Air Fryer Whole Chicken

Is there anything better than a juicy, roasted chicken? We don’t think so! And this air fryer whole chicken recipe is the best way to make it! It needs just a few simple ingredients, is quick and easy to prepare, and it comes out perfectly crispy every time!

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Why you’ll love this recipe

• Roasting a whole chicken in the air fryer is much quicker than in the oven
• You get perfect roast chicken without any messy roasting pans to deal with
• One easy trick ensures the chicken remains moist and tender on the inside with perfectly crispy skin on the outside, just like a rotisserie chicken

This recipe is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal, and it’s also great for meal prep. Simply cook up a whole chicken in your air fryer, and then shred or slice it to use in tacos, salads, sandwiches, or whatever else you can dream up.

Some other great air fryer chicken recipes to try are air fryer chicken breast, air fryer whole chicken wings, air fryer chicken thighs, or air fryer chicken quarters.

Scroll down for the printable card for this air fryer whole chicken recipe, or read on for all the details.

Ingredients and substitutions

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.

I use broiler chickens, which are usually around 2-4 pounds (1-2 kg). The cooking times are dependent on the size of the chicken you use, the smaller the bird, the quicker it will roast.

Oil

A little oil is needed for roasting, especially if you want to get really crispy chicken skin. I usually use light olive oil, but any cooking oil with a high smoke point will work (e.g. avocado oil, vegetable oil).

Seasoning

The recipe below uses very simple seasoning of just salt and pepper. However, you can use standard chicken seasoning, or any spice rub, spice mix, or seasoning blend that you like with chicken.

Some ideas for other seasonings to try are:

• Simple salt and pepper
• Traditional rosemary and thyme
• Cajun seasoning
• Smoked paprika and
• Lemon pepper dry rub
• Garlic and rosemary (use garlic powder or crushed garlic cloves)
• Rubbed sage and onion powder

How to cook a whole chicken in the air fryer

This recipe is very simple to prepare, there are just a few simple steps to getting it just right:

How long to air fry a whole chicken

The cooking times for air frying a whole chicken depends on the size of the chicken you have. To estimate how long to roast it, I follow the approximate air frying times of 15 minutes per pound plus another 10 minutes.

You can use the table below to estimate cooking times:

Chicken Size	Air Frying Time**	+ Resting Time
2-2½lb/ 1-1.2kg	40-50 minutes	10 minutes
3-3½lb/ 1.3-1.6kg	55-65 minutes	10 minutes
4-4½lb/ 1.8-2kg	70-80 minutes	10 minutes
5-5½lb/ 2.2-2.5kg	70-90 minutes	10 minutes

** The exact cook times will depend on the exact shape and size of your chicken, its starting temperature, and also how powerful your air fryer is.

Chicken is cooked correctly when the internal temperature reads at least 165°F/ 74°C in the center of this thickest part.

The only way to be sure that your chicken is cooked correctly is to 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 that it is evenly cooked.

I often use my Meater* wireless meat thermometer when I’m cooking roast chicken, though any instant-read thermometer will do the trick.

Serving ideas

Serve roasted chicken with a side of vegetables and your favorite style of potatoes.

Here are some easy side dishes to try:

• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes (no-drain recipe)
• Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli
• Microwave Steamed Green Beans
• Air Fryer Roast Potatoes
• Air Fryer Roasted Vegetables

Want to air fry the sides too?

When you’re cooking a whole chicken in your air fryer, there often isn’t a lot of room left to air fry vegetables at the same time. The easy solution is to air fry the vegetables separately.

This is my process:

1. Prep the vegetables according to the recipe, then pre-cook in the air fryer for 5 or 10 minutes while you prepare the chicken.
2. Then remove the veggies from the air fryer, put them in a bowl, and cover with foil until the chicken is done roasting.
3. Pop the vegetables back into the air fryer to finish cooking while the chicken rests for 10 minutes or so.
   Note: you may need to drain the oil and juices out of the air fryer after removing the chicken to prevent your air fryer from smoking.

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. Alternatively, you can reheat it in the microwave.