I made a whole chicken in my air fryer, and I'll never roast a bird in the oven again

Spatchcocking, or removing the backbone to flatten out the chicken, is key for my recipe.

Some larger air fryers are big enough to fit the whole chicken straight out of the package, in which case you can skip this step.

But I think spatchcocking has several advantages. There's more surface area for the heat to circulate around, which speeds up the cooking time and allows for more even cooking.

To start, remove all the packaging and dry the bird well with paper towels to help ensure the skin crisps up nicely. Then, turn it breast-side down on a cutting board with the triangular stubby bit where the tail feathers would've been facing toward you.

Using a pair of kitchen scissors, cut all the way along the back of the chicken on the left and right sides of the backbone to remove it. Turn the chicken over and snip off the wing tips and the knuckles on the legs.

Finally, using the flat of your hand, press down on the central breast bone to flatten the chicken.

Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for five minutes.

In the meantime, sprinkle the skin side of the chicken liberally with about 1 tablespoon of poultry seasoning.

You can use a store-bought brand or make your own by combining 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, 1 teaspoon of onion flakes, 1 teaspoon of garlic flakes, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Brush or drizzle the chicken with 1 tablespoon of neutral cooking oil (I suggest vegetable, sunflower, or rapeseed) and squeeze over the juice of half a lemon to finish it off.

Place the chicken skin-side up in the preheated air fryer. After 20 minutes, use a pair of kitchen tongs to turn the bird over.

At this point, I like to season the underside with salt and drizzle over a little more oil to help the cooking process. After 30 minutes, I use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature and continue cooking until it reaches 180 F.

The USDA recommends cooking chicken until it reaches 165 F, but since I'm making a whole bird and not just a piece of chicken breast, I like to ensure it's done.

It usually ends up taking me at least twice as long to roast a chicken in my oven.

Remove the cooked chicken from the air fryer and put it on a plate or cutting board.

I like to cover the bird with aluminum foil and let it rest for at least 10 minutes (or up to 30). This step ensures that the meat will be tender and juicy.

I like to make four portions by cutting the chicken in half, following the breastbone, and cutting through the legs where they meet the body.

If you like, you can then slice the breasts in half horizontally and divide the legs into thighs and drumsticks by cutting through the joint.

While the bird is resting, I make my accompaniments.

For a quick midweek dinner, I usually pair it with premade cauliflower latkes and a simple sauce made by blending 1 cup of Greek yogurt with 3 tablespoons of tahini, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, a small handful of coriander, 1 clove of grated garlic, and some salt and pepper.

But on a Sunday, I like to serve the chicken as part of a classic British roast, with roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips, cabbage, and gravy.