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You are going to love making rotisserie-style chicken in your air fryer! Tender, juicy chicken with the most crispy, flavorful skin every time. It is so easy to do and only requires a few ingredients.
Perfectly cooked, seasoned whole chicken in 60 minutes!
I love cooking anything in my air fryer but this air fryer whole chicken is by far one of my favorite things I have made yet. The chicken comes out perfectly juicy and succulent with the most amazing flavorful, crispy skin. My family is obsessed with it!
It is such an easy air fryer dinner recipe that only requires a few simple ingredients and one hour to make it!
This delicious whole chicken goes well with so many things like roasted fennel, broccoli, and air fryer sweet potatoes. Making it a great meal prep recipe that you can cook in advance and enjoy all week long!
Ingredients you will need
- Whole Chicken – As always you want to use the highest quality chicken you can afford. Pasture-raised, organic chicken is best. Make sure to choose a whole chicken that will fit in your air fryer. I found that 3-5 pound chickens fit in most air fryers.
- Avocado oil -You will need to use a little bit of oil to allow the seasoning to stick to the chicken. Olive oil, avocado oil, or olive oil cooking spray will all work in this recipe.
- The seasoning – I chose to use garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper but you can use any spice blend you prefer.
How to make air fryer whole chicken
- Prep the chicken. Use a clean paper towel to dry the chicken really well all over, including the inside cavity of the chicken. Make sure to remove the giblets if there are any inside the chicken before you cook it.
- Season. In a small bowl, mix up the seasoning. Rub the oil all over the entire chicken, including the inside cavity. Then use your hands to rub the seasoning mixture all over it on both sides.
- Cook. Place the chicken, breast side down into the air fryer basket. Close and cook at 360 degrees F for 50 minutes. Then carefully flip the chicken over and cook it for 10 more minutes. Per the recipe card below.
- Let rest, carve, and serve. Once the chicken is done cooking, remove it from the air fryer and let it rest for at least 10 minutes. Then you can carve and serve it. Here is a great video on how to carve a whole chicken.
You will not believe how incredible this chicken is. It is going to blow your mind, it is so good! Juicy, tender and so flavorful every single time! The skin is wonderfully crispy and delicious!
Recipe Tips
- Make sure your chicken fits in your air fryer. I have a 5.7-quart air fryer that can fit about a 5.5-pound whole chicken. Some of the smaller air fryers can only fit a 3-pound chicken, so make sure it fits before you start cooking.
- Dry the whole chicken well before you season it and cook it. This will allow the seasoning to stick to the chicken better and give it so much flavor.
- Do not skip flipping the chicken over halfway through the cooking time. This allows it to get crispy on all sides. I like to use kitchen gloves and grab the legs of the chicken and easily flip it, depending on the size of the chicken I am using. You can also use kitchen tongs to do this.
- Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before you carve it to allow the juices to stay inside the chicken. It’s so GOOD!!!
How long to cook a whole chicken in the air fryer?
This will depend on the size of the chicken you are using. Here are some cooking time guidelines. Remember to always cook chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. You can check this using a meat thermometer and inserting it into the thickest part of the chicken.
- Most air fryers can cook a whole chicken in about one hour.
- A whole chicken in the air fryer will take about 12 minutes per pound to cook. So a 5-pound chicken will take about 60 minutes to fully cook.
- A whole chicken that is 3-4 pounds will take about 45-50 minutes to fully cook.
Ways to serve whole roasted chicken
Here are some of my favorite ways to serve this homemade roasted chicken.
- Use it in this amazing BBQ Chicken Salad.
- Add it on top of this Chicken Pesto Pizza.
- Serve it alongside these incredible Oven Roasted Potatoes and Carrots.
- Enjoy it as a healthy meal addition to this Lemon and Parmesan Roasted Asparagus.
- Pile it on top of this Israeli Couscous Salad.
