Air Fryer Half Chicken Recipe

If you’re on the lookout for easy ways to cook meals, then you have got to try this fantastic and flavorful Air Fryer Half Chicken recipe.

This amazing air fryer chicken meal is both tender and delicious and is guaranteed to be a hit on your lunch or dinner table! I’ve taken one of our family favorites (Roasted Half Chicken) and adapted it for the air fryer to reduce the cooking time.

Pair it with meal starters like the Best Greek Salad or even with soups such as the Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup for a hearty, homemade meal that’s best shared with your loved ones.

Lately, cooking your chicken in an air fryer is fast becoming a popular way to prepare a meal because it’s easy and quick, and this juicy chicken recipe is no exception. So, let’s get to it! 

Jump to:

• SAVE THIS RECIPE!
• Why Should You Cook Chicken in an Air Fryer?
• ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔀 Substitutions
• 🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins
• 🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools
• 🔪 How to Make Air Fryer Half Chicken
• 👩‍🍳 Pro Tips
• ❓ Recipe FAQs
• 🙏 Pairing
• SAVE THIS RECIPE!
• 📋 Recipe

Why Should You Cook Chicken in an Air Fryer?

Why should you use an air fryer to create chicken dishes? There are various benefits to using an air fryer for cooking a half chicken than conventionally frying it in a pan on a stove.

First, your air fryer acts more like a convection oven when frying food – one that cooks the exterior portion of your chicken before the interior parts using electrical elements. That means you will be left with a chicken that has a deliciously brown, crispy skin while the meat under it remains both tender and juicy.  

More importantly, air frying your chicken is much healthier than deep frying it in a pan. You will use way less oil than frying in a pan demands. When you fry products the typical way, they absorb about 8 to 25% of the oil you cook them in! Imagine just how much fat you are infusing your chicken meat with every time you fry it!

Since air fryers cook your chicken without adding oil, the process itself may cut the calories of your meal by as much as 70% to 80%. That makes it a much better method to fry chicken for those who are health conscious and actively looking for ways to lessen their daily fat intake and shed weight.    

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

With the many ways out there that you can cook your chicken, why should you try this air fryer half-chicken recipe? Here are some reasons why choosing this as a main course in your lunch or dinner menu will be worth it! 

• Quick and easy recipe. One of the best things about this meal is how easy it is to make! You’ll just need to prep your chicken and vegetables, put them in the air fryer, and let the machine cook them for about thirty minutes. No need for you to slave over the stove and suffer those nasty oil splashes when you deep fry chicken!
• Perfect for picky eaters. Who doesn’t love a deliciously tasty, crispy fried chicken? This meal will encourage your kids or other picky eaters in your family to eat it without any fuss or hassle.   
• Packed with nutrients. Protein is one of the most essential nutrients your body needs to build and repair muscle. With chicken being easily one of the best and most commonly eaten high-protein foods, hitting your daily recommended protein intake will be easy if you try this recipe!  

Looking for other air fryer chicken recipes? You can try this Air Fryer Parmesan Chicken for a cheesy, tasty meal!

🥘 Ingredients

The great thing about this Air Fryer Half Chicken Recipe is that most of these ingredients are easily accessible and readily available. After all, save for the half chicken, most of them may already be in your pantry!

To make this recipe, you will need:

• Half a chicken: For this recipe, you will be using a split chicken with a whole wing, a chicken quarter, and half of the whole chicken breast.
• Butter potatoes: Potatoes give your meal a boost in vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates. Besides, they’re delicious, too!
• Baby carrots: Carrots can certainly give this recipe a touch of color and loads of beta-carotene.
• Spices: Adding spices will give your chicken a flavorful kick.

See recipe card for complete list of ingredients and quantities.

🔀 Substitutions

• Coconut or Avocado Oil: If you have run out of olive oil, using melted coconut oil or avocado oil will do. 
• Thyme and Paprika: Italian Seasoning and other substitutes for poultry seasonings can be used instead of thyme and paprika if you don’t have them on hand. 

🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins

Here are some suggestions if you want to put a twist to this half-chicken air fryer recipe:

• Add barbeque sauce. Adding your favorite barbecue sauce to the mix can easily turn this meal into a scrumptious air fryer BBQ chicken!
• Make it spicy. Another variation is to add some cayenne pepper to the spice list to give your chicken some heat. 
• Use different spices. You can use a dry rub for smoking chicken to add some additional flavor.
• Serve it with gravy. Lastly, if you love serving your chicken with delicious gravy to dip it in, you can certainly try this Instant Pot Gravy recipe, too!

Wondering what other recipes you can make with the other half of your chicken? This easy, no-frills Lemon Chicken recipe is indeed a must-try.

🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools

Here is the list of tools and equipment to get this delicious chicken meal prepared:

• Air Fryer: I use the Chefman TurboFry Touch 8 Quart Air Fryer. After all, it does a phenomenal job of cooking any food, especially chicken!
• Knife: The tool you will use for chopping your vegetables.  
• Large Mixing Bowl: The tool you will use for mixing your chicken and vegetables with the oil and spices for coating.

🔪 How to Make Air Fryer Half Chicken

Once you have your tools and ingredients all prepped up and ready to go, it’s time to make a delicious meal! Here are the very easy steps you can take to make a fantastic air fryer half chicken recipe.

Step 1: Prepare Your Vegetables

Chop 3 butter potatoes and 1/2 yellow onion into 1” cubes and pieces. Next, parboil all your butter potatoes and 2 cups of baby carrots so that they’ll cook in the air fryer faster.

Step 2: Put the Vegetables in A Bowl

Next, add your parboiled potatoes, carrots, and onion in a large mixing bowl.

Step 3: Mix the Vegetables With the Spices

Add 1 tablespoon of oil and half the amount of all the spices to the vegetables. Mix together thoroughly.

Step 4: Add the Chicken

Next, add your half chicken to the bowl. Coat the chicken thoroughly with the remaining oil and spices. Then, let the mixture rest for about 5 minutes.

Step 5: Preheat the Air Fryer

While your chicken rests, go ahead and preheat your air fryer to 350°.

Step 6: Transfer the Chicken and Vegetables

From the bowl, transfer your vegetables to the air fryer basket. Next, add the half chicken in the air fryer on top of the vegetables, with the chicken breast part facing down.

Step 7: Cook Them for 30 Minutes

Then, cook at 350° for 30 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through to cook the other side evenly.

Step 8: Check if the Chicken is Done

Once the time is up, check if the chicken is definitely cooked to your liking. Fry longer if needed until the thickest part of the meat is done.

Step 9: Plate and Serve

Afterward, take out the vegetables and remove the chicken. Put both on a plate to serve to your family.

👩‍🍳 Pro Tips

• If you’re wondering how to make half chicken on your own, portion a whole chicken using kitchen shears or a large butcher knife.
• To make your air-fried chicken skin very crispy, make sure to pat your chicken dry using a paper towel before you coat it with oil and spices. This will remove any excess water that otherwise can give you soggy chicken skin.
• If you’re cooking a very large chicken, add 5 minutes or more of frying time.

❓ Recipe FAQs

🙏 Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve this easy Air Fryer Half Chicken:

Ready to get cooking? Print off the recipe card below or toggle on Cook Mode to keep your screen from going dark while you follow along on your phone or tablet.

📋 Recipe