CB Cooks
The Big Easy Infrared Oil-Less Turkey Fryer. Deep Fried Turkey Taste Without the Mess!
This past weekend I had an amazing time cooking turkeys at a party. I used the brand new “The Big Easy” the oil-less turkey fryer that uses infrared energy instead of hot oil to “fry” the turkey. I cooked two big 12-13 pound turkey in about 90 minutes each. They were as juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside as any fried turkey I’ve ever tasted. And it was easy!
A 13 pound hen turkey lifted from The Big Easy after cooking.
The Big Easy turkey fryer from Char-Broil is an oil-less way to ‘fry’ a turkey that uses infrared technology instead of oil to safely deliver the same moist, crispy and flavorful results in less time start-to-finish as it takes to fry a turkey in a vat of scalding oil. No measuring oil to compensate for displacement of the turkey in the pot, no pre-heating of the oil to achieve the correct temperature. And most of all – no worries or hassles about what to do with the oil when you are finished!
Frying is one of the most popular and best-tasting ways to prepare a turkey. But frying a turkey in oil requires a lot of attention and a lot of prep work on both ends of the meal. The Big Easy gives turkey lovers an easy way to prepare delicious meals and it’s a healthy alternative. Turkeys cooked in The Big Easy are prepared the same way as in traditional fryers and can be injected with marinades. However, The Big Easy allows for the use of rubs and seasoning flavor to be used on the outside, which is not an option with traditional turkey fryers.
And The Big Easy actually does more than just fry turkeys it can also safely cook chicken, pork tenderloin, beef roast and most large cuts of meat up to 16 pounds, all in about eight to 10 minutes per pound. Because it’s oil-less, The Big Easy eliminates the dangers long associated with deep fryers, which pose severe burn and fire hazards to those using them.
You can drop a turkey in without any prep, use dry rubs on the outside, inject it with your favorite marinade, or do what I did. Here are some pictures:
Preparation
Placed two 12 & 13 pound hen turkeys into individual 2.5 gallon plastic food bags
Added a brine mixture of warm water, kosher salt, dry ginger and cumin. Stored overnight in the cooler.
Removed 1 turkey from brine, rinsed and seasoned the outside with a light brushing of peanut oil, salt and pepper. Placed the turkey in the basket with legs pointing down.
Inserted thermometer into thickest part of the breast.
Lowered basket with turkey into an un-heated The Big Easy, made sure it was properly connected to my propane tank and turned it on.
I placed the special infrared reflecting lid on The Big Easy and walked away.
I removed the lid at about 1 hour after the turkey breasts were browned nicely.
When the thermometer reached 160F degrees, or 10 degrees below my target temperature of 170F – I turned off The Big Easy, lifted the basket with the turkey out of the cooker and set it on my counter to rest. The internal temperature continued to rise to the target temperature.
That’s it. I removed the bird to a platter – using a sharp knife I removed all of the meat and served it along side platters of pulled pork, ribs and chicken that had been cooked on my host’s TEC Series 4 burner grill. Wow – this is a great product. I can hardly wait to cook a leg of lamb, roast beef, ham, chickens, and other larger cuts of meat in this cooker!
The only cleanup was to rinse off and gently scrub the basket – easy. And remove the grease tray to dispose of about 1 cup of fat and grease. I could have lined the tray with a food safe aluminum pan and used the grease to make gravy had it been Thanksgiving!
Man oh man – I love The Big Easy!
Want to know more? CLICK HERE for recipes that can be prepared in The Big Easy
could you cook a chicken with The Big Easy?
Wayne – absolutely! Several chickens, game hens, leg of lamb, pork roasts, even veggies! CB
Looks like a fun product, yet I can’t see my family purchasing something we’ll use only 2x a year
Rita – I think at first blush I felt the same way…but after using it I began to think of how easy it was to use and how I could use it for more than turkey…going to do a leg of lamb in it next week. Friends want to come over and try pork roasts and also roast beef. The point is that it’s just so easy to use, cooks (I think) better than an over and faster than most conventional ovens, cookers, fryers. AND no oil!!! – CB
I need a recipe for cooking pork roasts. I really love the Big Easy for turkey.
How much propane did The Big Easy use in cooking the turkeys … more or less than cooking other foods … i.e, steaks, hamburgers or regular grilling?
I found it used approximately the same amount as my grill on high for 90 minutes. I use a gauge on my tank and it appears to be about the same. Since I didn’t have to pre-heat any amount of time – as I would in a fryer to get the oil hot – and it cooked faster than a grill – I feel like there is a net savings for fuel. And because I didn’t have the expense of buying oil – even better. -CB
What else can you cook in “The Big Easy”? Is it litterally like frying or is that just because the skin gets crispy? Is the brine solution necessary for The Big Easy?
Thanks.
You can cook any large cut of meat that you might normally roast – or in the case of a turkey or chicken – deep fry. Large cuts like prime rib, roast beef, leg of veal, pork or lamb. One of the Char-Broil fellas sent me an email with pictures of the basket full of potatoes. So that means I could’ve roasted the “Giant Zucchini” in there…darn! The comparison to “frying” is primarily for those who enjoy deep fried turkey – The Big Easy delivers on the taste, and the crispy skin is one similarity – but the versatility of this cooker is that it doesn’t use oil so it delivers on taste without the mess or cost. I like to brine chicken and turkey, even if I am pan frying – that’s what mama did when she soaked the fried chicken in butter milk – but it is not necessary. You can season the outside of the meat, use a brine on pork or poultry, or inject flavors as you would any roasted meat. – CB
If you get the extra accessory basket, you can cook a roast or chicken in the big basket and wrap potatoes, corn, onions, etc, in foil and cook in the smaller basket that sits on top. absolutely a fantastic product. bought more for family members.
What are the power requirements for The Big Easy?
The Big Easy uses propane just like a gas grill. See the comment and my answer above. In my limited experience thus far – the propane usage is about the same as cooking on my grill for the same time. Since there is no pre-heating, especially those of you who use fryers and peanut oil that requires at least 30 minutes of preheating – and because the infrared cooks faster – I feel like there is a net savings on fuel. Not having to purchase oil or mess with the clean-up and disposal of oil, as well as the safety issues – well that is priceless in my book! – CB
Thanks for the heads up on The Big Easy – ordered – I cannot wait to try it out
CB, I would love to use it for turkey especially because of all of the hassles of a conventional deep fryer. However it is hard for me to plunk down that kind of money on what appears to be a unitasker. I know you said that you could do more with it. In the coming weeks, could you show us more dishes with it? It could get us fence sitters to move on it.
Being that it doesn’t use oil with an open flame, is it certified by Underwriters Laboratories? I know none of the conventional outddoor deep fryers are certified.
Johnny – I’m planning on the leg of lamb this week and I have some new pictures taken by a friend who roasted three chickens at one time – that I’ll post later this weekend. I am not aware of the UL status at this time. – CB
where do I find one, where do I order?
Charrell – you can order one today, online at Grill Lover’s. Here’s the link: CLICK HERE
- CB
Is it possible to use a natural gas conversion kit with this? If so, could I use the Charbroil kit sold at Lowes?
Paul, I checked with the product engineering team and their answer is clear:
“No – The Big Easy can not be converted to natural gas at this time. The Lowe’s kit will not work on The Big Easy but will work on appropriate Char-Broil grills that have the DUAL FUEL designation.”
