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Air fried whole chicken in air fryer basket
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Air fryer Whole Chicken

This air fryer whole chicken Tandoori style is a delicious centerpiece. Marinated in a tasty yogurt marinade, the chicken is succulent and so tasty.
Course Main
Cuisine Indian
Keyword Air fryer Tandoori Chicken, Air fryer Whole Chicken
recipe Air fryer recipes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Marination time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 161kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 Whole Chicken 1.8 lb. Or 800 gm.
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1.5 tbsp. ginger garlic paste
  • 2 tbsp. Kashmiri chilli powder or paprika
  • 1 tbsp. ground coriander
  • 1 tsp. Ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp. chickpea flour
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 1 tbsp. Tandoori chicken masala or chicken masala
  • ½ tsp. Garam masala
  • 1 tbsp. kasuri methi optional
  • 1 teaspoon Oil or butter for basting

Instructions

  • Remove giblets and wash the chicken.
  • Dry both the cavity and the outside with paper towels. Make gashes on the chicken with a sharp knife. This helps the marinade to penetrate through.
  • To make the marinade, mix together yogurt with lemon juice, oil, ginger garlic paste, Kashmiri chilli powder, Tandoori chicken masala, garam masala, ground cumin and coriander, salt and kasuri methi (optional).
  • Mix well to form a thick marinade.
  • Take the chicken and generously apply the marinade all over the chicken, in the gashes and inside the cavity.
  • Cover the chicken with a cling film and refrigerate overnight or at least up to 2-4 hours.
  • Take the chicken out.
  • Now preheat the air fryer at 360F or 180C for 5 minutes.
  • Brush with oil and place the whole chicken carefully breast side down.
  • Baste with oil or butter.
  • Air fry at 360F or 180C for 20 minutes. The top will look nice and browned. You can now baste with some oil or butter. This helps keep the chicken moist.
  • Now carefully flip the chicken so that the breast side is facing up.
  • Air fry again at 360F or 180C for 8-10 minutes till the top is browned and the chicken is well cooked.
  • Use a meat thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature is 165F when poking the breast.
  • Take out the chicken and let it rest for 5 minutes. Serve it hot with some sliced onions, lemon wedges or sautéed vegetables.
  • Enjoy.

Notes

Choose a whole chicken that fits your air fryer and suits your family’s needs. For my small family of 4, I chose this 1.8 lb. Or 800 gm. chicken.
You can go for double the size of the bird depending upon how many people you are cooking for. The timings and marinade quantities will accordingly change.
I personally prefer to take out the skin, but feel free to follow this recipe with chicken with skin. Your skin will get very crispy and delicious.
Making gashes in the whole chicken helps the marinade to really soak through its flavours right inside.
Cook the chicken on both sides to get equal browning and cooking. Follow the instructions given.
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes after air frying before carving it.
This chicken tastes the best when marinated for 12 hours or overnight. But if you are in a rush, marinade for 2-4 hours before air frying.
Use of both lemon juice and yogurt helps in tenderising the chicken and keeping it moist.
To check for doneness of chicken, use a meat thermometer that should reach 165F internal temperature when poked inside the breast.
I remove the giblets, but if you like them you can marinate them and cook them together with the chicken.

Nutrition

Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 520mg | Potassium: 345mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3134IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 3mg