To some, Thanksgiving sides are the stars of the show. Turkey can be dry, overcooked, and flavorless if not done right. However, deep-fried turkey is here to change the game. Crispy, juicy, and downright tasty, a deep-fried turkey can finally compete with mashed potatoes and stuffing. Frying a turkey is no small feat, and things can go really wrong in an instant. If you decide to take the plunge to deep-fried turkey, you’ll need a fryer that’s up to the task.
But never fear; you’ll learn all you need to know when choosing a turkey fryer, including what to know about propane versus electric fryers, indoor versus outdoor frying, and what size is right for you and your gathering. We tested more turkey fryers than we can count, and these are the eight fryers that will give you the best deep-fried turkey that everyone will be talking about all year.
About Our Tests
To accurately test our fryers, we cooked 12 to 14-pound turkeys in each turkey fryer, assessing a range of attributes during the entire process. We paid special attention to the setup, heat retention and performance, safety features, and the final cleanup. We also analyzed the texture and meat of the cooked birds, since we want you to have the perfect holiday meal. We also recorded our thoughts on size, extra features, and the fryer’s versatility. Here’s how we determined the best:
- Setup: Was it easy to get the fryer assembled and start cooking? Could a novice put it together without thorough instruction? And would you need to do a store run for other materials?
- Performance: How long did it take the oil get to our desired temperature? And how long did it take to get back to temperature after we dropped the turkey in? How long did it take to get the turkey to 165°F?
- Taste: Was the final skin crispy, but not oily? Did the bird stay moist?
- Features: Are there any safety features to speak of, and if so, would they keep you safe? Could you get the oil to an exact temperature? Did the fryer come with any accessories to make the cooking easier?
- Cleanup: How easy or hard was it to drain the cooled oil, and how long did it take to cool enough for handling? Was it easy to clean out the interior after emptying? Would you have to wash everything outside or were some pieces dishwasher-safe?
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Why It’s Great: Easy to set up; great heat conduction; can handle up to an 18-pound turkey
Grain of Salt: Doesn’t come with a burner
The sound conduction and thoughtful accessories are two reasons why we love this Bayou Classic turkey fryer. The kit contains a pot, basket, rack, lift hook, seasoning injector, skewers, and a thermometer range of 50 to 750°F. This doesn’t come with a burner, so assembly is a snap. However, you would have to incur the extra cost of the burner to set this up entirely.
Even without a temperature setting, it took us just under 45 minutes to heat the oil to 350°F, and once we dropped the bird in, it bounced back quickly and hit 350°F again after 22 minutes. But most importantly, the meat was delicious and the skin was very crispy with no residual oil, which is exactly what you’re looking for with a deep-fried turkey.
The pot itself is deep, but the walls are thin. This might be an issue if you’re pushing the 18-pound limit. Otherwise, we could see someone using this for more than just frying; it’d be the perfect vessel for seafood boils and home brewing.
The Details: 14 x 14 x 18 inches; 32-quart capacity; works with propane
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Why It’s Great: Consistent temperature; easy to assemble; big enough for a 13-pound turkey
Grain of Salt: Ignition can shut off sporadically
If you’re looking to dip your toe into the wild world of turkey-frying, but aren’t sure if you’ll use it for years, a budget-friendly pick like this Bayou Classic 30-Quart Aluminum Turkey Fryer Pot is a great choice. For under $100, you get a pot big enough for a 13-pound turkey or any other large-scale frying project. Plus, we loved how easy it was to put together.
One drawback during our tests was we noticed that the ignition shut off several times. We had to relight the ignitor three times due to its internal timer and auto shut-off feature. Once on, this fryer heated consistently and quickly. It did take an average amount of time to come to temperature initially, and again after we dropped the turkey, but the oil temperature was highly accurate.
