This Air fryer whole chicken barbecue is packed with smoky flavours of BBQ spice rub and delicious barbecue sauce! This whole chicken barbecue weighing 3.5 lbs or 1.5 kg can be cooked in an air fryer for an hour!
How do you BBQ in an air fryer?
To barbecue in an air fryer is quick and easy. Similar to grilling, you can achieve the smoky flavour of the barbecue by marinating the meat with the BBQ spice rub before air frying. Then baster and glaze the meat with the BBQ sauce when cooked to add layers of smoky flavour.
What you need to make Air Fryer Whole Chicken Barbecue
Equipment:
Air fryer– I am using a Frigidaire 25L (21QT) Digital air fryer oven with Rotisserie. You can cook this 3.5 lbs whole chicken in the air fryer size from 5 Qt (without rotisserie) or larger capacity with or without a rotisserie. The time and temperature of cooking may vary slightly, depending on the size and power of your air fryer. The smaller capacity means a shorter cooking time because the heat and air blast quickly, compared to a larger capacity that has plenty of space for the air to circulate means more time to lose heat. For the air fryer without the rotisserie, you may need to rotate or flip the whole chicken halfway through the air frying.
Aluminum Foil– It’s optional for ease of cleaning your air fryer, to catch all the grease and drippings.
Cooking twine -make sure to use unbleached cotton-made cooking twine for trussing the chicken. Trussing the chicken will ensure that the chicken will cook evenly.
Silicone BBQ Brush– you will need this for basting and glazing the whole chicken with the barbecue sauce.
Food Thermometer -To check the safe internal temperature of the whole chicken. Use a digital thermometer for accurate readings.
Ingredients of Air Fryer Whole Chicken Barbecue
Whole Chicken– for this recipe you need 3 lbs to 3.5 lbs or 1.5 kg
Worcestershire sauce– your base flavour for this whole chicken barbecue recipe.
Olive oil– moistens the chicken for the BBQ spice rub to adhere, and also helps the chicken skin to crisp up.
Homemade BBQ Spice Rub– this BBQ spice rub recipe has a perfect balance of sweet and savoury with a smoky flavour.
Homemade Barbecue Sauce– this BBQ sauce recipe is loaded with flavours and creates a mouthwatering glaze for this air fryer whole chicken barbecue.
Optional herbs add-ins are dried or fresh thyme and rosemary that are finely chopped. It will add a depth of flavour to the barbecue sauce.
How to Make Air Fryer Whole Chicken Barbecue
Prepare and clean the chicken. Make sure to trim the fat hanging in the chicken cavity. The more fat that will melt and drip onto the drip tray, the more smoke it will create as the chicken cooks. Because that oil will eventually splatter around your air fryer. You don’t want too much smoke that might turn on your fire alarm. It happened to me!
Pat dry the whole chicken with a paper towel and season with Worcestershire sauce then drizzles with olive oil. Generously season the whole chicken with the BBQ spice rub. For the best flavour, make ahead and marinate overnight.
Truss the whole chicken with the cooking twine for even cooking. Full instructions here or watch the video tutorial on how to truss the whole chicken.
Attach the whole chicken to the spit rod. I have the full instructions in my air fryer rotisserie chicken here.
Air frying the whole chicken barbecue. Cook the chicken weighing 3 to 3.5 lbs at 375°F for half an hour. Then reduce the temperature to 350°F to avoid burning or darkening the chicken skin too quickly. Air fry for another 25 to 35 minutes or until the chicken thigh’s internal temperature reaches 180°F and the chicken breast’s internal temperature reaches 180°F ( 165°F cooking by pieces of chicken parts). According to Health Canada, the safe internal cooking temperature of a whole chicken is 180°F or 82°C.
To check the safe internal temperature of the whole chicken at 180°F, insert the food thermometer through the thickest part of the meat (chicken thighs and chicken breast) all the way to the middle, not touching the bone.
While air frying the chicken, you can start making the homemade barbecue sauce. You can also make this ahead and refrigerate it until ready to use. Heat it in the microwave or over the stove in a saucepan before glazing the whole chicken.
How to make homemade Barbecue sauce. Combine all the barbecue sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Over medium heat, let it simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes or until thickened.
Brush the whole chicken with barbecue sauce during the last 3 to 5 minutes of cooking time if desired or glaze it when ready to serve.
Remove the chicken from the air fryer. Garnish with greens like fresh parsley then glaze the whole chicken with more barbecue sauce and let it stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
What to serve with an air fryer whole chicken barbecue? It’s perfect to serve this with my air fryer roasted Brussels Sprouts and Carrots and Air fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower. It is also great to serve with potato side dishes like mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes. Steamed rice or fried rice. Try these fried rice recipes: Vegetable Fried Rice, Mushroom fried rice, and Bay Scallop fried rice.
More Air Fryer Recipes to try
Air Fryer Whole Chicken Barbecue
Watch How to Make It
Equipment
- air fryer with or without a rotisserie
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg Whole Chicken 3 to 3.5 lbs
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Homemade BBQ Spice Rub
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp mustard powder
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp cumin optional
- ¼ tsp cayenne optional
Homemade BBQ Sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp molasses substitute with honey or maple syrup
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 tbsp soy sauce low sodium
- 1 tbsp onion Grated or minced. Substitute with 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 clove garlic Grated or minced. Substitute with1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Trim the fat in the chicken cavity and pat dry. Season with Worcestershire sauce then drizzles with olive oil. Generously season the whole chicken with the BBQ spice rub.
- Truss the whole chicken with the cooking twine for even cooking. Full instructions here or watch the video on how to truss the whole chicken.
- Attach the whole chicken to the spit rod. Full instructions here.
- Air frying the whole chicken barbecue. Cook the chicken weighing 3 to 3.5 lbs at 375°F for half an hour. Then reduce the temperature to 350°F to avoid burning or darkening the chicken skin quickly. Air fry for another 25 to 35 minutes or until the whole chicken internal temperature reaches 180°F.
- Make the Barbecue sauce. Combine all the barbecue sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Over medium heat, let it simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes or until thickened.
- Brush the whole chicken with barbecue sauce during the last 3 to 5 minutes of cooking time if desired.
- Remove the chicken from the air fryer. Glaze the chicken with more barbecue sauce and let it stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