Good question and if the answer changes, I’ll post it here! – CB
Can you cook fish?, ie fish with a tempura batter or just fillets
Dennis. Thanks for the great question. The answer is no, you would not be wise to try to cook fish with batter in The Big Easy as there is no oil. Batter requires the convection heating of hot oil. The Big Easy is oil-less. Infrared heat will certainly cook a large piece of fish…say a salmon, large piece of halibut or other fish “roast” — but infrared heat does not act the exact same as oil frying. – CB
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The Big Easy…
I was really expecting this nifty new device to be released next year, but it makes sense that Char-Broil would want The Big Easy released this year before the holiday season. With the Char-Broil rolling roadshow going full steam ahead……
Can you cook with stuffing in the turkey?
Carlo, Thanks for the question. I would recommend against stuffing the turkey before cooking in The Big Easy. Most advisories these days recommend against cooking stuffing in turkeys – regardless of the process by which they are cooked. – CB
I think I prefer the Camp Chef cast iron cooker with an internal center cone that delivers heat into the cooker as well.
click on the image to get a full description of the product that Dennis is referencing
Dennis – thanks for the post.
The key feature of The Big Easy is it cooks HOT with infrared ENERGY – and that sears the outside of the roast or skin of the turkey, sealing in moisture as the infrared heat penetrates the meat. The traditional method of “roasting†in an oven or outdoor grill uses dry air. And while heated dry air certainly does roast the meat, it does so in a different way and prolonged exposure to dry hot air can actually dry out the meat. The Big Easy is designed to allow hot air to escape – cooking with 100% infrared energy it could theoretically cook the turkey in a vacuum – thus the drying that usually occurs with hot air in an oven, a roaster, or even this cast iron product is avoided.
The hot oil of a turkey fryer cooks fast and seals in moisture and, if the oil is the correct temperature, very little oil actually gets into the bird. But there is mess, expense and some danger of burns or worse. The Big Easy is designed to replicate the great flavor of frying turkey – but with no oil and a bit more efficient than a gas burner for the fryer, since infrared uses less energy overall: no warm-up time and less energy to create the infrared, with very little wasted energy.
Hey and this cast iron roaster costs over a $100 bucks. The Big Easy is just a couple bucks more and no cost of oil to fry, and it can accommodate up to a 16 lb turkey! Thanks for the idea though – - but isn’t the size a bit small for turkey? I think it would be great for chicken or roasts – do you have any pictures of food you’ve cooked in it? -CB
i put jumbo shrimp on wire and hang them around the side turn out gr8. i hang thick cut pork chops with fish hocks works gr8.
I love the big easy cooking with Turkey. Do you have any ideas on Venison?
Shane, a reader contributed his recipe for preparing venison…CB
CB, Just got back from the deer woods, and did cook my hindquarter and when I got back from my afternoon hunt, my guys had taken my hindquarter and left me nothing but a bag of bones. The small amount that was let was fantastic. I brined the venison for 18 hours in water, salt, brown sugar, pepper corns, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves. I washed all the exterior salt off of the meat then injected it with Cajun Injector’s Garlic Butter. I then larded it with smoked thick sliced bacon all over the deer ham. I cooked to a 170º by thermometer and it was wonderful. As you know venison is a very dry meat and the bacon and CI’s Garlic Butter really put some flavor plus moistness in the meat. I promise I will take some pics in November and send you some of them. The Big Easy is a great piece of equipment and so easy to take along where ever you go. I love this thing.
Hi CB, Bought two of these units the other day. Question, the Control Knob on the lower front of unit, do you just set it on the highest point and let ‘er rip, or did you lower the flame at all to cook your turkey? Reason I’m asking, we cooked an 8 pound rib roast to 150 degrees, inside was heaven but outside was charred pretty black. Only left the “lid” on for the first 15 minutes, so that wasn’t the problem. I guess it’s ok if we have a charred turkey (I’m sure insides will be juicy and tender), but your pics look so golden and beautiful. Char Broil customer service had no answer for me. Maybe it’s not even possible to lower the flame, there is absolutely no reference to this that I can find anywhere. Thanks for any input.
Teddy, thanks for your post and great question. There is some minor control and you can adjust it by turning it closest to the “off” position, that will lower the output somewhat. This is a great idea – and I am forwarding all comments from readers to Char-Broil, where the engineers and product gurus are reading and discussing. This product was originally designed to do one thing, cook turkeys. But so many of us have started using it for other meat, they are really interested in hearing from us.
Let me ask a couple of questions on the roast…
- Did you oil the surface? that sometimes can add to the blackening I’ve noticed.
- Was the roast placed vertically or side-to-side, as I’ve found that by centering the meat I get a “rotisserie” effect – with infrared energy hitting it from all sides as evenly as possible.
- The other question is about prepping time. Was the roast at room temperature before placing in a cold (off) cooking chamber? If the roast was straight from the fridge that can add to the cooking time for the center – while the outer edges over cook.
Thanks for posting this question! CB
CB, thank you so much for the input. On the roast, I purchased it at the meat counter and it sat on my counter for a little over an hour prior to cooking. HOWEVER, we did the ’seasoning and burn the residue off” thing for 15 minutes prior to putting the roast in, so the cooker was hot hot hot when my husband lowered the roast into the pot. I shmeared A-1 sauce around the roast, sprinkled liberally with garlic salt and fresh cracked pepper, and stood it on end, upright. No oil, but I imagine the A-1 has a bit of sugar in it that might react the same way. Good point, thanks. Also, the rib bones were still attached to the roast, which I imagine may have lengthened the cooking time a bit. Oh my gosh that roast is good! Had leftovers again last night, and lunch with it today. So when you cooked your turkeys, you had the Control Knob turned all the way to the On position then? Thanks for your time. Teddy
Teddy, it’s my pleasure! Gee – where else can a fella talk about food all day? And meet such great people? I think the A-1 definitely added to the problem – I’d put anything like that (sauces, glazes, etc.) on at the end (last 10 minutes) of any grilling, roasting or rotisserie cooking. The sugar content definitely over heats.
Putting a “room temp” roast into a hot cooker shouldn’t make that big of difference. But you might try it cold next time, just to see. Remember it’s the infrared energy that’s cooking things, so no pre-heating necessary.
I don’t know about the bones – in fact I generally think getting them hot on a regular grill is one way to ensure the “inside” of the meat cooks equally to the rest. So…without actually being there – I can’t say for certain.
I wonder if checking it at diffferent points — as you get to know the cooker – will help you kinda get your ‘Mojo’ working on it!
Send a pix of your next project please! – CB
I just saw this ad, and wish I would have seen earlier.
I look forward to getting one early next year.
I do really hope the engineers realize what a huge market there is for an even more versatile device like this…I.e. for cooking other meats and veggies etc…
so hopefully PHASE 2 will be out with adjustable heat and other meat hangers etc.. ( a fish smoker attachment would be awesome for all the tuna we catch too)
Matt – thanks for the post. I know the early enthusiasm for The Big Easy is pretty overwhelming. And with amazing creativity people are coming up with all manner of new ideas for preparing different cuts of meat. So…who knows what may be developed in response to how folks use it! – CB
What is the cleaning process for The Big Easy?
Michelle, Thanks for a very important question. I will share my experience with the product. I’ve found that the basket gets gunk on it – similar to what happens when you cook a roast in the oven using one of those wire frames to support it. To clean the basket I just use some warm soapy water and a scratch-less cleaning pad. It seems to come right off. Of course I do this after each use.
The cooking chamber is removable (something you noticed when you assembled your cooker.) I’ve found that the sides get a little smoky looking – but nothing really sticks to them, as it burns off from the intense heat of the infrared. The bottom of the cooking chamber does get some gunk on it – though much of it drains out the hole in the bottom. To clean the chamber I just fill the sink with warm soapy water and place the chamber in with the bottom in the sink. The drain hole of the chamber allows water to come in and I let it soak for a bit – then use a scratch-less pad and remove it. I’m not too worried about getting it perfect…but it seems to come pretty darn clean.
