Juicy Air Fryer Whole Chicken Recipe (Rotisserie Style)

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Making this rotisserie style air fryer whole chicken is the best use of your air fryer. The meat is juicy, and the skin is extra crispy; you’ll love how simple it is!

I’ve made a number of dishes in my air fryer that I enjoy, but I think this Air Fryer Whole Chicken is my new favorite.

The chicken is tender and juicy, and the skin is crisp. My entire family loves it!

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF AIR FRYING A WHOLE CHICKEN?

• You can cook and season the chicken however you want. Unfortunately, we have purchased some undercooked rotisserie chickens in the past.

• You can use whatever type of chicken you prefer (from a local farm, organic, etc.).

• Because the chicken bastes in its own juices, the finished product will be moister than most oven-roasted chickens. This includes the chicken in my chicken and gravy over rice recipe, which is also incredibly delicious.

• You can save the bones and use them to make bone broth. This is an advantage of using whole chickens, including store-bought rotisserie chickens, as opposed to chicken breasts, wings, or thighs.

• It appears to be extremely impressive. If you have guests over, impress them by cooking a chicken on a spit. It’s quite fancy, as my son put it.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE AN AIR FRYER ROTISSERIE CHICKEN?

• Chicken – The main ingredient is a whole chicken. Choose a small or medium size to fit in your air fryer. We had to cut the wings off our air fryer roast duck video because they were too big to rotate.

• Oil – For the skin of your chicken, I recommend using extra virgin olive oil. Furthermore, it prevents your chicken from drying out while cooking. Of course, you could substitute another oil, such as coconut oil or avocado oil.

• Seasoning – For this recipe, you’ll need to raid your spice cabinet. I recommend salt and pepper, followed by your favorite seasoning. Dried cajun works well, as does mixed herbs and thyme, which is my personal favorite.

HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER WHOLE CHICKEN?

This recipe is extremely simple, but I have a few tricks to ensure that your chicken does not dry out before it is fully cooked.

1. I started with a 5 pound chicken and cooked it in my 5.7 quart air fryer. You can use a smaller chicken, but the cooking time will be shorter.

2. I removed everything from the cavity and liberally seasoned it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, dried basil, dried oregano, and dried thyme.

3. Now, place the chicken in the air fryer basket, breast side down. After experimenting, I discovered that if I left the legs up, it was difficult to open the basket and the chicken legs were overcooked. The first 50 minutes of cooking time should be spent with the breast side down to keep everything nice and moist.

4. I cooked the chicken for 50 minutes breast side down, then flipped it and cooked for another 10 minutes. It is critical to ensure that the internal temperature of the breast is 165F. Continue to cook until the desired temperature is reached.

5. I can tell you right now that you will not believe how tender and juicy this chicken is.

WHY SHOULD TRUST A CHICKEN?

Trussing a chicken helps to ensure that it is cooked evenly and thoroughly. This is especially true when the chicken is on a rotisserie rod.

You need the chicken wings tucked in and the legs not flapping around while the chicken rotates.

In comparison to the chicken legs and thighs, the chicken wings burn easily, and the chicken breast cooks faster and dries out more easily.

Truss the chicken before air frying a whole chicken for even cooking and juicy white meat and properly cooked thighs and legs.

WHAT TYPE OF OIL TO USE?

• It is critical to use a “high heat” oil to prevent the chicken and skin from burning.

• Ghee is ideal for cooking at higher temperatures for longer periods of time. My Instant Pot Ghee recipe is very simple, and I always keep a jar on hand.

• Coconut oil is also excellent because it will not burn at this temperature, as the chicken is so close to the heating element.

VARIATIONS OF SEASONINGS

Because this recipe is so simple, it is also extremely adaptable, and the chicken can be used in a variety of ways. Spices and seasonings can be changed depending on what you want to use it for.

• Use cumin, chili powder, garlic, smoked paprika, and even a taco or fajita seasoning blend when using it in Mexican dishes.

• Keep the Italian seasoning and add some extra oregano and basil for a more Italian flavor.

• Dry Rub: Use ranch or Italian dry dressing as a rub with the olive oil, or try this French onion soup mix.

EXPERT TIPS

• When cooking a whole chicken, make sure to remove any innards from the cavity (usually the neck, liver, etc.).

• Before applying the rub, always pat the chicken dry.

• Cooking twine can be used to secure the chicken’s legs and wings (see video). Don’t be concerned if you’re not doing it “properly.” To keep the wings together, I wrapped the twine around the entire body. I’ll get it right one day!

• Cook according to the instructions that came with your air fryer. Different air fryers will require varying amounts of time. My 4 pound chicken took 45 minutes to cook.

• The chicken’s internal temperature should be 165 degrees. If it hasn’t reached that temperature after 45 minutes, continue cooking for 5 minutes at a time until it does.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Alternative recipes to try:

Air-Fryer Rotisserie Chicken

Whole30 & Keto Rotisserie Chicken in Air Fryer Oven

Easy Air Fryer Rotisserie Roasted Whole Chicken