
We’ve air-fried everything else, so why not turkey?
Every year, families across the United States gather around a Thanksgiving dinner table laden with carbohydrate sides, cranberry sauce and a golden turkey. While preparations usually begin days in advance, the stars of the cooking show on the big day take up valuable oven space and can take hours, depending on the actual size of the bird.
To make more room in the oven, some people will fry or even smoke the turkey outside. But on TikTok, one of the big trends in turkeys is air-frying entrees, which has led some to question whether this new turkey trend is safe.
Yahoo Life reached out to a chef to find out if air frying is really appropriate this Thanksgiving and how to make a delicious turkey in an air fryer with a few tweaks to traditional oven cooking methods.
Can you cook a whole turkey in an air fryer?
As the old adage goes, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. “Cooking a whole turkey in an air fryer is a difficult and labor-intensive process,” says Brian Jupiter, executive chef at The Frontier and Ina Mae Tavern in Chicago, Ill.
Jupiter explains the biggest problem with most air fryers is that they are small compared to the size of a whole turkey. “Even cooking a whole chicken in an air fryer can be complicated,” he says. “In addition, each part of the turkey cooks at a different temperature for a different amount of time. That’s usually why turkey legs may be fully cooked after roasting the bird, but the breasts are overcooked.”
Can you cook turkey breasts in an air fryer?
If your family is small, or if you’re just cooking for yourself this year, Jupiter says you might want to look for a turkey breast. “Using just the turkey breast works better than a whole turkey,” he explains, “because it fits in the air fryer and you can cook it to the exact temperature you want.”
How do you cook a whole turkey in an air fryer?
If you can find a whole turkey that is small enough to fit in an air fryer (or an air fryer large enough to fit a whole turkey), then cooking this turkey is similar to an oven.
Just like a turkey cooked in the oven, you’ll need to add some flavor to the meat before putting it in the air fryer. “Use butter and herbs,” Jupiter says. “I like to use rosemary and thyme in this step. The butter will seep into the meat and saturate it as it cooks, so that if you happen to [overcook the turkey] a little bit, the fat will provide a small window of buffer. This technique is complicated, so take your time and move gently.”
Jupiter says to tie (tie the poultry with kitchen twine so the wings and legs are close to the body) a whole turkey to promote even cooking. “Tying a turkey may seem complicated, but once you’ve done it enough times, it’s pretty simple,” he says, “Look up ‘tying a chicken’ on YouTube and follow the exact same steps to tie a turkey. “
If you’re cooking just the breasts, you can use the same butter-basting technique, but you don’t need to bind the meat.
What temperature should you cook the turkey at?
Just like an oven, you will need to start your air fryer turkey at a higher temperature to get crispy skin and then lower the temperature to complete the cooking process. jupiter recommends starting the turkey at 350 F for about 30 minutes and then turning it down to 300 F for the remainder of the cooking time.
How long do you cook the turkey in the air fryer?
It is recommended to cook an unfilled turkey at 350 F for 13 minutes per pound. For a 10- to 12-pound turkey that serves 6 to 8 people, the total cooking time is about two to two and a half hours, although a digital thermometer will greatly help you know when the turkey is done.
What should the internal temperature of a turkey be?
Jupiter says the internal temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit. “Because of that, you should pull the turkey out at 155 degrees Fahrenheit and let it come up to temperature during the rest period,” he explains.
The best way to check a turkey’s internal temperature is with a digital thermometer, which gives an accurate reading in seconds. Place the thermometer in the crease between the leg and breast to get a reading, being careful not to touch the bone, which can result in an inaccurate temperature.
Is it safe to cook a whole turkey in an air fryer?
“Cooking a whole turkey in an air fryer is safe, but using an oven is probably the easier way to go,” he says. While Jupiter does say that the oven and air fryer will ultimately produce the same results, he suggests that if you do want to use your air fryer to fry your turkey, divide it into ten pieces, which he lists as two breasts in half, two legs, two thighs and two wings.
“Each component can be cooked in a different way at a different temperature,” he says.