Air Fryer Spatchcock Chicken with Cozy Onion Gravy
This air fryer spatchcock chicken has crispy golden skin and juicy, evenly cooked meat. It's served with a silky stick-blended mash and an alcohol-free caramelised onion gravy flavoured with rosemary, thyme, dijon and balsamic. Flattening the bird lets it fit in the basket and cook evenly, so you get an easy, comforting Sunday-style dinner any night of the week.
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Strong kitchen scissors or sharp knife
- Cutting board
- meat thermometer
- Large saucepan
- Stick blender
- Non-stick pan
- parchment paper (optional)
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1.6 kg whole chicken giblets removed, patted very dry
- 2 tsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to season
- ¼ tsp dijon mustard optional
For the Caramelised Onion Gravy
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium red onion finely sliced
- 1 cup chicken stock low-sodium; includes 1/4 cup in place of red wine
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves stripped and chopped
- ¼ tsp dijon mustard
- 1 ½ tsp balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ tsp tapioca starch or cornflour optional, mixed with 2 tbsp water
For the Mash
- 4 large potatoes peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes
- 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
- salt to taste
For Serving
- fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Lay the chicken breast-side down. With strong scissors, cut along both sides of the backbone from tail to neck and remove it. Turn the bird over, press firmly on the breastbone to flatten it, and tuck the wings behind the breast.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (176°C). Mix the olive oil with the dijon, if you're using it, then rub it all over the skin and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken skin side up in the air fryer basket, lined with parchment if you like. Cook for 50 to 55 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F (74°C). Rest for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the potatoes to a pan of boiling salted water, return to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes until fork tender. Drain, pat dry, add the olive oil or butter and blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Season with salt.
- Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan over low heat. Add the onion and cook gently for 8 to 10 minutes, until caramelised and golden.
- Add the chicken stock, rosemary, thyme, dijon, balsamic, salt and pepper. Simmer on low for about 15 minutes, until reduced by a third to a half. For a thicker gravy, stir in the starch mixed with water and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Shred the chicken and serve it with the mash. Spoon the gravy over the top and garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
Dry the chicken thoroughly for the crispiest skin, and tuck the wings in tightly so they don't scorch. Start checking the temperature at 45 minutes so the breast doesn't dry out.
Blend the mash in short bursts, because over-blending makes it gluey. Use low-sodium stock and taste the gravy before seasoning.
Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Chicken and gravy freeze for up to 2 months, and mash for up to 1 month. Reheat the chicken in the air fryer at 320°F (160°C) for 5 to 7 minutes.