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Air Fryer Whole Chicken (Peruvian Style)

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This Peruvian Air Fryer Whole Chicken is covered in a delicious garlic and herb marinade and then roasted to perfection. Crispy skin, juicy meat, and amazing flavor.

air fried whole chicken in air fryer basket

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Full Recipe/Instructions are available in the 
recipe card at the bottom of the post. 
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.


Growing up, my mom would make roasted chicken…a lot. About 3 times a week, I could expect roasted chicken on our dinner table. It always tasted amazing but a traditional roast chicken can get redundant.

I was introduced to Peruvian chicken when my friends brought me to a local restaurant that specializes in this kind of chicken. It was so amazing that I began to frequent the restaurant quite often. Then I figured, why not make this at home.

I’ve made many variations of this recipe over the years and fell in love with this method of making it in the Air Fryer. You can have rotisserie style Peruvian chicken without a rotisserie machine. It’s faster than the oven, it doesn’t heat up the house in the summer, and the skin is so crispy on the outside while the meat stays so juicy on the inside. On top of that, the flavor is like no other thanks to the marinade.  

How to make Peruvian Air Fryer Whole Chicken

First, prepare your marinade by adding extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, garlic cloves, kosher salt, paprika, black pepper, cumin, oregano, brown sugar and soy sauce to a food processor and process until smooth. I use my mini food processor for this part.

Then you will want to wash and dry your chicken and remove any inside giblets. For this recipe I used a whole chicken that I received in my shipment with Butcherbox. It’s a 5 lb bird that I can fit into my 5.3 qt Air Fryer.

Then, rub your marinade all over the chicken. Gently lift the skin and rub the marinade under the skin as well. Pour some marinade inside of the chicken.

Cover the chicken and allow it to marinate for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours. The longer the better.

raw whole chicken in bowl in marinade

Once you’re ready to cook your chicken, place it in the air fryer basket breast side down. Discard any remaining marinade that is left behind.

raw whole chicken in air fryer basket

Close the Air Fryer basket and set Air Fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes is done, open Air Fryer basket. Your chicken should look like the photo below. Do not fret, it’s not burnt nor is it done.

whole chicken in air fryer basket

At this point, flip the chicken and cook on 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 more minutes.

Once timer is done, open Air Fryer basket and use a quick read thermometer to test to the chicken. Knowing where to check the chicken  is very important. You can watch this video on how to check the temperature of a whole chicken.

I use my Thermoworks mK4 Thermapen to test my chicken as it’s the most accurate and quickest thermometer on the market.

air fryer whole chicken with thermometer in chicken

When chicken has reached an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit, remove chicken from the Air Fryer basket and allow it to rest on a carving board. I let my chicken rest for about 15 minutes. Cutting it any sooner will make all the juices run out. 

air fryer whole chicken on cutting board

Cut your chicken up and prepare to be amazed.

What to serve Peruvian Air Fryer Whole Chicken with?

I like to serve this chicken with my homemade Peruvian Green Sauce. I fell in love with this bold sauce at the Peruvian restuarant as well. It’s an amazing addition to this chicken.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.

air fryer whole chicken cut with lime and cilantro surrounding it

Pro Tip:

Use leftover chicken to make rotisserie chicken salad. 

Serving side suggestions:

Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans

Instant Pot Rice and Beans

Looking for other Air Fryer Chicken Recipes? Try these out:

Air Fryer Whole Chicken (Peruvian Style)

This Peruvian Air Fryer Whole Chicken is covered in a delicious marinade and then Air Fried. It has crispy flavorful skin and juicy meat. It’s the perfect Air Fryer Whole Roasted Chicken.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Peruvian
Keyword air fryer whole chicken
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Marinate Time 1 day
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 592kcal
Author Tanya

Ingredients

  • 4-5 lb chicken giblets removed

Marinade

  • 3 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoon lime juice
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • ½ Tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon oregano dried
  • 2 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoon soy sauce

Instructions

  • Blend marinade ingredients in food processor until smooth. Set aside.
  • Wash and dry chicken. Rub all over chicken, including under the skin and on the inside. Allow chicken to marinate for 6-24 hours, the longer the better.
  • Place in Air Fryer, breast side down. Cook on 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Open Air Fryer basket and flip chicken. Then cook on 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 more minutes.
  • Your chicken is done when a quick read thermometer in thickest part of chicken registers at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Allow chicken to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.

Notes

  • You will need a larger size Air Fryer to make this whole chicken.
  • You could also use this marinade on chicken pieces if you cannot fit a whole chicken in your Air Fryer. Just make sure the pieces are in a single layer so they can get crisp.
  • You can sub your favorite seasoning for this whole chicken. Cook times will remain the same.
  • This chicken goed great with this Peruvian Green Sauce recipe. 

Nutrition

Calories: 592kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 1532mg | Potassium: 502mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 890IU | Vitamin C: 7.2mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 3.7mg
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Recipe Rating




Peter Hilary

Sunday 12th of June 2022

Absolutely delicious recipe! Best roast chicken ever. I’m now hooked on your air fryer methods. Great new way to cook!! You never talk about pre-heating the air fryer. Is this intentional?

Tanya

Sunday 12th of June 2022

Thanks so much Peter! I usually preheat but sometimes I don't. I only found pre-heating important when making battered foods or things I want to hear sizzle lol. But since the air fryer gets to temp so quickly, I skip it for items that need a longer cook time.

Monica

Thursday 26th of May 2022

Hi! We all LOVE this recipe!!❤️❤️ Quick question.. do you put the chicken in air fryer directly from fridge or does it need to sit out for a bit? I always have to go a bit longer to cook the middle of the chicken and was wondering if it’s because the chicken is cold. Thx!

Tanya

Sunday 29th of May 2022

Hi Monica, I usually go straight to the air fryer with no problems. Your air fryer may just take a bit longer to cook than mine. However, letting the chicken sit out won't hurt either.

Maurice

Wednesday 16th of February 2022

Best way to cook a whole chicken worh the marinade without a rotisserie oven. Thanks for the recipe it’s pretty accurate and easy once you have the Marinade down.

Patricia

Saturday 5th of February 2022

Amazingly delicious. We couldn’t stop eating. I highly recommend and it will become your favorite chicken! I am a fan!

Tanya

Sunday 6th of February 2022

Thanks so much Patricia!

Beverley

Monday 24th of January 2022

I have an air fry option on my new LG oven. Can I use it the same way as an air fryer?

Tanya

Tuesday 25th of January 2022

Hi Beverley, yes, you can. You may have to modify the times a bit.