Turkey can be one divisive bird, even at Christmas time. It can be dry, boring and seriously lacking in flavour, especially if you’re just whacking it in the oven and hoping for the best.
However, to avoid any turkey mishaps this festive season, TikTok Nate Anthony, better known as Bored of Lunch, revealed his unconventional technique for ensuring his Christmas turkey is perfectly cooked, juicy and packed full of flavour. You won’t even need an oven to do the job. Nate’s technique rests solely with another much-loved appliance: the air fryer.
Yes, you can replicate a golden turkey crown in the air fryer for everyone to enjoy. In a TikTok video from November, Nate said: “Here is a really easy way to make an air fryer turkey crown, and it’s delicious, it’s juicy, you don’t even need to shove your hands inside it.”
For Nate’s recipe, you’ll need a turkey crown that weighs between 1.5 to two kilograms. This will easily feed between six to eight people.
To help ensure the turkey is full of flavour, Nate explained that all you need is a zesty, herby butter. The butter can be placed under the skin of the turkey on top of the flesh, or massaged into the skin.
To ensure your turkey is perfectly moist and succulent, Nate shared an expert tip to follow when cooking the crown. He said: “Baste as much as you can throughout so the bird stays super moist. If you have one use a meat thermometer to check it’s cooked.”
The video has been viewed over 126,200 times, receiving 2,092 likes and 28 comments, at the time of writing. Appliance brand Ninja UK commented: “We’re inviting ourselves round, hope that’s okay.”
Jill said: “Ooooooh looks delicious.”
Pat agreed, “Looks yummy,” while another account commented, “This looks insane!!!!!!”
So if you’re looking for a different method of cooking your Christmas turkey this year, air fryers may be able to deliver results on-par with an oven.
Ingredients
1.5-2kg turkey crown For the herby butter175g butter Four garlic cloves, gratedOne bay leaf, choppedPinch of pepperTwo sprigs of fresh rosemary, choppedZest of one lemonJuice of one orange, add the zest if you likeZest of halt a limeOne tsp dried sageOne tsp dried thymeHalf a tsp dried oregano
Method
Pat dry the turkey with kitchen paper and add the butter all over the bird.
Add the turkey to the air fryer for one hour and five minutes at 180°C or for 20 minutes per 450g plus an additional 20 minutes. Baste it halfway, remove the foil for the last 20 minutes with some of the butter and once cooked, let it rest covered in foil for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
