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Sliced air fryer whole chicken on a white plate with a side of green beans.
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5 from 2 votes

Air Fryer Whole Chicken

Skip the store bought rotisserie chicken and make your own at home with this easy air fryer whole chicken recipe. Juicy, tender chicken cooked perfectly without ever turning on the oven!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dinner | Lunch
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Calories: 255kcal
Author: Nancylynn

Ingredients

  • 4-5 lb chicken
  • avocado oil or olive oil cooking spray or sub with a little oil brushed onto the skin
  • half lemon and onion to put inside the chicken
  • fresh herbs garnish

spice blend:

  • 1/2-1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp paprika or smoked paprika
  • optional - sprinkle of thyme

Instructions

  • Preheat Air Fryer to 350 degrees f.
  • Pat chicken dry with paper towels and be sure the giblets have been removed. If you feel like your chicken is a bit large for your air fryer, push down on the breast bone a bit until you hear a crack. This will reduce the height of your whole chicken a bit and give you more space when opening and closing your air fryer.
  • Place aromatics in the cavity of the chicken - lemon, half onion, garlic cloves.
  • Spray chicken on both side liberally with avocado oil spray or olive oil spray, then sprinkle with seasonings on the top and the bottom.
  • Place chicken breast side down on the air fryer basket and cook for 40 minutes.
  • After 40 minutes, carefully flip the chicken breast-side up. If your seasonings have rubbed off, add some extra kosher salt, garlic powder, paprika, and thyme to the breast side of your chicken. Carefully shut the air fryer drawer as to not ruin the super crispy skin , and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of your chicken is 165 degrees f. The best way to test this is to place a digital meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and check the temperature of the chicken before removing it from the air fryer.
  • Before carving your chicken, let it rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
  • Serve with your favorite sides and a drizzle of the cooking juices from the bottom of your air fryer, if desired!

Notes

21 Day Fix Containers: 1 RED (per serving) Be sure to remove skin before eating in order for this to be fix approved. 
WW: 5 points (per serving)
To prep ahead: You can prepare your chicken ahead of time for meal prep, or simply prep your spice rub and aromatics and store until you are ready to cook your chicken which also saves time.
To store: Remove the meat from the carcass and store it in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
To freeze: You can freeze your rotisserie chicken to use later! Simply add meat to a freezer bag and freeze for up to three months. Also, a chicken carcass is great for making homemade broth. If you don't have time to do this now, you can freeze the carcass to use later.
To reheat: I actually prefer cold chicken to reheated chicken, but if you want to warm your chicken up before serving, you can reheat your chicken right in a warm air fryer, in the microwave, or in a warm oven. If you saved pan drippings, you could drizzle some on before reheating.

Nutrition

Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 335mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.04g | Vitamin A: 1519IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 2mg