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.
Making Air Fryer Whole Chicken
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.
While we’re using an appliance called an air fryer, we’re not exactly “frying” the chicken. What we’re really making is a roast chicken. But with the air fryer capabilities, we get a chicken that’s super juicy on the inside with a nice, crispy skin on the outside. That’s the beauty of using this method instead of roasting in the oven.
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!
Pickin’ a Chicken
The ideal chicken for a standard 6qt air fryer will be a 3.5lb – 4lb whole chicken. Please keep in mind that there are many varieties of air fryers out there. If you have a larger air fryer appliance, you may be able to use a larger chicken.
Ingredients
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.
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
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.
Air Fry at 350°(F) for 1 Hour
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°(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!
Time to Serve!
Now that our whole chicken has had an opportunity to rest after cooking, it’s time to dig in. Just like a store-bought rotisserie chicken, dig right in any enjoy the pieces you love the most. Make sure to use a sharp knife. It will make carving and cutting SO much easier.
The sky is really the limit with side-dish possibilities. Naturally, mashed potatoes are excellent with any kind of roasted poultry. Check out our Best Damn Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.
If you want to stay on a healthy route, make a batch of Instant Pot Brown Rice. The flavor is amazing and it pairs excellent with chicken.
Fresh veggies can easily accompany any meal. Our Air Fryer Roasted Zucchini and Peppers is quick, easy, and can me made 10 minutes!
PrintRecipe
Best Damn Air Fryer Whole Chicken
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
Cooked to absolute perfection, this air fryer whole chicken has the most savory seasoning, is tender and juicy on the inside, with a golden crispy skin on the outside.
Ingredients
- 1 Whole chicken, 3.5 – 4lbs.
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp pepper
- ½ tsp thyme
- ½ tsp sage
- ½ tsp ground mustard
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp basil
- 1.5 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbs olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer at 350°(F) for 5 minutes. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Mix all seasonings in a small bowl.
- Coat chicken with olive oil and rub seasoning mix all over chicken.
- Place chicken in air fryer breast side down, use air fry setting at 350°(F) for 40 minutes. Turn chicken breast side up and continue to air fry at 350°(F) for an additional 20 minutes. Internal temp should be 165°(F) with an instant read thermometer.
- Let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Colette says
Hi Jason,
First time response, love everything I’ve tried so far. Use my Air Fryer almost every day, and can’t imagine going back to any other method. Have to try this whole chicken, however am mostly cooking for one, and have a smaller Air Fryer.
Please advise as to smallest recommended size for best results, and cooking time, please. About the ground mustard,; do you use the old stand by, Keanes Ground Mustard, or another? Your recipes are THE BEST! Love them.
Colette
RecipeTeacher says
Hi Colette,
Thanks for all the nice feedback!! So if you have a smaller air fryer, you’ll want to make sure you have a chicken that will fit. You might want to try and find one that’s maybe 3-4lbs. For the ground mustard, Keen’s or any store brand at all will work just fine. It’s a great ingredient and really helps flavors pop.
jean says
Well I found your recipes quite by accident and have made a lot of them and none of them disappointed me. Your recipes and the air fryer make an awesome pair. Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes. Can’t wait to try this latest one with a whole chicken.
RecipeTeacher says
Thanks Jean!
Genviette says
Excellent. Love the seasoning and my chicken turned out great.
CLAUDIA says
Ok so I was a little hesitant to try this recipe. But I absolutely love your recipes for bone in pork chops and pork tenderloin in the air fryer. I just finished eating my chicken and it was absolutely wonderful. Just as described crunchy on the outside but moist in the inside. I followed the recipe exact except I didn’t have thyme. I will never Bake a whole chicken again. This was easy and definitely 5 stars. Thank you!!
RecipeTeacher says
Thanks so much, Claudia!
Vicki says
This was undeniably the best chicken ever – so moist and delicious. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Can’t wait to try the pork chops!
RecipeTeacher says
Thanks, Vicki! It’s the only way we do chicken now. And yeah, you’ll love the pork chops too. 🙂
Alice Newman says
Change the name to Best Damn Chicken Ever!! Sooo, good!I made yourBest Damn Asparagus and Best Damn Sweet Potatoes to go with it . Heavenly!
RecipeTeacher says
I love it! Thanks so much, Alice!
Jason L dove says
Made this recipe tonight added lemon zest & lemon in the chicken cavity absolutely delicious so moist .
Maeve says
Tried this last night, didn’t have sage or ground mustard and still the seasonings tasted fantastic!
Jo Ann Giarratana says
Thank you so much compiling this website. We have enjoyed every recipe. This website is the only “go-to” website for us. Thanks to you and these amazing recipes, my husband is FINALLY cooking. Please keep up the good work and much appreciation to you for these recipes.
RecipeTeacher says
Thank YOU, Jo Ann for the very kind words.
Dave says
So I’ve followed this method at least 4 times and every time the chicken has been amazing. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes. I’m working my way thru all your recipes haha
RecipeTeacher says
Thanks so much for the feedback, Dave! This is a regular in our dinner rotation too.
Susan says
This was delicious! I’ve already purchased another chicken to make this again!
RecipeTeacher says
Thanks so much, Susan! Yeah we’ve stopped buying rotisserie chickens because making them this way is SO good!
Denise says
I’m loving your recipes. This chicken was DELICIOUS! Just like your best dam pork chops this was the best damn whole chicken that I’ve cooked in my air fryer. Keep those recipes coming because their so damn easy. LOL
RecipeTeacher says
Thanks so much, Denise!!