Once you try this rotisserie-style whole chicken in your air fryer, you’ll never cook your chicken another way! The meat is moist and the skin is perfectly crispy, plus it’s so easy to do. Make it in under an hour today!
Why It Works
This air fryer whole chicken is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or your weekly meal prep. Air fryer cooking makes the perfect rotisserie-style roasted whole chicken!
👉 It’s so easy to make! Simply rub the chicken with the oh-so-savory homemade blend of herbs and spices, then toss it into the air fryer to cook. It only takes about an hour in total, depending on the size of your chicken.
👉 It’s absolutely delicious! The meat is cooked to juicy perfection (and there’s so much flavor!), but my favorite part of this rotisserie-style chicken? The extra crispy skin!
👉 It’s versatile! Once your roasted chicken is ready, eat it as your main course at dinner, use it for your weekly meal prep, or use it in casseroles, soups, salads, and more!
Want to cook it in the oven next time? Get my easy roasted Dutch Oven Chicken recipe!
Ingredients
Ingredients Notes
- The homemade Poultry Seasoning is made with onion powder, garlic powder, ground coriander, dried rosemary, paprika, dried mustard, salt, peppers, and cayenne pepper (optional). If you’d prefer, you can substitute any blend of seasonings you enjoy or buy a store-bought blend (Aldi carries a great one!)!
- Be sure to get a chicken on the smaller side. I find that chickens weighing from 3.5 to 3.75 lbs. tend to work best in a medium-sized air fryer.
- The optional ingredients (lemon, onion, and rosemary) are stuffed inside the cavity of the chicken to impart flavor and moisture to the meat as it cooks. You can definitely skip this if you’d like but it adds a little oomph in the flavor department!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Chicken.
Remove the giblets from inside the chicken. Pat the chicken dry on the outside and inside the cavity with a few paper towels.
Drizzle the chicken with oil and all the seasonings. Use your hands to rub the oil and seasonings all over the chicken. To get crispy skin, rub the oil under the skin of the breasts.
Optional steps:
1. Stuff the cavity with lemon, onion, and herbs. This adds more flavor to the bird as it cooks, but it will still be amazing if you skip it!
2. Truss the chicken. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly. Feel free to skip it if you’d like!
Step 3: Cook the chicken.
Preheat the air fryer to 360°F (182°C). If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat setting, turn it on and wait about five minutes.
Once it’s preheated, spray the basket with a little oil, then carefully place the chicken breast side down inside the basket. This will allow the whole chicken to cook without over-crisping the skin.
After 50 minutes, open the basket. Very carefully, flip the chicken so that it’s breast side up.
Close the air fryer basket and cook again for another 15-20 minutes. Close to the end of cook time, open the basket and check the internal temperature of the chicken. Remember that the total cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken!
👉 To test the internal temperature of a whole chicken, insert a meat thermometer into the deepest part of the breast (without touching the bone). The internal temperature should be at least 165°F (74°C) to be safe, per USDA.
Once the chicken is cooked, carefully remove the chicken. Allow it to rest for a few minutes before slicing.
👉 Tip: Use the drippings from the bottom of the air fryer to make chicken gravy!
- Simply transfer the drippings to a small saucepan, then whisk in a little chicken broth and some seasonings like garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Simmer until it’s thickened slightly.
Serve the chicken with your favorite side dishes! I love serving it with roasted broccoli, or you can keep using your air fryer to make sides like beets, green beans, carrots, or baby potatoes.
FAQ & Tips
I recommend cooking smaller chickens in the air fryer, between 3.25 and 3.75 pounds, but the exact size will depend on your air fryer. Before you begin cooking, make sure your chicken will fit properly inside the air fryer with room for the air to circulate and the drawer to close completely. Some air fryers aren’t large enough to accommodate a whole chicken.
To get the crispiest chicken skin, pat the chicken skin with a few paper towels or napkins until it’s totally dry. Rub oil and seasonings all over the dried skin, and use your hands to work it underneath the breast skin too.
Trussing the chicken will give you more evenly cooked chicken, however it isn’t totally necessary. Feel free to skip it if you’d like.
If you have leftover chicken, use it to make Fajita Stuffed Peppers, Chicken & Rice Soup, Apple-Walnut Chicken Salad, Pesto Chicken Salad, make your favorite casseroles or soups, or eat it exactly as it is!
Leftover chicken can be frozen in an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag. For best taste, freeze for up to 4 months, per USDA. Let it defrost on a plate overnight in the refrigerator when you’re ready to use it.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
- Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- 10 Healthy Chicken Marinades
- Oven Roasted Butterflied Chicken
I’d love to hear about your experience making this recipe!
Please leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @cookathomemom.
Air Fryer Whole Chicken (Rotisserie Style)
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 whole chicken 3.5-3.75 lbs.
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons poultry seasoning see recipe below
- 1/2 lemon optional
- 1/2 onion optional
- 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme optional
Poultry Seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 360°F (182°C). Mix together all the seasonings to make the poultry seasoning blend. Remove the giblets from inside the chicken. Pat the chicken dry on the outside and inside the cavity with a few paper towels. Drizzle the chicken with oil and all the seasonings, using your hands to rub and coat the entire chicken. Optional: Stuff the cavity with lemon, onion, and herbs, and truss the chicken.
- Spray the air fryer basket with oil, then carefully place the chicken breast side down inside the basket. Cook for 50 minutes. Open the air fryer and very carefully, flip the chicken breast side up.Close the air fryer and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Near the end of cook time, open the basket and check to see if the internal temperature has reached 165°F (74°C). Cook for a few minutes longer if necessary, but once the chicken is fully cooked, carefully remove the chicken. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Video
Notes
- Be sure to choose a chicken that will fit inside your air fryer. The size of each air fryer is different, but there should be enough room left for the basket to close and for air to circulate around the bird.
- Make sure to remove the giblets inside the cavity before cooking.
- The exact cooking time will vary based on the size of the chicken. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature has reached 165°F (74°C), per USDA.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, per USDA.
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