Charbroil’s Big Easy Outdoor Air Fryer, Tested by Popular Mechanics

If you have ever looked at a Thanksgiving turkey bubbling in a vat of hot oil and thought, “This feels less like dinner and more like a dare,” Charbroil’s Big Easy Outdoor Air Fryer will make immediate sense. It promises the crispy skin and juicy meat people crave from deep-fried turkey, but without the gallons of oil, the greasy cleanup, or the backyard suspense thriller. That is a bold pitch. Fortunately, it is not just marketing confetti. Popular Mechanics put the Big Easy to the test, and the results suggest this outdoor air fryer is more than a holiday gimmick.

The short version is this: the Big Easy works. It is not a magic wand, and it does not turn your patio into a state-fair fry shack. But it does deliver a practical, safer, and surprisingly satisfying way to cook big cuts of meat outdoors. For home cooks who want to free up oven space, avoid the mess of traditional frying, and still serve a turkey with a bronzed, crackly exterior, this Charbroil cooker brings a lot to the table. Literally.

What Is Charbroil’s Big Easy Outdoor Air Fryer?

The Big Easy is an outdoor propane-powered cooker that uses infrared heat instead of a bucketful of oil. In plain English, it surrounds food with steady heat inside a vertical chamber, cooking large proteins like turkey, chicken, pork shoulder, and roasts with an approach that sits somewhere between roasting and air frying. That “somewhere between” is exactly why it has become such a conversation starter.

This is not your countertop air fryer’s oversized cousin who moved to the suburbs. It is a dedicated outdoor cooker built for larger cuts of meat and bigger occasions. It can handle a turkey up to 16 pounds, runs on a standard propane setup, and is designed to give food a crisp outside while keeping the inside juicy. It also includes the kind of straightforward accessories home cooks actually use, such as a cooking basket, lifting hook, and drip tray. In other words, this machine is less “tech toy” and more “holiday utility player.”

Popular Mechanics Tested It. Here’s Why That Matters

Plenty of cookers sound amazing on a product page. Everything is “juicy,” “crispy,” and “easy,” which is convenient because those are also the three most overworked words in food marketing. What makes the Popular Mechanics test valuable is that it moved past the brochure language and actually cooked a full turkey in real outdoor conditions.

In that test, the reviewer prepped a turkey weighing just under 14 pounds, seasoned the chamber, monitored internal temperature, and let the cooker do its thing. The final verdict was encouraging: the bird came out moist inside, crispy outside, and finished in under three hours. That is faster than a conventional oven for a bird of that size, while also keeping the main oven free for side dishes, pies, casseroles, and the annual family argument over stuffing.

Just as important, the reviewer noted that the Big Easy did not create a perfect replica of a deep-fried turkey. That honesty actually strengthens the product’s case. The skin got crisp. The texture was satisfying. But the extra richness that comes from real oil frying was not fully there. That is the trade-off in one sentence: you lose some deep-fried intensity, but you gain convenience, safety, and a dramatically easier cleanup.

How the Big Easy Actually Cooks

Infrared heat does the heavy lifting

The Big Easy relies on infrared cooking rather than submerging food in oil. The heat radiates around the stainless interior chamber, which helps cook food more evenly than many people expect from a vertical outdoor cooker. This is a major reason the product keeps showing up in “best oil-free turkey fryer” roundups. It is not pretending to be a traditional fryer in the strict culinary sense. It is solving the problem people are really trying to solve: how to get a turkey that tastes exciting without dealing with a risky oil setup.

The setup is simple enough for non-grill obsessives

One of the biggest appeals of the Big Easy is its simplicity. You connect the propane tank, ignite the burner, adjust the heat with a single control, and monitor doneness with a thermometer. That is refreshingly low-drama. If you are the type of cook who does not want to manage vents, nurse coals, or decode a control panel that looks like a spacecraft dashboard, this design is a relief.

