There’s something to be said for kitchen traditions. Roasting a chicken in the oven for hours on a Sunday was always one of mine. But when I was introduced to a faster method for making this comfort classic without sacrificing results, I decided to drop the old practice.
The air fryer has earned its spot as a kitchen essential, and for good reason. It produces crispy, fried-style foods quickly and with far less mess than traditional methods. But if you think it’s only useful for frozen appetizers and reheating leftovers, think again. Your air fryer can cook complete meals — including a whole chicken.
Yes, an entire chicken. You can roast a full bird right in your air fryer. After ten years of experimenting with kitchen gadgets, I was initially doubtful, but this method genuinely delivers. Once I gave it a shot, my conventional oven started collecting dust.
Forget waiting an hour-plus for the oven. The air fryer cooks it faster, gives you ridiculously crispy skin all around (even the bottom!), and the cleanup is almost embarrassingly easy. Just rinse the basket. No more wrestling with a giant, greasy roasting pan. This is the weeknight dinner upgrade you deserve.
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Few dishes rival a perfectly roasted chicken for pure satisfaction. Pair it with roasted root vegetables and rich gravy for a complete Sunday feast that provides delicious leftovers throughout the week. The combination of flavor, convenience and economy makes air-fried chicken an unmatched meal prep champion.
To make a perfect roasted chicken in about 45 minutes, all you need is an air fryer (4 quarts or larger), a chicken and some simple spices and pantry ingredients.
Can you cook a whole chicken in an air fryer?
You sure can. The secret to great roasted chicken is high heat, without overcooking the bird, for crispy skin and moist, tender meat. An air fryer is the perfect vessel for this method because it envelops the food inside with hot, quickly moving air and manages to crisp outer layers better than a full-size convection oven that features more widely dispersed heat. The smaller air fryer cooking chamber also means more consistent temps throughout a single session.
Air fryers are typically smaller than wall ovens but many models are capable of handling a 3- or 4-pound chicken. I cooked a full 4-pound roaster and it fit comfortably inside my Dreo 6-quart ChefMaker smart air fryer oven.
Read more: Grill, Bye. Make Your Next Burger in an Air Fryer and Thank Me Later
What size air fryer do you need to cook a whole chicken?
This fancy souped-up air fryer has a steam feature and smart cooking programs but I didn’t need or use them. I cooked the chicken on basic air fryer mode at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 55 minutes, flipping the bird (ha!) after 25. You won’t need a fancy air fryer, either. This $120 Instant air fryer will get the job done, as will this $80 Gourmia model.
There was minimal prep in this air fryer chicken recipe, which I adapted from a few found online and my go-to oven-roasted chicken recipe. I whisked together a quick marinade with olive oil, grain mustard, salt, pepper and some of my favorite Mediterranean seasoning blend. I stuffed the chicken with half of an orange, some green onion and a bunch of fresh parsley that was down to its final days in the fridge.
Air fryers cook fast so be careful not to burn the skin
My only other note when making an air fryer bird is to keep a close eye on the chicken, especially toward the end. The heat from an air fryer is intense and could burn the skin if you have it cranked up too high or leave it in too long. If your skin seems to be getting brown faster than the chicken is coming to temp inside, pull back on the heat and continue monitoring.
You can always fire it up again once the meat is cooked to get a crispy skin before serving. You’ll know the meat is cooked when a meat probe reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit when plunged into the thickest part of the breast.
Ingredients for air fryer roast chicken
- 4-pound chicken, giblets removed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons grain mustard
- Seasoning blend (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lemon or orange
- Fresh herbs
How to make air fryer roast chicken
- Preheat air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit
- Whisk olive oil, mustard, seasoning blend, salt and pepper together
- Rub mustard marinade over the entire chicken
- Place chicken in air fryer basket breast down on top of the wire rack and cook for 25 minutes
- Flip the bird breast up and cook for 20 more minutes
- Remove when juices run clear or an internal thermometer reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit
- Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Pour juices from the air fryer basket over sliced chicken or use to make a gravy
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