Whole Air-Fried Chicken will alter the way you prepare chicken forever! It cooks up perfectly soft, juicy, and flavorful despite how simple it is!
A quick and effective way to prepare dinner is air frying. Serve the chicken with potatoes, salad, and rolls for a delicious supper.
Everyone enjoys the flavorful chickens which can be purchased at the supermarket. However, it is the ideal dish that puts those rotisserie chickens to the final test.
An entire chicken may be quickly and easily air-fried, giving the skin an amazing crisp and flavorful exterior. and delicious, juicy, and tender inside. A whole chicken is so simple to cook now and the air fryer ensures consistent delicious results every time.
It is considerably less expensive to air fry a whole chicken than to buy one from the market, and you can eat it whenever you want.
This chicken is a favorite among many of us, and it can be prepared in a variety of ways. Enjoy the chicken on its own or with soups, casseroles, wraps, and other dishes.
This chicken recipe for the air fryer should be tried right away! Let’s see how it’s done!
Ingredients You’ll Need to Air Fry Whole Chicken
Here’s a table that shows what ingredients you’ll need to cook chicken in an air fryer:
| Ingredients | Details |
| Chicken | Pick a chicken that weighs between 3 and 4 pounds. |
| Oil | A small amount of olive oil is applied to assist the seasoning to adhere to the skin and improve the crispness of the skin. Instead, you can use cooking spray. |
| Seasoning | The skin gets more flavor from seasoning before cooking. Use your preferred seasoning mixture if you have one. Otherwise, a straightforward seasoning of salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, and garlic powder works well too. Add your preferred ingredients, such as rosemary, oregano, dried basil, lemon zest, or onion powder. |
How to Make Air Fryer Whole Chicken?
Making this recipe couldn’t be simpler. And I have a few simple suggestions that will prevent the chicken from drying out while cooking.
I begin with a whole chicken weighing 2.8 kilograms (6.2 pounds), and my air fryer has an 8-liter capacity. The cooking time will be shortened if you use a smaller chicken.
For 500 grams, a reasonable rule of thumb is to cook the chicken for 12–15 minutes at 180°C (air fryers will cook the chicken faster than an oven). The time it takes for ovens to achieve a temperature of 75° C (167° F) for 500 grams is around 25 minutes.
Cooking Steps
- First, coat the chicken with olive oil. Then, liberally sprinkle the skin with the spice mixture and work it in with your hands.
- Make sure you carefully coat it completely so that the flavor permeates the entire chicken!
- Puncture a few holes in the full lemon, then place it and some fresh thyme into the chicken’s cavity.
- The chicken should now be placed breast side down into the air fryer basket. The chicken should be placed in this manner for the first hour of cooking to maintain moisture and achieve even cooking.
- Simmer the whole chicken for about 60 minutes, then carefully turn it over so the breast is facing up and cook for another 20 minutes, or until the chicken is thoroughly done.
- The thickest section of the roasted chicken should register at 75° C/167° F on a thermometer.
Trial and Error
The meat should fall off the bones easily when the chicken is fully cooked, which is another sign. It needs to be cooked just so; else, it won’t be as juicy and tender.
It does require some trial and error to get the precise cooking time tailored to the size of the chicken and the air fryer you are using, as different brands and sizes can vary somewhat.
Because you will want to make this time to time again, take notes the first time you make it and use those as a guide for the next time. Before slicing and serving, give the chicken 10 minutes to rest on a board or dish.
Tips for Cooking Chicken in Air Fryer
Here’re some useful tips for you that’ll help you in cooking chicken using an air fryer:
- The cooking times mentioned in the recipe are appropriate for a large chicken that weighs approximately 2.7–2.8 kg (6.2 lb). Make sure the size of the chicken fits in your air fryer. Reduce the cooking time and stick to the recipe if you have a smaller chicken.
- You’ll want to cook this again, I assure you. I advise watching the chicken as it cooks, beginning at about 45 minutes. Using a meat thermometer eliminates the guesswork.
- Make a tasty gravy using the fluid that remains in the bottom of the air fryer basket!
- You are welcome to replace the spice rub with your preferred spices. Try using various spice rubs, dried thyme, garlic powder, your favorite herbs, or roast meat.
Variations for Seasoning
Because this dish is so simple, it is also extremely adaptable, and the chicken can be used in a variety of ways. Spices and seasonings can be altered depending on what you wish to use them for.
- Use cumin, chili powder, garlic, smoked paprika, and even a taco or fajita flavor blend when using it in Mexican recipes.
- Keep the Italian spice and add some extra oregano and basil for a more Italian flavor.
- Dry Rub: Use ranch or Italian dry dressing as a rub with olive oil, or try this French onion soup mix.
- Change it up! Other flavoring options include lemon pepper, Asian 5 spice, or any other flavoring you believe will work well.
Serving Air Fryer Chicken
The possibilities for serving Air Fryer Chicken are nearly limitless; aside from being wonderful on its own, this chicken tastes delicious in a variety of dishes.
- Soups: Add this chicken to soups to speed up the cooking process. Consider Chicken Noodles, Chicken Tacos, and White Chili.
- Sandwiches: Air fryer chicken makes fantastic sandwiches. Combine it with basil pesto, chicken Caesar wraps, or this Avocado Chicken Salad.
- Other: It will also work for everything else in between. Tacos, enchiladas, burrito bowls, pasta, salads, and casseroles come to mind. Chicken Spaghetti Bake, Cheesy Chicken Bacon, Broccoli Ranch Pasta, and Queso Chicken Skillet are all great ways to use it.
How to Store Left Over Chicken?
- Chicken can be kept for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer by removing the flesh from the carcass and placing it in an airtight container. (Reserve the carcass for soup).
- Simply place it in the microwave to reheat! Add some salt and pepper to revive the flavors, or quickly prepare some gravy to pour over top!
Benefits of Using Air Fryer for Cooking
Healthier Cooking
The majority of consumers purchase air fryers primarily for the possibility of healthier cooking.
This is a great technique to swap unhealthy deep-fried dishes with healthier ones because it uses very little oil in the cooking process.
Helps in Weight Loss
Deep-fried foods are high in calories and fat, thus replacing them with air-fried items may help reduce calorie consumption.
Ensure Safer Cooking
Heat the oil in a big, deep pan to a high temperature before deep frying.
Due to the potential for the hot oil to spill, splash, or even catch fire, this could be hazardous in the kitchen. Air fryers do not provide the same safety issues as traditional fryers when used properly.
Preserve Nutrients
Vitamin C and several beneficial plant compounds known as polyphenols may be preserved while cooking when using advection heat, like that found in an air fryer.
Food comes out Crispy and Crunchy
This is the best justification if you cook a lot of frozen, breaded dishes like onion rings and chicken tenders. The air fryer helps you cook food, giving it a crunchy, golden outside rather than a soggy mess.
Final Words
- Food is quickly cooked in air fryers with minimal oil, making everything wonderfully crispy and golden and the meat incredibly soft.
- They are also a great time saver because utilizing the air fryer tray means there are a lot fewer dishes to wash.
- For fans of crispy skin! Before applying the dry rub, make sure your chicken is thoroughly dried to avoid the rub falling off while cooking.
- Breaking the backbone may make it easier for the chicken to fit into the basket if it is too large for your air fryer. Make gravy with the remaining juices.