Can I Air Fry a Turkey in my Oven?

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, you may be wondering if you can air fry a turkey in your regular oven The short answer is yes, you absolutely can! Air frying, or convection baking as it’s also called, uses a fan to circulate hot air around the food to cook it fast and evenly Many modern ovens now come with an air fry setting that works great for cooking turkey.

How Air Frying Works

Air frying is essentially a convection cooking method. A fan circulates hot air at high speed inside the cooking chamber, surrounding the food from all sides. This allows the food to cook very fast, while browning the exterior nicely. The moving air promotes even heating and crisping without the need for much or sometimes any oil.

Many new ovens nowadays come with a dedicated air fry mode. But even without a specific setting, you can still air fry in a regular convection capable oven. The key is setting the temperature high, around 375-400°F, to get that crispy exterior.

Benefits of Air Frying Turkey

Cooking turkey in your oven’s air fry mode offers several benefits

• Faster cooking – The circulating hot air cooks the turkey much faster than traditional oven roasting. You can cut down cooking time by about 30%.

• Crispier skin – The high heat and constant air flow helps the turkey skin get extremely crispy and browned.

• Juicy meat – Despite the higher heat, the turkey meat stays very moist and tender when air fried.

• Less oil needed – You only need a little oil to get a nice browned turkey, versus basting repeatedly with fatty pan juices.

• Free up oven space – With the turkey done faster, your oven is free sooner for cooking sides.

Tips for Air Frying Turkey

Follow these tips to get perfect results air frying your Thanksgiving turkey:

• Completely thaw – Ensure the turkey is fully thawed before air frying. Do not cook a frozen turkey.

• Dry thoroughly – Pat the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels. Moisture can impede browning.

• Use a rack – Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. This allows air flow all around.

• Brush with oil – Lightly coat turkey with a little vegetable or olive oil to help get crispy skin.

• Season well – Rub the turkey inside and out with a salt and pepper or favorite seasoning.

• Cook at 400°F – Pre-heat oven to 400°F then lower temp to 375°F after placing turkey inside.

• Flip halfway – Rotate the roasting pan and flip turkey halfway during cooking.

• Check temp – Use a meat thermometer to verify 165°F in thickest part when done.

• Rest before carving – Let turkey rest at least 15 minutes before slicing for juicy meat.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these simple steps for air frying a turkey in your oven:

1. If frozen, thaw turkey completely in fridge 1-2 days ahead. Remove giblets and neck.

2. Pat turkey dry inside and out with paper towels. Place breast side up on roasting rack in pan.

3. Lightly brush or rub olive oil all over turkey. Season generously with salt, pepper and other spices or herbs.

4. Preheat oven to 400°F. Carefully place turkey pan in oven. Lower temp to 375°F once turkey is in.

5. Roast turkey for about 18-20 minutes per pound. For a 15 lb turkey, roast for 4-4.5 hours total.

6. Flip and rotate turkey halfway during cooking for even browning.

7. Check temperature in thickest part of thigh, should be 165°F when done.

8. Remove turkey from oven, tent with foil and let rest 15-20 minutes before carving.

9. Carve turkey and serve immediately. Enjoy your moist, tender and crispy air fried turkey!

So go ahead and take advantage of your oven’s air fry setting to make the best turkey yet this Thanksgiving! Your guests will be amazed at how juicy the meat is and how incredibly crispy the skin turns out.