Air Fryer Whole Chicken slathered with a garlic-herb dry spice rub then air fried to golden crispy. The chicken is super juicy inside and the skin is shattering crisp outside. Just like your favorite rotisserie chicken perfectly air fried. For just 10 minutes of active effort? Yes please!

Whole chicken air fried with garlic and herbs served over a large plate

The best rotisserie chicken is …

Juicy moist inside and with golden crispy outer skins! This air fryer rotisserie chicken is THE Air Fryer Whole Chicken recipe you’ll make over and over again!

I was intimidated to use Air Fryer although I got the model for free in exchange for a cookbook review. I let it sit in the basement for an entire winter until this summer, I finally decided to give it a try.

I have to say that I felt in love after the first time use because it didn’t heat up my kitchen and there was no frying mess over the kitchen counter. However, it still takes some trial-and-error to nail down the exact cooking time whenever I try a new ingredient or cook with different quantity.

Steps showing how to air fried an entire chicken using a fryer

How to make the best air fryer whole chicken?

  1. The size of your air fryer matters. For a 5 quart air fryer, I recommend a 3 lbs whole chicken to make the best air fried rotisserie chicken. For a 6 quart fryer, 4 to 4.5 lbs bird should give the fryer enough room for air circulation.
  2. Use dry spice rub. Fresh herbs get burnt easily in an air fryer so use your favorite dry spice rub combo. My basic spice rub combo is – salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder.
  3. Breast side down first. Roast the whole chicken breast side down first then flip it to breast side up. This way the chicken will be roasted evenly and all-around golden delicious.
  4. Use a meat thermometer. Different brands of air fryers come with various default cook time settings. Use a thermometer to test the roasted chicken temperature and it should read at least 165F at the thickest part of the bird without touching the bones.
Serve the chicken with gravy and baby bok choy in a large plate

To truss or not to truss a chicken?

In my opinion, this is up-to-you, especially if there’s no stuffing in the cavity. I’ve made this Air Fryer Whole Chicken recipe numerous times for our weeknight meals without trussing the chicken. For the photo purpose, I learned the technique from Jacques Pépin so that my whole roasted chicken will be extra gorgeous in front of the camera.

Can you stack chicken in an air fryer?

Ideally no. There should be room for air circulation inside of an air fryer so that each chicken piece can get cooked through and browned evenly.

Is air fried chicken healthy?

It is healthier because you use much less oil in air fried chicken recipes. The first thing I realize is that there’s no need to add any oil if you cook proteins that come with fat – chicken thighs, steak, pork chops…etc. Vegetables such as squash, potatoes, asparagus, green beans contain less fat so they need to be lightly oiled first before air fried.

Diced up the entire chicken to pieces before serving.

Complete the Roasted Air Fryer Whole Chicken with –

Or serve the air fried chicken with Asian Coleslaw in a bowl

More Whole Chicken Recipes

More Flavorful Healthy Air Fryer Recipes

See how I put a healthy and balanced family meal together with an Air Fryer

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Air Fryer Whole Chicken recipe with garlic-herb dry spice rub from I Heart Umami.
5 from 25 votes

Air Fryer Whole Chicken (Paleo, Whole30, Keto)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4 people
Author: ChihYu Smith
Air Fryer Whole Chicken with garlic-herb spice rub and air fried to golden juicy. You're gonna love this rotisserie style whole chicken!
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Video

Ingredients 

For a 5 qt. Air fryer:

  • 3 lbs whole chicken
  • 1.5 tsp coarse salt
  • ¼ tsp each black pepper, sweet paprika
  • ½ tsp each garlic, onion powder,
  • ½ tsp each dry rosemary, dry thyme (or 1 tsp Italian seasoning)

For a 6 qt. Air fryer:

  • 4 lbs whole chicken
  • 2 tsp coarse salt
  • 1/4 tsp each black pepper, sweet paprika
  • ½ tsp each garlic, onion powder,
  • ½ tsp each dry rosemary, dry thyme (or 1 tsp Italian seasoning)

Equipment

  • 5 or 6 quart Air Fryer

Instructions 

  • Remove the giblets inside the whole chicken cavity. Pat dry with a clean paper towel.
  • Combine dry spice seasonings from salt to thyme in a bowl.
  • Use your fingers to gently separate the skin from the meat to create small pockets. Be careful not to tear the skin. Stuff the dry spice mixture under the skin and use your hands to gently spread the spices as even as you can. Make sure to season the outer interior and the back of the bird.
  • Place the whole chicken breast side down in the air fryer. Roast at 360F for 30 minutes.
  • Flip the chicken (now breast side up and roast at the same temperature for 20 minutes (3 lbs. chicken) or 25 minutes (4 lbs. chicken).
  • Test the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. It should reach at least 165F at the thickest part without touching the bones. If not, send it back and roast for 5 additional minutes then test the temperature again.
  • Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before carving. The bottom of the air fryer basket will catch all the chicken juice. Serve the juice on the side if you like.

Notes

Some people prefer to truss the chicken. If you want to learn how to truss a whole chicken, here is a great video to watch.
The nutrition label is calculated with a 3 lbs. whole chicken.
The air fryer I used in the photo is this model. It’s cheaper, compared to others but the size is bulky. If you are looking for an air fryer, Cosori and Breville seem to have great reviews on amazon.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 356kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 122mg, Sodium: 115mg, Potassium: 326mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 720IU, Vitamin C: 2.6mg, Calcium: 18mg, Iron: 1.6mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fried whole chicken, Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken, Air Fryer Whole Chicken, Roast Chicken in Air Fryer, Whole chicken in air fryer
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Tag @iheartumami.ny on Instagram and hashtag it #iheartumami.

What to do with leftovers?