If you think your air fryer is just for reheating leftover fries and cooking frozen snacks, you’re thinking way too small. It’s time to unlock its true potential and realize that it can handle a real dinner-like a whole roasted chicken.
Yes, you can cook an entire chicken in that thing, and as a food and tech editor who has tested kitchen gear for a decade, I’m telling you it’s a complete game-changer. I tried it on a whim and was blown away.
The air fryer roasts a chicken faster than a regular oven, delivers unbelievably crispy skin every single time, and the cleanup is a joke. You just have to rinse the basket. No more scrubbing a giant, greasy roasting pan. This is the perfect weeknight dinner hack you’ve been missing.
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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.
Air fryer chicken is one of the easiest and most satisfying recipes I’ve made lately.
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, while not overcooking the bird for a crispy skin with moist, tender meat. An air fryer is the perfect vessel for this method since 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?
I used a fancy smart air fryer but just about any 5-quart model will do.
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.
About 10 minutes before I pulled it from the air fryer.
Air fryers cook fast so 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.
You’ll need at least a 5-quart air fryer to make a roasted chicken.
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
Almost done…
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 the another 20 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
There it is.