This Ninja Air Fryer Roast Chicken is simple to make, tender, juicy and flavorful! When you roast a whole chicken in the air fryer using the roast function, you get rotisserie-style chicken right in your air fryer (and without a spit)! This is a great way to use less electricity, leave room in your oven, or simply not heat up your house when it's hot outside! It's also quick enough to make on a weeknight. However, if you don't have the roast function on your air fryer, you can use the air fryer setting and get similar results.
This whole roast chicken recipe is popular any time of year but makes a great alternative to turkey for holidays like Christmas dinner, Easter dinner, or Thanksgiving dinner, as well as special occasions. And it's guaranteed to be a recipe the whole family will love!
This Ninja Air Fryer whole chicken recipe was inspired by my Easy Cornish Hens with Rosemary Wine Sauce on this site, and pairs well with this amazing Chipotle Mashed Potatoes.
Jump to:
- 🥘Ingredient Notes
- 📖Variations & Substitutions
- 🔪How to Cook a Whole Chicken in the Ninja Air Fryer
- Expert Tips
- 🥗 What to serve with Air Fryer Roast Chicken
- 👪 Serving Size
- 🌡️Storage
- 🔢WW Points
- ❔ Frequently Asked Questions
- 🐔More Healthy Chicken Recipes
- 📋 Air Fryer Roast Chicken (with lemon, rosemary and garlic) Recipe
Looking for more Ninja Foodi air fryer recipes? Try my easy Air Fryer Falafels (from mix) and my Air Fryer Steak Tacos!
🥘Ingredient Notes
You will need the following ingredients for this recipe:
- 3.5 lb chicken. This size of chicken fits perfectly in each drawer of a Ninja 8 quart air fryer.
- Lemon. Citrus stuffing such as lemon, lime, or orange, placed in the cavity of a chicken, creates a juicier result because it gives off fragrant steam as it heats.
- Non-propellant cooking oil spray. Spray your chicken (and anything you put in the air fryer) with a light spray of cooking oil, but do NOT use an aerosol cooking spray with propellants (like Pam). This can cause damage to the surface of your air fryer and cause the coating to flake off and potentially onto your food. *The label will tell you whether it has propellants or not * I use avocado or canola oil as it has a high smoke point.
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Rosemary - you can use fresh rosemary instead of dried rosemary, but you'll need half as much for the cavity of the chicken, or preserve your own herbs by dehydrating them in the air fryer
- Garlic - you can use jarred minced garlic instead of fresh garlic or if you are in a pinch, use garlic powder (you can sprinkle it on the outside and inside of chicken)
- Oil - you can use a spray of olive oil, but canola oil and avocado oil are superior for air fryer use because they have a high smoke point (so good for high-temperature cooking) and a neutral flavor, so they don't interfere with the flavor of the food you are cooking
- Citrus- you could substitute lime or orange for the lemon to vary the flavor
- Chicken - you'll want to use a smaller chicken (3-4 lbs) if you have a small air fryer drawer or basket
🔪How to Cook a Whole Chicken in the Ninja Air Fryer
The option to roast vegetables or brown meat in an air fryer is becoming more common with larger air fryer models like the Ninja. Using the roast function is superior to using the air fry function because your air fryer will default to a higher temperature and cook for a shorter amount of time than air frying, which makes it suitable for cooking beef or poultry.
You can air fry one whole chicken in an air fryer basket or 2 entire chickens (3.5 lbs) at once (if you have an XL air fryer or 2-drawer model, that's at least 8 quarts)
Place chicken breast side up on a plate
Remove string to open up the cavity and add 2 wedges of lemon
Then add garlic and rosemary to the lemon in the cavity of the chicken
Spray bottom of air fryer (grill or basket) with a few pumps of spray oil
Place the whole chicken in air fryer drawer or basket (breast side up) and sprinkle salt and pepper on the outside of the chicken
Spray with 3-4 pumps of oil.
Cook on ROAST function for 40-45 minutes @ 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) until cooked through (the internal temperature of the chicken should be 165 degrees F (74 degrees C) and legs move easily. *See Equipment for the best instant read thermometer!
If you have a 2 drawer Ninja Foodi, use the match cook function to cook 2 chickens
*Cooking time may vary, depending on the type of air fryer you have
**AIR FRYING CHICKEN (ON AIR FRY SETTING)
**If you don't have the roast function on your air fryer, cook it on air fry @ 350 degrees for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until internal temperature reads 165 degrees f (74 degrees c) on meat thermometer. Flip it once during the cooking process.
Serve with additional lemon wedges and fresh rosemary, if desired.
Then carve, as you would a turkey.
Hint: When you remove the whole bird, place it directly onto paper towels to soak up any excess moisture on the bottom, before placing it on a serving platter.
Expert Tips
- Choose the Right Size Chicken. Make sure your chicken fits comfortably in the air fryer basket or drawer. A 3.5 lb chicken is ideal for most standard air fryers.
- Maximize the Space. If you have a dual-drawer or large-capacity air fryer, you can cook two chickens simultaneously by using the match-cook function. You can eat one for dinner and use the other to make meals such as Easy Chicken Quesadillas (with leftover rotisserie chicken) and No Cook Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwich (with rotisserie chicken) or sandwiches or soup.
- Rest Before Carving. Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes after cooking to allow the juices to redistribute. This keeps the meat tender and juicy.