The Details: 11.6 x 15.4 inches; 30-quart capacity; works with propane
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Why It’s Great: Large capacity; extra features; can handle up to a 20-pound bird
Grain of Salt: Difficult to clean
Up until recently, it may have seemed like the only way to get that perfectly cooked and deep-fried turkey was with a colossal propane setup outdoors, leaving anyone without outdoor space in the dust. Enter the Masterbuilt XL Electric Fryer. This absolute mammoth of a deep fryer is here to solve all your indoor turkey frying woes. This model fits comfortably on your tabletop but can accommodate up to a 20-pound bird. It is an excellent value if you enjoy entertaining or just love having more than enough turkey.
This has some extra features that sealed the deal for us. The fryer notifies you when the set temperature is reached with a green light—there’s a red light when it’s heating—making it easy to know when to drop your turkey. We loved the built-in oil filtration system and spigot but, once clean-up came around, we realized that not all the oil came out. We ended up having to detach the bowl, making clean-up more difficult.
Most importantly, when it came time to taste, we were thrilled! This fryer created a crispy skin, with super juicy meat when we cut into it.
The Details: 16.46 x 18.43 x 14.8 inches; 10-liter capacity; works with electric; 1650 watts
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Why It’s Great: Versatile; easy to use; includes a burner
Grain of Salt: Struggles to maintain temperature
Look no further than the King Kooker Outdoor Turkey Fryer for a full outdoor turkey-frying experience. It has all you need to fry the perfect turkey, including a lid, rack, and temperature gauge. Not only does it fry a mean turkey, but we loved how versatile this fryer is. Not only can it handle a 20-pound turkey, but it can also handle the large amounts of water necessary for a seafood boil. So it’ll come in handy for more than just Thanksgiving. The setup was also super easy, so it’s suitable for beginners and culinary professionals alike.
What disappointed us was how much this struggled to maintain temperature. In our tests, it took a while for the fryer to reach the desired temperature, and it dropped almost 60 degrees once we put in the 10-pound bird. Then, it took 20 more minutes to get back to the desired temperature with the turkey inside.
The Details: 13.38 x 13.38 x 27.5 inches; 29-quart capacity; works with propane; 38,000 BTUs
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Why It’s Great: Great heat retention; large capacity; comes with everything you’d need
Grain of Salt: Difficult to assemble
This fryer got five stars for size; it impressed us by accommodating the bird in stride with no overflow or spillage. It was also the only fryer we tested that received a 5 out of 5 in our heat-retention tests. It reached the desired 350°F temperature much faster than we expected. It also only dropped about 20 degrees once we added the bird. Shockingly, it only took about 10 minutes to climb back up to 350, something many other fryers struggled with. Once the bird was out, we were very satisfied with the quality of the meat—moist but not oily, with extra crispy skin. Because of this, We absolutely would recommend this fryer to family and friends. Its performance was bolstered by its functionality, heat retention, size, and ‘bang for your buck.’
Once you get this fryer up and running, it’s a snap to use. But getting to that point is a feat. Setting up this fryer was frustrating due to the complexity of assembling the stand. It took us much longer to set up than the instructions said, and in the end, the stand was still not as secure as they had hoped.
The Details: 16 x 16 x 21 inches; 44-quart capacity; works with propane
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Why It’s Great: Safety features; extra equipment; great performance on smaller birds
Grain of Salt: Heat retention
When you think of deep frying a turkey, you might conjure a picture of a massive turkey in front of a table of 20 or more. But you can still enjoy a deep-fried turkey for only a few people. This CreoleFeast Turkey Fryer Set is best suited for a 10-12 pound turkey or smaller—perfect for a smaller table. Plus, it comes with an additional 10-quart pan and strainers that can be used for seafood boils and more.
This fryer yielded one of the juiciest results, and it’s great for other smaller dishes, like fish and chips. It’s perfect for any level of home cook! We also loved this model’s safety features; it has a lip on the base, so it can’t be easily knocked over. However, we weren’t impressed with its heat retention. The temperature dropped significantly when we added the bird, and it never returned to 350°F though it stayed consistent throughout the cook, just under temperature. In under 45 minutes, the turkey reached a safe internal temperature of 165°F, about average for the fryers we tested.