As for the outside, I use the same scratch-less pad to clean the rim when the unit is cool. Most of it comes off.
The grease tray is easily drained after cooking when it is cooled a bit. And I’ve used the same warm soapy water and scratch-less pad to finish the job. If you like to save the drippings for making gravy then you should use a food safe tray, say aluminum or glass, that fits and can be removed.
Does this help? – CB
CB,
I am a home brewer – we use a traditional propane turkey fryer burner and stock pot to heat and boil the wort prior to fermentation. The problem is the same as that for turkey frying, the pot is somewhat dangerous due to the hazard of it tipping off of the burner. Can the Big Easy be used for boiling water? My initial thought is that the burner might be too small for this… please advise. Thank you
Todd…thanks for your post. [And just as an aside, I worked at a hop processing plant in Moxee, WA a long-long-long time ago!] NO – The Big Easy is specifically for cooking larger cuts of meat and in some cases vegetables. It uses infrared energy which cooks things differently than you will need to boil water – sorry! But – if you ever need a special “taster” – I know some volunteers! – CB
TODD
I HAVE SEVERAL GAS BURNERS FROM OVER THE YEARS. THE LAST ONE I PURCHASED IS SQUARE WITH 4 LEGS. IT IS A “BAYOU CLASSIC” AND THEY CALL IT A Single Burner Patio Stove. http://www.bayouclassicfryers.com/patio-stoves.shtml
THIS UNIT IS A BIT SHORTER AND A LOT MORE STABLE. EVEN BETTER WITH A WIDER POT THAN THE ONES THAT COME WITH MOST TURKEY FRYERS.
I SEE I’M A FEW MONTHS BEHIND ON THIS, I HOPE YOU GET IT.
I WILL HAVE CB SEE IF HE CAN GET IT TO YOU.
TERRY “WAY DOWN IN ALABAMA”
do you set the control knob to one position,a &do you put turkey in unit breast down or which way to set bird in basket and where to put therm,in turkey.
James, Thanks for the post and the question. Currently the contol knob has some slight adjustment for volume and that affects the output slightly.
As the directions in the unit suggest and the pictures (above) show – put the breast end up – that means legs pointing down. And the constant read thermometer goes in the thickest part of the breast meat.
I also recommend using an instant read thermometer to check the thighs and other sections of the turkey at about 1 hour. This way you begin to get a sense of what is happening inside and can measure it – adding to your “turkey” mojo. – CB
Hello CB,
Questions, Can you do Beer can Turkey with the special Beer can holder in the provided rack to moisten the meat inside?
What about smoking some wood chips inside the Big Easy?
How Crisp is the Skin of the Turkey after cooking and settling? I just wonder if the “Wings” will be as tasty as the pictures seem? I would like to do a rack of Turkey wings and serve them at parties.
Can you spray Pam on the insides of the Big Easy to make things non-stick for easy clean up?
Last, this weekend Fry’s is selling the Big Easy for $99.99 and I am thinking of getting it.
I await you comments with anticipation ! Thanks and Cheers.
Leonard, thanks for the post and questions. Yes, you can do Beer-Can Turkey, or chicken for that matter, in The Big Easy, Because it uses infrared energy emitted from the sides of the cooker – the can doesn’t heat quite the same – but enough heat is generated as a by-product of the cooking to steam the beer or other liquid.
Wood chips are a different matter. You could place “chunks” in the bottom of the basket and they would certainly smolder. Chips not so much. But remember the infrared energy cooks differently than a regular oven or closed grill – so don’t block the pathway to the meat. The meat cooks from being “hit” with the infrared energy.
Think of holding your hand in the sunshine on a cold day – with no wind that is – your hand will warm by the sun even though the actual outside temperature is cold. The infrared energy comming from the sun “hits” your hand and caused heat to occur. If you hold a newspaper between the sun and your hand – the hand gets cold. Same thing in The Big Easy,
The skin on turkey and chicken I’ve cooked is crisp – all because of the infrared effect mentioned just above.
I do not recommend preparing a “flat rack” of wings. You possibly could do a vertical rack – say like those used to hold fish or burgers on a grill – but placed vertically so the infrared hits it on both sides – THE PROBLEM with that techinique is the wings closer to the sides will be cooked faster than the wings in the center of the basket….most likely too much work.
Pam or some other similar oil is recommend to be sprayed on the inside of the cooking chamber before the first use as a “warm-up” or curing stage. Only about 10 minutes will do – BUT First take 15 minutes or so and heat it up without any oil or food to ensure all of the coatings used in manufacturing are burnt off.
I only know of The Big Easy as being available at Lowe’s (limited markets)and GrillLovers.com – I’m not sure if the product being advertised at Fry’s is the same one- if it is Buy a truckload, they are selling like hotcakes!
Happy Grilling! – CB
Hi CB,
Where can I find other recipes for roasts, potatoes, or hams. I just put my Big easy together and am ready to cook!
Hiya Scott! – thanks for your post and question. This is a pretty complex cooking machine you have there. What you want to do is run the cooker for a few minutes – to ensure all of the oils, etc. used during manufacturing are burnt off. After it cools back down, spray or coat the inside of the cooking chamber with a little cooking oil like PAM or other high smoke-point vegetable oil.
Then….experiment!
Seriously – if you start with a turkey or other larger cut of meat (like the ones that readers, guest chefs and even I have been trying out the past month or so) you’ll start to get the hang of it. Just remember that infrared heat is different that anything you’ve probably cooked with before. It directly hits the meat to be cooked and that’s what starts the cooking process – it’s not about heating air or metal first, like a regular oven or even most gas grills.
So don’t place anything between the sides of the cooker and the meat to be cooked (that explains why the cooking basket is a pretty thin frame.
You can inject the roast with flavorings, if you like such things. You can use dry rub seasonings. You can cook fish, poultry, game, beef, pork, and even vegetables – using your handy instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature as the item cooks – to see if the internal temperature is reaching the desired level. And remember internal temperature continues to rise about 5-10F degrees after removing the item from the cooker.
So check the Guest Chef, CB Cooks and Reader Recipes on the top right-hand side of the web pages on this site. There will be plenty of recipes or ideas to get you going! – CB
CB,
What an awesome piece of equipment!!!!!!!!
I’ve had my BIG EASY for about two months now. The first use was a leg of lamb. The BEST!
The second time I wanted to use it I was trying to figure out how to do two chickens at once. Lo and behold the same day I saw the Bunk-Bed chicken. That saved the day and made my friends drool.
The last time was to mimic the meatloaf and baked potato dinner. Another winner.
Thanksgiving is coming, and guess how my turkey is going to be cooked?
John…I think most readers would agree with me when I write –
Thanks for a great post – hope you are having a great Thanksgiving. Send us a picture? – CB
Has anyone done a beer-can chicken in the Big Easy? Would it make sense to try something like that?
Just got mine and want to do a “first cook” before Thanksgiving.
Cheers.
Chris
Chris – several comments and posts about this. Pretty much the same technique as you’d use on a grill. Just remember the infrared energy comes mostly from the sides – so the can will heat a bit differently – give it a shot and share your pix! – CB
Hi All,
Just about to put a boneless pork roast in (~4lbs). What is the best way to put it in the basket? Stand on end or lay it flat?
Thanks.
Chris
Chris – thanks for the post and question – sorry I wasn’t able to get back to you sooner. Think of the cooking chamber as a rotisserie chamber – with the infrared energy coming at the meat from all sides of the chamber but not the bottom. The hot air escaping is an undesirable by-product that you don’t want around your food because it dries it out…so vertical is always better. That’s also why I don’t recommend laying a bunch small chicken wings on the bottom of the cooking rack…it just isn’t made for this.
