Most of us are familiar with roasting a chicken in the oven, but there’s a way to cook it in your air fryer that makes it even tastier. This method uses herbs, spices, and butter to flavor the meat. The result is a juicy whole chicken with crispy skin and soft meat inside that’s ready in less than an hour!
Table of Contents
Prepare the chicken.
- Wash the chicken under cold water, then pat dry with paper towels.
- Remove the giblets and neck from inside the cavity of the bird, if they’re still there (they aren’t always).
- Using twine or kitchen string, truss your bird by tying together its legs with one piece of string and tying together its wings with another piece of string (here’s how to truss a roast chicken for further reference). This will keep everything neatly tucked in place as it cooks and make sure that it doesn’t fall out when you carve it.
- If there isn’t much room for your fingers around the wings or legs when doing this, use a pair of kitchen shears to snip off any excess material before using them again as needed throughout this process; do not cut into any part of either wing or leg where meat exists—just get rid of any excess skin/fat surrounding those areas first before proceeding ahead with everything else here on out!
Season the chicken.
The goal of seasoning should be to bring out the best flavor of your chicken, not mask it. Don’t over-season! I like to use salt and pepper as my base, then add some herbs or spices if I think they’ll enhance what I’m cooking. A little salt and pepper can go a long way when it comes to seasoning your food—especially if you’re using an air fryer, which doesn’t require much oil for cooking (and often doesn’t have one at all).
If you need more flavoring than that, try adding garlic or ginger for additional earthiness, cayenne for heat, or even paprika for smokiness. Just remember: no matter how delicious those spices sound together on paper—or how many times someone has told you they’re delicious—experimenting with different seasonings is just going to leave you disappointed if the end result isn’t up to par with what you had in mind!
Truss the chicken.
Trussing is a method of tying a chicken closed so that it cooks evenly and looks more crisp, rather than flabby. Trussing helps to ensure that the legs and wings don’t burn while the breast meat overcooks. If you’re planning on roasting your whole chicken, you should definitely truss it first (not just because it’s pretty). There are several methods for doing this; I’ll outline two below.
The first method is to simply tie a piece of kitchen twine around the chicken’s legs and wings, then bring the ends together so that they form a loop. Put one end of the string through this loop, pull tight, then make another knot on top of it. This will hold your chicken together so that it cooks evenly.
The second method is to take a piece of twine and wrap it around the chicken’s legs and wings, leaving a few inches hanging off one end. Tie the ends together so that they form a loop, then put one end of the string through this loop. Pull tight, making sure that your chicken is still in one piece.
Cook the chicken.
- Place the chicken in the air fryer basket, breast side down.
- Cook for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F, or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees F (check with a meat thermometer). If you’re unsure whether your chicken has reached this temperature, use tongs to pierce a thigh—it should feel firm and no longer squishy; if it’s still soft and spongy when you remove it from the air fryer, continue cooking until done. If you remove your thermometer while cooking and see that there is some pink left around where it was inserted (or if it is not inserted correctly), return it to its place so that it continues cooking until fully cooked through.
- After removing from heat source, let stand for at least 10 minutes before carving or serving
Check for doneness.
The best way to check if a whole chicken is done is with an instant read thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the thigh, but not touching bone (if there’s no bone in that part). If your air fryer has a built-in thermometer, you can use that instead. The internal temperature should be 170 degrees F when done.
If you don’t have an instant read thermometer (or are using yours for another project), try wiggling one of the legs or wings: if it moves easily and feels loose, your chicken is probably done! Keep in mind that even after removing from heat and resting for 10 minutes or so before carving or eating—and letting its internal temperature rise 5 more degrees—the meat will continue to cook slightly as it rests; this helps redistribute juices throughout its fibers making it juicier.
Covering up your finished chicken with foil while resting helps keep its moisture locked in while keeping other foods warm too!
Cooking a whole chicken in an air fryer is quick and easy!
This is a great way to cook chicken for many reasons: it’s healthy and nutritious, it’s quick and easy to make, it makes use of leftovers (if you’re lucky enough to have any), and it tastes great. There are hundreds of ways to make this dish—you just need some time on your hands so that you can experiment with different flavors.
Don’t try to put too many flavors into one batch; the roast will end up tasting muddy instead of flavorful. Instead, add dried herbs and spices for the best flavor before cooking; if using fresh herbs, add them at the end before serving or storing.
The same goes for sauces. Don’t use too many; a drizzle will do just fine. You can add ingredients like butter and olive oil to enhance the flavor of your roast if needed; just don’t overdo it because too much fat will make the meat taste greasy and bland.
Conclusion
It’s a pretty simple process. Just make sure you give yourself enough time to cook the chicken and allow it to cool down before eating. I am excited that you are reading this article because I know how important it is to have a healthy diet! Eating well can make such a difference in our lives, so I hope this information helps you achieve your goals today.
