Air Fryer Spatchcock chicken is a an easy way to cook whole chicken while taking out the backbone and placing it in a butterfly position. This recipe will leave you with a crispy outside and perfectly moist and tender meat!
Make this whole chicken recipe with ease for a delicious family dinner or make it for a special occasion around the holidays.
This recipe is easy and takes little prep for great results!
Air fryer recipes are some of our favorites to make. Be sure to check out some of our favorites like our Air Fryer Chicken Tacos, and our Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters and Air Fryer Garlic Bread.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- whole chicken
- olive oil
- garlic powder
- paprika
- Italian seasoning
- table salt
- black pepper
- lemon juice
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
First, in a small bowl, combine all of the spices.
If your chicken has them, remove any giblets in the center cavity of the bird.
Next, take the whole chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.
Then, with sharp cooking shears, remove the back bone of the chicken. Cut about ½ an inch from the backbone on either side.
Flip the chicken over so it lays flat, in a butterfly looking position.
Next, squeeze lemon juice onto chicken.
Rub the chicken with olive oil. I like to use a silicone brush to do this.
Then rub your spice mixture all over the chicken, including under the skin. This helps flavor the entire chicken.
Then, place the chicken in your air fryer basket in the same butterfly position and place the basket in the preheated air fryer.
The size of your chicken will determine how long you need to cook the chicken. For a larger bird, cooking for 50 minutes to 1 hour may be required. For a smaller bird, 40-45 minutes may be enough.
To make sure you're not overcooking the bird, check the internal temperature around 35 minutes with a meat thermometer. Add additional time as needed.
Hint: Once the whole chicken is done, let it rest for 15 minutes!
Oven Method
Don't have an air fryer? You can make this air fryer whole chicken recipe in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 and place your spatchcock cut chicken on a baking sheet, and cook for 45-50 minutes. Check for doneness with a meat thermometer.
If you cook the chicken in the oven, it won't have the same crispy outside as if cooked in the air fryer. It will have the same tender meat!
Substitutions
- Looking for a less salty rub? Try the spice rub without the salt.
Variations
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes to the spice rub.
- Deluxe - serve with air fryer sweet potato fries!
Equipment
A large air fryer is important to make this meal. We used the Ninja Foodi Smart XL to make this recipe. We love this air fryer!
The air fryer you use needs to have a large enough basket to fit a whole chicken.
A good food thermometer is essential for this recipe! We love using this meat thermometer.
Storage
Once the chicken is cooked, pull the meat off the bone. Any extra meat you don't eat, store in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
Check out 4 easy ways to shred chicken, even whole on-bone chicken.
I like to freeze the extra cooked chicken to have on hand for salads and meals for later. You can freeze cooked chicken in an air tight container or freezer bag for 2-6 months.
Top tip
Make sure to cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. The outside will look done early on but the center may not be!
Waiting until the internal temperature to be 165 will not overcook the outside. You will still have a crispy outside with tender and moist meat.
Recipe
Air Fryer Spatchcock Chicken
Equipment
- sheet pan
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or fresh squeezed lemon
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees.
- Place the whole chicken on a baking sheet. If your chicken has them, remove any giblets in the cavity of the bird.
- With sharp cooking shears, remove the back bone of the chicken. Cut about ½ an inch from the backbone on either side.
- Flip the chicken over so it lays flat, in a butterfly looking position.
- Pat dry with a paper towel.
- Squeeze lemon juice over the whole chicken.
- Rub the chicken with olive oil and then rub your spice mixture all over the chicken including under the skin.
- Place the chicken in your air fryer basket in the same butterfly position and place the basket in the preheated air fryer.
- Cook the chicken for 45-50 minutes. Depending on the size of the bird, you may need to cook it for more or less time. At about 35 minutes, check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer and adjust time as necessary.
- Cook the whole chicken until the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
- Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Make sure to cook until the internal temperature is 165 degrees. The outside will look done early on but the center may not be!
- Waiting until the internal temperature to be 165 will not overcook the outside. You will still have a crispy outside with tender and moist meat.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
Spatchcock is a cooking method where you remove the backbone of the chicken so the chicken can lay flat while cooking. This allows for it to cook faster and evenly.
When you spatchcock a chicken you are allowing the bird to cook faster and evenly. The breast and thigh meat cook at the same time without anything drying out.
Yes! Preheat the oven to 400 and cook for 45-50 minutes. The air fryer allows the outside to crisp while the oven does not have the same effect.
You will need a large air fryer that can fit a whole chicken. Around 5.8 quarts will do.
JD Harrison
I got a double pack of whole chickens from costco and made them both with this spatchcock air fryer recipe. It was a huge hit! They were on the bigger side so they took about a 1 hour to cook but they were perfectly moist in the middle and crispy on the outside just like the recipe said!
Thinker
I buy the organic free-range whole chicken at Aldi and make a chicken almost every Sunday. It used to be a 3 hour ordeal. Now I prep the chicken and put it in the air fryer ! The whole family loves it and we eat the nice tender chicken all week!