Air Fryer Whole Chicken

This air fryer whole chicken has juicy, tender meat and crisp, golden skin with just four ingredients. It’s an easy way to make a whole roasted chicken without heating up the oven.

I’ve made this air fryer roasted whole chicken in a Ninja Foodi, an 8-quart air fryer, and an air fryer oven. On busy days, I keep the seasoning simple, but you can use my Chicken Dry Rub when you have a little more time. For dinner, I like it with Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes or Pressure Cooker Cabbage.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Only 4 ingredients: You just need a whole chicken, oil, sea salt, and herb seasoning.
• No marinating required: Season the chicken and put it right in the air fryer.
• Crispy skin and juicy meat: The chicken cooks through before you finish it at a higher temperature to crisp the skin.
• Great for leftovers: One whole chicken can give you dinner plus extra meat for another meal.

Ingredients Needed

• Whole chicken: I usually use a young chicken around 4 pounds. Check your air fryer’s capacity before buying the bird since the maximum chicken size varies by model.
• Sea salt
• 24 Herb Sprinkle seasoning: This is what I use when I’m having a busy day and don’t want to measure a bunch of spices. It’s salt-free, so I add the sea salt separately.
• Avocado oil: Helps the seasoning stick to the chicken and the skin brown as it cooks. You can also use another oil that works well for air frying. See my guide to the best oils for air frying.

How to Make a Whole Chicken in the Air Fryer

Season the Chicken

Remove anything packaged inside the cavity and pat the chicken very dry. Rub the seasoning mixture all over the skin, inside the cavity, and under the breast skin where you can reach it. The chicken should look evenly coated with seasoning without excess oil collecting on the skin.

Start Breast-Side Down

Place the chicken breast-side down in the air fryer. During this first part of cooking, the underside will start to brown while the breast skin stays fairly pale.

Flip and Crisp the Skin

The easiest way I’ve found to flip a whole chicken is to insert a pair of long tongs into the cavity, grip the chicken firmly along the backbone, and turn it breast-side up. As it finishes cooking, look for the skin over the breast and legs to become deep golden brown and crisp.

Check for Doneness and Rest

Check the thickest parts of the chicken with an instant-read thermometer without touching bone. Once it reaches 165°F, let the chicken rest before carving so the juices stay in the meat.

What Size Air Fryer Do You Need for a Whole Chicken?

I’ve made this recipe in a Ninja Foodi, an 8-quart air fryer, and an air fryer oven. Before buying your chicken, check how large of a bird your air fryer can hold. Many models tell you this right in the product description with wording like “fits up to a 5-pound chicken.”

I usually cook a chicken around 4 pounds. It should fit comfortably without pressing against the heating element or sitting so tightly that hot air can’t circulate around it.

Tips and Variations

• Switch up the seasoning: I use the 24 Herb Sprinkle when I want to get the chicken cooking quickly. When I have a little more time, I’ll use my Chicken Dry Rub, Poultry Seasoning, Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning, or Cajun Seasoning instead. Each blend contains salt and tells you how much to use per pound of meat, so skip the separate sea salt in this recipe.
• Season under the skin: Gently loosen the skin over the breasts and rub some seasoning directly onto the meat. This gives the breast meat more flavor instead of leaving all the seasoning on the skin.
• Use the cooking time as a guide: Chicken sizes and air fryers vary, so check the internal temperature before deciding the chicken is done.
• Let it rest: Give the chicken a few minutes before carving so more of the juices stay in the meat.
• Save the carcass: Once you’ve removed the meat, you can use the bones to make homemade chicken stock.

What to Serve With Air Fryer Whole Chicken

I like to serve this whole chicken with a creamy side and a simple vegetable, or build a heartier plate when I’m in the mood for comfort food.

• For a creamy side, try Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes, Creamed Corn, Creamed Spinach, or Cauliflower Mash.
• For a soul food-style plate, add Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Collard Greens with Bacon, Southern Candied Yams, and Cornbread Muffins.
• For an easy vegetable, make Canned Green Beans, Pressure Cooker Cabbage, Air Fryer Green Beans, or Air Fryer Broccoli.

If you’d rather use the oven, my Baked Whole Roasted Chicken is another way to make juicy chicken with crisp skin.

How to Store and Reheat

• Store: Refrigerate leftover chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Freeze: Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
• Reheat: Warm only what you need. The oven or air fryer works well when you want to crisp the skin again.

Ways to Use Leftover Whole Chicken

Remove the leftover meat from the bones and use it anywhere you need cooked shredded chicken. If you need ideas, these shredded chicken recipes make it easy to turn the leftovers into another meal. You can also save the carcass for homemade chicken stock.

More Air Fryer Roasted Chicken Recipes

If you like the crispy skin on this air fryer roast chicken, try:

• Air Fryer Roasted Chicken Wings
• Roasted Chicken Legs in the Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs

If you try this recipe, please stop back and leave it a star rating and/or a review in the comments. Stay connected & share photos of your creations with me & others on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!