This rotisserie-style air fryer whole chicken is perfectly seasoned and features both crispy skin and juicy meat! The prep is so fast and easy, you’ll be cooking a whole chicken in your air fryer ALL THE TIME.
Air fryer chicken is better than store-bought rotisserie chicken
I love the convenience of buying a rotisserie chicken at the supermarket, but I’m alway disappointed when I bring one home. Invariably, the meat is dry and chalky or it’s artificially moist and soggy because the meat has been injected with a salt solution filled with additives that I wouldn’t cook with at home.
As someone who loves shortcuts to deliciousness, I knew I could make a better tasting and healthier version at home in my air fryer—with just three ingredients. My air fryer whole chicken recipe also happens to be Whole30, keto, low carb, paleo, and kid-friendly!
No air fryer? No problem!
If you don’t own an air fryer, you can roast the chicken in a regular oven. If you’re going to do that, though, I recommend grabbing a pair of kitchen shears so you can spatchcock (or butterfly) the chicken before seasoning and roasting it. The prep will take a little longer but the cooking time and fantastic results will be the same!
Follow the instructions on how to spatchcock and roast the chicken in the oven in my Spatchcocked Chicken with Herb Butter recipe, but use a Nom Nom Paleo spice blend in place of the Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Because the Nom Nom Paleo spice blends are so delicious, you can skip the herb butter in the recipe, and it’ll still taste amazing!
But hey: we’re here to talk about cooking a whole bird in an air fryer, so buckle up and read on!
Ingredients
- A whole chicken: Buy a high quality, organic chicken—but make sure it’ll actually fit in your air fryer. I’ve found that the largest chicken that my 6-quart Instant Pot Vortex Plus can accommodate is a medium-sized one between 3½ to 4 pounds. Don’t push it—otherwise, your chicken will touch the heating element, causing lots of burning, smoke, and tears of frustration.
- Your favorite Nom Nom Paleo Spice Blend: I love my Nom Nom Paleo spice blends and any of them will work in this recipe. Seriously! The one you choose may depend on what mood you’re in that night. For example, if you want Chinese flavors, try Umami Stir-Fry Powder or Spicy Sichuan Powder. For a bold umami flavor, use my Magic Mushroom Powder. For a more traditional roast chicken, my Nomtastic Grilling Powder can’t be beat! (Buy my spice blends online and save 15% with the one-time code LETSGO.) If you don’t have one of my blends, Diamond Crystal kosher salt combined with your favorite spices (e.g., garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, lemon pepper, oregano, rosemary, basil, or thyme) will also work.
- Avocado oil cooking spray: I coat the air fryer basket with this high smoke point oil so the chicken won’t stick. Make sure your avocado oil spray contains ONLY avocado oil per this post from The Kitchn. If your spray contains other ingredients, simply brush some avocado oil on the basket before putting the chicken on it. I don’t put any oil directly on the chicken because the skin tastes better without it!
Tips for success
- Use a basket-style air fryer that has at least a 5.8 quart capacity. The air fryer I love the most is the 6-quart Instant Pot Vortex Plus. If your air fryer is smaller, you’ll have a hard time finding a whole chicken that will fit.
- Season well, all over, and early! Many years ago, I learned that Chef Judy Rodgers’s secret for amazing roast chicken is to salt it well and early, so that’s what I always try to do. But in all honesty, you’ll still end up with a pretty tender and delicious chicken if you just season it right before you air fry it. Just make sure you rub the seasoning in all the nooks and crannies first!
- Don’t truss your chicken! The first time I cooked a whole chicken in the air fryer, I made the mistake of tying the legs together—which made them pop up during the cooking process and get scorched by the heating element. Keep it casual, and embrace the loosey-goosey untrussed chicken. If you insist on tying it up, you may end up ruining your chicken and your air fryer!
- Start with the breast-side down! When you air fry the chicken with the breast-side down, you protect the white meat from getting overcooked and drying out before the rest of the chicken reaches the proper doneness. The 10 to 15 minutes of cooking the chicken breast-side up at the end is the perfect amount of time for a perfectly browned chicken with moist meat.
- Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness! The only proper way to know if your whole chicken is cooked properly is to check the internal temperature with an accurate meat thermometer. I always use my trusty Thermapen One. You can refer to this article for the proper internal temperatures for cooked chicken.
How to make air fryer whole chicken
Prepare the chicken
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and remove any giblets or organs inside the cavity.
Using a pair of kitchen shears, trim away any excess flaps of skin and/or globs of fat at the cavity opening.
Season the chicken all over
Pour some seasoning blend in a small bowl. Rub some seasoning all over the skin…
…in the cavity…
…and even under the skin above the breast meat. Use your fingers to carefully separate the skin from the meat and then rub the seasoning directly onto the breast meat.
Tuck the wings behind the back of the chicken and marinate the chicken, uncovered, at least one hour or up to two days in the fridge.
Air fry the chicken
Preheat air fryer to 375°F. When the air fryer is ready, spray the interior basket with avocado oil spray.
Place the chicken breast-side down and air fry at 375°F for 30 minutes. The back of the chicken should be a beautiful golden brown.
