The Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer: Revolutionary Turkey Cooking Without the Oil

Char-Broil’s Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer delivers the coveted juicy meat and crispy skin of deep-fried turkey without the hassle, expense, and safety concerns of traditional turkey fryers. This innovative appliance uses powerful infrared technology to create results that rival deep-fried turkey while offering significant advantages in safety, convenience, and healthier cooking.

How The Big Easy Works

Designed to mimic the appearance of a traditional turkey fryer, the Big Easy features a specialized “cage” for holding poultry and large cuts of meat. The key difference lies in its cooking technology. Instead of immersing food in gallons of hot oil, the Big Easy uses a powerful 18,000 BTU infrared burner arranged in a ring around the lower portion of the cooking chamber.

This circular burner design ensures even heat distribution at approximately 360°F—the ideal temperature for roasting turkey to perfection. Similar to a rotisserie but without requiring rotation, the infrared technology ensures that heat penetrates meat evenly from all sides, creating juicy, flavorful results with a beautifully crisp exterior.

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Advantages Over Traditional Deep Fryers

Safety First

One of the most compelling benefits of the Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer is safety. Traditional turkey fryers are notorious for causing household fires and severe burns due to spillovers, splatters, and the inherent dangers of managing large quantities of hot oil. The Big Easy eliminates these hazards entirely while still delivering exceptional results.

Simplified Operation

Using the Big Easy couldn’t be more straightforward—simply place your seasoned meat in the cooking basket, lower it into the chamber, and turn on the propane burner. Unlike deep fryers that require careful temperature monitoring and precise timing, the Big Easy offers a more forgiving cooking experience with minimal supervision required.

Enhanced Flavor Options

Another significant advantage is the ability to use marinades, rubs, and injectable flavoring solutions without dilution. Deep fryers limit seasoning options as many ingredients would be washed away in the oil. With the Big Easy, your flavor enhancements remain intact, allowing for more creative and flavorful preparations.

Healthier Results

By eliminating cooking oil, the Big Easy produces results with significantly lower fat content than traditional deep-fried foods. This healthier cooking method delivers the crispy exterior and juicy interior people love about fried foods without the added calories and fat from oil absorption.

Versatility Beyond Turkey

While marketed primarily as a turkey fryer alternative, the Big Easy excels at cooking a wide variety of meats and large cuts:

• Prime Rib Roasts: Achieves a perfect medium-rare interior with a flavorful crust
• Whole Chickens: Produces rotisserie-quality results in less time
• Pork Shoulders: Creates tender, flavorful pulled pork with minimal effort
• Leg of Lamb: Evenly cooks this sometimes challenging cut to perfection
• Beef Brisket: Offers a faster alternative to traditional smoking methods

This versatility makes the Big Easy a valuable addition to your outdoor cooking arsenal year-round, not just during holiday turkey season.

Specifications

• Heat Source: 18,000 BTU propane-powered infrared burner
• Cooking Temperature: Approximately 360°F
• Capacity: Up to a 16 lb turkey
• Construction: Powder-coated steel with stainless steel cooking basket
• Dimensions: 16.3″ W x 20.8″ D x 23.4″ H
• Weight: 30 pounds
• Fuel: Standard propane tank (not included)

Our Hands-On Experience

After extensive testing with various meats and preparation methods, we’ve found the Big Easy consistently delivers excellent results with minimal effort. Turkey cooked in this appliance develops beautifully crisp skin while maintaining exceptionally juicy meat—results that genuinely rival traditional deep-fried turkey in blind taste tests.

The learning curve is minimal, with most users mastering the cooking process on their first attempt. Clean-up is straightforward compared to the messy oil disposal required with traditional fryers, and the unit’s durability suggests it will provide many years of reliable service.

For visual learners, Char-Broil provides excellent demonstration videos showing the Big Easy in action:

Final Verdict

The Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer represents an excellent investment for anyone who enjoys the taste of fried turkey but has been deterred by the safety concerns, mess, and expense of traditional deep fryers. Its versatility for cooking various large cuts of meat extends its value beyond holiday use, making it a practical addition to your outdoor cooking collection.

By combining the best aspects of roasting and frying in one convenient appliance, the Big Easy delivers exceptional results with dramatically reduced effort and risk. For busy cooks who value both flavor and safety, this innovative cooker offers an ideal solution to holiday meal preparation and year-round entertaining.

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Chris Johns

Chris is the founder of BBQ Report® and has been an avid barbecue fan for over 20 years. His mission is to make grilling and smoking the best food possible easy for everyone. And each year, he continues to help more people with grilling, smoking, and barbecue recipe recommendations.