In a couple of my posts you can see where I rigged up a rotisserie spit (I think the duck recipe in particular) and that seemed to work very well. -CB
OK just finished dinner. Pork roast was done nicely – I think I could have pulled it about 5 minutes earlier but meat was done and had a nice brown outside.
I am definitely looking forward to playing with this toy.
Chris
Glad it worked out for you. Keep us all posted as you experiment with this new infrared cooker. There is absolutely nothing like it on the market – not just the oil-less turkey frying but the way the infrared is generated and is emitted to hit the meat.
I can’t wait until the new Char-Broil infrared grills are announced this Spring!!!
- CB
Got this over the weekend and couldn’t wait to use it. Took your advice to brine a chicken CB, and used a OJ Brine I found on this site. Bottom line is that the chicken was UNBELIEVABLY Moist. And that’s after a slight mess up. I pulled out the chicken at 160 degrees and saw a little blood dripping from it before I cut into it. No Problem. Put it back in the tray, turned it back on and cooked to 170 and it still turned out SO GOOD and moist.
I have a question however. I put a cajun butter rub on the mini turkey before I cooked it and noticed that the skin got brown real fast. I took off the top thinking maybe the heat coming down on the top of it was the reason. That stopped the browning, but I wondered if maybe I should have used a dry rub with no butter though. Is a butter rub a bad idea for the turkey I’m going to cook?
Thanks a TON for the guidance and advice. I’m gonna LOVE this thing.
Roland
Roland, thanks for the post and the nice thoughts. For The Big Easy…not using oil on the outside of the poultry is probably the best course of action – as there is enough fat in the skin that will “self baste” during the intial cooking time and upon adds a different dimension which contributes to crisping the skin. Essentially, infrared energy is good on it’s own for this purpose. And the lid is not critical to browning, it does reflect infrared energy back to the meat, and most importantly allows hot air to escape (hot air dries out meat – conventional ovens and gas grills use hot air to cook/roast meat when the lid or oven door is closed) The lid actually helps to prevent stuff from falling into the cooker while it’s on. Leaves, baseballs, shot puts, golf balls, silverware – you know all the stuff that gets tossed around at most backyard parties.
AS to the question of butter. Butter is an animal fat excellent oil to use when cooking on a conventional gas grill. Whule charcoal fires emit some infrared energy and can also be adjusted pretty hot, conventional gas grills have a temperature ceiling of about 400F degrees or so depending upon the burner. Infrared gas grills have a capacity of up to 700 or 800F degrees and searing occurs in the 300F – 600F degree range. Whe cooking on conventional gas grills I do recommend using a light coating of butter on steaks and other meat you want to “brown” because butter has a pretty low smoke point temperature and will transfer the heat from the grates to the meat – causing the grilling marks. Many vegetable oils like canola or peanut have a higher smoke point and will tend to not brown up when grilling on conventional gas – at least not as quickly. Any animal fat will tend to brown faster than a vegetable oil, because of natural proteins and sugars present in the oil that are affected by searing temperatures.
It all has to do with heat transfer and the Maillard effect. The grates of a grill get hot, the butter transfers that heat really well and helps brown or mark the steaks. Cooking with infrared doesn’t involved heat transfer – the infrared energy “hits” the meat and that is where the heat begins. Theoretically you could use infared energy to cook something in a complete vacuum. Does this help?
Glad you enjoyed the brine results and the OJ brine. Technically, I guess, brine is only salt and water. Once a flavor agent (herbs, etc.) or acid agent (orange juice, soy sauce, etc.) is added either singularly or in tandem, the “brine” becomes a “marinade.” But no matter…what is important you enjoyed it, you got some good results and you’ll start making up your own recipes to find the flavors you enjoy! Just make sure you share them with all of us~ Happy Grilling. – CB
Have a unit ordered and am waiting on delivery. Will putting a turkey that has a 8% soultion in a brine soak be too salty when cooked? Realy found this site helpful. Keep up the good work! Thank you. Danny.
Danny, thanks for the post.
I recommend brining poultry in a solution that’s as high as 1:6 kosher salt to water. The solution is less about adding salt to the meat and more about the chemical process that occurs when brining. The heavily salted water actually wants to displace into the turkey. Some salt does get in…but it’s about “Osmosis” as pointed out so thoughtfully in the comment made by Johnny M in his response to a comment about brine in his Reader Recipe for pork chops CLICK HERE
I think rinsing the bird after brining also helps get rid of some saltiness. Hope your enjoy your Big Easy. – CB
We do a lot of brisket’s in Texas. Has this been attempted in the oil-less Big Easy turkey fryer?
Herb, thanks for the post.
The Big Easy is designed to cook large cuts of meat like turkey, chicken, roast beef, etc. using infrared energy, replacing the hot fat fryer. Generally speaking a brisket is best cooked “low & slow” and The Big Easy is most likely not the best way to do this. Some folks have roasted a pork shoulder (Boston Butt) and reported they were very happy with the results. You may indeed cook a brisket in this unit, if you like and you may indeed prefer the flavor. I just don’t think I will! Gimmei low and slow in my Silver Smoker! By the way, you can check out the other brisket recipes we’ve posted here on the site and in Search Recipes. Would love to take a look at yours! -CB
TRI-TIP Vert. or Horz if Vert. any creative ideas on how this can be done.
Rick, A tri-tip could just sit in the center of the bottom of the basket…maybe turn it over once. Or you could use a spit like I did in this recipe for a Pork Loin roast CLICK HERE -CB
Single lady – just bought the Big Easy today. Called a girlfriend to come over and between the two of us, we got it put together – not short one screw – nor one left over! Some not so-clear instructions in couple of areas, but we made it. Also, FYI, I purchased mine from Academy Sports. Lowe’s was out of stock. Cooked ham in it first, as my turkey was frozen. Have a hen in it now and the turkey will go in as soon as it thaws. I am going to have to find a lot of folks to feed. I think this is the greatest as I have fried a turkey myself with oil and although it came out beautifully, it is a lot of work, hazardous as well, and peanut oil is not cheap. This is perfect for us single ladies that enjoy grilling and turkey frying, etc. My family and adult children will love Char-Broil forever!
Can I use the BIg Easy with a larger turkey?
I bought two fresh ones just after Thanksgiving and they are both closer to 18 – 20 lbs each.
Would it be fair to say if it fits in the basket you can cook it?
D.A. – you may do whatever you wish…but the recommended limit is a 16lb turkey both for weight and the relative size associated with the weight. I would advise that you cut your birds in half or quarters and cook them that way../maybe “Bunk Bed” style as we have chickens. Remember it’s about infrared energy hitting the meat – not creating heat in the chamber like a fryer. Let us know what you decide and what the outcome is! -CB
Hi,
over thanksgiving we did a turkey as per instructions very easy
i also did a roast beef, brined 24 hrs, then fresh garlic cloves embedded into meat, very good as well, i would recommend pulling beef at 160 degrees, 170 was too well done for my
but last night, we did a duck. WOW. brined as well 24 hrs. 170 degrees was about right, so crispy on the skin and juicy.
And so so easy, and everyone is impressed with the meat taste
Sam – Thanks for the post – I’m amazed at your success with brined beef. Tell me more? Happy to hear about the duck…CB
I just got my Big Easy this past Monday and put it together today. I immediately went to the market to buy a 7 pound chicken to cook in the Big Easy. My meat thermometer was not working properly, so I went about ten minutes over the recommended 10 minutes per pound. This bird should have been brined prior to cooking as it was very tough after cooking it. However, the results were wonderful. The skin crisped just like a fried turkey. The white meat was tender and sweet. But my favorite was the fact the rub I used did not wash off as advertised.
