Air Fryer Whole Chicken

This air fryer whole chicken comes out so juicy and flavorful each and every time. Cook it in under an hour and avoid heating up the kitchen!

The air fryer is a great appliance for cooking chicken. We love making air fryer chicken breasts and air fryer chicken thighs, among many others.

If you're looking for an easy way to cook a whole chicken while keeping your oven off, the air fryer is a great option! Serve this air fryer whole chicken with sautéed green beans and mashed sweet potatoes for a delicious meal.

This is a great way to meal prep because you can use the meat to make chicken salad, sandwiches, or meal prep bowls. It is naturally low-carb, keto, as well as gluten-free!

Recipe video

Watch the video below to see how I cook a whole chicken in the air fryer! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

Ingredient notes

• chicken- we used 3 lb whole chickens while testing this recipe; any larger and you may have troubles fitting the chicken into the air fryer. If you have a smaller chicken, be sure to check on it early.
• olive oil- we mix the olive oil with the spices to make a paste, which helps the spices stick to the chicken. You could swap for melted butter or avocado oil.

Step by step directions

1. Spice rub- in a small bowl, mix together the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and paprika. Add in the olive oil, and stir until it forms a paste.

2. Prepare chicken- use a spoon to loosen the breast skin of the chicken. Add ⅓ of the rub under the skin of the chicken, using your hands or the spoon to disperse it evenly. Rub the remainder of the paste all over the chicken, coating the breast, thighs, wings and back.

3. Cook- Heat the air fryer to 350°F for at least 5 minutes. Add the chicken to the air fryer basket, and cook breast side down for 40 minutes.

TIP- we had the best success when using a large basket-style air fryer. This Cosori XL air fryer worked great. Using our oven air fryer (Instant Pot Vortex air fryer oven) placed the top of the chicken quite close to the element and it scorched while cooking.

4. Flip the chicken- Air fry for 40 minutes, then carefully remove the chicken, flip, and cook for 7-10 minutes breast side up, until skin is golden.

TIP- check the chicken using a meat thermometer during the last 20 minutes of cooking time; once the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165°F in the thickest part (thigh- not touching the bone), it is ready to come out.

4. Rest chicken- allow chicken to rest on a cutting board for at least 10 minutes before carving.

Storage & meal prep

A 3 lb chicken produces roughly 3 cups of shredded chicken meat, and you can easily store it for later.

1. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
2. Reheat in a frying pan, using tongs to stir and flip the chicken, or serve it cold.
3. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.

Use up your chicken

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

Air Fryer Whole Chicken (so juicy!)

5 from 5 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 45 minutes mins

Resting time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

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Print Rate

This air fryer whole chicken comes out so juicy and flavorful each and every time. Cook it in under an hour and avoid heating up the kitchen!

6

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 teaspoons onion powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 3 lb whole chicken note 1

Instructions 

• Spice rub- in a small bowl, mix together the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and paprika. Add in the olive oil, and stir until it forms a paste.
  
• Prepare chicken- use a spoon to loosen the breast skin of the chicken. Add ⅓ of the rub under the skin of the chicken, using your hands or the spoon to disperse it evenly. Rub the remainder of the paste all over the chicken, coating the breast, thighs, wings and back.
  
• Cook- Heat the air fryer to 350°F for at least 5 minutes. Add the chicken, and cook breast side down for 40 minutes.
  
• Flip the chicken- After 40 minutes, carefully dump the chicken breast side up onto a cutting board, then use spatulas to carefully transfer it back into the air fryer breast side up. Cook for 7-10 minutes breast side up, until skin is golden.
  
• Rest chicken- allow chicken to rest on a cutting board for at least 10 minutes before carving.
  

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Tips:

1- a 3 lb chicken fit great in our XL air fryer, but might be too big for some models. Be sure to check before starting. Larger chickens may not fit.

2- a 3 lb whole chicken produces roughly 3 cups of shredded chicken. Nutritional information reflects ⅙ of the batch, roughly ½ cup portion.

Storage

Cool completely, then store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheating

Reheat in a frying pan, using tongs to stir and flip the chicken, or serve it cold.

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 0.5cups *note 2, Calories: 262kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 465mg, Potassium: 236mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 318IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 18mg, Iron: 1mg

Author: Denise Bustard

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

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Basket-Style Air Fryer