This Air Fryer Whole Chicken recipe makes the most succulent roasted chicken in less than an hour! Skip the rotisserie chicken and make this at home with a few simple spices.
recipe overview
There’s nothing more impressive than a roasted chicken. I love this simple Air Fryer Whole Chicken recipe because it’s so easy and I always have the ingredients on hand.
It’s so easy, budget-friendly, and comes out crispy yet juicy every time! I’ll never go back to oven roasting again for potatoes, broccoli, or chicken.
ingredients
- Whole chicken: Make sure the chicken fits in your air fryer basket with a little room on all sides. I bind the legs before cooking, too.
- Olive oil: Without a little oil, the seasonings won’t stick to the chicken as well! It also helps get the most crispy skin on the outside while leaving the meat moist underneath.
- Smoked paprika: I love the addition of paprika to a spice rub. It brings a gentle smokiness and a sweet spice to make this whole chicken in the air fryer taste almost like I smoked it!
- Dried oregano: My favorite Italian seasoning! The sweet herbaceous flavor of oregano makes it go well with chicken and almost any meat.
- Garlic powder: Unlike raw garlic, garlic powder has a sweeter taste. It truly makes any recipe better!
- Onion powder: Onions add flavor to everything they touch. Onion powder is the same!
- Salt: Everything is better with a touch of salt. It really helps bring out the natural flavor of the foods without overpowering it or your spice blend.
- Black pepper: I love the light kick of black pepper. It really enhances this simple spice blend with a little spice but not too much. If you want a spicier chicken, add a pinch of cayenne pepper!
how to make this chicken
- Oil the air fryer basket and preheat it to 350F.
- Mix the paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl.
- Make sure the chicken is clean inside and out. Tie the legs with kitchen twine.
- Rub the skin liberally with oil. This helps the spice blend stick!
- Sprinkle the chicken with the seasoning blend and rub it to coat every inch of the chicken.
- Place the chicken in the air fryer basket breast-side down and cook for 30 minutes. Flip the chicken breast side up and cook another 15 to 20 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
what to serve with a whole chicken
Make it an indoor picnic with this tangy Amish potato salad! It’s my favorite potato salad recipe with yellow mustard and just a little acidity.
Have the best chicken and stuffing with this oven-baked recipe! No need to stuff the bird with this classic side dish.
Keep it simple with this 5-ingredient dairy-free mashed potatoes for a quick, comforting side dish without all the work.
Want something as hands-off as this Air Fryer Whole Chicken? Try my yummy broccoli casserole! They’re easy to bake at the same time to get dinner on the table while everything is hot.
Air Fryer Whole Chicken
Make this elegant roasted whole chicken in the air fryer with just a little olive oil and 6 pantry staple spices! Perfect for a small dinner party or a great weeknight dinner.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 72kcal
Equipment
- Kitchen twine
- Small bowl
- Meat thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 3- to 5-pound whole chicken
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F. Spray air fryer basket with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the spice blend of smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Empty the innards of the chicken and tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
- Rub the chicken skin liberally with oil. Sprinkle seasoning blend over skin and rub with hands to coat the chicken completely.
- Place the chicken in the air fryer basket breast-side down and cook for 30 minutes. Flip the chicken breast-side up and cook another 15 to 20 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Notes
Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven. If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the “Air Fry” function.
Note: This recipe was made in a Ninja Air Fryer. Ninja air fryers are known to run very hot. Typically, if you are using a Ninja air fryer, you would need to reduce the temperature for most recipes. Since this one is made with a Ninja, you may find that you need to add a bit of time since they run hot.
If you are not using a Ninja air fryer, be sure to use your meat thermometer to check the internal temperature to help you gauge the doneness of the meat. That will help you to determine how much longer to cook.Â
Nutrition
Calories: 72kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 583mg | Potassium: 50mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 507IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
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Air Fryers can vary greatly. Please take the time to learn your specific air fryer. You may need to adjust times and temperatures based upon your air fryer. All though this website attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, the information should only be considered an estimate. Varying factors such as different product types, different brands, etc. can change nutritional information. It is your responsibility as a consumer to read all labels to make sure the ingredients fit your dietary needs as well as calculate your own nutritional information as a double check.
I had no idea that I could do a whole chicken in the air fryer until I saw this. I cooked a 3.5 lb chicken perfectly last night!
It is a game changer!