Living here in south Louisiana – Lafayette to be exact – an infrared fryer is considered a sacrilege to traditional fryers, but I have to admit this is a great tool! I prepped the bird in fifteen minutes. Had it in the basket and in the fryer and out of the fryer in eighty minutes. This is about forty minutes faster than frying.
I am sold and I recommend anyone thinking I am only going to use this twice a year to rethink their reason for not purchasing this cooker. I am not thinking my Big Easy Fryer will become a once or twice a week proposition in my household.
Thanks, Charbroil for coming up with this innovative tool for my kitchen.
‘REV’ – thanks for your post and comments. I appreciate the problem with the thermometer and have commented to Char-Broil about it. I accidentally moved my setting when cleaning it and pretty much can’t figure out how to re-set it so it’s workable. I tend to use my hand-held instant read thermometer and have put a digital remote thermometer on my Holiday wish list.
Please keep us posted on your experiences with The Big Easy – I’d like to hear from you as often as you can take yourself away from the food!
Check out The Big Easy Users Forum for others who are sharing their ideas and recipe tips. – CB
to reset or fix a thermometer put it in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes this pulls the mercury back together again.
Great tip -I’ll try that!
I have a deep fat fry and absolutely love it but this sounds even better. Only one problem. I have had 3 different very bad experiences with propane and will never again use it. Are you coming out with an electric version? My deep fat fryer is electric and that is so much safer than the propane fryer I had. Huge fireballs and propane gas explosions are not my idea of fun. As soon as you come out with an electric model, I plan on buying one. Any idea when, or if, you might do so?
Wilford Downs Wrightson III
Colonel USAR (Ret)
Hi
I posted a question to you about 2 or 3 weeks ago and have never gotten a response back. The question was, how do I keep the wings and legs from being uneatable? They always burn and are real crisp and have to be thrown away. I remove the turkey when the temperature guage (180) says it’s done. I like the dark meat, but there is very little of it eatable. I will be looking forward to your reply.
Thanks
Carl, there are several factors that I don’t know about your situation.
1. what size is the turkey? – larger birds fill up the basket and the wings and leg ends tend to get crispy
2. is the bird room temp or cold right outta the cooler when you cook it? – warmer birds cook faster and cold birds take longer for the internal temp to rise – thus exposing the outside to more infrared
3. Have you been reading The Big Easy Users Forum? – lot’s of discussion and answers, suggestions, comments being provided by other users.
4. Are you putting any oil on the bird? – most oils will increase the chance of burning up the wings and legs (especially if any of the above factors is also present) much the same way oil on pale skin burns in the infrared sunshine.
5. You might consider taking the bird out below the target temp – and take a look at the USDA temperature reference chart posted in The Big Easy Users Forum. Many folks are commenting they have better success by removing the bird when it gets to about 5-10F degrees below the target temp.
Hope this helps! – CB
On 12/21/07 I sent you a comment asking if you were planning on coming out with an electric model. I guess that e-mail got lost in the holidays. Do you think you might be coming out with an electric model or is that not in the cards?
Wilford Downs Wrightson III
Colonel USAR (Ret)
Wilford, thanks for your comments. The Big Easy is only available in propane and to the best of my knowledge there are no plans to develop one that is electric. – CB
Please advise how big a roast you can cook. I have been cooking 10lb sirloin tip roast on my rotissere. Takes about 2.5 hr. to med rare. Could you cook 2 roasts this size at the same time?
Rick, thanks for your note and question.
I’ve been able to cook two 4-5 lb chickens in The Big Easy - CLICK HERE to check out CB Cooks: “Miniature Turkeys.”
The recommendation is 16lbs for one (1) turkey – so can’t say that you would be able to fit two 10lb beef roasts. Although if you take a look at this post CB Cooks: Prime Rib 3 Ways - CLICK HERE - and the photo of the 5 lb. prime rib resting in the basket does seem to suggest there is room for two.
Anyone else want to make a suggestion? – CB
Greetings, I’m a proud new owner of a Big Easy and have noticed little comment on Hams and their recipes. Any Temp Time help and suggestions? Thanks!
Whit – thanks for your question, I’ve not cooked a fresh ham in The Big Easy, nor a pre-cooked or smoked ham – so I’ll lean on others to respond to your question if they have.
But I can give you some temperature guidelines and some standard advice that seems to be applicable to all meats cooked in The Big Easy.
Fresh Ham (raw) should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160F degrees, according to the USDA guidelines. I would recommend you start with a ham that has been out of the fridge for a couple of hours so the internal temp is already starting to warm. Cooking cold meat only results in cooked external and raw internal.
The other thing is to remove the meat below the target temperature when it’s about 150F or 155F degrees’ set in a pan and cover with aluminum foil and maybe a kitchen towel or two. Allowing it to rest about 20-30 minutes whilst the internal temperature continues to climb.
Also – if you like rubs on your ham, be sure to delete any sugar ingredients – as the infrared will heat and the burn that almost immediately. You could add a bit of glaze for the last 5-10 minutes (keep an eye on it) with a brush if you lift out the basket, brush it on and then return to heat and glaze over.
If you are just reheating a cooked ham, use the same guideline for pre-warming it and the USDA suggestes and internal temp of 140F degrees. As with all roasts, remove when the thermometer is about 5 – 10 degrees below the target temp, place in a pan and cover with aluminum foil and a couple of dish towels while the internal temp continues to rise.
As for strict guidelines – there are just too many variables to your cooking situation. The internal temp of the meat when you start the cooking process, the outside air temperature. The water content (particularly if it’s a pre-cooked ham) of the meat, the quality of the meat, etc.
So calculate about 10 -15 minutes per pound – but really trust your quality thermometer. This is one of the times when it would make a lot of sense to have a good remote thermometer with temp probe inserted into the meat and a receiver on your belt or shirt pocket.
Anyone else want to jump in here to correct or modify my advice or explain their experience? – CB
Bought a Big Easy over the weekend. Tried a inside round roast for supper tonight. It was 4lbs about 8 in in diameter and 4 inches thick. Put in on low and removed when the meat thermometer was at 145, about 50 min later. Started to slice it but it was still raw in the centre, especially at the bottom. I left the thermometer in the roast. Maybe the heat along the stem of the thermometer heated it up. Put it back in and cooked for another half hour. Again it was still raw in the centre. Around the edges it was well done. We are going to use the rest for stew.
Looks like I need a rack that elevates roasts this shapeas it seems that the bottom doesn’t cook well. That must be why turkeys should be cooked with the breast up. Any suggestions?
Rick
P.S. I bought the roast, brought it home and put in on shortly there after. So the roast was still cold.
Rick, thanks for your post(s)…you possibly experienced why I so earnestly advise folks to allow larger cuts of meat to warm to room temp (once again, not in the hot sun or for dozens of hours – only as long as it takes) of about 65-70 degrees. The reason is simple. If it’s cold all the way through and you place it immediately on the grill or in the oven or the Big Easy – guess what? The outside is cooking but the inside is having trouble keeping up!
For cooking in The Big Easy – I advise you set those longer roasts like beef or pork loin on the end – use skewers or a spit if necessary – so the longer sides of the meat is ‘aligned’ or parallel to the sides of the cooker. The infrared energy will impact the meat evenly on all sides and not just cook each end that is closest to the sides. Try to think of it as a vertical rotisserie with no moving parts. [If you’ve ever been to a restaurant where they serve ‘gyros’ then think of it that way, if you will.)
The Big Easy uses infrared energy to cook your roast – not hot air heat! It’s not like an oven! You want to have even exposure and even heating of meat that has been allowed to completely warm internally – so the effort of cooking doesn’t create a well-done exterior and a raw interior! – CB
can you cook a beer can chicken in the Big Easy?? Thanks!