Storing and reheating
Cooked chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I recommend carving it before you store it.
You can reheat the chicken in portions in the microwave.
FAQ
The best temperature to cook a whole chicken in the air fryer is about 360 degrees F. This allows the chicken to cook perfectly all the way through while it still gets crispy on the outside and stays nice and juicy on the inside. Although, air fryers do vary so you should check and adjust the temperature as needed.
To ensure the chicken gets crispy on both sides, you will want to flip it over for the last 10 minutes of cooking time. If you prefer not the flip the chicken over then that is also fine.
More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
- Crispy Healthy Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan
- Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Breast
- 15-Minute Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Breast
- Air Fryer Ground Chicken Meatballs
- 10-Minute Air Fryer Chicken and Vegetables
- Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas
- Air Fryer BBQ Chicken
Other easy air fryer Recipes to try:
- Juicy Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
- Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
- Air Fryer Salmon
- Zucchini Patties With Sweet Potato
- Air Fryer Ham with Homemade Glaze
Did you make this air fryer whole chicken recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. You can also tag me on Instagram @pinchmegoodfood so I can see your creation.
Print
Air Fryer Whole Chicken
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings 1x
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
This easy air fryer whole chicken is the best way to get that rotisserie-style chicken every time. Juicy, succulent, crispy chicken that is bursting with flavor in just 60 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 (5-pound) whole chicken – Preferably organic and pasture-raised
- 1–2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees F.
- Prepare the chicken – remove the chicken from the packaging and remove the giblets from the inside cavity if there are any in there. Then use a clean kitchen towel to dry the chicken all over.
- Season – rub or brush the oil all over the chicken on both sides. In a small bowl combine the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Then rub the seasoning all over the chicken on both sides.
- Cook – spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray to prevent sticking, then carefully place the seasoned chicken, breast-side down into the air fryer basket. Cook the chicken for 50 minutes, flip it over and cook it for 10 more minutes. Cook the chicken until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
- Serve – once the chicken is done cooking, remove it from the air fryer and place it onto a cutting board. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes, then carve it and serve.
Notes
- Make sure to get a chicken that will fit in your air fryer. Most air fryers can fit a 3-5 pound whole chicken.
- Dry the chicken well before you season it. Then season it really well all over on both sides.
- Cook the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before you carve and serve it to allow the juices to stay inside the chicken.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Healthy Dinner Ideas
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: air fryer whole chicken, rotisserie – style chicken, roasted chicken, chicken
7this is an awesome recipe. The chicken melts in your mouth. The flavor and juiciness amazed me. No more store bought for me. Set it and forget it pretty much with this one. Thank you so much for the recipe!
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This chicken was so easy to make, fed me and my three kids and the flavors were phenomenal!
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How on earth are you supposed to “carefully flip” a 350 degree chicken over? I’ve seen so many recipes call for this step and there’s no way to gracefully do it, or do it without splattering hot chicken juice, or making a huge mess of my hot pads. Is there something I’m missing?
Hi Tracy, You are correct that it is not the most graceful thing but I found there was not too much grease since the bottom of the air fryer catches it. Using a large metal spatula and kitchen gloves worked fine. I was also able to grab the legs and flip it easily with no grease splatter at all since the chicken that will fit into most air fryers is only 3-5 pounds it’s pretty light in weight. If you are concerned about flipping the chicken then you can always skip that step, you just won’t get super crispy skin all around.
I have baked chicken for many years. However I am not sure why its necessary to oil the inside of the chicken as well as season it inside. Doesn’t the season and the oil already do its job on the outside? Also how does one season the inside of the chicken, the opening isn’t that big for a hand to massage the seasoning
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Hi Sharon, I chose to season the chicken all over since for this recipe I felt that it provided the best flavor and super crispy skin, while also keeping the inside very moist. You can certainly choose to omit the oil if that is what you prefer. You can use a brush or just your fingers to season the inside cavity if you choose to do so.