Air Fryer Chicken and Potatoes (Roast Dinner for Two)

Sometimes you want a proper roast chicken dinner, but you’re tired, there’s only one or two people to feed, and you don’t feel like spending the evening cooking. That’s when I make these air fryer chicken and potatoes. Everything cooks together in my Ninja air fryer in approximately 40 minutes, without having to roast a whole chicken.

I use two large bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, brush them with olive oil, and season both sides with poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. They sit directly over four to six peeled and halved potatoes, allowing the rendered chicken fat and juices to flavour the potatoes as everything cooks.

The result reminds me of a traditional roast chicken dinner, where the potatoes pick up some of that wonderful flavour from the meat. You don’t need a separate roasting pan, and you don’t have to prepare a big meal just to enjoy roast chicken and potatoes.

It’s a practical dinner for one or two people, particularly when you want something filling without much preparation. I also like this idea for a small Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner when roasting a whole turkey would be far more food than you need.

Quick Answer

Air fryer chicken and potatoes is a small roast-style dinner made by cooking poultry-seasoned, skin-on chicken directly over halved potatoes in an air fryer basket. The chicken fat and juices flavour the potatoes underneath as they cook at 400°F (204°C) for approximately 40 minutes, or until the chicken is safely cooked and the potatoes are tender.

Why I Make Roast Chicken and Potatoes in the Air Fryer

I prefer bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts for this meal because the skin releases fat as it cooks. Instead of seasoning the potatoes separately, I let them catch the chicken drippings, much as they would in a traditional roasting pan.

I use poultry seasoning because it gives the chicken that familiar Sunday roast flavour without needing several different dried herbs. When I’m feeding more people, I’ll make my Whole Roast Chicken in the Ninja Foodi instead.

The other thing I like is the seasoning. Rather than using several different herb containers, I use poultry seasoning along with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. It gives the chicken that familiar roast-dinner flavour without much work. When I’m feeding more people, I’ll make my Whole Roast Chicken in the Ninja Foodi instead. But for one or two people, I find two bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts are plenty, especially with the potatoes cooking underneath.

Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Chicken and Potatoes

A Small Roast Dinner: You can enjoy roast-style chicken and potatoes without preparing an entire chicken or turkey.

Simple Pantry Seasonings: Poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper provide the flavour without preparing a complicated marinade.

Minimal Preparation: Once the potatoes are peeled and the chicken is seasoned, most of the work is done.

How to Make Air Fryer Chicken and Potatoes

Start by getting your potatoes ready. Since they’ll be sitting underneath the chicken, you want pieces that are large enough to roast for approximately the same amount of time as the meat. Wash the potatoes thoroughly, peel them, and cut them into halves. If you have particularly large potatoes, consider whether they’ll need to be cut into smaller pieces so they can cook through.

After cutting the potatoes, give them another rinse if needed and dry them thoroughly. Excess moisture isn’t helpful when you’re trying to get some colour on the potatoes.

Place the prepared potato halves across the bottom of your Ninja air fryer basket. Spread them out rather than piling them several layers deep. You want room for the hot air to circulate and for the chicken to rest over the potatoes.

Leave the potatoes without oil or seasoning at this stage. As the chicken cooks directly above them, the rendered fat and seasoned juices will drip onto the potatoes and add flavour.

Next, prepare your two large bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. Brush both sides lightly with olive oil so the seasonings will adhere.

Sprinkle the chicken with poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Turn the pieces over and season the other side as well. This is important because you’ll be flipping the chicken halfway through cooking, and you want both sides to have that roast-chicken flavour.

Place the seasoned chicken directly on top of the potatoes with the skin facing upward to begin. Arrange the pieces so they fit comfortably inside the basket without being forced against the sides or blocking all the airflow.

Set your air fryer to 400°F (204°C) and cook for approximately 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, carefully open the air fryer and turn the chicken pieces over. The skin should now be facing downward, resting against the potatoes. Use tongs to handle the chicken, and be careful because the basket and rendered fat will be hot.

Return the basket to the air fryer and continue cooking for approximately another 20 minutes.

At around the 40-minute mark, check the chicken’s internal temperature with a digital meat thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the breast without touching the bone. According to Health Canada’s safe cooking temperature guidelines, chicken pieces must reach an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C) before serving. Since bone-in chicken breasts can vary considerably in size, always check the temperature rather than relying on cooking time alone.

Check the potatoes as well. They should be tender when pierced with a fork and have developed some colour where they’ve been exposed to the heat and chicken drippings.

If the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) before the potatoes are tender, transfer it to a clean plate and let it rest for about five minutes while the potatoes continue cooking. This gives the juices in the chicken a little time to settle. If the potatoes finish first, remove them and continue cooking the chicken until it reaches a safe internal temperature.

Once everything is cooked, transfer the chicken and potatoes to plates and serve while hot. For a fresh side dish, try my Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Cranberries. The crunchy vegetables and tart cranberries provide a nice contrast to the roasted chicken and potatoes.

Ingredients for Air Fryer Chicken and Potatoes

You don’t need many ingredients to make this roast-style dinner. The important things are choosing chicken with enough skin to render some fat, using potatoes that will cook through in the same amount of time, and making sure your poultry seasoning is still fresh.