The Details: 18.98 x 16.69 x 13.86 inches; 30-quart capacity; works with propane; 50,000 BTUs
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Why It’s Great: Versatile; large capacity; good performance
Grain of Salt: Gets very hot
If you’re a lover of air-fryers or just interested in a crispy-skinned turkey without the oil, then the Char-Broil “The Big Easy” Oil-Less Turkey Fryer is the fryer for you. Since this is oilless, it can double as an outdoor roaster for things like pork tenderloin or even ribs, making it perfect for summertime outdoor parties. In addition, omitting the oil makes this fryer cheaper in the long run, and saves time by eliminating the oil draining step. The result of oilless frying was a moist turkey with no flavor imparted by the fat.
We loved the large baskets noting that they could accommodate many different sizes of turkeys and other meats, earning it a 4 out of 5 in both our sizing and features metrics. In terms of safety, we were disappointed in how hot the exterior of this setup is. There were several places on the fryer where one could get burned, especially the top of the fryer.
In addition to testing this in our lab, one of our writers took The Big Easy for a pre-Thanksgiving test-drive, and also found the exterior gets too hot during use. She liked that the fryer was easy enough to use and it quickly cooked a 7-pound turkey breast, though the assembly became bothersome. When compared to a turkey smoked on a pellet grill, the smoked turkey wins out, but this still made a delicious turkey.
The Details: 16.3 x 20.8 x 23.5 inches; work with propane; 16,000 BTUs
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PHOTO: Allrecipes / Russell Kilgore
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PHOTO: Allrecipes / Russell Kilgore
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Why It’s Great: Versatile; user-friendly; gets up to 450° Fahrenheit
Grain of Salt: Not large enough for a whole turkey breast
If you don’t always want to fry an entire turkey but would rather air-fry large turkey drumsticks, wings, and cutlets, turn to this Cuisinart toaster oven air fryer, a favorite of Allstar Nicole Russell. It can replace a couple of your countertop appliances and won’t get your kitchen as warm as turning on the oven will.
Since this uses an insertable rack and not a basket, you can cook more turkey at once. The air fry toaster oven heats up to 450° Fahrenheit, hot enough to get a beautifully crispy skin or to melt the cheese on a 12-inch pizza. It is a manual appliance—no fancy screens or digital displays here—but it’s designed to be extremely user-friendly. One of its drawbacks is that the air frying function can only work well with three pounds of meat or less, and the interior isn’t large enough to handle a full-size turkey breast.
The Details: 15.50 x 16 x 14 inches; 0.6 cubic foot interior; 1800 watts
Our Takeaway
Looking for a turkey fryer with all the features? Then you need our top pick, the Bayou Classic Stainless Steel Turkey Fryer. Anyone who wants to (sort of) air-fry their turkey or if you’re looking to cut down on the time, money, and mess, the Char-Broil ″The Big Easy″ Oil-Less Turkey Fryer is for you.
How to Pick the Right Turkey Fryer
Indoor vs. Outdoor
When deep-frying a turkey goes wrong…it goes really wrong. We’ve all seen the fail videos. Fires are a real possibility when working with turkey fryers, so be sure to refer to our guide on how to deep-fry a turkey for more safety tips. Most importantly, never, ever, use propane as fuel indoors.
You can deep-fry a turkey indoors if you use the proper fryer. While most turkey fryers are recommended for outdoor use only (and by outdoor, we don’t mean the deck or the garage), you can still deep fry a turkey if you don’t have outdoor space, like in an apartment or condo.
For anyone who can’t fry outdoors, countertop (i.e. electric) turkey fryers will be the safest option, and they can still give a good result. Plus, they don’t require a propane tank.