First post here. I just received my Father’s day gift from one of my children. A charbroil Big Easy. I put it together, brought it home, not without stopping at the market for a pair of chickens.
I cleaned the birds while doing the 15 min. “burn off”. Seasoned it and placed it in the cooking chamber. I had the chickens “side by side” in the bottom of the basket.
When the temp reached 160 degrees ( in the breast) I removed the fryers only to find some crispy spots, some undercooked and blood close to the bone. I placed the mesh cover on for the 1st 15 minutes only.
I love this cooker and I understand that the shortcomings of my first experience shows my lack of same.
Any advice?
coyote – thanks for the post. One reader sent pictures of him cooking 3 birds in The Big Easy and I wondered then if they didn’t need to be “rotated” during the cooking process.
The Big Easy uses infrared energy to cook – not a build up of heat like and oven. The energy has to “hit” the meat to cook it. The energy comes from the sides – all the way around – and strikes the meat. When it hits all sides of 1 chicken or other piece of meat it builds up internal heat evenly. When the chickens or other meat is set side-by-side and parts of it are “hidden” from the energy the internal heat build up will not be as effective.
I would think a possible solution to your particular situation is to rotate the birds part way thru the cooking process – or to stack them in the “bunk bed’ method that is pictured in a couple of recipes in posts on the web log. I know that Char-Broil is developing a shelf accessory for this purpose – meanwhile many folks kinda rig one up on their own.
I hope this helps! And one more thing. You took the birds out at 160F degrees to allow them to rest and continue cooking from the internal heat. If you rotate the birds once or twice during cooking – and then remove at 160F – you could still ‘tent’ them with foil while resting. I hope this helps and please let me know! – CB
Just got myself the Big Easy, superexcited to try so many things. I love Buffalo Wings and wondering how one could manage this in an infrared cooker. I am guessing keeping them frozen, maybe in some sort of fish basket rig (a basket for an individual fish that would hang in the center to support even cooking). I am just brainstorming though so I was wondering if anyone has tried chicken wings successfully, and if so how they pulled it off?
Thanks for your help.
-Dan
I know the Turkey fryer s for larger pieces of meat, but I tried chicken wings and they were great! I bought a couple of the long fish grill baskets and cut apart the wings, rinsed them, sprayed the basket and put them in. I cooked them for about 45 minutes turning the baskets a couple of times, I like them crispy and I couldn’t put the lid on. Took them out and tossed them in sauce. The fat drips away. I was amazed how full the grease drain was.
i am planning on cooking a Turkey breast in my big Easy. Do you recommend standing it upright or laying it flat in the bottom of the basket? Also, how long to you recommend that it be cooked for. it is about 4 pounds? Do you recommend a rub? Any certain brand that you recommend? I have tried rubs on chicken and it tends to caramelize and look burnt in some spots.
Todd – good question! I’d say by all means set it bones side down and pay close attention to the temperature in either end that is closest to the sides of the cooker. If there is a way to prop it up with foil or on a chicken roaster or some kind of tri-pod that you can rig, that will help to get the meat so it’s getting even heat on all surfaces.
I’ve had very good success with chicken parts, turkey thighs and breasts by laying them in the center of the basket. cooking time is shorter and, like I note, the tips closest to the sides of the cooker can be overdone if not watched and the meat removed and covered. Hope this helps. – CB
We get a lot of rain. Can it be used successfully in the rain and what about oputdoor temperature, does that affect it greatly.
Ron, I live in Seattle and there is a little bit of rain here now and again. Keep the Big Easy out of the rain for two reasons. The rain coming in will dampen the meat and it will cool it and make it wet, so it is advised. In very light rain the mesh lid will keep out most of it. Because of our weather I have an outdoor covered area for grilling – that meets safety standards. Don’t use this or any propane cooker indoors.
My good friends in Western Wisconsin used their Big Easy all winter long when the outdoor temperatures were colder than I care to think about. It can be difficult to light at that temperature – because the circular burner tube needs to heat up so the flames come out evenly. But once you get it going – unless there is wind or another factor – it will cook quite nicely. – CB
The Costco web site refers to a 25 pound turkey – is this a larger size than you describe?
This is hush-hush Dorothy. I can’t actually confirm or deny this. I can only say I have a trial unit here in my yard that can fit a 24 lb bird. shhhhhhhh. OH and Costco HQ is only a few miles from my house. – CB
When cooking with the big easy do I set the control on high, low, or somewhere inbetween???
Tom – I can’t give you a definitive answer – it’s more or less one you need to experiment with when cooking, and think about issues like the temperature of the meat going in, the outside weather and the size of the meat.
For instance, if you place a 12 lb beef roast in the basket straight from the coldest part of your fridge and the internal temp is about 35F degrees – well you may want to dial back a bit because you’ve got some cooking to do to get that internal temp up to 145F degrees Medium Rare. But if the internal temp was 55 or 60F degrees you may want to set it a bit higher…
What you are trying to avoid is the over cooking of exterior whilst the interior is still coming to temp. So playing with the cooker a bit – say heat for a while and let the internal temp climb, then turn it off and allow the internal temp to climb a bit more. Then turn it on. I’m not telling you to do this but offering it up as a suggestion so you might think about how something needs to cook and how to achieve that.
If it were an oil fryer that would be a nightmare…but something you most likely realized the first time you used your Big Easy and but a roast in it without pre-heating, when you turn on the gas and light it – the outside starts sizzling in the first 60 seconds. It’s not about getting the temp of the unit up to a specific degree and then placing food in it…it’s finessing the infrared to cook your food!
Does this help a bit? – CB
I just purshcased a new Big Easy that can cook up to a 25 lb Turkey.
I understand that the correct way is to cook to temperature. However, I will be cooking other meats using an conventional oven and would like to get an idea how much time it would take for a large bird such as 23lbs. I live in arizona so the outside tempature will probably be in the 70s. Can you give me an approximation of minutes per lb? Thanks
Hiya John. Hope you really enjoy it. I’d like to recommend you watch one or more of the videos on this page: http://sizzleonthegrill.com/blog/?p=2574 to get off on the right footing.
For most every dense meat like poultry, beef or pork you can ‘plan’ cooking time for approximately 10 minutes per pound. And keep an eye on the thermometer reading when you’ve reached 3/4 of the cooking time, if not sooner. I like to lift the cooking basket out of the cooking chamber (using the hook) and check different areas of the meat with an instant read thermometer as well. This only takes a moment and helps me learn and understand what’s going on with the meat.
And check out the Users Forum – you can click on it in the navigation bar under the banner at the top of this page!
I’d also recommend you cook a whole chicken or something else like that in the cooker prior to your first time cooking a turkey…that way you’ll have a little experience when you cook the big bird! – CB
Can you give me a ballpark idea of how much time per pound we should plan on for a turkey? We want to use it for the first time this Thanksgiving, but we don’t know how to plan to make sure it isn’t done too early or too late. Thanks!
Hiya Susan…just like I wrote in reply to John in the post immediately above yours. BUT PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don’t cook the turkey on Thanksgiving for your first time using the product! Try roasting a whole chicken first so you get an idea of how it works! ~CB
I just purchased one of these on the Char-Broil site but didn’t see a size option. Are the newer units larger? Are there two sizes?
There is a standard version that I use and most everyone finds very satisfactory for their needs. Costco has an exclusive version in limited numbers that will fit up-to a 25lb turkey. I would guess that’s a pretty popular size turkey for that store. ~CB
where do you set the temp. control
thanks
CAN A HAM BE COOKED ON THE BIG EASY AND WHAT ABOUT CHICKEN WINGS
Kelly – take a look at the Users Forums because there are so many answers to questions you may have – just like the two you just posed and most likely a couple you haven’t thought of yet!
