This Air Fryer Whole Chicken is so simple and delicious. In under one hour you can have a juicy and tender chicken, with an irresistible crispy skin. You’ll never want to buy a grocery store rotisserie chicken again!
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In somewhat exciting news, I am the proud new owner of an Air Fryer! I am so excited y’all, I have been wanting one for so long! We purchased the Air Fryer XL which holds a LOT and I LOVE IT!
So, get ready, because I think there will be lots of new air fryer recipes coming here soon!
How to make Air Fryer Whole Chicken – Step by Step
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and put it on a clean work surface. I usually place mine in a bowl to help keep everything contained! Next, you’re going to loosen skin from the breast meat of the chicken by running a small spatula or your fingers gently underneath the skin. Spread about 2 tablespoons of softened butter all around underneath the skin on to both breasts.
- For this next step, I love to use Trader Joe’s BBQ Rub and Seasoning to season the chicken. It has hints of coffee and garlic that translate into a really flavorful and crispy skin.
- You can use any bbq rub that you prefer for this step though! Sprinkle two tablespoons of bbq rub all over the entire surface of the chicken and rub it in well so that it sticks.
- Place the chicken breast-side down in the basket of the air fryer and cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes is up, pull out the basket and flip the chicken breast side up. Place it back in the air fryer for 15-25 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees. Now you’re ready to enjoy some truly delicious chicken!
What to serve with Air Fryer Whole Chicken
- Instant Pot Cheesy Broccoli and Rice
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Asparagus
- Pesto Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans
More awesome Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Whole Chicken
This Air Fryer Whole Chicken is so simple and delicious. In under one hour you can have an incredibly juicy and tender chicken, with an irresistible crispy skin. You'll never want to buy a grocery store rotisserie chicken again!
Print Pin RateServings: 6 servings
Calories: 307kcal
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 whole chicken, about 3-5 pounds
- 2 tbsp Trader Joe's BBQ Rub and Seasoning, or bbq rub of your choice
Instructions
- Remove chicken from packaging and pat dry with paper towels. Remove and discard neck and giblets from cavity of chicken.
- Loosen skin from the breast meat of the chicken by running a small spatula or your fingers gently underneath the skin. Spread 2 tablespoons of softened butter underneath the skin on both breasts. Use your fingers to spread it around under the skin.
- Liberally sprinkle the bbq seasoning over all sides of the chicken and rub into the skin so that it sticks. Place the whole chicken breast-side down in the basket of your air fryer.
- Set the air fryer to 350 degrees and cook the chicken for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes is up, pull out the basket and flip the chicken breast side up. Place back in the air fryer at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees.
- Allow chicken to rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 123mg | Potassium: 240mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 296IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!Mention @TheBelleoftheKitchen or tag #BelleoftheKitchen
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Chelsea says
Thank you! It was amaZing. I followed directions exactly – even dumping out tray before flipping the chicken. 30 min -flip- 30 min. Temped our at 190 f. Juicy, tender, delicious. Thank you again!!
Felicia Thomas says
I made two whole chickens for dinner tonight. I cooked one in the air fryer and the other one in my rotisserie oven. I’ve had the rotisserie for over 10 years and we have always loved the chicken it makes. I recently got the Emerald Lagasse multi porpoise air fryer and have loved everything I have cooked in it. Tonight was the first time cooking a whole chicken in it. We all tried both chickens to see which one we liked better. Everyone agreed. We all prefer the air fried chicken. The meat was so flavorful and tender. The skin was perfectly crispy. It only took ⅓ the time to cook compared to the rotisserie. I will definitely be making our chicken like this from now on. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Ashlyn Edwards says
So glad to hear that, Felicia. Air fryer chicken really is delicious!
Justine says
Great recipe, however, whole chicken is cooked at 180 and it took just over an hour for my bird to be cooked, at 370. Otherwise, it turned out great!
Shawn Blomme says
It turned out perfect
Nikki_Kay says
I had great results with this recipe, and the only change I made was I did put a light coating of rice bran oil on the chicken in a bag before I sprinkled seasonings on it. I had not tried putting butter under the skin before–and I think that was part of why the breast meat came out incredibly moist.
Lisa says
Did anyone have issues with it smoking out of air fryer?
Linda Shadick says
If you are talking about the butter, no I had no problems.
Linda STANFORD says
hi I just emptied the bottom tray when I turned Chicken over and had no problem with smoke, hope that helps you
Charlie says
I just tried this recipe. It is so delicious ever I think. My children like this so much. I like oily food, so I use a little bit more oil than your specifications.
Gary Purdum says
Great recipe! I did find that I had to drain the excess liquid when I turned the chicken over in order to keep the fryer from smoking.
Cherrie Ward says
What would happen if like Mom used to do in the old days…put a bit of water in the pan with the drippings to keep it from smoking?
Charlie says
Did this recipe yesterday in our air fryer and I’ve got to say WOW. How juicy and tender and flavorful. Thanks for the great recipe.
Carrie Victoria says
I made it with a different seasoning rub (garlic Parmesan) and put a half a lemon in the cavity and it was perfectly delicious! For someone who is notorious for overcooking chicken, it was done in the exact amount of time stated in the recipe and perfectly moist. I will def make this again.
Daniel Blank says
Been roasting chicken in the oven for a long time, takes a long time. I was gifted and airfryer and had no idea what to do with this. Found this recipe and wow, it is truly amazing. The skin is crispy and delicious, the chicken itself is juicy and mouth watering, and the best it from start to finish, less than an hour. Wonderful recipe.
majii says
I tried this recipe and was stunned by the results. The chicken was sooo moist, crispy, and was full of flavor. Thanks for the recipe. No more cooking chicken on the stove-top, in the countertop rotisserie, on the grill, or in the oven! Set the air fryer and forget it until the alarm sounds. Yippee!! If I had known the joys of air frying, I would have purchased one years ago.
Adrianne says
Wow, this chicken looks amazing!! I bet it tastes great too. I can’t believe that you can do the whole thing in the air fryer, wow, that is so easy! Cheers for sharing
Veena Azmanov says
Perfect, delicious, mouth melting and yum. Presentation amazing.
Veena Azmanov says
Simple, quick, flavorful and mouth melting. I love the presentation. Awesome.
Natalie says
I love whole chicken – looks so crispy and delicious! Perfect for dinner parties!
Genevieve says
Omg this chicken looks amazing and so easy to make. Pinning for later!
Beth says
This post was mouthwatering beginning to end! So easy and flavorful, this is my kind of meal!
Lisa Huff says
Hmmmm, haven’t seen that seasoning at Trader Joe’s. Can’t wait to look for it next time I’m there!
Evon Harrison says
It’s a seasonal item that they only sell during the summer months.
Michelle says
Wow that looks just like a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and I bet it tastes even better!