Perfect roasted chicken has never been easier! As the weather warms up this healthy dinner is easily made in the Airfryer for a quick and delicious meal. This air fryer roasted chicken is a fast way to get a healthy wholesome meal at your family table during a busy weeknight.
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What is an air fryer?
An air fryer is a small kitchen appliance that cooks food with little oil. The best way I can describe it is like a mini convection oven. I like to keep my house clutter-free, so when I bought an air fryer I wanted to make sure I picked the right one. I ended up with the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone 8 qt air fryer. This is the perfect size for our family of seven and I can also cook two separate things at once thanks to the double baskets.
Ingredients
- 3- 4lbs whole chicken
- 4 tbsp salted butter (at room temperature)
- poultry seasoning (to taste)
Instructions
Start by drying the chicken and trimming any excess skin or fat.
Next, carefully add butter to the chicken breast under the skin. You want a thin layer all over it. This will keep the breast from drying out.
After you’ve added the butter, generously sprinkle the outside of the chicken with poultry seasoning. You can learn how to make it yourself here.
Add the chicken to the air fryer. My air fryer has two smaller baskets: so I have to cut a larger chicken in half or cook two smaller chickens at the same time. This time Walamart delivery brought me two big chickens so I had to cut mine in half. Again, you only need to do this if you can not fit the whole chicken in your air fryer depending on the brand and model you are using.
Select the air fry button and set the temperature at 350F. Cook for about 40 to 45 minutes. I always check halfway through to make sure it is looking good. So I actually set my timer for 20 minutes and this reminds me to check and add time accordingly (usually another 20 minutes).
Air-fried chicken vs. oven roasted.
I will start by saying I still love to roast chicken in the oven. When I have a large crowd to feed (which I usually do; I have five boys) it is super easy to throw two chickens in the oven and make some quick sides. However, that process can require a longer clean-up and prep time. I love how quickly the air fryer allows me to get dinner on the table. I don’t have to preheat it and it is much easier to clean than the oven. Another thing I like about the air fryer is that in the summer months, I don’t have an oven heating up my entire kitchen. In addition, the results are fantastic, crispy skin and moist meat every time!
Tips for a moist chicken breast.
Firstly, I must confess that I used to overcook the chicken all the time! This always resulted in dry hard to swallow meat, yuck! Here are two things that helped me. One was prepping the chicken correctly. Adding the butter directly to the chicken breast under the skin insures the chicken breast does not dry out. I will also recommend checking the temperature. Chicken might be done before you know it. I use a simple meat thermometer like this one. Secondly, allow the chicken to rest. I cannot emphasize this enough. When you allow the chicken to rest before cutting it allows all the juices to reabsorb back into the tissues. This will help your roasted chicken stay moist.
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Air Fryer Roasted Chicken
If you are looking for a fast way to get a wholesome meal into your dinner table look no further! This easy-to-prep and cook roasted chicken is sure to make any busy weeknight a breeze without compromising on quality or flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Chicken (2- 4 lbs)
- 4 tbsp room temperature butter
- Poulty seasoning to taste
Instructions
- Dry chicken and cut any excess skin or fat. (If cutting in half do so now see notes*)
- Add a thin layer of butter under the skin directly to the breast.
- Cook in the air fryer on air fry setting at 350f for 40 to 45 minutes
Notes
Depending on the size of your chicken and air fryer model you may have to cut your chicken in half. I always discard the backbone when I do this.
Adjust cooking time for a larger chicken, always check halfway through to ensure you are not overcooking it.
Use a meat thermometer when unsure. Remember chicken is done at 165F but it continues cooking as it rests.
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This looks so delicious!! I will definitely try this at home 🤤
Thank you for reading. Let me know how it turns out!