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With only 3 ingredients, this buttermilk-marinated air-fried whole chicken turns out incredibly juicy and tasty.
The entire chicken is marinated in buttermilk for an entire night before being cooked in this Southern-style fried chicken recipe. The chicken is baked in the oven as opposed to deep frying it. However, an air fryer cooks food significantly more quickly and without heating the kitchen. Buttermilk and salt help to tenderize the meat, resulting in succulent chicken with gorgeously browned skin. Serve it with a fast cabbage slaw, chopped Feta salad, or a straightforward summer tomato salad.
Ingredients
- 3 pound trimmed whole chicken
- Kosher salt
- 1 pint 1% buttermilk
Steps
Chicken should be liberally seasoned with 2 tablespoons of kosher salt the day before it is to be cooked. It should then sit for 30 minutes. You might use a piece of butcher's twine to firmly tie the chicken's legs together.
Buttermilk should be added to a big mixing basin that can accommodate the chicken. Refrigerate the chicken, covered, for at least 12 hours, turning it over once during that time to ensure even marinating on both sides.
An hour before cooking, take the chicken out of the fridge, then shake off any extra buttermilk.
Transfer the chicken, belly side down, to the air fryer basket when it is time to cook. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to the chicken's top.
The chicken should be air-fried at 350°F for about 25 minutes, until the top is browned. After that, flip the chicken over, season the other side with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook for another 25 minutes, or until the chicken is golden, crisp, and brown all over and the fluids run clear when you insert a knife between the leg and the thigh.
After the chicken has finished cooking, transfer it to a tray and let it 10 minutes to rest before slicing and serving.