For the past year that the cooker has been on the market folks have been cooking all manner of food in The Big Easy. Yes – a Ham can be both cooked and/or re-heated – I’m guessing you have one that is already smoked and you want to heat it back up? Be mindful of the amount of sugar in most baked or smoked hams because when you place it in the cooker to re-heat using infrared the sugar will burn rapidly.
On the other hand if you are cooking a raw leg of pork or a ‘ham’ then that is possible too – but will require some planning and management.
And wings, legs, thighs, necks, breasts, etc. can all be ‘fried’ in The Big Easy. There are several pictures of these very same pieces of chicken in the Users Forums and also if you hit Search Recipes you’ll land on a page with a pull-down menu where recipes for The Big Easy are located. One of these recipes is for bunk bed chicken parts. -CB
[...] onCB CooksThe Big Easy Infrared Oil-Less Turkey Fryer. Deep Fried Turkey Taste Without the Mess!KELLY onCB CooksThe Big Easy Infrared Oil-Less Turkey Fryer. Deep Fried Turkey Taste Without the [...]
i did a 7 pound beer can chicken its all i can say is wow the big easy is worth every penny the chicken came out moist the skin was brown and perfect, can not wait to do my turkey on thanksgiving day the chicken i cooked was the first thing i did since buying tbe
I only have two Big Easy turkeys under my belt – but they both turned out perfect. Well, nearly. The first one although perfectly cooked was a little salty because I used too much of that bottled Cajun butter marinade. The second was a organic free range 16 lb turkey that I brined overnite using the simple brine recipe in the cookbook that came with the fryer. Seasoned the outside with olive oil and the Cajun seaoning that comes with that bottled injector fluid. Beautiful! Moist and cooked perfectly to the bone. It would be nice if they just made the basket hinged where it opened to remove food instead of making you purchase one. I made turkey gravy after heating the drip pan juices and adding cornstarch & water and very little seasoning. It tasted very fresh and really accompanied the meat well. This is a fun product for experimental cooks. I just gave one to my dad who is a very experienced cook/grill master – and his FIRST crack at it is this afternoon and with a Venison neck. He marinated and hopefully he will cover with bacon. We agreed that this would be a true test for this product. He usually enjoys cooking venison pieces in a crockpot with canned soup and vegetables. It also would be nice if this thing came pre-assembled. I put it together before giving it to my Dad – otherwise, he probably would have left it in the box – I might have!
I did not get any sort of cookbook with the fryer. Can you explain the brining recipe & process, or maybe get me a cookbook? I’ve done 2 turkeys so far, but with dry rub spices. I’d like to try the bvrining process.
Thanks,
Ed Norman
ED – check out the Users Forums because there are several topics and threads of conversations that have useful information for you on the subject of brining.
And this week on the Main Page of Sizzle on the Grill there is a very good post on Buttermilk Brined Turkey and several recent posts on this topic as well. AND a post I wrote before Thanksgiving about Brining – CLICK HERE
You can also check out Search Recipes at the top of this page – that will take you to hundreds of recipes, including brine recipes in the Sauces and Rubs section. Have fun! CB
I bought my fryer at Costco. I haven’t used it yet – tomorrow is the big day. I read the recipe book and noticed there were not any times mentioned (minutes per pound.) You might ask CharBroil to add that to their book. Not everyone has internet.
I was lucky though and read all the threads in this board and learned a lot! Thank you everyone and especially CB for all the info! My dinner is going to be great.
Hi, We’ve had the Big Easy for about 6 mo. and are pleased with everything we’ve cooked in it. Started with turkeys (about 13 pounds), cooked ‘em for friends and family. Did 51 lbs of turkey at Thanksgiving. We’ve done a meal of bone in chicken parts, baked potatos, and veggies. Today we will do our first beef roast.
Being in Colorado, we have to adjust where we use it because of wind, outside temperature, etc. but the end result is always great. Don’t understand some of the comments about the cost of the unit for use a couple of times a year. Simple solution…use it more often and enjoy the results.
We have used an “oil bath” turkey fryer in the past. That was something we used a couple of times a year. Once filled with oil, we’d do turkeys for everyone who wanted them (once we did 5 in a day). Exciting to use, too exciting. We didn’t burn anything down but some people a couple of blocks away did, their house. He thought she was watching it and she thought he was. It was on the basement slab under their wooden patio.
It’s now reserved for a future seafood boil with water and spices only.
Last people we demo’d it to were relatives form NH. They are thinking about a purchase.
Thanks for we product. We will keep advertising for you.
i’ve had a trurkey done like this and want to buy one!!!! where do i get it ?????????
Janie – The Big Easy oil-less infrared turkey fryer is available at Lowe’s, Home Depot and other retailers – or you can click on the link and purchase online: CLICK HERE
I’d also recommend you take a look at the Users Forums (link at the top of this page in the navigation bar) and read some of the posts and topics in The Big Easy board. There are videos, tips and tricks posted there. And if you have questions – the folks can help you out!
Can you use a marinade like lowry’s or any store bought brand on turkey and chicken instead of the overnight brining method without it buring or cooking unevenly?
Hiya Silas…any brine or marinade with sugar in it will tend to leave a residue on the surface of the meat, and sugar will burn fairly rapidly when exposed to infrared. If you like those flavors, try injecting directly into the muscle of the turkey or chicken to infuse added flavors as well as the moisture.
If you’ve never tried an injection method – here’s a post I wrote a couple weeks back: “Smoke/Roasted Injected Chicken”
CB, does CB stand for “Crappy Buy”? First off I put the unit together today and it did not work, no gas going to the unit. After trouble self shooting I discovered that the valve end was pluged with some sort of high density epoxy. I eventually cleared the blockage and tried to start the unit using the Igniter knob. It did not start but at least I could smell the propane this time. I discovered that a spark was coming out of the wire itself, so I self lit the unit. To this point I am a reasonable person that realizes that things happen & I got the unit running, right! My 7.5# turkey breast has now been cooking for 2-1/2 hours with an internal temp of approximately 130 degrees (I can not give you the exact temp as it has not reached the first reading of 140 degrees). With the family starving we ate left over spaghetti tonight and the turkey will be ruined do to reheating. Thanks so much for the WONDERFUL over hyped overprice piece of scrap metal you sold me. I am certain this comment will not make your page here which is fine as there are several other ways to get the word out of this terrible experience. I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!!!!!
Sorry you had the problems with your inaugural run of The Big Easy.
I hope you looked at the videos I created to help with some tips on the assembly and how to season the unit before the first use. It sounds like the problems you experienced with the blockage were compounded by what many folks can experience with outdoor propane appliances. All newer propane tanks are designed to ’sense’ an overly fast outflow of gas and will self regulate by diminishing the gas flow, which results in lower flames on just about any grill, cooker, etc. Happens all the time when the tank is turned on while the control knob on the cooker is also on – be it The Big Easy, a gas grill or an outdoor stove top. There is a page in the product manual that describes the situation and how to prevent and correct it, when it occurs – and it happens to all of us! You are not alone!
While you are certainly right to be upset that your plans for a family meal didn’t go as you’d hoped…you also point out a scenario that is good practice for anyone who purchases any new outdoor cooking appliance.
Give it a test run well before you need to use a new grill or cooker to prepare the meal. A shake down run is always recommended so you have some idea of what’s going on and how to get it going, etc.
If you will send me your phone number via email cb at sizzleonthegrill.com I’ll be happy to call you on my dime and help you get a refund from the store – Or if you choose to exchange it for another unit – I’ll also be happy to help you assemble and get some good solid experience with it so you enjoy some tasty meals.
