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    Home » Recipes » Fall

    Air Fryer Spatchcock Chicken

    Published: Feb 1, 2022 by Andrea · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    pan of air fried spatchcock chicken

    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!

    Air fryer spatchcock chicken done in a pan

    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
    • Instructions
    • Oven Method
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Top tip
    • Recipe
    • Food safety

    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.

    The backbone of a whole chicken removed

    Flip the chicken over so it lays flat, in a butterfly looking position.

    whole chicken spatchcock cut in butterfly position

    Next, squeeze lemon juice onto chicken.

    spatchcock chicken with spice lemon juice being applied

    Rub the chicken with olive oil. I like to use a silicone brush to do this.

    spatchcock chicken with spice olive oil being applied

    spatchcock chicken with spice rub being applied

    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.

    whole chicken in spatchcock cut with rub and ready to go in the air fryer
    Spatchcock Chicken Ready to be Air Fried

    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.

    air fryer spatchcock chicken cut to show moist tender meat and crispy outside
    air fryer spatchcock chicken cut

    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.

    air fryer spatchcock chicken in a pan
    Air Fryer Spatchcock Chicken

    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

    Pan with whole air fried spatchcock chicken

    Air Fryer Spatchcock Chicken

    Andrea
    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!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 50 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories/serving 298 kcal

    Equipment

    • air fryer
    • 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

    1. Make sure to cook until the internal temperature is 165 degrees. The outside will look done early on but the center may not be!
    2. 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

    Serving: 1cupCalories: 298kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 24gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 283mgPotassium: 261mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 348IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was in the comments below
    Tag us on Instagram!We love seeing people make our recipes. Mention @simplyscrumptiouseats_

    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
    What is Spatchcock Chicken?

    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.

    Why Spatchcock a chicken?

    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.

    Can you make this in the oven?

    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.

    What size air fryer do I need?

    You will need a large air fryer that can fit a whole chicken. Around 5.8 quarts will do.

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    More Fall Recipes

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    • Delicious Ham and Potato Soup Crock Pot

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      Recipe Rating




    1. JD Harrison

      February 08, 2022 at 6:26 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    2. Thinker

      April 09, 2022 at 3:54 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply

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    Hi, we are Nicole and Andrea! As busy moms our favorite meals are easy, healthy and delicious. While we love eating nutritious meals, we also strongly believe in moderating them with yummy desserts! We love hiking, going to the beach and doing Spartans.

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