the perfect size for my air fryer, but check the capacity of your air fryer and how deep the basket is to be sure that it will fit.
Note: The cooking times depend on the size of the chicken you use – the smaller the bird, the quicker it will roast. See below for more on cooking times.
Oil
A little oil is needed for roasting, especially if you want to get really crispy chicken skin. I like to use light olive oil, but any liquid cooking oil with a high smoke point will work (e.g. avocado oil, vegetable oil).
Seasoning
My go-to seasoning for roast chicken is rosemary, salt, and pepper. However, you can use standard chicken seasoning or rub.
For some other seasoning options try:
- Rosemary, thyme, and lemon (add lemon halves to the cavity)
- Garlic and rosemary (use garlic powder or crushed garlic cloves)
- Rubbed sage and onion powder
- Cajun seasoning
- Smoked paprika and garlic powder
- Lemon pepper dry rub
Let’s cook this roast chicken in the air fryer!
1
Preheat.
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F/ 200°C while you prepare the chicken.
If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat mode, just set it to air fry for 3-4 minutes.
2
Prepare the chicken.
Pat the raw chicken dry with a paper towel. Remember to remove any packets or off-cuts from inside the chicken.
Drizzle chicken with oil, sprinkle with chopped rosemary, and season well with salt and pepper. Rub the seasoning and oil evenly over the whole chicken, including inside the cavity.
3
Pop the whole chicken in the air fryer.
Place the chicken in the air fryer breast side down. If your air fryer is prone to sticking it is a good idea to pop it on a small square of parchment or baking paper for the first cooking period. Note: some air fryers do not recommend using parchment, so check your manual first.
4
Sear then flip.
Air fry the roast chicken at 200°C/ 400°F for 15 minutes, to sear the outside. This helps to get the skin really crispy.
When the first cooking time is up, carefully flip the chicken over. This is the key to getting it to cook evenly, and stay perfectly juicy during cooking (similar to a rotisserie chicken).
5
Finish roasting chicken.
Lower the temperature to 180°C/ 360°F, the air fry the roast chicken until it is golden brown and has reached at least 74°C/ 165°F in the center of the thickest part. Times depend on the size of chicken used, see section below for more.
Check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer in a few places to ensure it is cooked the whole way through.
6
Rest.
Remove the chicken, place it on a board or plate, and cover it loosely with foil. Allow it to rest for at least ten minutes before carving.
A note on cooking times: how long to cook a whole chicken in the air fryer?
The cooking times will vary based on the size of the chicken, and how powerful your air fryer is.
Chicken is cooked correctly when the internal temperature reads at least 74°C/ 165°F in the center of the thickest part. Use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature in the center of the thickest part. Check the temperature in a few places to ensure it is evenly cooked.
To estimate how long to roast it, I use the rule of approximately 30 minutes per kg/ 14 minutes per lb, plus another 15 minutes.
You can use the table below to estimate cooking times:
| Size | Sear @ 200°C | Roast @ 180°C | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1kg-1.2kg | 15 mins | 30-35 mins | 45-50 mins |
| 1.3kg-1.5kg | 15 mins | 40-45 mins | 55-60 mins |
| 1.6kg-1.7kg | 15 mins | 50-55 mins | 65-70 mins |
| 1.8kg-2kg | 15 mins | 55-60 mins | 70-75 mins |
| 2.1-2.3kg | 15 mins | 64-70 mins | 79-85 mins |
| Size | Sear @ 400°F* | Roast @ 360°F* | Total* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2lb-2.5lb | 15 mins | 30-35 mins | 45-50 mins |
| 2.5lb-3lb | 15 mins | 35-45 mins | 50-60 mins |
| 3lb-3.5lb | 15 mins | 45-50 mins | 60-70 mins |
| 3.5lb-4lb | 15 mins | 50-60 mins | 70-80 mins |
| 4lb-5lb | 15 mins | 60-70 mins | 80-85 mins |
Serving ideas
- Slather it in this homemade gravy (made from Stock)
- Serve with steamed veggies on the side – for a quick hands-off option try Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli or Microwave Steamed Green Beans
- Add some potatoes with this easy no-drain Instant Pot Mashed Potato recipe
Storing and reheating
Store any leftover roast chicken in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, and use it within 3 days.
You can reheat the chicken in the air fryer. Air fry for 5-10 minutes until 165°F/ 74°C in the center.
Air Fryer Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 lb whole chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F/ 200°C.
- Finely chop half the rosemary.
- Pat chicken dry, then drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the chopped rosemary, and season well with salt and pepper.
- Rub seasoning into the chicken. Place the remaining rosemary sprigs inside the cavity.
- Place prepared roast chicken in air fryer basket, breast side down [Note 1].
- Roast the chicken in the air fryer at 400°F/ 200°C for 15 minutes, then carefully flip it over.
- Lower temperature to 360°F/ 180°C, then air fry roast chicken for another 40-50 minutes until it is golden brown and at least 165°F/ 74°C in the center of the thickest part [Note 2].
- Remove chicken from the air fryer, cover with foil and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving and serving.
Notes
- If food tends to stick to your air fryer, you can place the chicken on a small square of parchment (if recommended for your air fryer).
- Use an instant-read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature is at least 165°F/ 74°C in the center of the thickest part of the chicken.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.
Who knew cooking a whole chicken in the air fryer would be so easy! Thanks for this recipe, we had it hot the first night, and shredded the leftovers for sandwiches the next day.