How to Air Fry a Whole Chicken: You can use your air fryer to cook an entire chicken. Cover with a quick and straightforward spice rub for the best rotisserie-style chicken, and cook for no longer than an hour. It has crispy skin and is juicy and moist inside. Once you try it, you’ll always cook an entire chicken in your air fryer.
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Why Would You Air Fry Chicken?
You might be wondering why air-frying a whole chicken would be worthwhile. What if I told you that it is the ideal method for cooking a tiny chicken? It cooks in approximately half the time of a conventional oven and is consistently moist, juicy, crispy, and delectable.
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Because your air fryer won’t heat your kitchen as your oven does, this cooking technique is especially ideal on a summer day. A roasting pan won’t be required, either. Place the chicken in the air fryer, rub some quick seasoning, and cook.
Unbelievably, depending on the size of the chicken and the air fryer, your chicken will be perfectly cooked in just 35 to an hour.
When you cook chicken in your air fryer, rotisserie-style chicken is quite simple to do!
Ingredients of Air Fry a Whole Chicken
A whole (naturally raw) chicken
As previously stated, a small to medium-sized chicken weighing up to approximately 4.5 pounds/2 kilos is ideal. It might be a bit more significant and challenging to fit in an ordinary-sized (about 4L) air fryer. It will be worthwhile to consume every chicken crumb and perhaps even utilize the carcass to make stock or broth.
I typically mix some olive oil with simple herbs and spices for the rub. The skin will crisp up nicely if you apply this all over the chicken before cooking and halfway through. It will also taste extremely fantastic, of course!
Usually, I add paprika, salt, pepper, onion, garlic powder, dried herbs (mixed Italian or oregano), and dried herbs. If I’m feeling fancy, I might add some freshly squeezed lemon juice and some ground cinnamon (believe me!).
If I add lemon, I tuck the remaining piece within the chicken to delicately flavor the dish as it cooks. If you have any extra, add some garlic cloves to the mixture.
How Can an Entire Chicken be Roasted in an Air Fryer?
- First, mix all the ingredients for the olive oil rub in a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Put the remaining lemon inside the chicken cavity if you used lemon juice to rub.
- Apply the rub all over the bird.
- Put the chicken in the basket of the air fryer.
- At first, you want it to be breast side down. The legs and wings will remain moist as they are nestled under the remainder of the chicken.
- Cook at 355°F/180°C for 20 minutes for smaller chickens or 30 minutes for medium chickens.
- Then, flip the chicken over, so it is now breast side up using large tongs or meat forks. Any leftover rub can be repainted.
- Depending on the size of the chicken, simmer for another 15 to 30 minutes.
- Adding 25 minutes (on top of the initial 30 minutes) is about right for a 4.5-pound or 2-kilo (medium) chicken. So the whole time is about 55 minutes.
How Long Should You Air-Fried Whole Chicken?
Knowing how long to cook a chicken is never easy. It should be adequately cooked without overcooking; however, chickens come in various sizes, and ovens can also differ.
The response? Put a meat thermometer to use! This is much easier than I anticipated; I used to think it would be a pain. Place the thermometer into the chicken’s thickest portion. The region between the breast and the thigh is ideal. Without touching the bone, deeply insert the thermometer into the breast. It ought to say at least 74°C or 165°F.
That ought to put your mind at ease, however, in case you need a general estimate of how long various-sized chickens should roast in an air fryer:
- 35 to 45 minutes for 3 pounds/1.3 kilograms.
- 1.5 kilograms/3.5 pounds: 45–50 minutes
- 50 to an hour for 4.5 pounds or 2 kg.
Alternatively, you may allow 12 to 15 minutes for every pound or 500 grams. But before deeming your chicken cooked, always use a thermometer to verify the temperature. Varied air fryers have slightly different cooking times!
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Guide About Fryer a Whole Chicken
Pick a chicken that is the proper size. A normal to big air fryer (4 to 7 pounds) will work fine for a chicken weighing up to 4.5 pounds/2.2 kilos. Choosing a smaller chicken is easy if you have a 3 to 4-L air fryer.
Put a meat thermometer to use.
The fowl should relax. After cooking, wait 10 to 15 minutes. This keeps the meat incredibly moist and juicy by allowing the juices to circulate through it.
Are you lacking time? Instead of rubbing, brush the food with olive oil and sprinkle it liberally with salt and pepper. You may still enjoy excellent, juicy, and moist chicken!
