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Air fryers are the most popular kitchen appliance at the moment, especially with the cost of living crisis. Over the last few months, Express.co.uk has revealed the many things you can cook in an air fryer, and there’s no reason not to use it over the festive period. Gary Ellis, Director at CE Safety shared his tips for cooking a turkey – both in an oven and air fryer.
How to cook a turkey in an air fryer
Gary said: “Air fryers are very popular at the moment, and yes, you can cook your turkey in an air fryer if it will fit in!”
The first issue when cooking a turkey in the air fryer is the size of the bird compared to the basket. When roasting poultry, the bigger the air fryer, the better.
If the air fryer is smaller than 5.7l, you might struggle to fit a turkey inside. Some air fryer users claim to have cooked whole chickens in a 5.7l air fryer, so a small turkey or a turkey crown could fit.
As for how you cook a turkey in an air fryer, you want to season the meat first.
Use some olive oil, herbs and butter to keep the meat moist and tender, and season it will salt and pepper.
Add butter underneath the skin of the bird, especially on the breast to stop it from drying out.
Gary added: ”Put the turkey in the fryer with the breast facing down and cook it for 20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
“Then turn it over and cook it again for another 10-15 minutes.” (This depends on the size of the turkey).
Gary advises: “To check that it’s fully cooked, insert a food thermometer into the thickest part of the meat and ensure the temperature is above 75 degrees Celsius.”
Once the turkey is cooked, take it out and leave it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing it up and serving it with gravy, cranberry sauce and roast potatoes.
Pigs in blankets can also be cooked in the air fryer, and it also saves space in the oven.
Put the sausages wrapped in bacon in the basket on air fry mode for 10-12 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
To ensure they are cooked evenly, shake the basket halfway through so all sides are browned.
How to cook a turkey in an oven
The usual times for cooking a turkey are:
8–10 lbs, 1hr 45mins – 2hrs 15mins
10–12 lbs, 2hrs 15mins – 2hrs 30mins
12–14 lbs, 2hrs 30mins – 3hrs
14–16 lbs, 3hrs – 3hrs 30 mins
16–18 lbs, 3hrs 30mins – 4 hrs
18–20 lbs, 4hrs – 4hrs 15mins
Can you cook a turkey from frozen?
Gary explained: “Yes, you can cook a turkey fully frozen or partially, usually allowing around 25-50 percent longer cooking time than a thawed bird.
“The key is to ensure that the turkey doesn’t linger within the danger zone for food poisoning (between four and 60 degrees Celsius) for an extended amount of time.
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