Chicken Breasts: Use two large bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. The skin is important because it renders fat onto the potatoes during cooking, giving them the roasted flavour that makes this dinner work.

Potatoes: Use four to six medium potatoes, depending on your appetite and the space in your air fryer. Peel, wash, and halve them. If some are substantially larger than the others, cut those into smaller pieces so they cook evenly.

Olive Oil: Use just enough to brush both sides of the chicken so the seasonings adhere. There’s no need to add oil to the potatoes.

Poultry Seasoning: This is the main seasoning for the chicken. Most blends contain herbs associated with traditional roast poultry, such as sage and thyme. Check that your seasoning still has a good aroma before using it.

Garlic Powder: Adds garlic flavour without having to peel or chop fresh garlic.

Onion Powder: Adds a mild onion flavour that works with the poultry seasoning.

Salt: Seasons the chicken and helps bring out the flavour of the potatoes. Check whether your poultry seasoning contains added salt before using more.

Black Pepper: Adds a little warmth without making the chicken spicy.

Substitutions and Add-Ins for Air Fryer Chicken and Potatoes

This recipe is fairly flexible, but the cut of chicken makes a difference. The original method relies on a larger, skin-on piece of chicken releasing fat onto the potatoes while both cook together.

Chicken Breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be substituted, but they’ll cook faster and won’t release the same amount of fat onto the potatoes. You may want to add a little oil to the potatoes and adjust the cooking time. If that’s the cut you have, my Air Fryer Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast recipe is written specifically for it.

Potatoes: You can use white, red, or another suitable roasting potato. The most important consideration is cutting the potatoes so they’ll become tender without burning before the chicken is cooked.

Olive Oil: Canola or vegetable oil can be used instead. Only a light coating is needed on the chicken.

Poultry Seasoning: If you don’t have a prepared blend, herbs commonly used to season roast chicken include sage and thyme. However, the flavour will depend on the herbs and proportions you choose.

Garlic and Onion Powder: You can adjust the amounts to suit your preference. These add flavour without introducing the extra moisture that fresh onions or garlic might produce.

Salt and Pepper: Adjust according to taste and the amount of salt already included in your poultry seasoning.

Expert Tips, Serving & Storing for Air Fryer Chicken and Potatoes

Tip #1: Use Poultry Seasoning With a Good Aroma: Dried herbs gradually lose flavour after opening, particularly when they’re stored near heat. I like to replace poultry seasoning after about six months if it has become weak. If yours has been in the cupboard since last Thanksgiving, give it a smell before using it. If you can barely smell the herbs, it’s worth buying a fresh container.

Tip #2: Don’t Overfill the Air Fryer Basket: The chicken needs to rest over the potatoes without being tightly wedged into the basket. Overcrowding can reduce airflow and cause the chicken and potatoes to cook unevenly.

Tip #3: Start With Thawed Chicken: This recipe is intended for fresh or fully thawed bone-in chicken breasts. Frozen chicken will take longer to cook, and the potatoes may finish before the chicken reaches a safe internal temperature.

Serving Suggestions

For an everyday dinner, serve the chicken and potatoes with a simple vegetable. My Honey Ginger Glazed Carrots make a nice addition when you want something a little sweet alongside the savoury roast chicken. You can also serve whatever leftover vegetables you already have in the refrigerator.

If you’re making this as a small Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, add a little gravy, cranberry sauce, or stuffing for a more traditional holiday meal. My Homemade Bread Stuffing for Roast Turkey works just as well alongside chicken when you don’t want to prepare a whole turkey.

How to Store Leftover Air Fryer Chicken and Potatoes

If you have leftovers, remove the chicken from the bones if convenient and transfer the meat and potatoes into shallow containers so they can cool quickly. Refrigerate or freeze them within two hours of cooking. According to Health Canada’s food safety tips for leftovers, refrigerated leftovers should be eaten within two to three days or frozen for later use. When reheating, make sure the chicken and potatoes are heated thoroughly to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

Because the potatoes have absorbed some chicken fat and juices, their texture may change after refrigeration or freezing. Reheating in the air fryer can help restore some browning, although the potatoes won’t necessarily be identical to when they were freshly cooked.

How to Reheat the Chicken and Potatoes

Reheat refrigerated chicken and potatoes in the air fryer until thoroughly heated to 165°F (74°C). Thick chicken pieces may take longer than the potatoes, so you can separate them if necessary to avoid drying out the meat or overcooking the potatoes.

If the chicken pieces are particularly thick, they may need more time than the potatoes. You can separate them during reheating if necessary.

A Roast Dinner Without Making a Big Production of It

This is one of those dinners I make when I want the flavour of a traditional roast chicken meal without preparing an entire bird. The chicken and potatoes cook together, and there’s very little to do once they’re in the air fryer.

Have you tried roasting potatoes underneath chicken to catch the drippings, or do you usually cook them separately?

Meet Amber

I’m the home cook and recipe creator behind A Cents For Cookery. I learned to cook growing up off-grid in Northern Ontario, where meals were made on a woodstove and preserving, baking, and making ingredients stretch were part of everyday life. Here I share practical family recipes, homemade baking, vintage-inspired cooking, and the kitchen knowledge I’ve picked up over the years to help you make the most of the food you have.

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