This Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken is extra crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. It's prepped in 10 minutes and seasoned with a simple, homemade rub. Put this family favorite into your meal rotation this week!
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Quick and healthy. As with all of the recipes here on Real Food with Sarah, it's been my mission to teach you how to cook real food at home without complex, time-consuming recipes. This whole rotisserie chicken is just that - real food, real quick.
- Amazing leftovers. The reason we all love rotisserie chicken is the leftovers, right? This chicken goes with everything and can be repurposed in recipes like Air Fryer Quesadillas, Easy Chicken Salad, or add it to one of these 12 Summer Salad Recipes.
- Freezer-friendly. If you're cooking for yourself or a small family, you may want to freeze smaller portions of the cooked chicken for easy dinners in the future. All you need is a freezer-safe bag or container to store any chicken for later.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Whole chicken - Just like with my Dutch Oven Chicken, this air fryer rotisserie chicken is made using a whole chicken. Make sure to buy one that you know will comfortably fit inside of your air fryer. If you do not use a whole chicken, your seasoning measurements and cook times will vary vastly. I'd recommend making my Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks, or Air Fryer Crispy Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches with different cuts of chicken instead.
- Rosemary and thyme - Fresh sprigs of rosemary and thyme compliment the citrus notes in the lemon and bring out the peppery flavor in the olive oil. I do not recommend substituting the fresh herbs with dried - the flavor will not be as fresh.
- Garlic cloves - Similar to the herbs, please use fresh garlic. It will make a huge difference in flavor.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
Variations
If desired, you can alter the ingredient measurements in the chicken seasoning. My recommendation would be first to make the recipe as written, then adjust to personal taste the second and third time.
Instructions
Before getting started, bring the whole chicken to room temperature. I recommend removing the whole chicken from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before planning to air fry.
Once the chicken has come up to room temperature for 30 minutes, remove the giblets from inside the cavity and remove any excess fat, skin and leftover feathers. If you need a visual, follow this easy step-by-step tutorial on how to clean chicken. Lastly, pat the chicken dry with paper towels (this is essential to getting the skin nice and crispy).
This time is also a great opportunity to set the air fryer on the "rotisserie function" and allow it to preheat.
- Prepare the homemade rotisserie seasoning. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the extra virgin olive oil, juice from ¼ of the lemon, salt, black pepper, fresh minced garlic cloves, smoked paprika, fresh thyme and fresh rosemary.
- Season the chicken. Massage the seasoning all over the chicken, including inside the cavity, then place the remaining lemon wedges inside the cavity.
- Skewer the Chicken. Make sure to do this firmly onto the spit of the skewer of your air fryer.
- Truss the chicken. Trussing is simply a technique that uses kitchen twine to tie the legs and wings close to the body of the chicken. This is going to help keep the lemon wedges inside the chicken cavity as well as help it cook through evenly.
- Air fry. In my specific air fryer model, air frying the whole rotisserie chicken takes about 50-60 minutes. You will know that the chicken is ready once the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F. Make sure to push the thermometer through the thickest part of the meat to determine doneness.
Recipe FAQs
If you are looking for an oven-baked chicken you will love my Dutch Oven Whole Chicken and Potatoes. It's equally as easy and flavorful and cooked to juicy and tender perfection.
Most store-bought rotisserie chickens are considered gluten-free, however, cross-contamination and hidden flavorings are always a concern if you are intolerant. To be safe, make this air fryer rotisserie chicken at home. It is 100% gluten-free and worth the minimal effort.
Cooked chicken should not be left out for several hours or overnight. This can cause bacteria to grow and become unsafe to eat. Allow the chicken to cool, then store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Absolutely. I recommend reheating any leftovers in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. Avoid reheating for too long, as this can dry out the chicken. If you'd like to err on the side of caution, add a tablespoon of chicken broth to the bowl before microwaving.
Top Tips
- Do not skip patting the chicken skin dry! Doing so helps remove any excess moisture from the skin of the chicken and will help make the chicken skin extra crispy. If you do not do this, your chicken won't have that beautiful golden, crispy rotisserie chicken skin.
- Thoroughly coat the chicken in seasoning. This will ensure you don't miss any sections and will result in the best-flavored meat.
- Double-check that your air fryer comes with a spit attachment. It's a necessary tool for making homemade rotisserie chicken.
Serving Suggestions
This versatile chicken pairs well with a number of sides including Instant Pot Jamaican Rice and Peas, Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables and Instant Pot Garlic Red Skinned Mashed Potatoes. Here are a few more of my favorites.
More Air Fryer Recipes To Try
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating & comment below to let me know how it came out. Thanks for visiting!
🍳Recipe
Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 4-5 pound whole chicken
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, cut into quarters
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 sprigs rosemary
Instructions
- Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to warm up to room temperature. Press the rotisserie function on your air fryer and allow it to preheat.
- Remove the giblets from inside the cavity and remove any excess fat, skin and leftover feathers. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Add the olive oil, juice from ¼ of the lemon, spices and herbs to a small bowl. Season the chicken with the spices all over, under the skin and inside the cavity. Add some lemon wedges inside the cavity.
- Next, tie up the chicken with kitchen twine. Skewer the chicken firmly onto the spit of the skewer of your air fryer.
- Cook for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees F until the temperature of the chicken breast reaches 165 degrees F.
- Let cool, slice and enjoy.
Notes
- Do not skip patting the chicken skin dry! Doing so helps remove any excess moisture from the skin of the chicken and will help make the chicken skin extra crispy. If you do not do this, your chicken won't have that beautiful golden, crispy rotisserie chicken skin.
- Thoroughly coat the chicken in seasoning. This will ensure you don't miss any sections and will result in the best-flavored meat.
- Double-check that your air fryer comes with a spit attachment. It's a necessary tool for making homemade rotisserie chicken.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Brooke Limrick says
What temperature are you air frying at?
Sarah Hill says
Hi Brooke, 350 degrees F. I just added the temperature, so sorry about that!