Roasted chicken is a true classic and total crowd-pleaser. You can dress it up for a dinner party or crank one out on a quiet Sunday and have tender meat for lunches the rest of the week. The dish isn’t complicated, but it does take some time, which is why this speedy method is so attractive.
The air fryer is a once-in-a-lifetime kitchen craze. I’ve sung the countertop convection oven’s praises on many an occasion, but no air fryer discovery has given me quite as much satisfaction as the whole-roasted chicken. The method for making a full bird shows off the full glory of an air fryer: sheer cooking speed, exceptional results on par with a large oven and minimal cleanup.
Forget waiting an hour-plus for a chicken to cook in the oven — plus preheating time. This method takes less than 45 with no preheating at all. An air fryer blazes through any medium-sized bird, delivering crispy skin from top to bottom, with cleanup basically nonexistent. Just rinse the nonstick basket or run it through the dishwasher if you use a glass-bowl model.
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 with hot, rapidly moving air and crisps the outer layers better than a full-size convection oven, which disperses heat more widely. 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 this 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 for this air fryer chicken recipe, which I adapted from a few online recipes 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 can burn the skin if you crank it 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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