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whole chicken in air fryer basket
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5 from 5 votes

Air Fryer Whole Chicken (so juicy!)

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!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Resting time10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free
Servings: 6
Calories: 262kcal
Author: Denise Bustard

Equipment

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.
    spice rub for whole chicken in white bowl with spoon
  • 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.
    whole chicken rubbed with spice rub before cooking
  • Cook- Heat the air fryer to 350°F for at least 5 minutes. Add the chicken, and cook breast side down for 40 minutes.
    whole chicken in air fryer, breast side down, before cooking
  • 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.
    whole chicken breast side up in air fryer basket after cooking through
  • Rest chicken- allow chicken to rest on a cutting board for at least 10 minutes before carving.
    close up shot of sliced breast meat on air fryer whole chicken

Video

Notes

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.

Nutrition

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