Air Fryer Whole Chicken
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Once you make a whole chicken in an air fryer, it will forever change the way you cook chicken! The meat is moist and the skin is perfectly crispy, and it’s delicious. You can make this air fryer chicken recipe in less than an hour!
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Air Fryer Whole Chicken Recipe
This recipe is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or your weekly meal prep. Air fryer cooking makes a perfect rotisserie-style whole chicken!
It’s actually not to difficult to cook a whole chicken. After hearing about the disasters of cooking turkey, some people are intimidated to cook a whole bird. But honestly, the two things are not the same!
I find cooking a whole chicken much easier than a turkey. It’s a smaller bird, and it doesn’t dry out as easily as turkey does. And trust me, with this easy air fryer recipe, you’re going to have juicy and tender meat every single time.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is one of my favorite ways to cook a ton of protein all at once:
- So easy to make! Simply rub the chicken with poultry seasoning, then toss it into the air fryer to cook. It only takes about an hour in total, depending on the size of your chicken.
- Air frying cooks it to juicy perfection every single time. There’s so much flavor, and the skin is extra crispy!
- Super versatile recipe. Eat the air fried chicken as your main course at dinner, use it for your weekly meal prep, or use it in casseroles, soups, salads, and more!
Don’t have an air fryer? Make my easy roasted Dutch oven chicken recipe! It’ll give you the same results with flavorful and juicy meat. Let’s get to cookin’ that whole bird!
Ingredients
Here’s the list of ingredients you need to grab to make this easy air fryer chicken recipe:
- whole chicken: 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.
- poultry seasoning: My homemade blend of poultry seasoning is made with onion powder, garlic powder, ground coriander, dried rosemary, paprika, dried mustard, salt, peppers, and cayenne pepper (optional).
- oil: Use a neutral oil like olive oil and avocado oil to make the skin of your chicken extra crispy in the air fryer.
- lemon: This is an optional ingredient to use, but the acidity of lemon is so nice in chicken. You can squeeze a little lemon juice over the chicken and then stuff the cavity with the leftover lemon peel.
- rosemary: Another optional ingredient, but fresh rosemary is a nice herb to use in this air fryer whole chicken recipe.
- onion: Chop up a yellow onion or white onion and stuff it into the cavity of the chicken to infuse loads of flavor into the chicken.
Substitutions and Variations
You can use a different seasoning blend if you want. Another favorite is my air fryer dry rub. Or you could make lemon pepper whole chicken or other fun flavor combos like that!
Add extra flavor to this juicy chicken with fresh herbs or other bold flavors like freshly minced garlic cloves.
Don’t have an oil on hand? You can use melted butter in place of the oil! It doesn’t have as high of a smoke point though, so just keep that in mind during the cooking process.
How to Cook a Whole Chicken in the Air Fryer
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full step by step instructions! ⬇️
- Prep the bird.
- Remove the giblets from inside the chicken.
- Use paper towels to pat the chicken dry on the outside and inside.
- Use your hands to coat the outside of the whole chicken with oil and poultry seasoning.
- Stuff the cavity with lemon, onion, and herbs.
- Truss the chicken before placing it into the air fryer basket. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly.
- Air fry 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 for about five minutes.
- Place the whole chicken, breast side down, into the air fryer basket
- Cook for 50 minutes, flip the bird over, then cook for another 15-20 minutes.
- Test for doneness.
Per Food Safety standards, cooked chicken is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. However, to prevent dry meat, you can remove it when the internal temperature reaches 163°F. Due to carryover cooking, the food will continue to cook for a few minutes as it rests.
Tips for Success
Here are some helpful tips for making the best air fryer whole 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.
- Use the drippings 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. Pour over each serving for the juiciest chicken!
- Allow the chicken to rest before carving into it. This gives time for the juices to redistribute, making the chicken extra moist and tender.
- Be sure to pat dry the outside of the chicken before adding the seasonings and oil. Excess moisture will keep the chicken skin from crisping up well.
How to Store Leftovers
Before storing the leftovers, you need to carve the meat from the bones. Be sure to wait for the chicken to cool a bit if it's too hot to handle. Then, transfer the leftovers to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Leftover chicken may also be frozen in an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag. For best flavor, freeze for no longer than 4 months. Let it defrost on a plate overnight in the refrigerator before reheating and serving.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this meal with any of your favorite side dishes! Some family favorites at my house are roasted broccoli and roasted cauliflower. Or, you can keep using your air fryer to make sides like beets, green beans, carrots, or baby potatoes.
It's also great for using in casserole recipes like this chicken broccoli casserole. You can even use it in meals like Instant Pot chicken and rice soup!
For dessert, whip up something easy but show-stopping like this no-bake pecan cream pie. Some mango chia pudding would be a nice, lighter dessert option.
Air Fryer Whole Chicken - Recipe FAQs
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.
For the crispiest chicken skin, use paper toweling to pat the skin completely dry. Rub oil and seasonings all over the skin, and use your hands to work it underneath the breast skin too.
Trussing the chicken will help it cook more evenly, however it isn't totally necessary. Feel free to skip it if you'd like.
I'd love to hear about your experience making this recipe! Please leave a comment and rating below!
Air Fryer Whole Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken 3.5-3.75 lbs.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning see recipe below
- ½ lemon optional
- ½ onion optional
- 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme optional
Poultry Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
Video
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.
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 from inside the cavity before air frying the bird.
- 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.
- After removing the bones and skin, a 3.5 pound whole chicken will yield about 2 pounds of meat.
Nutrition
Uses for Leftover Chicken
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!
Be sure to save the chicken bones to use in Instant Pot chicken broth later down the road. You could make a whole soup with homemade broth, leftover chicken, veggies, and seasonings!
