This past summer, I used my air fryer a lot because it was hot and I didn’t want to use my oven. Although the weather is cooler now, I will continue making many of those air fryer recipes – like the air fryer whole chicken recipe that I’m sharing today. This air frying recipe takes very little effort and little time but it creates a delicious dish.
If you were wondering if you can cook an entire chicken in an air fryer, the answer is YES. It comes out so delicious that my whole family enjoys it. The crispy skin and the juicy meat have earned this dish a spot in our current weekly meal rotations.
The best part is that I use a super-easy way to prepare it. I marinate the chicken with olive oil and a spice blend for a couple of hours (or overnight if I plan well), place the marinated chicken in the air fryer basket of my 7 – quart air fryer and let the air fryer do its thing.
This chicken has turned out great every single time that I have made it. Just follow these easy steps …
Air Fryer Whole Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 lb whole chicken
- Olive oil
- Preferred seasonings (I use salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika as my spice mixture.)
Directions
- Rub a thin layer of olive oil on the entire thawed chicken (with the giblets removed). Generously apply your preferred seasonings all over the chicken.
- Let the chicken marinate in the oil and seasonings for at least 2 hours (but preferably overnight) in the refrigerator in a re-sealable plastic bag or a covered container.
- Before you put the chicken in the air fryer, allow it to come to room temperature. That usually takes between 30 to 45 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, and pat dry with paper towels before placing it in the fryer.
- When you are ready to air fry the chicken, lightly spray the fryer with your favorite oil** and preheat the fryer to 370 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes.
- Place the chicken breast side up into the preheated basket of the air fryer.
- Cook the whole chicken for an hour and a half at 370 degrees.***
Recipe Notes
– I like to season the inside of the chicken also. In addition, I like to truss the chicken. I use this technique:
-**Pick up a non-aerosol pump sprayer or mister bottle to add a mist of your favorite oil to your air fryer basket.
-***The marinated chicken makes its own juice. At the 45-minute cooking time mark, I like to flip the chicken over, drain the juices from the bottom of the air fryer and pour them over the chicken. It makes the final dish even tastier.
-You can use a meat thermometer to make sure that the chicken’s minimum internal temperature reaches the USDA’s recommended 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
-I like to let the air-fried chicken rest between 15 to 30 minutes before serving it.
I don’t like to waste food, so I tend to get a smaller chicken (a 4 lb chicken). The next day after making the chicken, I can use the leftover breast meat to make chicken salad or I’ll let the boys use some of it to make chicken quesadillas.
Anyway, I hope that your family enjoys this low-carb, juicy chicken with crispy chicken skin. Now that it’s cooler temperatures, I like to serve the whole chicken with baked or roasted sweet potatoes and roasted broccoli or asparagus.
Recipes like this easy air fryer chicken dinner are the best way to show your family that healthy meals can be some of the tastiest ones! If you found this recipe helpful, please share it. In addition, consider signing up for my weekly email newsletter so that you don’t miss future updates. Thanks!
