This Ninja Combi whole chicken recipe is quick, convenient, and practically foolproof to make in under 1 hour! Here we share the easy step-by-step instructions for how to roast an entire chicken in a Ninja with fresh lemon and your favorite seasoning blend, in a fraction of the time it takes to cook in the oven.
Roasted chicken is an easy and delicious main dish to enjoy at holidays, weekend dinners, and to use in your weekly meal prepping. But while it is simple enough to do, traditional roasting can take up to 2 hours. This Ninja Combi whole chicken recipe speeds up the cooking process to make the most juicy, moist and delicious chicken with crispy skin in roughly half of the time.
The bird gets BIG flavor from adding fresh lemon and aromatics directly into the cooking water in the pot, as well as inside the chicken itself. Then we cover the meat with oil and poultry seasoning (but you can customize the recipe with your favorite herbs and spices) and cook for 45 minutes or less.
The result is a whole "roasted" chicken that is bright and perfectly seasoned, tender and crisp, and great to feed a hungry family. And because cooking in the Ninja Combi leaves the oven and stovetop open, it's easy to serve a full meal with plenty of comfort food side dishes, too! Also try my Ninja Combi turkey recipe!
Recipe ingredients
Whole chicken. Remove the giblet pouch and discard. Use clean paper towels to pat the bird dry, inside and out.
Poultry seasoning. Use your favorite brand of seasoning, or other spice blend you prefer. Other tasty options include lemon pepper seasoning, Cajun or Creole seasoning, BBQ seasoning, or floral Herbs de Provence. You can also keep things sweet and simple with a combination of salt, pepper, and garlic pepper.
Lemon. Wash and cut a whole lemon into 8 wedges. Remove any visible seeds before adding half to the cooking water and placing the other half of the wedges inside the chicken.
Onion. Peel and cut a whole white or yellow onion into large chunks.
Cilantro. You can leave the stems and leaves intact, or roughly chop the cilantro. Feel free to omit the cilantro though, if you aren't a fan.
Olive oil. One of the best light-tasting yet rich and fluid oils for roasting. But if you like you can substitute with a different high-heat cooking oil, like canola or vegetable oil.
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Garlic. Peel the cloves but leave them whole to stuff inside the chicken.
What to serve with whole chicken
Make whole cooked chicken the centerpiece of dinner and pair with any number of starchy and veggie side dishes!
Potatoes are always a hit; try them mashed, roasted whole or in wedges, cut and fried, scalloped or au gratin-style... You really can't go wrong!
And/or serve chicken with other carb-a-licious sides like cornbread or crouton stuffing, macaroni and cheese, pasta, or casseroles. The seasoned chicken is also delicious with fluffy white rice, brown rice, or hearty wild rice.
As far as vegetable go, you can keep things as simple or elegant as you like. Steam, roast, or sautee your favorite veggies like broccoli, green beans, carrots, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, or any seasonal produce you like.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, Ninja devices are designed to cook raw chicken. It is essentially a countertop oven that has the same ability to roast meat as a traditional full-size oven.
Yes, you can roast a 4-5 pound chicken in the Ninja. Make sure the bird isn't so large that it touches the inside walls of the Combi.
The Combi does not have a dedicated reheat feature. But you can reheat food using the air fryer setting! Air fry pieces of cooked chicken at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes.
More Ninja Foodi family recipes
Hope you will like this Ninja Combi chicken recipe as much as we do. Rate the recipe if you made it and leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions.
Recipe
Ninja Combi whole chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 2 tablespoon favorite poultry seasoning or just salt, pepper and garlic powder
- 1 lemon
- 1 onion
- cilantro
- olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
Instructions
- Add one cup of water or chicken broth in to the bottom container. Add lemon, cilantro, garlic and onions right in the water (optionally)
- Cover chicken in oil and seasonings. Stuff the cavity with lemon and garlic.
- Turn on COMBI BAKE button and set the temp to 400 degrees. Add seasoned whole chicken on top of crisping plate. Set timer to 45 minutes.
- Start checking the internal temperature of your chicken at about 30 minutes.
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