Air Fryer Mediterranean Chicken

Juicy air fried chicken pieces with rice and greens on a white platter

5 from 1 vote

Air Fryer Mediterranean Chicken

Inspired by the Mediterranean rotisserie chicken at my favorite restaurant, this may be the easiest, fastest, and hands-free chicken recipe that I have created yet! Ready in 40 minutes, it will be a great addition to your weeknight dinner rotation.

Prep Time5

Cook Time35

Total Time40

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Servings: people

Calories: 133kcal

Author: Zeeshan Shah

Equipment

1 Air fryer The best one I've found that has multiple uses and is non-stick.
1 food thermometer

Ingredients

3 pound chicken skin on and bone in (*See notes)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary (*See notes)
4 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Instructions

Make the marinade

In a medium bowl, mix the olive oil, spices, and tomato paste with a whisk till fully incorporated. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add the chicken pieces and prick with a fork to enable the marinade to seep through.
Next, rub the chicken all over with the marinade, especially under the skin. Cover and put it in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 30 minutes.
When ready to cook, lay the chicken in the air fryer basket (* see note) and fry at 400ºF for 20 minutes, and then flip the pieces and air fry for another 15 minutes. The chicken is ready once the food thermometer reads 160ºF.
Drizzle the chicken with the drippings collected in the tray under the airfryer basket and serve with rice or salad.

Notes

I have tried this recipe with the whole bird and cut-up pieces. I find that a cut-up whole chicken is easier for weeknight dinners, but I would highly recommend making the full chicken when entertaining for the wow factor. You can also use just thighs or just drumsticks.
Dried rosemary can be a bit annoying once cooked for those of us not used to using it often. One way to prevent that is by crushing it with your fingers or using a mortar pestle before adding it to the chicken.
My brand of air fryer is a multi-purpose appliance that doubles as a toaster oven. The air fryer basket rests on a baking tray while in use. I line it with parchment paper for easy clean up, and it collects the yummy drippings from the chicken. This is what helps make the chicken even juicier when drizzled on top once ready to serve. If your air fryer is the pull-out basket variety, you can try this trick and see if it works.

Nutrition