Name: Air Fryer Whole Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (small to medium in size (see notes)); 2 Tbsp olive oil; 1 Tbsp salt; 1 tsp ground black pepper; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp paprika; 1 tsp dried rosemary; ½ tsp dried thyme; ½ tsp dried basil; ¼ tsp chili powder

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Air fryer whole chicken is an easy way to get delicious juicy chicken with crispy skin. Made with a simple chicken spice rub - this is one of our favorite ways to eat chicken as a family!

A cooked whole chicken in an air fryer basket.

Air Frying A Whole Chicken

You can get the crispiest results from cooking a whole roasted chicken in the air fryer. Everything including prep time and cook time will take about an hour.

This recipe uses a really simple, yet delicious spice rub that adds the perfect amount of flavor. After you try this recipe once, you'll never want to cook your whole chicken any other way.

If your chicken is frozen, you can actually thaw it straight in the air fryer! Just read my tips below. After that, make sure to remove any giblets before fully cooking the chicken.

Recipe Ingredients

1 whole chicken (small to medium in size) - Make sure it will fit in your air fryer without touching the top elements. Larger chickens may not work for this recipe.
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried rosemary
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp chili powder

NOTE: Small to medium-sized chickens will work best for cooking in your air fryer. Make sure your chicken does not touch the top elements of the air fryer when you close the basket. If it does, those pieces may burn. You can tie the chicken down using kitchen twine.

Two pictures of a chicken in an air fryer basket, the first one is raw, the second one is slightly cooked.

How To Defrost Chicken In The Air Fryer

Technically you can do this with any chicken cut. My husband does this all the time with chicken thighs and drumsticks.

To defrost a frozen whole chicken, you'll want to add it to the air fryer and cook on the lowest temperature for 10-15 minutes. This will help speed up the defrosting process - it's kind of like hitting "defrost" in the microwave.

The lowest temperature many air fryers will go to is 300°F. If that's how low yours will go, then use that temperature. Some air fryers will go lower than that. If possible, I recommend 200°F and defrosting the chicken for 10-15 minutes.

Once that step is done, remove any giblets from the inner cavity, and season the chicken skin. Follow the steps below.

A bowl of spices, first unmixed and then mixed together.

How To Cook A Whole Chicken In The Air Fryer

Full ingredients and instructions are also in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.

STEP 1: In a small bowl, mix together the 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried basil, ¼ teaspoon chili powder.

Four images of a raw chicken. First two are the chicken upside down on a plate, first rubbed with oil, then a spice mix. Third image is front side of chicken rubbed with oil, then rubbed with spice mix.

STEP 2: Drizzle and rub the 2 tablespoon of olive oil all over the chicken, coating both sides. Sprinkle and rub the spice mix over the entire chicken on both sides. Use your hands to rub it into all of the skin.

Four images of an air fryer, Two with seasoned whole chicken, one with chicken facing upside down, second with chicken facing up. Other two images are air fryer with temperature and time.

STEP 3: Preheat the air fryer to 350℉ for 5 minutes. Place the chicken in the preheated air fryer breast side down (legs will also be facing down). Cook for 20 minutes. Now, flip the chicken so that it is breast-side up. Cook an additional 30 minutes.

STEP 4: Check the chicken temperature. The chicken is fully cooked when it reaches 165°F as an internal temperature when poked with a meat thermometer. If needed, cook an additional 5-10 minutes until fully cooked.

NOTE: If you defrosted the chicken in the air fryer, it might take less time to cook the chicken. The best way to tell is to check the inner temperature with a meat thermometer.

STEP 5: Remove the chicken from the air fryer and let the chicken rest for 20 minutes. Slice the chicken into pieces and serve.

Recipe Tips

The chicken needs to be thawed fully before rubbing on the oil and spice mix.
Pat the whole chicken dry with a paper towel before adding olive oil and the spice mix. This will remove any excess moisture and allow these ingredients to stick to the skin better.
Always flip the chicken halfway through cooking to get an even crispiness. Start with the breast side down.
Check the chicken in the last couple of minutes to make sure it's not overcooking. Every air fryer is different so it might take a little bit of practice getting used to your temperature and how it works.
According to the USDA recommended cooking temperatures, the safest internal temperature for cooking all types of poultry products is 165°F (74°C). This is the interior temperature that the chicken will read at once removed from the heat source. You can use a food thermometer, which will be poked into the thickest part of the chicken breast to read the temperature. Once it reaches that temperature, it's cooked.

How To Store Leftovers

Refrigerate - The full chicken or chicken pieces can be stored in the fridge. First, let it cool completely then add to an airtight container to store for 3-4 days.
To Reheat – Chicken pieces can be reheated in the microwave or added back to the air fryer at 375°F and cooked for 3-6 minutes, or until warmed through. Give the air fryer basket a shake halfway through.

How Long Should You Cook A Whole Chicken In Air Fryer?

COOKING A FROZEN WHOLE CHICKEN: If your chicken is completely frozen, you will have to defrost the chicken first. This process will take 10-15 minutes using a lower temperature of 200-300°F depending on how low your air fryer can go. After the defrost step, it will take 40-50 minutes for the chicken to cook at 350°F.

COOKING A THAWED WHOLE CHICKEN: If your chicken is thawed, it will take 50-60 minutes at 350°F for the chicken to fully cook.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links) - Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

Vortex Plus 6 Qt Air Fryer – This is my air fryer that I used in the photos. It has a large basket for more food in larger batches. It automatically preheats before adding food and reminds you to flip halfway through. I really love it!
Meat Thermometer - Essential for knowing when the chicken is properly cooked. I really like this digital thermometer because it's cheap and easy to read.
Silicone Spatula – A must-have for scraping all the seasonings into the air fryer from the mixing bowl.
Mixing Bowls – Stackable mixing bowls keep the cupboards more organized and make it easy to toss ingredients together quickly.
Magnetic Measuring Spoons – I love these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized together when storing them

Have A Question?

Got a question about this recipe? Leave a comment below—I’m happy to help!
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