- Use an Instant Read Thermometer to avoid overcooking or undercooking. Check the internal temperature of the chicken in the thickest part of the breast or thigh. The ideal temperature is 165°F (74°C). I recommend everyone own an instant read thermometer! (affiliate link). The internal temperature of food is the BEST way to check for doneness and you can use it for everything (pie, bread etc) not just meat.
🥗 What to serve with Air Fryer Roast Chicken
This Ninja Foodi roast chicken recipe goes well with anything you'd typically serve a roast chicken with, including Caesar Twice Baked Potatoes, Potatoes Romanoff, or Onion Soup Mix Baked Potatoes.
I also like to serve it with mixed vegetables, Green beans and Mushrooms, Healthy Roasted Carrots with Brown Sugar, or salad such as Strawberry Spinach Pecan Salad.
👪 Serving Size
This air fryer roasted whole chicken recipe makes 4 servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. I doubled this recipe and cooked 2 chickens, as I can fit one chicken in each drawer of my 8 quart Ninja Foodi dual drawer air fryer. I also wanted leftover chicken for sandwiches, which we had plenty of!
🌡️Storage
Store leftovers of this delicious roast chicken in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
I don't recommend freezing this chicken if it's been previously frozen. Each time you freeze and thaw, there is potential for bacteria growth.
If it hasn't been frozen, freeze it for up to 3-4 months in an airtight container.
🔢WW Points
This recipe is Weight Watchers friendly @ 3 pts for ¼ of the whole chicken (3.5 lbs)!
❔ Frequently Asked Questions
If your air fryer has a rotisserie spit you can use it that way. However, if it doesn't, but your air fryer has a roast function, you will get a similar result (like roasting in a convection oven).
You can cook a whole chicken in most large air fryers, depending on the size of your basket or drawer. Most air fryers are ideal for cooking a small chicken 3.5 - 4 lbs.
On average, recipes cooked in an air fryer take about 20-50% less time than in a conventional oven. The compact size of an air fryer means less air volume needs to be heated, which allows it to preheat and cook food much quicker than a full-sized oven.
If using the roast function, flipping isn’t necessary. However, if you’re using the air fry setting, flip the chicken halfway through for even cooking.
So if you are looking for a Ninja Foodi whole chicken recipe or have another type of air fryer and want to roast chicken (that tastes just like store-bought rotisserie chicken), this is the way to get a perfectly juicy chicken that's full of flavor! Air frying a whole chicken is such an easy and delicious way to make chicken!
🐔More Healthy Chicken Recipes
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📋 Air Fryer Roast Chicken (with lemon, rosemary and garlic) Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3.5 bs whole chickens
- 1.5 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary, dried
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 wedges of lemon
- 3-4 pumps oil spray
- ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper
Garnish
- sprigs fresh rosemary
- additional lemon wedges
Instructions
- Move string to open up cavity and add 2 wedges of lemon
- Then add the garlic and rosemary to the cavity.
- Spray bottom of basket or crisper plate of air fryer with a few pumps of spray oil and place the entire chicken breast side up in the air fryer. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over.
- Spray with 3-4 pumps of spray oil.
- Cook on roast for 40 -45 minute 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) until cooked through. The internal temperature of your chicken should be 165 degrees F (74 degress C) and legs move easily
Garnish
- Garnish with additional lemon wedges and fresh rosemary and serve.
Notes
-
- Rosemary - you can use fresh rosemary instead of dried rosemary, but you'll need half as much for the cavity of the chicken, or preserve your own herbs by dehydrating them in the air fryer
-
- Garlic - you can use jarred minced garlic instead of fresh garlic or if you are in a pinch, use garlic powder (you can sprinkle it on the outside and inside of chicken)
-
- Oil - you can use a spray of olive oil, but canola oil and avocado oil are superior for air fryer use because they have a high smoke point (so good for high-temperature cooking) and a neutral flavor, so they don't interfere with the flavor of the food you are cooking
-
- Citrus- you could substitute lime or orange for the lemon to vary the flavor
-
- Chicken - you'll want to use a smaller chicken (3-4 lbs) if you have a small air fryer drawer or basket
-
- Choose the Right Size Chicken. Make sure your chicken fits comfortably in the air fryer basket or drawer. A 3.5 lb chicken is ideal for most standard air fryers.
-
- Maximize the Space. If you have a dual-drawer or large-capacity air fryer, you can cook two chickens simultaneously by using the match-cook function. You can eat one for dinner and use the other to make meals such as Easy Chicken Quesadillas (with leftover rotisserie chicken) and No Cook Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwich (with rotisserie chicken) or sandwiches or soup.
-
- Rest Before Carving. Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes after cooking to allow the juices to redistribute. This keeps the meat tender and juicy.
-
- Use an Instant Read Thermometer to avoid overcooking or undercooking. Check the internal temperature of the chicken in the thickest part of the breast or thigh. The ideal temperature is 165°F (74°C). I recommend everyone own an instant read thermometer! (affiliate link). The internal temperature of food is the BEST way to check for doneness and you can use it for everything (pie, bread etc) not just meat.
Terri Gilson
This chicken comes out so tender and juicy, just like rotisserie-style, but without all the fuss. I love how it frees up my oven and doesn't heat up the kitchen on hot days. The citrus stuffing trick really does make a difference in keeping the meat moist and adding great flavor.