Juicy air fryer whole chicken with a secret technique - The meat is juicy with crispy skin, all seasoned with basic pantry spices. The easy and flavorful roast chicken comes together in under one hour!
If you haven't yet tried cooking a whole chicken in an air fryer, prepare for a delightful surprise. It’s simpler than oven baking, delivering a roast chicken that's incredibly flavorful and cooks in less time. Plus, it’s perfect for freeing up valuable oven space, especially during busy holiday meals. Check out our collection of 20 air fryer Thanksgiving recipes.
This air fryer whole chicken recipe is super easy but I have a few tricks up my sleeves to ensure that the meat stays juicy tender: Garlic herb butter goes under and on the skin, stuffed with lemon, roasted until it’s crispy, golden on the outside, and juicy on the inside.
This air-fried whole chicken rivals grocery store rotisserie chicken with its incredible flavor, thanks to a delicious blend of seasonings. Like all air fryer dinner recipes, it’s easy enough for weeknight dinners and pairs perfectly with roasted potatoes for a classic, complete meal or even special enough for Mother's day dinner recipe.
Secret techinque
Add a splash of water to the basket! The water creates steam during air frying, helping to keep the breast meat moist and tender. Don’t worry about the crispy skin—flipping the chicken and cooking it a bit longer ensures the skin becomes perfectly crispy.
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Why you'll love it?
- Basic pantry spices—no chopping or fresh herbs needed.
- Fool proof recipe.
- Moist, juicy and succulent meat from the secret technique.
- Flavorful bird everytime.
- Lesser time than oven roasting.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Chicken - Choose a whole chicken that is about 3 to 4 lbs in size and not bigger. It should be able to fit in your air fryer basket without touching the top. I used my 6-quart air fryer to cook 3 ¾ pound chicken.
- Butter - It enhances flavor more than olive oil and aids in browning. If using salted butter, reduce the amount of added salt.
- Spices - I used a simple yet flavorful blend of paprika, garlic powder, pepper, and Italian seasoning—no mincing or chopping required.
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
Step 1 - Mix melted butter along with all spices.
Step 2 - Remove all giblets from the cavity and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels on all sides.
Step 3 - Loosen skin from the breast meat by running a small flat spoon or your fingers gently underneath the skin.
Step 4 - Spread the seasoning under the loosened skin directly on top of the meat and then all over the skin. Air fry chicken at 370 degrees for 30 minutes, flip and cook at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees.
To truss or not to truss? Trussing involves tying the whole chicken with kitchen twine to keep the wings and legs close to the body, resulting in a neater presentation and a more compact shape. However, I skip this step to keep the air fryer whole chicken recipe simple and beginner-friendly. Additionally, skipping trussing helps prevent the chicken from potentially touching the top of the heating coil during cooking.
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How long to cook?
I use two different temperatures to cook the air fryer whole chicken. First, cook the chicken, breast side down at 370°F for 30 minutes. Then, flip it breast side up and lower the temperature to 350°F. A 3-pound chicken will need 45 to 50 minutes, while a 4-pound chicken will take about 60 minutes. Make sure to check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer, aiming for 165°F, to avoid overcooking.
Secret tips for a juicy air fryer whole chicken
Roasting a whole chicken in the air fryer couldn’t be simpler! With just a few tips, you can have a perfect roast chicken ready in about an hour. Consider this option for a small, intimate Thanksgiving gathering instead of turkey.
- Add water into the basket. While it might sound unusual, the steam created ensures the meat stays juicy.
- Pat dry. Make sure to dry the skin thoroughly with paper towels on all sides to remove all moisture.
- Cook the chicken breast side down for the first 30 minutes, then flip it. This helps keep the white meat from drying out.
- Spreading spiced butter under the skin directly onto the breast ensures a flavorful and tender result.
- Make sure not to tear the skin when loosening with a spoon.
- Let it rest. Allow to rest after air frying for about 10 minutes. You want to allow the delicious juices to soak back into the meat before slicing.
- Be careful not to overcook. Cook the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, but remove it from the heat just before it hits that mark. Insert the meat thermometer into the thigh, away from the bone. Remember, the temperature will continue to rise a few degrees as it rests.
How to Store Leftovers?
Remove the air fryer whole chicken meat from the carcass and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or place it in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, warm in the microwave! Refresh the flavors with a little salt and pepper.
What to do with leftover roast chicken?
Possibilities are almost endless, besides being delicious on its own, the shredded meat taste scrumptious served in so many ways.
- Sandwiches - Toss with bbq sauce to make a pulled barbecue sandwich or make this avocado sandwich.
- Salad - Add chopped meat to your favorite salads for added protein or try in this chicken pasta salad.
- Soups - Add this to your favorite soup recipes to make it more filling and hearty.
- Dip - Try this buffalo ranch chicken dip.
- Quesadilla - Make a Spicy Mexican Quesadilla.
- Fried Rice - Make a quick fried rice with scrambled eggs, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper and cooked rice.
Is an air fryer big enough for a whole chicken?
The cooking time depends on both the size of your air fryer and the chicken you’ve bought. Most store-bought chickens weigh around 3 to 4 pounds (organic options are typically closer to 3 pounds). A 6-quart air fryer can handle a chicken of this size, but it's best not to use a chicken larger than 4 pounds in a 6-quart air fryer.
Recipe tips
- Check inside the chicken and remove any giblets. Not all chickens have them, so don't be concerned if you don’t find any.
- Cook the chicken breast side down and flip after 30 minutes.
- A 3 lb chicken will need 40-50 minutes while a 4lb chicken will need closer to 55 minutes.
- Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F on a meat thermometer. Check it early to ensure it doesn’t overcook.
- After removing the chicken, brush it with the dripping to enhance its flavor and keep it moist.
More air fryer chicken recipes
Air Fryer Whole Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 ½ pound whole chicken
- 1 lemon cut into 4
Spice Butter
- 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt I used 2 teaspoons - refer notes
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Before starting - Make sure that your chicken will fit in the air fryer basket without touching the top when closed. We used a 6 quart Instant Vortex Air Fryer and was able to fit 3 ¾ lbs chicken.
- Not necessary but recommended - Take the chicken out of the fridge about 20 minutes before
- Empty the cavity of the chicken and pat the skin thoroughly dry with paper towels. Using a small, flat spoon loosen the skin from chicken from the top of the breasts. Make sure not to tear the skin while doing so.
- Mix all spice butter ingredients in a bowl and drizzle some spice butter under the skin and smear remaining all over the surface of the chicken.
- Stuff cut lemon wedges inside chicken.
- Preheat air fryer to 370°F. When hot, pour ⅓ cup water into the basket (this creates steam when cooking and keeps the meat super juicy). Place the chicken breast side down and cook for 30 minutes.
- Gently flip chicken over and cook at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reaches 165°F.
- Remove from air fryer and rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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Patricia Bogart
Delicious and juicy!!!! And Easy!!!!
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear, so glad you loved it - Maria ♡