Air fryer roast chicken
- Published: 9 Jan 23
- Updated: 26 May 25
Wondering how to roast a chicken in an air fryer? We know it sounds mad, but it’s true – you can air fry an entire chicken! The results are surprisingly good; super-crisp golden skin and, because of the way an air fryer works, the meat underneath remains super juicy. Perfect if you are running low on oven space or worry about dry, overcooked chicken.
- Smart cooking method: The chicken is cooked upside down to help keep the white breast meat juicy.
- Extra-crispy skin: Air fryers are brilliant at circulating hot air, helping to create a really bronzed, crispy finish to your roast chicken.
- Customisable recipe: We’ve suggested adding lemon, thyme and garlic for flavour, but experiment with your favourite hardy herbs and aromatics.
Here’s why one of our community of cooks recommends this recipe:
- “The chicken was moist, the skin crispy and the legs had not dried out. I will definitely cook my chicken like this again.”
New to air frying? Check out our collection of air fryer recipes, including full meals, snacks and sweet bakes.
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Serves 4-6 -
Serves 4-6
Before you start
Make sure your air fryer is large enough to fit your chicken in! We used a 4.2 litre air fryer, which was just big enough to fit a 1.3kg chicken (with a bit of encouragement). If you find your chicken is a bit too big, try cutting off the legs and nestling them alongside the body instead.
Make sure every nook and cranny is coated in oil before you cook your chicken – any part of the chicken that isn’t oiled won’t crisp up.
The garlic, thyme and lemon aren’t necessary, but they are classic flavours for roast chicken and the moisture from the lemon will help stop the meat from drying out.
Nutrition
- Calories
- 219kcals
- Fat
- 9.9g (2.3g saturated)
- Protein
- 32.2g
- Carbohydrates
- 0.3g (trace sugars)
- Fibre
- 0.1g
- Salt
- 0.3g
delicious. tips
Roasting a chicken breast-side down at first helps stop the breasts drying out before the thighs are fully cooked. It’s a neat trick whether you’re air frying or not.