I’d encourage anyone who is interested in The Big Easy as a cooker – to check out the Users Forums where there are many folks who post questions and get some help getting started. Many regular folks there – just like you – who are having a good time with the cooker and have come up with a number of tips to help new users.
Oh – and while your suggestion is kinda funny – the CB stands for Chef Barry – you can read about that in the Writers & Guest Chef column. See – I’m a real human person – just a guy – who enjoys out door cooking and wants to help others have as much fun and joy from cooking good food for family and friends as I do. We ALL run into bumps and disappointments along the way – sorry yours hit you so hard. Hope I can help you with this problem. It’s the old “Honey” vs. “Stink” attitude.
I am cooking a 8 pound turkey breast in the big easy as I type this. I forgot to put the thermometer in so after 80 minutes I pulled the basket and brought it in. I shoved the thermometer into one side and it registered 130, perplexed I put it into the other side and it hit 150. I went back and put it back into the big easy. Why would one side of the bird be significantly more cooked than the other side? As far as prep, I let the defrosted bird rest on the counter for about an hour then just rubbed some oil on it and hit it all over with my homemade dry rub.
Any ideas sure would help.
Scott – the answer is yes – it can be. Couple of reasons why, at least potentially.
1. That side was cooler to begin with. The bird was on that side in the fridge or up against the wall and it was cooler – so it takes a bit longer to warm up from the heat generated by the infrared on the skin of the bird. If the skin is browning evenly that means you are getting a good overall infrared “bath” so this could be a reason.
2. The burner is not functioning evenly and/or the cooking chamber is not seasoned properly and there is a cold spot on the wall of the cooking chamber. If the skin on the turkey is not browning evenly – this could be an indicator of that. You can look thru the view holes on the rim of the top of the cooker and kinda sorta look-see the burner. If the cooking chamber was seasoned in an uneven manner – you can tell that by the color of the sides of the chamber. With regular seasoning & after a few uses the sides will turn kinda dark amber.
3. THE THERMOMETER IS WRONG — In all likelihood, unless you are using a trusted instant read thermometer (like a digital Thermapen brand) or some such time-tested device – the meat thermometer that comes with the cooker can be off by a few degrees (or more) and it’s also not an instant read so inserting it and getting an accurate read in less than 10 minutes is not gonna happen.
As far as prep – no need to leave it out on the counter (If I said you should do this at some place here on the forum, I need to change that – it’s goofy advice!) because I’ve so come to realize that a large mass of meat like a turkey is just not gonna change that much internal temperature-wise in less than too many hours necessary to get the internal temp up – and that would be unsafe food practice.
For more help with this question or other Big Easy Turkey Questions – take a look at the Users Forums – it’s pretty darn active this time of year when it comes to questions about turkeys!!!
Hope this helps..let me know~CB
I live in Chicago and want to use my Big Easy for Thanksgiving. Is there a tempature which is “too cold” to cook outside. Also, any recommendations on using the Big Easy in snow/rain?
Frank – thanks for your question. I have friends who live north of you in Milwaukee and others over close to Minneapolis. They use their Big Easy in the middle of winter….just keep it outta the wind, I recommend you use the lid, and test it out first with a chicken or such so you don’t put everything on the line the day of the big cook!
BTW – if you have lighting problems – that’s common for the metal burners to be cold and the gas kinda stalls. Bring the cooker indoors to warm up at room temp prior to taking it outside and connecting to the LP and lighting. That should help.
And post your question on the Users Forums – I bet there are others there who will have some ideas and/or who can relate and have come up with a solution!
Great! Used the big easy last night to roast a 19lb turkey. rubbed inside and out with margerine, olive oil and cajun seasoning. My wife and I agree it was our best turkey ever. I cant believe how close to the target time of 10 minutes per pound that our bird was perfectly cooked. our only problem was the thermometer. Lucky thing our son had a digital one he had left last time he was there. We are very pleased and cant wait to try beef, pork and other poults.
I purchased the Big Easy last week to cook my Thanksgiving turkey. I tried an 8 pound chicken in it last night. I let the chicken cook for 80 minutes. The breast was cooked very well, very moist, however the legs were still raw. The chicken was positioned legs down. I did have some aromatics inside the bird. Could this have affected the cooking time with the legs? I’m worried about the Thanksgiving turkey!
ART –
As to the legs being not quite done – one of the issues with roasting/cooking an whole bird is that the temperatures for being ‘done’ are about 10 – 15 degrees different. You can always reverse the bird about 3/4 way thru the cook. (use some food safe insulated gloves of course!)
And please do take a look at the Users Forums – (tab at the top of this page in the navigation bar) and read some of the posts on chicken and turkey in the Big Easy topic board. I think you’ll find many answers to your questions and some practical tips for cooking the turkey.
So glad you did a test run. You have a bit more experience and understanding now and can approach the next cook with some confidence.
Could you give me the exact measurements for your brine recipe of kosher salt, water, dry ginger & cumin.
Earnest – take a look at the Search Recipes tab at the top of this page and click on the Sauces and Rubs section. There are several brine recipes there.
But don’t get too worried about ‘exact’ when it comes to brine. If you soak the poultry in water it will absorb some extra, when some salt is added it changes the chemistry of the situation and several things happen – one of which is some of the salt and more of the water get transferred to the meat area. If you add other flavors, sugar, herbs, etc…those flavors also get added.
It’s a matter of taste – so you may like one brine over another, or you may want to play with the measurements to suit your own tastey buds~!
Have had my unit of rover a year and like it. This year I have a 16 lb fresh turkey. My question is: I wondering if I can stuff the bird with traditional stuffing. Also, I heard that the ACME markets now has a “stuffing bag” that would (I think) stop the stuffing from falling out [if breast up. Question two: what about legs up to hold in the stuffing better?
Glad you are enjoying TBE Jack! Wonder on over to the Users Forums sometime and share pictures and any tips you have…
While I generally do not recommend stuffing poultry – since you have experience with TBE you already know how quickly a turkey or chicken will cook in TBE and by properly managing the pre-cook (stuff and cook, no delay) so the stuffing should not be very long in the danger zone of under 140F degrees. With your knowledge and experience, you are probably good-to-go.
To hold aromatics in the cavity I often will tie the legs together – or use trussing to close up the gap. That would probably work for you, huh?
If you check out the Users Forums there are many debates over the ‘legs up’ vs ‘legs down’ method of cooking poultry in TBE.
To be honest – I’ve tried it both ways and had good results!
About how long would a 13 lb turkey cook?
The only answer is “Until it reaches 165F in the breast and 175F or so in the dark meat.”
OK that sounds smart – alecky, but it’s not. Plan on 10 minutes per pound but there are variables which affect that and the only way to be sure is temperature. Remember that a turkey will continue to cook when removed from an oven or such due to residual heat – as much as 10 degrees sometimes. So plan for that when you choose the temperature at which you wish to remove it from the cooker.
I strongly recommend cumin powder for your brine version or rub. also 2bay leaves and a bunch of cilantro inside and enjoy!!!!!!!!! this is the way to go.
Oh Yeah Nat – that sounds great! Good job making it your own!!! Thanks for sharing.
i just got it today, did u cook it on high the whole time or on low??
With the Original TBE there is pretty much just “ON” with a little play in the control knob. The newer SRG model has some range to the control.
For the original TBE I just turn it on. And haven’t cooked a turkey, yet, in the SRG as I’ve only had it a couple weeks and been playing with it for different cooks.
Take a look at the Users Forums and specifically The Big Easy topic board. Lotsa good conversation threads there with tips, tricks and placed to post your own questions as you get going a bit more with the cooker.