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Do you love juicy, flavorful chicken but don’t have hours to spend slow-roasting or grilling? If so, you’re in luck! Air fryer whole chicken is a quick and delicious alternative that will give you all of the flavor and texture of slow-cooked chicken in just one hour. With this simple technique you can enjoy crispy, flavorful chicken on the dinner table in no time with just five minutes of prep. Not only does air fryer whole chicken have a crispy exterior and juicy interior, but it can also be seasoned to your liking. So, if you’re looking for a tasty and easy way to get dinner on the table, air fryer whole chicken is the way to go!

If you are like me you are always running to the store to pick up a rotisserie chicken for those busy weeknights to have for dinner, but what if I told you that you can easily cook a rotisserie chicken at home whenever you need one? This Air fryer whole chicken recipe is so easy to make, full of flavor, and takes me less time to cook than it takes me to run to the store and grab one. Once you try this, you will stock your fridge and freezer with whole chickens so you can always have one on hand for dinner. 

You will love this recipe for so many reasons!

• So easy to make!
• Chicken tastes even better the next day!
• It is tender, flavorful, and is juicy on the inside. 
• The chicken will come out moist, crispy, and delicious.
• Way better than grocery store rotisserie style chicken!
• Can easily feed the whole family.

Use this Air Fryer whole chicken for all your favorite meals like our crispy chicken salsa wraps or our other rotisserie chicken recipes. 

Ingredients in this Air Fryer Whole Chicken Recipe:

• Whole chicken: Before cooking make sure you remove the giblets that are usually packed in a small plastic bag, and sometimes but not always placed inside the chicken. Also, pat the chicken dry. Doing this will ensure that your chicken will be crispy.
• Olive oil: Brushing olive oil, avocado oil, mayonnaise, or butter all over the chicken will also make the chicken skin crispy and will help the spices stick to it.
• Salt and black pepper: Add this to taste. I usually use kosher salt but you can use your favorite kind of salt.
• Paprika: You can use regular paprika or smoked paprika. I used smoked paprika for this recipe.
• Garlic powder & Onion powder: These are my go-to cooking spices. They add so much flavor to food! Feel free to use your favorite grocery store poultry seasonings instead of these spices.

Ingredients 

1 whole chicken (about 4-5 pounds)

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

How to Make Air Fryer Whole Chicken

• In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.

• Using paper towels, pat your whole chicken dry and then rub olive oil all over it.
• Season the chicken generously on both sides with your homemade spice blend.

• Put the whole bird in your air fryer basket with the seasoned chicken, breast-side facing down.

• Set the temperature to 350 degrees, cook the chicken for about 30 minutes, then turn it over halfway through the cook. Cook it for another 30 minutes or until the thickest part of the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

• Carefully remove your juicy chicken from the air fryer and let it rest for at least 5-10 minutes before carving.

Tips Tricks and FAQs

• Be sure you pat the chicken dry prior to rubbing the seasonings on it. This helps the skin become crispy. 
• Don’t forget to remove the giblets. This makes great chicken gravy or even chicken stock. 
• The exact cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken and your Air Fryer. Be sure to use an instant-read thermometer and when the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165 degrees it is done. Be sure it is not touching the bone when you do this or you will get an inaccurate reading. 
• For even more flavor, marinate the chicken overnight in the fridge with the spice rub. 
• Let your chicken rest for about 10 minutes before slicing it. 

Can I place parchment paper in the air fryer basket for easy cleanup?

Yes, you can place a piece of parchment paper in the air fryer basket to make clean up easy. 

Can I cook frozen chicken?

I recommend defrosting the chicken to room temperature before cooking it. To defrost it,

put the entire chicken in a large freezer bag and place it either in the fridge overnight or

Submerge it in a bowl that has cold water. Change out the water about every 30 minutes if you can to have it defrost quicker. 

Should I use the air fry or roast mode for my chicken?

Air Fry mode is what this recipe calls for.

Is preheating really necessary to cook this chicken?

No, preheating is not necessary to cook this delicious chicken.

What do I do if my chicken is 5 pounds or larger?

I recommend cooking a large chicken a little longer and using a meat thermometer to

make sure that the internal temperature of your chicken breast reaches 165 degrees.

Also, make sure that the chicken doesn’t touch the heating element of the air fryer which

will probably be located above the chicken. The air fryer will smoke if the chicken

touches the element.

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