Air Fryer Whole Chicken
A simple method for roasting a whole chicken in the air fryer with a dry-brine and high-heat finish for golden skin.
Equipment
- 1air fryer
Ingredients
Ingredients
- ?1 whole chickenbetween 3 1/2 to 4 pounds
- ?1 tablespoonyour favorite Nom Nom Paleo Spice blendor Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ?Avocado oil spray
Instructions
Instructions
- Remove the whole chicken (3½–4 lb) from its packaging. Open the cavity and remove any giblets or organs. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Using kitchen shears, trim away any excess flaps of skin and any large globs of fat at the cavity opening.
- Measure 1 tablespoon of your chosen seasoning (your favorite Nom Nom Paleo Spice blend or Diamond Crystal kosher salt) into a small bowl.
- Gently separate the skin from the breast meat with your fingers. Rub some of the seasoning directly onto the exposed breast meat under the skin, then rub the remaining seasoning all over the outside of the skin and inside the cavity.
- Tuck the wing tips behind the back of the chicken so they don’t burn. Place the chicken on a plate or tray, leave it uncovered, and refrigerate to marinate/dry-brine for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- When ready to cook, preheat the air fryer to 375°F. When preheated, spray the interior basket with avocado oil spray.
- Place the chicken in the air fryer basket breast-side down. Air fry at 375°F for 30 minutes.
- Carefully flip the chicken so it is breast-side up (use tongs and oven mitts or heatproof gloves). Continue to air fry at 375°F for an additional 10–15 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown and the juices run clear.
- Check internal temperatures with a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast and the thickest part of a thigh without touching bone. Remove the chicken when the breast reaches at least 157°F and the thighs reach 175°F.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 20 minutes before carving (carryover heat will raise the breast to a safe final temperature).
- Optional: Remove the meat from the bones and save the carcass for making bone broth.
Notes
Use a basket-style air fryer that has at least a 5.8 quart capacity. The air fryer I love the most is the6-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 thatChef Judy Rodgers’s secretfor 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.
Use a Nom Nom Paleo spice blend!My Whole30-compatible spice blends make healthy and delicious meals super easy and they’re now available onAmazonor directly fromThe Spice Lab.
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 trustyThermapen One. You can refer tothis articlefor the proper internal temperatures for cooked chicken.
Season well, all over, and early!Many years ago, I learned thatChef Judy Rodgers’s secretfor 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.
Use a Nom Nom Paleo spice blend!My Whole30-compatible spice blends make healthy and delicious meals super easy and they’re now available onAmazonor directly fromThe Spice Lab.
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 trustyThermapen One. You can refer tothis articlefor the proper internal temperatures for cooked chicken.