How to bake a whole chicken in an air fryer

This easy Air Fryer Whole Chicken is a go-to dinner that the whole family will love! It's practically effortless to quickly season this roaster and have it fully cooked to tender, juicy perfection and on the table in about an hour!

Growing up, every Sunday my mom made a whole chicken with all of the trimmings for dinner. The whole house smelled like juicy and delicious chicken and my favorite part was the crispy, melt-in-your-mouth skin.

It’s a meal that I love to create for my family, but I don’t have all day on Sundays to spend in the kitchen. And this is reason number 101 that I love my air fryer!

• Air Fryer Whole Chicken
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
• 💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
• 🥡 Storing & Reheating
• 🍗 More Awesome Chicken Recipes
• 📋 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

The Perfect Juicy Roasted Chicken is Made in an Air Fryer!

Whole chicken roasted in the air fryer cooks in half the time and is equally as succulent and moist with that golden and crispy skin! All you need is a little seasoning for a perfect chicken dinner and this recipe is almost effortless.

You don’t have to have this air fryer chicken once a week as my family did – but I’ll bet no one will complain if you do! This super easy, moist, tender, and scrumptious whole chicken recipe gives new meaning to the phrase, “Winner, winner, chicken dinner!”.

🥘 Ingredients

In addition to your air fryer, there are only a few things that you'll need for this perfectly tasty air fried chicken!

• Whole Chicken – Try to find one that is at around 3.5 lbs but that will still fit into your air fryer basket.
• Olive Oil – Extra virgin olive oil has the best flavor, but you can use your preferred cooking oil.
• Salt & Pepper – To taste. These base spices add so much flavor!
• Garlic Powder – The flavor is a bit more intense than fresh garlic and rubbing it into the chicken skin really infuses the flavor throughout your chicken.
• Onion Powder - Dried onion flakes can also be substituted.
• Paprika – This spice is a great visual garnish on the chicken, but also gives a wonderful peppery flavor.

*Be sure to see the recipe card below for ingredients, amounts & instructions!*

🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions

This air fryer chicken is beyond easy to make! Use pantry-staple spices to coat the whole chicken then plop it into your air fryer basket and set the timer and get a perfect roast chicken!

1. If the chicken has been frozen, be sure to thaw completely in the refrigerator (about 12 hours). If the giblets and the neck are in the body cavity, remove them and then trim any fat from the body. Pat the chicken until dry with paper towels.
2. Rub the whole chicken with olive oil, followed by the mixture of salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder and paprika. Rub the seasonings in until every inch is covered.
3. Place the chicken in the basket of the air fryer with the breast side facing downward. Set the fryer at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and cook for 30 minutes. This method of cooking creates the best presentation on the table, but you can also start with the breast side up and this makes the breast meat incredibly tender and extra juicy.
4. Next, remove the basket and flip the chicken over. Replace the chicken and basket and cook for about 25-30 minutes more.
5. Check the internal temperature using a digital meat thermometer and once the chicken is 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), it’s done. * I prefer to cook any bone-in chicken to 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).
6. Remove the basket from the air fryer and let the chicken rest in it, or on a clean surface for 10 minutes. FYI – there will be a LOT of juice running off the chicken while it rests, so its best to put it on a curved cutting board or leave it in the basket. Carve and serve!

At my house, we almost always serve whole roasted chicken with creamy mashed potatoes and roasted veggies. The drippings and the juice from the bird can also be used to make an aromatic and tasty gravy!

💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes

You can also use the extra meat to make a killer chef salad for lunches! Or use the leftover chicken in my chicken spaghetti with rotel or chicken noodle soup!

🥡 Storing & Reheating

If there are leftovers, store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. If stored properly, frozen chicken will last up to 6 months but is best used within the first 4 months. To reheat, the best method is to microwave or return to the air fryer until warmed.

🍗 More Awesome Chicken Recipes

• Air Fryer Frozen Popcorn Chicken
• Crockpot Chicken Recipes
• Bacon Wrapped Baked Chicken Drumsticks
• Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
• Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
• Doritos Chicken Casserole with Cream Cheese

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📋 Recipe

Air Fryer Whole Chicken

This easy Air Fryer Whole Chicken is a go-to dinner that the whole family will love! It's practically effortless to quickly season this roaster and have it fully cooked to tender, juicy perfection and on the table in about an hour!

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 442kcal

Prep 5 minutes

Cooking 55 minutes

Resting Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Pin Recipe

• ▢ 3 ½ lb whole chicken (thawed, if frozen)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon paprika

• Make sure that your chicken is completely thawed if using a frozen chicken. Remove the neck and giblets from the body cavity if they are present. Remove the tail and trim any fat or excess skin if desired. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.

• Rub the entire chicken with the olive oil, then sprinkle the chicken with seasoning and rub that in as well.

• Place the chicken into your air fryer basket with the breast facing downward. Cook at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

• Remove the basket and flip the chicken so that the breast is facing upward. Return the basket and chicken to your air fryer and continue cooking for 25-30 minutes. The chicken is done when it has an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

• Remove the cooked chicken from your air fryer and allow it to rest in the basket, on a serving tray, or on the cutting board for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

You can tie the legs together to retain juices while cooking if your chicken fits neatly into your air fryer. If the chicken is touching the top heating element (as mine do!) leave the legs untied, and gently but firmly press down on the chicken to flatten to fit.

If there are leftovers, store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. If stored properly, frozen chicken will last up to 6 months but is best used within the first 4 months.

Calories: 442kcal (22%) | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 35g (70%) | Fat: 32g (49%) | Saturated Fat: 9g (56%) | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 143mg (48%) | Sodium: 424mg (18%) | Potassium: 365mg (10%) | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 1g (1%) | Vitamin A: 297IU (6%) | Vitamin C: 3mg (4%) | Calcium: 22mg (2%) | Iron: 2mg (11%)

air fryer, Air Fryer Whole Chicken

Course Air Fryer, Chicken Dishes, Dinner Recipes

Cuisine American

Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!