Name: Air Fryer Whole Chicken Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 5 pound whole chicken; 4 tablespoons avocado oil; 2 teaspoons paprika; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon dried sage; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

This air fryer whole chicken is juicy on the inside with perfectly crispy skin on the outside! You are going to love how easy it is to cook a whole chicken in your air fryer. Thank you to COSORI for sending us a sample air fryer toaster oven to facilitate this post.

I love cooking whole chickens. They are so versatile. We start by eating what we want from it the first night. We eat it for leftovers on the second night or turn the chicken into something delicious like chicken tortilla soup or Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Finally, I use the bones to make a healthy and flavorful chicken stock.

I have shared how to cook whole chicken in the slow cooker and instant pot over the years. But cooking a whole chicken in the air fryer is a total game changer. (Other air fryer recipes we love are Air Fryer Bacon and Air Fryer Chicken Wings). Just in: check out our recipe for Ninja Foodi Whole Chicken.

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The meat doesn’t fall apart like when cooking in either of the other appliances mentioned, yet the chicken comes out perfectly juicy and packed with flavor. The skin is so yummy and crispy – it tastes just like a rotisserie chicken you would buy from the grocery store!

What type of air fryer for air fryer whole chicken?

You can use any type of air fryer to cook a whole chicken. Just make sure the bird will fit inside your air fryer. If you have a smaller basket-style air fryer, you will need a smaller bird. Air fryer ovens tend to be bigger and can fit a larger chicken.

We used the COSORI Air Fryer Toaster Oven with the rotisserie function. If you are looking to get an air fryer oven, this is a great model! It has a large size and has functions to air fry, toast, roast, dehydrate, and rotisserie.

More Air Fryer Recipes:

How to cook a whole chicken in an air fryer?

Start by preparing your chicken. Remove the giblets, pat the outside dry, and truss the chicken well so the wings and legs are tied down. Preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees. If cooking with an air fryer oven, set it to “roast” at the same temperature. (Note: this picture shows 400°F but the oven should be set to 380 as directed)
Whisk together a spice rub of paprika, salt, sage, garlic powder, cayenne, black pepper, and onion powder.
I like to mix the rub together with oil and then brush it all over the bird. Make sure you use an oil with a high-smoking point for this recipe. We used avocado oil, but you could also use peanut oil or ghee.
Place the chicken inside the air fryer and cook for 1 hour. You will want to flip the chicken over after 30 minutes.
- If using a rotisserie arm with your air fryer, you will not need to flip your bird as it will be turning throughout the cooking process. Make sure the arm is inserted in the exact center of the bird so the weight is distributed evenly and the wings and legs are trussed tightly.
Remove the chicken from the air fryer and insert a meat thermometer to ensure it has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes and serve.

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What to serve with air fryer rotisserie chicken?

We love serving homemade rotisserie chicken with a vegetable and starch side. Here are some ideas!

Serves 8