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.

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!

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