Air fryer whole chicken
Your air fryer roasts a whole chicken faster than the oven, with crackly skin all over and meat that stays juicy.
- 80 min total
- 10 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $1.93 a serving
- 690 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 whole chicken, 3½ to 4 lb
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp salt
- ¾ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 690 calories, 57 g protein, 1 g carbs and 50 g fat, and costs about $1.93 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No lemons? Limes work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the air fryer to 360°F for 5 minutes.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Timer: 5 min
Dolly’s tip: A 4 lb chicken fits most 6-quart baskets. If yours is smaller, buy a 3½ lb bird.Pull the giblets out of the chicken and it very dry inside and out.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
the smoked paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper together. Rub the chicken all over with the oil, then the spice mix.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Set the chicken in the basket breast side down and cook 30 minutes.
Timer: 30 min
Dolly’s tip: Breast side down first keeps the breast juicy while the back crisps.Flip it breast side up, using tongs and a big spoon in the cavity, and cook 20 to 30 minutes more, until deep and the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Timer: 25 min
Dolly’s tip: Hot juice collects inside. Tip it into the basket, away from you, as you turn it.Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
Let it 10 minutes, then carve and serve with lemon wedges.
Rest. Resting means letting cooked meat sit for a few minutes before you cut it. It keeps cooking gently, and more of the juice stays in the meat instead of running onto the board.
How you’ll know: Loosely covered with foil, it stays hot, and very little juice runs out when you slice it.
Timer: 10 min
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
