Best Damn Air Fryer Whole Chicken

This air fryer whole chicken is so unbelievably tender and juicy with a perfectly seasoned crispy skin. It’s one of the easiest recipes you can make in your air fryer and it cooks to perfection in about 1 hour. This recipe rivals any store bought rotisserie chicken and is an excellent family meal.

There’s nothing quite as satisfying as taking a bite of food that you’ve made from scratch, and you have instant gratification – that immediate “OMG this is SO good!” moment. That’s how we feel when me make this air fryer whole chicken. Our air fryer has been responsible for so many amazing meals and the hits just keep coming. In fact, this one might move to the top of that hit list. We make the simplest rub from ordinary pantry spices and the chicken gets air fried for about 1 hour (depending on size). That’s it! And then get ready for that first bite. The only way to describe it is… wow!

Simple Seasoning Rub

Chicken can be seasoned any number of ways. For this recipe, we go with some classic chicken seasonings, in just the perfect amounts to achieve the most savory results. All the flavors blend together wonderfully. And you’ll love that you probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry. The rub consists of all dried ingredients including: rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, ground mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, basil, salt, pepper.

Easy Preparation

Preparing our air fryer chicken could not be any easier. We like to use a chicken that’s about 3.5lbs – 4lbs. That’s the perfect size to use in most 5-6qt air fryers. You want to be sure the chicken fits in the air fryer. Once we’ve unpackaged our chicken, remove any gizzards that are packed into the cavity. Then pat the whole bird dry with paper towels. This step is important. Next, use some olive oil and gently coat the entire chicken. Now it’s time to apply our seasoning rub. You will have the perfect amount of seasoning for the whole chicken. You can also use your fingers and run them under the skin of the breast meat and apply some seasoning directly to the meat.

Flip Once for Perfect Crispy Skin

Our chicken will cook on the air fry setting for about 1 hour. If the chicken is over 4 lbs, you’ll want to add maybe 5-10 minutes. The chicken will go into the air fryer breast side down for the first 40 minutes. This is important. Then we flip the chicken to breast side up for the remaining 20+ minutes. This assures that the breast side will have crispy skin when done. Your chicken is cooked to perfection when an instant read thermometer indicates an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Let Rest for 5-10 Minutes

After the cooking time is complete, remove the chicken from the air fryer to a large plate or platter and let rest for 5-10 minutes. I like to cover it with a piece of aluminum foil. This resting time is important. Then, you’re ready to dig in!

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