A whole chicken in the air fryer comes out with glossy golden skin and meat that is still juicy inside. The tricky part is picking a bird that fits the basket. A chicken of 900g to 1.2kg is the sensible size, as anything larger cooks unevenly.
Before roasting, every trace of the lemongrass and ginger paste has to be scraped off the skin, since those bits burn quickly and blacken it. Serve with a salt, pepper and lime dip alongside fresh herbs.
This batch weighs about 1.2kg, at roughly 185 calories per 100g.
Method
Rub the 900g free range chicken with coarse salt and ginger wine to clean it and soften the smell, rinse it and drain. A bird of 900g to 1.2kg fits the basket best.
Chop 2 stalks lemongrass, 3 kaffir lime leaves, 2 chilies, 1 knob ginger, 3 shallots and 3 cloves garlic, then blend them with 2 teaspoons seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon MSG, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 3 teaspoons oyster sauce, 1.5 teaspoons kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1 teaspoon honey, 2 teaspoons fish sauce, 2 teaspoons five spice powder, 1 teaspoon mild chili powder, 1 knob turmeric, 1 teaspoon ground pepper and 5 teaspoons annatto oil until completely smooth.
Rub the mixture all over the chicken and inside the cavity, then marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Before roasting, scrape off the lemongrass and ginger bits clinging to the skin so they do not char.
If the fryer has a rotisserie: skewer the chicken, tie the legs and wings close to the body and rotate at 190 degrees C for 20 minutes.
Take the chicken out, mix 2 teaspoons honey with 1 teaspoon fish sauce and 4 teaspoons annatto oil, brush it all over the bird and rotate for another 3 to 5 minutes at 190 degrees C to build color.
Without a rotisserie: set the chicken on the rack, roast at 190 degrees C for 10 minutes, turn it and roast another 10 minutes, brush on the honey mixture and roast a final 5 minutes at 190 degrees C.
Serve with a salt, pepper and lime dip alongside fresh herbs and cucumber.
Tips
A bird that fits the basket, around 900g to 1.2kg, cooks far more evenly than a larger one.
Scraping the lemongrass and ginger bits off the skin before roasting matters, as those pieces burn quickly.
The honey mixture goes on in the final stretch so the skin colors without blackening.
Honey is still sugar, so the basting mixture calls for a light hand.
Rub the marinade inside the cavity as well, since skin alone leaves the breast bland.
A few minutes of rest after roasting keeps the juices in the meat when it is chopped.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.