Wondering if you can cook a whole chicken in your air fryer? You definitely can! Once you’ve tried this easy air fryer whole chicken recipe you’ll never look back!
Learn how to make Rotisserie style air fryer roast chicken with juicy, tender meat and the crispiest skin in just one hour.
Who doesn’t love roast chicken? Ever since I discovered how easy it is to cook a whole chicken in the air fryer, I haven’t stopped making it. It’s such a great time saver.
I was a little slow to jump on the air fryer bandwagon, but I must admit I’ve kind of fallen in love with it. As much as I still love slow cooking when I have the time and energy, the air fryer is just so convenient.
While I still believe that nothing can truly beat a slow cooked oven roasted chicken with lots of veggies and herbs, this air fryer roast chicken recipe is absolutely perfect for when time is of the essence.
meal prep for the week ahead
Now I’ve learned how easy it is to cook a chicken in an air fryer, I often cook one on a Monday morning and shred it.
I now have plenty of chicken for the week ahead to make sandwiches for lunch, throw into salads such as this chicken Caesar pasta salad and family favourite meals such as leftover chicken fried rice and chicken and chorizo enchiladas!
ingredient list
- Whole Chicken – it goes without saying, but it’s important to make sure the chicken fits in your air fryer basket! A 1.5kg chicken fits snugly inside my fryer which has a 4.5 litre capacity. If I wanted to cook a larger chicken I would need a bigger air fryer!
- Oil – I use olive oil, but there’s no reason why you couldn’t use vegetable or sunflower oil instead. The great thing about air fryers is you only need a small amount of oil – just two tablespoons is enough.
- Seasonings – I love to use a mixture of dried rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, garlic salt and of course salt and pepper!
- Lemon zest. I can’t cook a chicken without adding some lemon. If you have a tub of lemon pepper in the cupboard, you could use that instead of fresh lemon.
how long does a whole chicken take to cook in air fryer?
It depends on the size of the chicken, but a whole chicken will typically take between 45-60 minutes to cook in an air fryer.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that all air fryer models vary, so always check the manufacturer’s instructions to make sure.
how to make air fryer whole chicken
Keep scrolling to the bottom of the post to find printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions
remove the chicken from the fridge
Take the chicken out of the fridge at least 30 minutes to bring it to room temperature before cooking. A fridge cold chicken takes much longer to cook.
dry the chicken
Pat the chicken all over with paper towels to remove excess moisture. This is the first step towards getting crispy skin on your chicken.
season the chicken
Mix together the oil, dried herbs, lemon zest and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the seasoned oil all over the chicken, keeping some of the oil for the underside). Season the inside of the chicken with a little salt and pepper.
preheat the air fryer
Preheat the air fryer to 180C. Once it’s ready, place the chicken in the air fryer breast side down. Rub or brush the remaining oil all over the underside of the chicken.
Air fry the chicken for 30 minutes, then carefully turn the chicken over using tongs and cook for a further 25-30 minutes or until the skin is golden, crisp and the chicken is fully cooked.
how to tell if air fryer chicken is fully cooked
- Using a meat thermometer is the best way to tell if the chicken is fully cooked through. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the thigh. The temperature should be 76C/168F.
- There should be no traces of blood or pink meat at all – if you see this, get it back in the air fryer. It might just need an extra five or 10 minutes.
- The chicken should be golden brown all over with beautifully crispy skin. It should look (and smell) just like a Rotisserie chicken!
serving air fryer whole chicken
If you’re not cooking this chicken to use in meals for the coming week, the obvious choice would be Sunday roast style!
Serve with air fryer roast potatoes, (or try my traditional crispy roast potatoes recipe), sausagemeat stuffing balls, cauliflower cheese, honey roasted parsnips and carrots and Yorkshire puddings.
You could also serve the chicken warm or cold with a mixed salad, couscous salad or this delicious Greek orzo salad.
Roast chicken is the perfect accompaniment to many of my salad recipes. For more inspiration, take a look at my salad archives.
recipe variations
You don’t have to use the seasoning mix that I’ve suggested (as good as it is!) – you can easily use different herbs and spices depending on what you have in the cupboard. Here are a few ideas:
- Dried Chilli flakes/powder
- sweet or smoked paprika
- Cajun spice
- Moroccan style (ground cumin, coriander, paprika and cinnamon)
- Curried (Rub the chicken with an oil and curry powder mixture)
- Southern fried chicken style (kind of like homemade KFC!)
How to store leftover chicken
- Once the meat has completely cooled, store in a tupperware box and keep in the fridge for up to three days.
- Freezing instructions: Place the cold chicken in a freezer safe box or bag. Store in the freezer for up to three months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before using.
recipe notes
- Please ensure that the chicken fits in your air fryer basket. You might need to snap the backbone for a proper fit. Simply press down on the chicken firmly until you hear the bone break.
- If the chicken contains giblets, remember to remove them before cooking the chicken.
- Cooking the chicken breast side down first will ensure the breast meat stays juicy and tender.
- If you like, you can use butter instead of oil. Make sure the butter is nice and soft so you can easily rub it into the chicken. You could also rub some of the butter underneath the chicken skin.
Looking for more air fryer chicken recipes?
did you make this recipe?
Let me know how you got on with it by leaving a comment below. If you really enjoyed the recipe, I would really appreciate it if you stopped by and left a star rating!
Easy Air Fryer Whole Chicken
This easy air fryer whole chicken recipe will transform your midweek meals! Golden, crispy skinned Rotisserie style chicken with tender, juicy meat in just one hour. Once you've tried it you'll be hooked!
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg whole chicken
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules/powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (or 1/2 teaspoon onion salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- zest of one small lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer according to the manufacturer's instructions. Remove the chicken from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking to remove the fridge chill from it.
- Mix the olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, sage, oregano, rosemary and the lemon zest together in a small bowl.
- Using paper towels, dry the chicken well. Using your hands or a pastry brush, rub (or brush) most of the seasoned oil all over the chicken. Place the chicken in the air fryer breast side down, then baste the underside of the chicken with the remaining oil/herb mix.
- Air fry the chicken at 180C/350F for 30 minutes. Carefully turn the chicken over and continue to cook for a further 20-25 minutes until the chicken is golden and crispy. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh - it should read 76C (168F).
- Rest the chicken for 20-25 minutes before carving and serving.
Notes
You can use 40g of soft butter in place of the olive oil, if preferred.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 528Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 187mgSodium: 439mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 58g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.
Hi Niccki. Thank you so much for this information. I have just bought a 4.5l air fryer and have found what I have been searching for. ❤️
You’re very welcome 🙂