My Ninja Foodi is one of my favorite appliances because I can use it for pressure cooking soups and other recipes like my favorite chili recipe or even hard boiled eggs. I also love using the air fryer function to roast meat.
Rotisserie chicken is one of my favorite convenience foods when I’m meal prepping salads, sandwiches or wraps. This Ninja Foodi whole chicken recipe tastes just like roast chicken in the oven or rotisserie chicken you get at the store.
If you can find whole chickens on sale, this recipe is a great way to save money on buying groceries at the store. Plus, you can use the bones to make your own bone broth.
If you like using your air fryer for making chicken you have to try some of our most famous recipes like crispy chicken breast or Ninja Foodi wings!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to prep for many days of meals. You can eat the roast chicken for dinner with a side of mashed potatoes and green beans and then have leftovers to make chicken salad for lunch the next day! Use the bones to make your own bone broth.
- Made in less time than the oven! You can get this Ninja Foodi Whole Chicken roasted in just about 1 hour.
- More meat! By making a Ninja Foodi Whole Chicken you are cooking the breast, wings, thighs, tenders and even have the bones to make broth!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.
- Fresh, whole chicken: Aim for a 3 pound chicken so you can make sure it fits into your Ninja Foodi. Sometimes a 2 pound bird is a better choice if you have a smaller model. For a 3 pounder, an 8 qt. Ninja Foodi, Instant Pot or Air Fryer works best.
- Fresh herbs: I suggest fresh herbs but dried will work if you have those on hand. I used rosemary, sage and thyme.
How to Make This Recipe
This is a step by step walkthrough of how to cook this recipe. Exact cook time and temperatures are available in the recipe card at the bottom.
- Remove chicken from the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. While the chicken is resting, on a cutting board combine the softened butter, herbs and minced garlic. You can do this easily by folding them into each other with a knife.
- Season all sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Divide the butter into 4 even parts. Rub ¼ of the butter under the skin of the breast. Rub ¼ on the outside of the breast, ¼ on the bottom of the meat and ¼ around the meat, wings and legs to evenly distribute it. It’s OK if it’s clumpy.
- Place meat breast side down into the basket and use the air fry function to cook the chicken at 400F for 45 minutes. At 45 minutes very carefully flip the bird so the breast side is up and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh (not touching the bone) reads 165F. Remove from the basket and allow to sit for 10 minutes before cutting.
Expert Tips
- Seasoning with lemon pepper in addition to salt would lend a delicious flavor.
- If using for shredded chicken for soups, wraps or salad, allow meat to cool for 20-30 minutes if you are using the meat for shredding.
- Make sure that the size of your bird is not too big for the size of your appliance. Generally the 3 lb. chicken fits into my 8 quart Ninja Foodi.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQs
How do you roast a chicken in a Ninja?
Using the air crisp function you roast the breast down for ¾ of the time to allow the juices to flow down into the meat. Then you carefully flip the meat so the breast side is up and the skin can crisp. This whole process takes about 1 hour or until an instant read thermometer reads 165F when inserted into the thigh without touching the bone.
How do you cook a whole chicken in a Ninja Foodi max?
To make sure the meat cooks evenly, be sure that the size of your appliance can hold the size of your bird. I’ve found that a 3lb. b fits nicely into the basket of my 8 quart Foodi.
Can I cook a Ninja Foodi whole chicken that is frozen?
I recommend allowing the meat to defrost in your refrigerator prior to roasting.
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Ninja Foodi Whole Chicken
Did you ever want to make roasted rotisserie chicken at home? This roasted Ninja Foodi Whole Chicken is just about as delicious as it comes! Crispy outside skin and juicy and tender meat in just about 1 hour. You can make this recipe in your Ninja Foodi or air fryer without the pressure cooker!
Instructions
- Remove chicken from the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. While the chicken is resting, on a cutting board combine the softened butter, herbs and minced garlic. You can do this easily by folding them into each other with a knife.
- Season all sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Divide the butter into 4 even parts. Rub ¼ of the butter under the skin of the breast. Rub ¼ on the outside of the breast, ¼ on the bottom of the meat and ¼ around the meat, wings and legs to evenly distribute it. It’s OK if it’s clumpy.
- Place meat breast side down into the basket and use the air fry function to cook the chicken at 400F for 45 minutes. At 45 minutes very carefully flip the bird so the breast side is up and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh (not touching the bone) reads 165F. Remove from the basket and allow to sit for 10 minutes before cutting.
Notes
Nutrition information will vary based on the cut of the chicken you eat. The nutrition label assumes a variety of wing, breast, thigh, etc.
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- Seasoning with lemon pepper in addition to salt would lend a delicious flavor.
- If using for shredded chicken for soups, wraps or salad, allow meat to cool for 20-30 minutes if you are using the meat for shredding.
- Make sure that the size of your bird is not too big for the size of your appliance. Generally the 3 lb. chicken fits into my 8 quart Ninja Foodi.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.