Size
The size of the turkey will depend on how many seats you have at the table. For a turkey to cook evenly, it needs to be fully submerged in oil. This means you’ll need a turkey fryer that can accommodate the size of your turkey, plus the amount of oil to cover it. If you know you need to fry a larger turkey, opt for an outdoor model as they tend to be larger.
Propane vs. Electric
Propane is probably what you envision when you think of outdoor turkey frying. Just like with an outdoor grill, you’ll need a decent-sized propane tank. The burner heats the oil in a large stockpot, which is used for frying the turkey. Propane turkey fryers can only be used outdoors!
Electric turkey fryers can be used indoors and tend to be a safer option than propane fryers. There’s no open flame or scalding-hot oil to monitor. Electric turkey fryers are essentially turkey-specific deep fryers. One major pro of using an electric fryer is that it features a thermostat control to keep a steady temperature. Plus, they often have an auto shut-off feature when the oil overheats. But because they require an electrical outlet, electric turkey fryers aren’t ideal for portable use.
BTUs
British Thermal Units (BTUs) refer to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit. Essentially, the higher the BTU, the more powerful the fryer and the less time it will take for the oil to come to temperature. Different fryers will have different BTUs, so keep this in mind while shopping for one.
Common Questions
How big of a deep fryer do I need for my turkey?
How big of a pot you’ll need depends on the size of your turkey. But a safe bet is about 30 quarts to ensure the turkey can be fully submerged and the oil won’t boil over. If you intend to fry a bird over 15 pounds, a larger pot is necessary.
How much oil do I need for my turkey fryer?
The exact amount of oil you’ll need to fry your turkey depends on the size of the bird and fryer. Regardless, buying between four and six gallons is on the safe side. Always err on the side of too much; it’s much better to have some leftover oil (homemade potato chips, anyone?) rather than not enough, creating an unsafe situation.
Which oil is best for my turkey fryer?
If food allergies aren’t a factor, peanut oil is by far the best oil for frying turkeys. It is actually a neutral-flavored oil, and won’t impart any flavors. Peanut oil excels here because it has a high smoke and flash point. This means it’s much safer and less likely to catch on fire or degrade when exposed to high temperatures for long periods. If you or a guest has a peanut allergy, safflower oil is a great substitute. It has the same smoke point as peanut oil.
How long does it take to deep-fry a turkey?
The amount of time it takes to deep fry a turkey varies widely with the size of the turkey. The process can take anywhere from half an hour to over 90 minutes. Shooting for about 3-4 minutes per pound is a good guideline. However, the internal temperature is much more critical and accurate than time. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part, usually the breast.
How long does it take to deep-fry a turkey in an oil-less fryer?
Just like air fryers and convection ovens, oilless fryers circulate hot air to cook and crisp the turkey. An oilless fryer is a happy medium if you’re looking for that classic crispy skin but without the added fat from the oil. They do take a bit longer than oil fryers, about 10 minutes per pound. Since oilless fryers also use propane as fuel, they are outside-only fryers.
Can you air-fry a turkey?
Kind of. Countertop air fryers aren’t big enough to fit an entire turkey, and you’ll need at least a 5-quart air fryer to fit a large turkey breast. But they can fit turkey parts like drumsticks, wings, or tenderloin. If you want to replicate an outdoor frying experience, the Char-Broil ″The Big Easy″ Oil-Less Turkey Fryer is like a gas-powered air fryer. Also, if your oven has a convection oven setting, that is essentially an air fryer.
Why Take Our Word for It?
Our professional Allrecipes product testers tackled this test. Each tester is uniquely qualified to test products due to their years of experience and passion for all things culinary. Our testers have an acutely attuned sense for what makes a fryer successful and razor-sharp palates to decern the best bite of turkey, even after 50 previous bites.
Nick DeSimone wrote and compiled this list. They have nearly a decade of experience cooking in professional restaurant kitchens. Nick has spent countless hours over a deep fryer in a restaurant setting, in addition to years of home cooking experience with Thanksgiving turkeys.
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