In a small bowl, mix together the 1 Tbsp salt, 1 tsp 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.
Preheat the air fryer to 350℉ for 5 minutes.
Drizzle and rub the 2 Tbsp 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 in to all of the skin.
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.
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 additonal 5-10 minutes until fully cooked.
Remove the chicken from the air fryer and let chicken rest for 20 minutes. Slice the chicken into pieces and serve.
Recipe Notes:
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.
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.
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.
How To Flip The Roasted Chicken: I use two strong wooden spoons to flip my chicken. One is stuck inside the chicken cavity to help me lift the chicken up and the other is used on the side of the chicken to help flip it. Be sure the wooden spoons are durable or they might snap from the weight of the chicken.
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.