Carefully, flip the chicken breast side up and cook for 10 to 15 minutes…
…or until the skin is golden brown, the juices run clear, and the internal temperature of the breast reaches at least 157°F and the thighs are 175°F. Yes, use a meat thermometer to check the temperature!
Rest the bird for 20 minutes before carving. If you want to minimize food waste, remove the meat from the bones and use the carcass to make bone broth!
What are good side dishes to serve with this?
- Instant Pot Crispy Potatoes
- Umami Gravy
- Crispy Swoodles with Bacon
- Smashed Cucumber and Carrot Salad
- Sautéed Spinach with Bacon and Mushrooms
- World’s Best Braised Cabbage
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Red Cabbage Slaw
How to store and use leftover chicken
The leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or up to 4 months in the freezer. Make an extra air fryer chicken on the weekend so you always have extra protein on hand. Some tasty dishes and soups you can whip up with leftover chicken include:
- Egg Foo Young
- Madras Chicken Salad
- Spicy Thai Chicken Zoodles
- Kimchi Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
Other air fryer chicken recipes
I got you covered, air fryer nerds:
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- Air Fryer Cracklin’ Chicken
- Air Fryer Mojo Chicken
- Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Skins
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Air Fryer Whole Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken between 3½ to 4 pounds
- 1 tablespoon your favorite Nom Nom Paleo Spice blend or Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Avocado oil spray
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and remove any giblets or organs inside the cavity.
- Using a pair of kitchen shears, trim away any excess flaps of skin and/or globs of fat at the cavity opening.
- Pour some of the seasoning blend in a small bowl. Rub some seasoning all over the skin, in the cavity, and even under the skin above the breast meat. Use your fingers to carefully separate the skin from the meat and then rub the seasoning directly onto the breast meat
- Tuck the wings behind the back of the chicken and marinate the chicken, uncovered, at least one hour or up to two days in the fridge.
- Preheat air fryer to 375°F. When the air fryer is ready, spray the interior basket with avocado oil spray.
- Place the chicken breast-side down and air fry at 375°F for 30 minutes. The back of the chicken should be a beautiful golden brown.
- Carefully, flip the chicken breast side up and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the skin is golden brown, the juices run clear, and the internal temperature of the breast reaches at least 157°F and the thighs are 175°F. Yes, use a meat thermometer to check the temperature!
- Rest the bird for 20 minutes before carving. If you want to minimize food waste, remove the meat from the bones and use the carcass to make bone broth!
Video
Notes
- Use a basket-style air fryer that has at least a 5.8 quart capacity. The air fryer I love the most is the 6-quart Instant Pot Vortex Plus. If your air fryer is smaller, you’ll have a hard time finding a whole chicken that will fit.
- Season well, all over, and early! Many years ago, I learned that Chef Judy Rodgers’s secret for amazing roast chicken is to salt it well and early, so that’s what I always try to do. Even if you don't have time to marinate, it’ll still taste fab.
- Don’t truss your chicken! The first time I cooked a whole chicken in the air fryer, I made the mistake of tying the legs together—which made them pop up during the cooking process and get scorched by the heating element.
- Start with the breast-side down! When you air fry the chicken with the breast-side down, you protect the white meat from getting overcooked and drying out before the rest of the chicken reaches the proper doneness. The 10 to 15 minutes of cooking the chicken breast-side up at the end is the perfect amount of time for a perfectly browned chicken with moist meat.
- Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness! The only proper way to know if your whole chicken is cooked properly is to check the internal temperature with an accurate meat thermometer. I always use my trusty Thermapen One. You can refer to this article for the proper internal temperatures for cooked chicken.
Audrey Paul says
Hi
I haven’t made this yet. Do you have a recipe for this in an oven -not an air fryer?
Thanks!
Audrey
Regina Chan says
Yes, it’s included in the post! Look for “No Air Fryer? No Problem!”
Corinne says
Our chicken came out perfect. It was so moist and full of flavor. Great recipe. Thank you.
Suzy says
Whole chicken in the air fryer is amazing! I used your recipe as a guideline and combined spices and herbs with avocado oil to make a paste and spread that all over the chicken then cooked as directed. Really moist and so easy. Two thumbs up!
Jan Parker says
When can we get your spices in the UK? I’m desperate to try them.
Michelle Tam says
Unfortunately, the Nom Nom Paleo spice blends aren’t available for sale outside of the US at the moment. However, 3 out of the 4 recipes for the spice blends are in our newest cookbook. Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go, so you can make them at home: https://nomnompaleo.com/letsgocookbook.
Julie K says
What do you do with the giblets and organs? My mom used to always cook them somehow, but she’s not around to ask and neither is my mom-in-law.
Michelle Tam says
I have a braised gizzard recipe in our first cookbook!
Christina says
This sounds terrific and I’d love to try it! In fact, just last night I was thinking that I should really start cooking my own chickens instead of buying a rotisserie chicken every week and here’s this recipe on my news feed this morning. But my “air fryer” is a Ninja Foodie. Do you think it will work too?
Michelle Tam says
I don’t have a Ninja Foodie, but if the basket is 6-quart, it should work!