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Today I’m excited to share a healthy homemade alternative to store bought rotisserie chicken. Wholesome and flavorful, our Air Fryer Roasted Whole Chicken recipe combines the simplicity of a whole chicken with the efficiency of an air fryer. Low in calories and carbs, this WeightWatchers Friendly Air Fryer Roast Chicken proves that wholesome eating can be easy and delectable.
One of the (many) reasons I purchased a Cosori Air Fryer is because I wanted to be able to (relatively) quickly and easily make my own whole roasted chicken at home. I could have roasted my chicken in the oven—but I don’t always want to turn on the oven, especially in the hot summer months.
While making slow cooker roasted chicken in my crockpot works well, sometimes I don’t want to wait hours for it to be done.
That’s when I pull out my air fryer. In a little over an hour I can have crispy on the outside, tender on the inside Air Fryer Whole Roasted Chicken cooked to perfection.
While store bought rotisserie chicken can be very tasty, it can be high in sodium, undesired flavorings, preservatives or contain MSG. The air fryer is a simple healthy way to make your own roasted whole chicken at home, where you can control the flavorings and spices.
How Many Calories and WeightWatchers Points in this Air Fried Whole Roasted Chicken?
According to my calculations, each 3-ounce serving of skinless chicken breast has about 128 calories and each 3-ounce serving of skinless chicken thigh has about 136 calories. To see your WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here! Of course, the Points will vary depending on the amount and part of chicken
Recipe Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (4 – 5 pounds)
- Avocado Oil Spray
- Salt
- Poultry Seasoning (or your choice of seasonings)
I used Simply Organic Grilling Seasons Chicken which includes: garlic, sea salt, sage, onion, rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, black pepper, fennel seed, coriander, peppermint leaf and bay leaf.
How to Make Air Fryer Whole Roasted Chicken
Step 1: Gather and prepare all ingredients. (I used my Cosori TurboBlaze™)
Step 2: Remove chicken from refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to cooking. Remove any bags from the cavity of the chicken and pat with paper towels until the skin is very dry.
Step 3: Lightly spray the skin with avocado oil and rub seasonings all over the chicken.
Step 4: Remove the crisper plate from the air fryer basket (yours may or may not have one), and carefully place the chicken directly into the basket breast-side down.
Step 5: On your Cosori, press the Air Fry function and lower the temperature to 365F degrees and adjust time to 30 minutes. Press the start button.
Step 6: After the cooking cycle completes,
using two large wooden spoons, carefully flip the chicken over so the breast side is now facing up.
Step 7: Press the Air Fry function and lower the temperature to 360F degrees and adjust time to 30 minutes. Press the start button.
Step 8: When the cooking cycle completes, use a digital instant-read thermometer (affiliate link) to check for doneness. Your chicken is done when the temperature is 165F degrees in the deepest part of the thigh (try not to touch bone with the thermometer).
Step 9: Carefully remove the chicken from the basket and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before carving.
Step 10: Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Recipe Notes, Substitutions & Variations
Be sure to check the size (height and width) of your chicken before cooking. Your chicken will have to sit comfortably in the basket of your air fryer without touching the heating element. And all air fryer brands and models will have different sized baskets!
In my 6.0-Quart TurboBlaze™ I can usually fit a 4-1/2 to 5-pound roasting chicken without any problems. You can also tie down the chicken legs with kitchen twine (affiliate link) if they are sticking up too high.
Don’t forget to test for doneness. Your chicken may be brown and crispy on the outside, but you’ll want to double check that it is cooked through by using a meat thermometer (affiliate link) to make sure the internal temperature has reached 165F degrees.
Grape seed oil and sunflower oil sprays both have relatively high smoke points making them good alternatives to avocado oil. Using oils with high smoke points is recommended for cooking methods that involve high heat, such as frying and roasting, as it helps prevent the oil from breaking down and producing unpleasant flavors.
After cooking, let the chicken rest for a few minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in a juicier and more flavorful chicken.
Favorite Spice Options for Roasting Whole Chickens:
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Herbs de Provence (affiliate link)
- Ranch seasoning
- Taco seasoning
- Old Bay seasoning
- Cajun seasoning
- Greek seasoning
- Italian seasoning
- Caribbean Jerk seasoning
Serving Suggestions for Air Fryer Roast Chicken
Enjoy this delicious roasted chicken with spicy roasted sweet potatoes or low calorie mashed potatoes, or keep your meal low carb and add some microwave veggies alongside.
And most any salad will make a nice accompaniment to this simply roasted chicken.
Storing & Using Leftovers.
Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator. And here’s a great collection of easy healthy ways to use leftover roast chicken.
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Quick & Easy Air Fryer Whole Roast Chicken (Low Calorie & Low Carb)
Ingredients
- 1 whole roasting chicken (4 - 5 pounds)
- Avocado Oil Spray
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1-2 teaspoons poultry seasoning (or your favorite seasonings)
Instructions
- Gather and prepare all ingredients. (I used my Cosori TurboBlaze™)
- Remove chicken from refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to cooking. Remove any bags from the cavity of the chicken and pat with paper towels until the skin is very dry.
- Lightly spray the skin with avocado oil and rub seasonings all over the chicken.
- Remove the crisper plate from the air fryer basket (yours may or may not have one), and carefully place the chicken directly into the basket breast-side down.
- On your Cosori, press the Air Fry function and lower the temperature to 365F degrees and adjust time to 30 minutes. Press the start button.
- After the cooking cycle completes, using two large wooden spoons, carefully flip the chicken over so the breast side is now facing up.
- Press the Air Fry function and lower the temperature to 360F degrees and adjust time to 30 minutes. Press the start button.
- When the cooking cycle completes, use a digital thermometer to check for doneness. Your chicken is done when the temperature is 165F degrees in the deepest part of the thigh (try not to touch bone with the thermometer).
- Carefully remove the chicken from the basket and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before carving.
- Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Herbs de Provence
- Ranch seasoning
- Taco seasoning
- Old Bay seasoning
- Cajun seasoning
- Greek seasoning
- Italian seasoning
- Caribbean Jerk seasoning
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe source: Cosori Recipe Booklet
A note about WW Points
If you're following Weight Watchers, all the recipes here on Simple Nourished Living have been updated for the new WW program, with points displayed in the recipe card. The Check the WW Points link in the recipe card takes you to the Weight Watchers App where you can edit it using the WW recipe builder or add it to your day.
(Must be logged into WW account on a mobile device, such as smartphone or tablet).
