I’ve had my air fryer for a few years now; I’ll admit I haven’t used it as much as I had originally intended to when I first received it, but a lot of recipes were either for larger portions than my family could eat, or primarily meat-based. This recipe is both of those things (haha), but I’ve been jonesing to try roasting a whole chicken in the air fryer to see if it could truly be done. I’m here to tell you that it certainly can, and in reasonably good time too!

Dinner on this evening was roasted chicken (meatless chik’n patties for me), baked potatoes (which took 1-1/2 times as long as the chicken to bake), and steamed green beans. We ate very well that day, and the spouse had roast chicken sandwiches the following lunch.

While whole chickens can be pricy depending on what is available and your dietary preferences, in general a whole chicken is less expensive than the sum of its parts. In fact, if you use the entire bird for various meals and boil the carcass for chicken stock, you can make a single 3 pound chicken stretch a lot farther than you might imagine.

The gluten- and dairy-free chicken rub recipe is simple, economical, and likely uses a lot of pantry staples you already possess. If you don’t actually own an air fryer, this will also work as well roasting in a Dutch oven or other covered oven-safe cooking vessel at 375°F/190°C, at 20 minutes per pound. Make sure the inner temperature in the thickest part of the breast is at 165°F/74°C before resting it on a carving board, tented under foil for at least 10 minutes.

Air Fryer Rotisserie-Style Whole Chicken

YIELD: 6-8 servings | PREP: 15 mins | ROAST 60 mins | REST: 10 mins

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Air Fryer (min 6 qt), meat thermometer

• 1 3-5 pound whole chicken, brought to room temp for 30 mins (or fully defrosted)
• 1 stalk celery, trimmed and cut into lengths
• 1 small carrot, peeled and cut into equal lengths
• ½ small cooking onion, peeled and cut into large dice
• 2 tbsp/30mL olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp sweet or smoked paprika
• ½ tsp cracked black pepper
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp dried thyme

1. Ensure chicken is pin-feather-free and giblets have been removed; place on food-safe surface and shake salt and pepper into cavity. Stuff cavity with celery, carrot and onion. Use butcher’s twine to tie legs closed.
2. Combine the olive oil with the seasonings and mix thoroughly to create a paste. Slather over entire surface of chicken, including the back. Smear any left over paste into cavity opening.
3. Liberally spray air fryer basket with non-stick cooking spray; place chicken in basket breast-side down, and start machine at “Air Fry” at 360°F/182°C for 45 minutes. Flip the chicken breast-side up and cook at same temperature for an additional 15 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads internal temperature of 165°F/74°C at thickest part of breast.
4. Remove from air fryer onto a carving board and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes tented under foil. Carve and serve hot.