Air Fryer Whole Chicken

If you haven’t tried cooking a whole chicken in an air fryer, you’re missing out! This method is not only quick and easy, but it also produces a delicious, crispy roast chicken that your whole family will love.

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How to cook a whole chicken in the air fryer

If you’re looking for a foolproof recipe for air fryer whole roast chicken, look no further. Roasted chicken makes a delicious family dinner, and if you cook it in the air fryer it’s quick and easy and cleanup is a breeze! If you’ve never tried cooking a whole chicken in an air fryer before, it’s time to give it a try!

Air frying a whole chicken is much quicker than oven roasting, and 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.

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.

I use a Philips XXL air fryer, which I chose because it can fit an entire chicken. If you have a smaller air fryer or are just cooking for one or two, then you should try my air fryer half chicken recipe.

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

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. I usually use keep things simple with seasoning and use 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)
• Sage an onion powder

Directions

Step 1: Season the chicken. First pat the raw chicken dry with a paper towel, then drizzle the chicken with oil, and add the seasoning rub. To get good coverage with the seasoning, rub it in evenly over the whole chicken, including inside the cavity. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F/ 200°C while you do this.

Step 2: Place chicken in the air fryer. Place the chicken in the air fryer basket breast side down. If your air fryer is prone to sticking it is a good idea to place 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 if you are unsure]

Step 3: Air fry chicken. Roast the chicken in the air fryer at 360°F/180°C for half the cooking time (see table in section below for estimated cooking times).

Step 4: Flip the chicken. Carefully flip the chicken over. This is the secret to getting perfectly juicy roast chicken in your air fryer. This technique prevents so many of the juices from draining out of the chicken during cooking and directs them back into the center of the bird (in the same way that cooking a rotisserie chicken does).

Step 5: Finish cooking. Continue air frying the chicken for the second half of the cook time until it is golden brown and has reached at least 165°F/ 74°C in the center of the thickest part. Check the temperature in a few places to make sure it is cooked the whole way through.

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

I normally serve roasted chicken with a side of vegetables and roast or mashed potatoes.

If I’m cooking a full-sized whole chicken then my air fryer is close to capacity and I can’t also air fry vegetables at the same time, so I have to air fry them separately.

I usually toss in some vegetables to pre-cook for 5 or 10 minutes before cooking the chicken. Then remove them to a bowl and cover with foil until the chicken is done roasting.

You can then pop the veg back into the air fryer to finish cooking while the chicken rests for 10 minutes or so.

Storing and reheating

Store any leftover chicken in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, and use 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.

You may also like:

• Air fryer chicken tenders
• Air fryer chicken breast
• Air fryer chicken thighs
• Air fryer chicken wings
• Air fryer popcorn chicken
• Air fryer chicken recipes