This air-fryer whole chicken is simple to pull off in just over an hour, compared to around 90 minutes if you were to cook it in the oven. The recipe only requires two additional ingredients, olive oil and seasoned salt, which I always have on hand. The result? A super-juicy, flavorful chicken with wonderfully crispy skin—something I always find lacking in a store-bought rotisserie chicken. (Those chickens are very convenient, but the skin on them gets so soggy as it sits under the warmer.) One of the best parts of this recipe is having leftover chicken for lunch the next day!
According to Taste of Home culinary assistant Maggie Knoebel, our Test Kitchen uses air fryers with a 5-quart capacity or larger for cooking a whole chicken. This recipe calls for a 3- or 4-pound chicken, which should fit nicely in the air-fryer basket.
Ingredients for Air-Fryer Whole Chicken
- Whole chicken: We tested this air-fryer whole chicken recipe using a 3- to 4-pound broiler/fryer chicken. You can cut the chicken into pieces if you end up with a larger chicken that won’t fit inside the air-fryer basket. Just make sure to adjust the air-fryer cooking time accordingly.
- Olive oil: Oil helps the seasonings stick to the chicken skin, and it also promotes browning. That leads to a gorgeous golden color on the skin. You can use cooking spray if you prefer, but we find it’s easier to get even coverage by brushing olive oil onto the surface of the chicken.
- Seasoned salt: There are several seasoned salt options at the store to choose from. You can also make your own seasoned salt at home.
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the chicken
Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Brush the outside of the chicken with olive oil, and sprinkle it with seasoned salt.
Editor’s Tip: Preparing a chicken for the air fryer is just like preparing one for the oven. First, remove any giblets or neck pieces from the cavity. Then, pat the chicken dry before seasoning it. The drier the skin, the crispier and more delicious it will be. Finally, tie the legs to keep the chicken well bundled inside the basket.
Step 2: Air-fry the chicken
Place the chicken, breast side down, on the tray in the air-fryer basket. Cook for 30 minutes. Flip the chicken. Continue cooking until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 170° to 175°, 35 to 40 minutes longer.
Editor’s Tip: The air fryer can get a little greasy after cooking a whole chicken. Don’t worry; cleaning an air fryer is easier than you think.
Step 3: Rest and carve
Remove the chicken from the air fryer. Let it stand for 15 minutes before carving.
Editor’s Tip: Not sure how to carve a chicken? Our guide will help!
Recipe Variations
- Roast it: Don’t have an air fryer? No problem! Roast the chicken in a 400° oven until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 170° to 175°, 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Read on to learn how to roast a chicken in the oven.
- Vary the herbs and spices: Chicken tastes better when seasoned properly, but you don’t necessarily need seasoned salt to get there. Instead, you could use 1 teaspoon kosher salt per 1 pound meat. From there, add your favorite fresh or dried herbs, such as basil, parsley, rosemary, oregano or thyme. Dried spices like onion powder, garlic powder and paprika are excellent additions, too.
- Season it in advance: Salt pulls moisture from the surface, which dries out the skin and helps it crisp up to perfection. For the crispiest chicken skin, add the seasoning salt to the chicken ahead of time. Then let it rest, uncovered, in the refrigerator for as long as 12 hours.
- Be bold: There are many great whole chicken recipes to use as flavor-building inspiration. Give the chicken a bold flavor by adding curry spice, glazing the cooked chicken with barbecue sauce, or saucing it with a sweet-and-spicy chipotle coating.
How to Store Air-Fryer Whole Chicken
Cooked chicken lasts three to four days in the refrigerator, or up to four months in the freezer. Store the chicken in an airtight container, either on or off the bone. You can reheat the chicken in the air fryer if you leave it on the bone. Otherwise, it’s best to reheat pulled or chopped chicken meat in the microwave.
Be sure to save the bones and carcass to make homemade chicken broth. If you’re not ready to make broth today, store the bones in an airtight container for up to four days. To freeze chicken bones, transfer them to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to six months.
Air-Fryer Whole Chicken Tips
How long to cook chicken in the air fryer?
We cook a whole chicken for 65 to 70 minutes in a 350° air fryer, but the timing may depend on the chicken’s size. In our testing, we’ve also found that cook times vary dramatically between brands of air fryers. That’s why we like to use a thermometer to monitor the temperature of cooked chicken to prevent under- or overcooking.
Can you cook raw chicken in an air fryer?
Yes, you can cook raw chicken in an air fryer. An air fryer is basically a countertop convection oven. That means you can cook raw chicken in one just as you would in an oven. The major difference is that the air fryer has a built-in basket, so you don’t need to use a baking pan.
How do you repurpose leftovers from an air-fryer whole chicken?
Leftover chicken is extremely versatile, and there are so many ways to turn rotisserie chicken into dinner. We like to remove the chicken from the bone, then chop or shred the meat. Use the meat in tacos, sandwiches, pizza, pasta, salads, and casseroles.
What should you serve with an air-fryer whole chicken?
Air-fryer whole chicken tastes fantastic with a side salad, roasted veggies or a hearty starch like air-fryer baked potatoes. You could also reserve the chicken drippings from the air fryer, then make a chicken gravy to serve with the chicken.
