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It’s the kitchen appliance that keeps on giving.
The air fryer is gearing up to be the star of Thanksgiving dinner this year as the mini convection oven becomes a must-have holiday hack for a cooking a juicy, delicious turkey in a timely manner. Butterball hotline attendants have been flooded with inquires about how to cook air fryer turkeys in recent years, so they’ve been told to answer culinary questions via phone call or text message.
It’s a sign of the convenient cooking times. Air fryer usage is up more than 60% in the past two years, according to data from market research firm NPD Group. And the popular countertop staple is taking flight on social media too with the hashtag “air fryer” searched more than 5 billion times on TikTok alone, and #AirFryerTurkey has garnered more than 925,000 views on the video sharing app.
“Anything you make in the oven can be done in the air fryer — it just does it faster,” Aly Walansky, a New York City-based food writer who recently experimented with air frying a turkey breast told The Post, advising readers to invest in a large air fryer if they want to cook the entire bird.
“Because air fryers work with a basket that drains out the fat and drippings, it’s easy to use that basket to make the gravy after you’re done,” she added.
For smaller air fryers, Butterball gave The Post instructions for preparing an air fried turkey breast. The company recommends that at-home cooks thaw out the bird first, then remove the ribcage with kitchen shears and prepare the breast with preferred seasonings and cooking spray.
Next, with the temperature set to 400 degrees, place the breast in the air fryer basket, skin side up and prepare to cook for 45 to 60 minutes until the temperature of the bird is at 165. Let the turkey stand for 10 minutes before carving, Butterball advises.
“This new trend gets you quick and crispy turkey in no time. Use this technique for smaller sized turkey,” Butterball captioned a YouTube video tutorial for air fried turkeys.
Donatella Arpaia, a chef and partner at Noma Beach at Redfish in Miami, says that the bird should be cooked seven to 10 minutes per pound and suggests adding butter under the skin.
“Use a lot of olive oil, butter and your favorite seasoning for air fryer turkeys that are juicy on the inside with crispy skin,” Arpaia said, explaining: “Remember to cook and flip. When it’s done let it rest in the air fryer to 10 minutes before slicing.”
Sides also play a supporting role in the air fryer, Arpaia said encouraging home cooks to toss in Brussels sprouts, green beans and potatoes for crisp accompaniments to turkey.
“I love roasting sweet potatoes or root vegetables — Brussels sprouts come out perfectly crispy,” Arpaia told The Post. “Remember less is more. Too much oil in air fryer makes vegetables soggy.”
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