The Best Oil-Less Turkey Fryers
The appeal is obvious: nothing to buy by the gallon, nothing to heat to 350F, and nothing to dispose of on Friday morning.
By Mike M. · Published · Last updated
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The short answer: the Char-Broil Big Easy is the oil-less fryer to buy, and it cooks a bird in roughly 10 minutes per pound with no oil at all. But be clear about what you are choosing: it browns and crisps, it does not fry. If a genuine fried skin matters to you, a low-oil indoor electric is the better compromise; if freeing up the oven is the real goal, a roaster oven does it for less.
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-Less Turkey FryerThe infrared cooker the whole category is built around. | Best oil-less fryer | 8.2 | |
| 2 |  Masterbuilt Butterball XL Indoor Electric Turkey FryerReal frying on about a third of the usual oil. | Best low-oil indoor option | 8.6 | |
| 3 |  Oster 22-Quart Roaster Oven with Self-Basting LidFrees the oven, costs less, and involves nothing hot to carry. | Best no-oil route for most people | 9.0 |
Scores are our own editorial rubric, explained on how we pick. They are not customer ratings and we do not publish star ratings for products we have not handled.
How an oil-less fryer actually cooks
An oil-less fryer is a tall insulated chamber with a propane burner heating a perforated metal panel. The panel radiates infrared heat inward at the bird from all sides. There is no convection fan and no oil — just intense radiant heat in an enclosed space.
That is why the skin browns so hard: radiant heat dries and colors the surface fast while the enclosed chamber cooks the inside. It is closer to a vertical rotisserie than to a fryer, which is also why the name causes so much confusion.
Oil-less versus real frying, honestly
| What matters | Oil-less infrared | Oil fryer |
|---|---|---|
| Skin texture | Crisp and browned | Glassy, shattering |
| Cook time | About 10 min per lb | About 3-4 min per lb |
| Oil needed | None | 2.75-5 gallons |
| Max bird | About 16 lb | 20 lb electric, 25 lb propane |
| Cleanup | Wipe the chamber | Strain, store or dispose of the oil |
| Worst realistic failure | Dry breast meat | An oil fire |
Cooking times are from the published frying guidance and the National Turkey Federation. The last row is the one worth sitting with.
Getting good results from an oil-less fryer
The failure mode here is dry breast meat, because radiant heat hits the breast first and hardest. Three things fix it.
- Brine the bird. It matters more here than in a fryer because the cook is longer. See how to brine a turkey.
- Use a leave-in thermometer. You cannot see inside the chamber, and opening it costs you heat. Pull the bird at 165F in the thickest part of the breast.
- Buy a smaller bird than you think. Twelve to fourteen pounds cooks far more evenly in an oil-less unit than sixteen does.
Who should skip oil-less entirely
If someone at your table has been promised a fried turkey, and what they mean is the specific crackle of a fried skin, an oil-less fryer will disappoint them and you will hear about it. Buy a low-oil indoor electric instead.
If your bird is over 16 pounds, this category is simply out. And if the motivation was avoiding propane, note that oil-less fryers still run on propane — the thing they remove is the oil, not the tank.
Every pick, in detail
#1 · Best oil-less fryer
Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-Less Turkey Fryer
No oil at all — infrared heat in a vertical chamber. You lose the shatter-crisp skin and you remove the single largest way a fried turkey goes wrong.
- Type
- Oil-less infrared, propane
- Max bird
- Up to 16 lb
- Oil
- None
- Cook time
- Roughly 10 min per lb
What’s good
- No oil to buy, heat, strain, store or dispose of
- Roughly 10 minutes per pound
- Crisp, evenly browned skin from radiant heat
- Works as a roaster and smoker the rest of the year
What’s not
- Not a true fry — no shattering crust
- 16 lb maximum capacity
- Still propane and still outdoors
Safety
9.3
Results
8.2
Capacity
6.8
Value
8.4
#2 · Best low-oil indoor option
Masterbuilt Butterball XL Indoor Electric Turkey Fryer
The safest realistic first fryer: it lives indoors on a countertop, holds a 20-pound bird, and takes about a third of the oil a propane rig needs.
- Type
- Indoor electric
- Max bird
- Up to 20 lb
- Oil
- About 2.75 gallons
- Also does
- Boil and steam
What’s good
- 2.75 gallons instead of four to five
- Indoors, thermostatic, no flame
- Genuine fried texture, unlike infrared
What’s not
- Still hot oil, with all the rules that brings
- 20 lb ceiling
- You still have disposal to handle, just less of it
Safety
9.6
Results
9.0
Capacity
7.5
Value
8.2
#3 · Best no-oil route for most people
Oster 22-Quart Roaster Oven with Self-Basting Lid
The default answer for most first-time hosts. Twenty-two quarts takes a 26-pound bird, and the dimpled self-basting lid drips condensation back down so you are not opening it every 30 minutes.
Worth saying plainly: many people searching for an oil-less turkey fryer actually want their oven back for the sides. If that is the real problem, an electric roaster oven solves it more cheaply and with less to carry.
- Capacity
- 22 qt
- Max bird
- Up to 26 lb
- Lid
- Self-basting
- Insert
- Removable enamel pan
What’s good
- No oil whatsoever, and no outdoor setup
- Takes a 26 lb bird — more than any fryer here
- Self-basting lid keeps the breast from drying out
- Useful all year for large batch cooking
What’s not
- Roasted, not fried — different skin entirely
- Takes a full roasting time, not 45 minutes
- Bulky to store
Safety
9.7
Results
8.0
Capacity
9.4
Value
9.0
Frequently asked questions
No, and anyone telling you otherwise is selling something. It tastes like a very well browned roast turkey with crisp skin. That is a good result — it is not a fried result.
Roughly 10 minutes per pound, so a 14-pound bird is around two hours and twenty minutes. Cook to 165F internal rather than to the clock.
No. They burn propane and must be used outdoors, on level ground, away from structures — the same clearance rules as any propane fryer. Only indoor electric fryers and roaster ovens belong in a kitchen.
It browns harder and it keeps the cooking outside, which is genuinely useful when the kitchen is full. A roaster oven is cheaper, takes a much bigger bird, and involves no propane at all. For most first-time hosts the roaster is the more practical choice.
Sources
Related reading
- The Best Turkey Fryers of 2026Six fryers, ranked for someone doing this for the first time. Indoor electric wins, and we explain exactly why.
- Turkey Fryer vs OvenSpeed and oven space against simplicity and risk — plus the third option most people should take.
- The Best Electric Roaster Ovens of 2026Five roaster ovens ranked, plus the two accessories that make the difference. No oil, no flame, and your oven stays free.
- Turkey Fryer Safety: How to Do This Without IncidentTen ordered safety steps from published fire-safety and turkey-industry guidance, plus the gear that backs them up.
- How to Brine a TurkeyThe ratio, the timing by weight, and the dry-brine method for when your fridge is already full.