Your Weeknight Dinner Routine Is Boring. This Air Fryer Chicken Recipe Is Here to Save It.

If you think your air fryer is just for reheating leftover fries and cooking frozen snacks, you’re thinking way too small. It’s time to unleash his true potential and realize that he can handle a real dinner, like a whole roast chicken.

Yes, you can cook a whole chicken in this thing, and as a food and technology editor who’s been testing kitchen equipment for a decade, I tell you it’s a complete game-changer. I tried it on a whim and I was amazed.

The air fryer roasts a chicken faster than a regular oven, delivers incredibly crispy skin every time, and cleanup is a joke. Simply rinse the basket. No more scrubbing a giant, greasy roasting pan. It’s the perfect tip for a weeknight dinner you’ve been missing.

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Few dishes rival a perfectly roasted chicken for pure satisfaction. Pair it with roasted root vegetables and a rich sauce for a complete Sunday feast that provides delicious leftovers throughout the week. The combination of flavor, convenience and economy makes air fried chicken an unrivaled champion of meal preparation.

To make a perfect roast chicken in about 45 minutes, all you need is an air fryer (4 quart or larger), a chicken, and a few simple spices and pantry ingredients.

Can you cook a whole chicken in an air fryer?

You certainly can. The secret to a good roast chicken is high heat, without overcooking the bird for crispy skin with moist, tender meat. A the air fryer is the perfect container for this method because it envelopes the food inside with fast-moving hot air and manages to crisp the outer layers better than a full-size convection oven which features more widely dispersed heat. The air fryer’s smaller cooking chamber also means more consistent temperatures throughout a single session.

Air fryers are generally smaller than wall ovens, but many models are capable of handling a 3 or 4 pound chicken. I cooked a full 4 pound roaster and it fit comfortably in my Dreo ChefMaker 6 Quart Smart Air Fryer Oven.

Learn more: Grill, goodbye. Make your next burger in an air fryer and thank me later

What size air fryer do you need to cook a whole chicken?

This fancy, bloated air fryer has a steam function and smart cooking programs, but I didn’t need or use them. I cooked the chicken in basic air fryer mode at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 55 minutes, flipping the bird (ha!) after 25 minutes. I won’t need a fancy air fryereither. This $120 Instant Air Fryer will do the job. Just like this $80 Gourmia model.

There was minimal prep in this air fryer chicken recipe, which I adapted from a few found online and my oven roasted chicken recipe. I made a quick marinade with olive oil, grainy mustard, salt, pepper and some of my favorites. Mediterranean Seasoning Blend. I stuffed the chicken with half an orange, a little green onion and a bunch of fresh parsley until final days in the refrigerator.

Air fryers cook quickly, so be careful not to burn the skin

My only other note when making a bird in the air fryer is to keep a close eye on the chicken, especially near the end. The heat from an air fryer is intense and could burn the skin if you turn it up too high or leave it on for too long. If your skin seems to be browning faster than the chicken is warming inside, lower the heat and continue to monitor.

You can always relight it once the meat is cooked to get a crispy skin before serving. You’ll know the meat is done when a meat probe reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit when plunged into the thickest part of the breast.

Ingredients for Air Fryer Roasted Chicken

• 4 pound chicken, giblets removed
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons grain mustard
• Seasoning mix (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Lemon or orange
• Fresh herbs

How to make roast chicken in the air fryer

1. Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Whisk together olive oil, mustard, seasoning blend, salt and pepper.
3. Brush all chicken with mustard marinade
4. Place the chicken in the air fryer basket, breast side down, on the rack and cook for 25 minutes.
5. Flip the bird breast and cook for another 20 minutes
6. Remove it when the juices run clear or an internal thermometer reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Pour the juices from the fryer basket over the chicken slices or use it to make a sauce