Whether you serve it as the main event with a Sunday roast or opt for a simple side of scalloped potatoes, a juicy roast chicken has endless uses in the kitchen.
And yet it’s a dish many people find hard to master with the white meat prone to turning dry and tasteless.
One TikTok content creator claims to have found a way around overcooked chicken by calling upon the help of an air fryer.
Known as @hayleys.worldx on TikTok, the avid home-cook-turned author Hayley Dean shared her recipe for roast chicken in a 5.5l air fryer. She said: “Air fryer roast chicken – this is super easy, and it only takes an hour.”
It’s perfect for those meals when you’re short on time but need to impress, like Father’s Day.
The key to mastering this recipe is to find a whole roast chicken joint that fits comfortably into your air fryer basket.
When you’ve done that, preparing the chicken takes a few minutes. “Just drizzle your chicken in olive oil, and salt pepper, some smoked paprika and cajun seasoning then give it a good rub all over”, said Hayley.
Next, place the chicken into the air fryer draw it upside down and cook it for 30 minutes at 180C.
Hayley recommended taking it out after 30 minutes and flipping it over before cooking the chicken for another 30 minutes at 180C.
She said: “And that is it! If you have a probe, you can check if the internal temperature of the chicken is above 75C.”
When the temperature is right, the chicken is ready to be carved up and enjoyed with your favourite sides.
Hayley claimed that the chicken “turns out so juicy and delicious”, and fellow TikTok users agree. One person commented on the video: “Chicken tastes so good in air fryer”.
Another branded the recipe “stunning” and a third proclaimed: “If I didn’t already need an air fryer I really do now!”
Others shared their cooking tips, with one person suggesting rubbing the seasoning under the skin, as well as on top of the chicken for extra flavour.
For those concerned about the mess left in the air fryer basket, Hayley assured fellow roast chicken fans that it’s as simple as soaking the basket in hot soapy water in the sink, adding that it “cleans up so quick”.
