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:
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe
- Air Fryer Frozen Pot Stickers
- Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
- Fast & Easy Air Fryer Sausage
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets
- Air Fryer Frozen Hash Browns
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.
- 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!
- Roasted Root Vegetables Recipe
- Air Fryer Cauliflower
- Roasted Broccoli with Garlic
- Easy Oven Roasted Zucchini and Yellow Squash
- Instant pot baked potatoes
- Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
- Freezer Friendly Parker House Rolls Recipe
- 30 Minute Dinner Rolls
- Buttered Carrots
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash
Air Fryer Whole Chicken Recipe
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.
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
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 380 degrees. (Use roast setting if using an air fryer oven)
- Remove giblets from chicken and pat dry.
- Tress chicken to tie down wings and legs.
- In a small bowl, mix together avocado oil and spices.
- Brush spice mixture all over chicken, including under the wings.
- Place prepared chicken inside air fryer. If using a rotisserie arm, insert it through the center of the bird and tighten the forks well.
- Air fry chicken for 30 minutes and flip. Cook for an additional 30 minutes. (flipping is not necessary when using rotisserie).
- Remove chicken from air fryer when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Let rest 10 minutes and serve.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1/8 chickenAmount Per Serving Calories 607Total Fat 38gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 25gCholesterol 200mgSodium 451mgCarbohydrates 1gNet Carbohydrates 0gFiber 0gSugar 0gSugar Alcohols 0gProtein 62g
Nutrition information is an estimate.
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