Cooking a whole chicken can seem like a massive task, but with a Ninja air fryer it's easier than ever. Not only is it quicker and uses less energy than a conventional oven, you can actually use way less oil and still get juicy, tender chicken. If you haven’t tried a roast chicken in an air fryer, you’re missing out.

We’ve actually tried this for ourselves in the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer, so we’re well qualified to give you a step-by-step guide to the perfect air fryer chicken. No winging it here!

Ingredients needed

To begin, you'll need:

• One fresh whole chicken

• Salt and black pepper

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp onion powder

• Olive oil or low cal spray

NB: This is just our suggestion for this recipe, but you can add thyme, sage, lemon juice or really any flavours you like.

Preparation steps

Before you do anything else, you might need to prepare the chicken. Most supermarket chickens will be ready to go, but if you’ve got it from a butcher, you might need to remove the giblets from inside the chicken.

And if your bird is frozen, be sure to defrost the chicken in your fridge.

Cleaning and brining

Once you’re done that, rinse the chicken thoroughly inside and out and pat it dry with paper towels. This is only really needed if you had to remove giblets.

Brining is totally optional, but it’s a great way to lock in juiciness. In a large pot, pop in your chicken and then cover it with water. Then add 1 cup of kosher salt and half a cup of brown sugar. Then let it sit in the brine solution for at least two hours or overnight in the fridge.

After brining, take the chicken out of the brine solution and rinse it thoroughly under cold running water. Pat it dry.

Seasoning the chicken

To season your chicken, drizzle it with the olive oil or give it a good layer of cooking spray, making sure it's fully coated. Apply your chosen herbs and spice to the outside of the chicken. You can either rub the spices and herbs into the chicken's skin or add everything to the oil and paint it on with a basting brush.

Cooking instructions

Once you've seasoned the chicken, it's time to start cooking in the air fryer. Ninja air fryers have brilliant non-stick trays, so there’s no need to add any extra oil.

First, preheat the air fryer to 190°C. While the air fryer is heating up, place the chicken in the basket of the air fryer.

Initial cooking phase

Cook the chicken for 30 minutes. If you find any chicken juice or oil at the bottom of the air fryer, you can use it to baste the chicken a few times during cooking. If not, you can apply a little more oil or spray. This will help the skin crisp up while keeping the chicken moist.

Some recipes suggest you should cook the chicken breast-side down to start and then flip halfway through. This may depend on the air fryer, but we found that this wasn’t necessary with the Ninja air fryer.

Final cooking phase

Air fry for an additional 20-25 minutes. After that time, you can reliably check if the chicken is done using two methods:

• Traditional: Pierce the chicken with a skewer. If the juices run clear, the chicken is cooked.

• Thermometer: To be extra sure, use a meat thermometer. Check the internal temperature in the thickest part of the chicken. It should read 75°C.

If the chicken needs a little more time, place the chicken back into the air fryer for 5-10 minutes, until the right temperature is reached.

Tips and tricks

• Collect those juices! They can be made into a very tasty chicken gravy.

• Pop half a lemon and an onion into the chicken’s cavity before roasting. It’ll giv the chicken wonderful flavour, keep the meat moist and give you an extra flavourful gravy.

• Cook the chicken on some fresh rosemary. It infuses the meat with a delicious flavour.

• For crispier skin, make sure you pat the skin dry before you apply oil or spray. Removing excess moisture will get that skin extra crispy!

• If you’re not brining, let your chicken get to room tempertaure before you start cooking. This help the chicken cook evenly.

Serving and storing

Always leave your chicken to rest for at least 15-20 minutes after it’s come out of the air fryer. This will allow the chicken to finish cooking and make the carving much easier. Pop it on a chopping board or oven tray that can catch the juices.

Don’t waste a thing! After you’ve picked the chicken clean you can turn it into a lovely stock in your slow cooker. This can then form the base for a chicken noodle soup, chicken pie or loads of other chicken recipes.

If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can always use leftover chicken in a recipe and then freeze it for an easy midweek meal.

What’s next?

If you’re inspired by air fryers, why not check out some of the best air fryers on the market. And if you can’t wait to get cooking, try our Cooking and baking buying guide.