Air Fryer Whole Chicken

Name: Air Fryer Whole Chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 1 4 pound whole chicken; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp Italian seasoning; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 tsp paprika; 1/2 tsp pepper

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Air Fryer Whole Chicken is my new favorite way to roast a chicken. The chicken comes out perfectly juicy with extra crispy, golden skin. And it's so simple and easy!

A fully cooked air fryer whole chicken on a marble board.

Why I Love My Air Fryer

You may have noticed my love for air fryer cooking lately. I don't think I've ever been so enamored with a cooking appliance! I've cooked so many recipes in my air fryer, including Air Fryer Salmon, Air Fryer Asparagus Fries, Gluten-Free Buffalo Cauliflower Bites, Fried Green Tomatoes, Air Fryer Carrots, Air Fryer Orange Chicken, and even Air Fryer Flank Steak just to name a few. Everything turns out delicious.

My favourite so far though is cooking a whole chicken in the air fryer.

What's to Love?

The chicken cooks quickly at a high temperature with constantly circulating heat, which means juicy, tender chicken with crispy, golden skin.
Roasting a chicken in the air fryer doesn't heat up your kitchen, so it's perfect for those hot summer days when you don't want to turn on the oven.
It's quick and easy, only about an hour to perfectly roasted whole chicken.
It's pretty much hands free. You only have to flip the chicken once, and there's no basting.
Clean up is a breeze. All you need to do is wash the air fryer basket in hot soapy water. No greasy oven splatters or roasting pan to scrub.
Air frying a whole chicken it a perfect start to meal prepping. You can have leftovers for sandwiches, wraps, soups (like this amazing Thai Red Curry Chicken Soup), and so many other delicious meals.

Here's What You Need

You will, of course, need an air fryer. I have a 6 quart basket style air fryer and roasted a 4 pound chicken. This is the air fryer that I have and I love it: Gourmia 6 Quart Digital Air Fryer.

Here are the Ingredients:

Chicken: A 4-5 pound whole chicken. If you have a smaller or larger chicken, you will need to reduce or increase the cooking time accordingly.
Oil: I use regular (not extra virgin) olive oil, but you can also use avocado, peanut, or grapeseed oil.
Seasoning: For simplicity, I used Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and some paprika for colour. You can season with anything you like. Sometimes I use Montreal Chicken seasoning, which is a delicious and unique blend. You can also make your own blend with sage, thyme, garlic, rosemary and oregano, or get creative and try Cajun Seasoning or even Garam Masala.

How To Roast a Whole Chicken in the Air Fryer

Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity of the chicken and pat the chicken dry.
Rub the chicken with oil

The uncooked whole chicken rubbed with olive oil.

Combine the seasonings in a small bowl, and rub the mixture all over the chicken.

The chicken is now rubbed with seasonings.

Place the chicken breast side down in the air fryer basket. Cook 30 minutes.

The chicken is placed breast side down in the air fryer basket.

Flip the chicken to breast side up

The chicken is flipped over halfway through cooking.

Cook another 30 minutes

A fully cooked air fryer whole chicken still in the air fryer basket.

Let the chicken rest before carving

The cooked whole chicken resting on a marble board before being carved.

Tips For Perfect Chicken

Don't forget to remove the package of giblets and the neck from the chicken cavity before seasoning and cooking.
Be sure to pat the chicken dry so that the oil and seasoning can adhere.
Cook the chicken breast side down for the first 30 minutes. This prevents the breast meat from drying out and ensures even cooking.
Whole chickens usually come with the legs tied together. Leave them that way, and if yours doesn't, tie them together with kitchen twine.
Let the cooked chicken rest for 10 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to get redistributed throughout the meat.
The time and temperature for this recipe works for my 6 quart basket style air fryer. Yours may be different, especially if it' a larger or smaller capacity. Check instructions for your particular machine to be sure.
After the cooked chicken has been removed from the bones, you can use the carcass to make Chicken Stock. Freeze the carcass to make stock later.

Carved chicken pieces on a marble board..

FAQ's

How do I know when the chicken is completely cooked?

The only safe way to tell if a whole chicken is cooked through is using a meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh. The temperature should read 165°.

How long to cook my chicken if it's a different size?

I used a 4 pound chicken which took 1 hour to cook. This means you should count on 10-15 minutes per pound.

Can I freeze the cooked chicken?

Yes, you can! To freeze, slice the chicken meat from the bones, and allow it to cool completely before packing into air-tight containers or freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. I love this appliance for freezing even longer and zero freezer burn.

Do I need to pre-heat the air fryer?

A lot of cooks say that they never preheat the air fryer, and many manufacturer's instructions also say there's no need. However, I find that food comes out much crisper and cooks faster and more evenly if I preheat. You can read about that and other air fryer tips here: Common Air Fryer Mistakes.

Aleg of roasted chicken on a black plate with salad greens.

Serving Suggestions

An air fryer whole chicken is delicious with almost everything. We love a chicken dinner that includes mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes or au gratin potatoes in the winter, and potato salad or pasta salad in the summer. And you can never go wrong with green beans, Carrots or cauliflower. Cooking for just 1 or 2 people? Try my Air Fryer Cornish Hens.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating in the comments below and let us know how it turned out. Did you make any changes? We would love for you to share and your feedback is important!