Seasoning the unit matters more than people think

Multiple reviewers point out that the cooker performs better after it has been seasoned and used a few times. That first burn-in helps condition the interior and can improve browning. Think of it like getting cast iron or a pizza stone dialed in. The first run is still useful, but later cooks often feel more polished. In practical terms, that means your second turkey may actually be better than your first, which is either inspiring or a sneaky excuse to cook more often.

What the Big Easy Gets Right

1. It is dramatically less messy than oil frying

Traditional turkey frying creates an impressive pile of tasks: buy the oil, store the oil, heat the oil, pray about the oil, cool the oil, and then figure out what on earth to do with the oil. The Big Easy skips all of that. There is no vat, no splashing pot, and no giant greasy disposal problem waiting at the end of the meal. Cleanup is mostly about the basket and drip tray, not a science project in used peanut oil.

2. It frees up your oven

This is a bigger advantage than it sounds. During major holiday meals, oven space is prime real estate. By moving the main protein outdoors, you make room for everything else. That alone can justify the purchase for frequent hosts. The Big Easy is not just a turkey cooker. It is a kitchen traffic manager with a propane tank.

3. It is beginner-friendly

Several reviews land on the same conclusion: once assembled, the unit is easy to operate. There are not many controls to learn, and the cooking process is fairly hands-off compared with deep frying or even some smokers. If the phrase “outdoor cooking equipment” usually makes you picture a guy named Rick explaining smoke rings for 45 minutes, relax. This cooker is approachable.

4. It is versatile beyond turkey

The Big Easy’s reputation may have been built on holiday birds, but it is not a one-trick pony. Reviewers and recipe sources mention pork shoulder, roast beef, chicken, wings, and more. Some testers even used it for vegetables with accessory racks. That matters because nobody wants a bulky backyard appliance that only earns its keep one Thursday a year.

5. It can produce genuinely crisp skin and juicy meat

This is the whole ballgame. If the texture were disappointing, none of the safety or convenience benefits would matter much. But the recurring theme across tests is that the cooker does a solid job with moisture retention and exterior browning. Not identical to deep frying, no. But impressively good for an oil-free method, absolutely.

Where the Big Easy Falls Short

It is not truly a deep-fried flavor clone

Let’s not pretend otherwise. If your dream turkey is the full, rich, unmistakable character of a bird dunked in hot oil, the Big Easy will not completely replace that experience. Even favorable reviews admit the difference. The skin crisps up well, but the flavor profile lands closer to a very effective roast with fried-style texture than a perfect deep-fry duplicate.

Wind can interfere with performance

Outdoor cooking is still outdoor cooking. Popular Mechanics noted that gusty weather affected the flame and required some adjustment. If you cook in an exposed area, that is worth planning for. A sheltered outdoor spot and a little common sense go a long way. The Big Easy is easy, but it is still not a force field.

Assembly and first-use setup can be mildly annoying

More than one reviewer mentions setup as a less glamorous part of the ownership experience. It is not impossible, and it is not the kind of task that ruins your weekend, but it is also not the fun part. Once the cooker is built and seasoned, the day-to-day use is far smoother than the initial unboxing session.

Who Should Buy the Big Easy?

This outdoor air fryer makes the most sense for a few types of buyers. First, it is ideal for holiday hosts who want a simpler turkey strategy. Second, it suits home cooks who like outdoor cooking but do not want the complication of a smoker or the risk of deep frying. Third, it is a smart option for people who want one cooker that can handle turkey, roasts, chicken, and other large proteins throughout the year.

It is a less compelling choice for people who rarely cook outdoors, live somewhere with no suitable outdoor space, or want the exact taste of classic deep-fried turkey and will accept nothing less. For everyone else, the Big Easy hits a pretty sweet spot between convenience and performance.

Best Ways to Get Great Results

Dry the bird thoroughly

Crisp skin starts with removing surface moisture. Pat the turkey dry before seasoning so the exterior can brown properly rather than steam itself into sadness.

Use a thermometer, not optimism

The biggest rookie mistake with any large protein is guessing. Monitor the internal temperature and pull the bird when it is actually done, not when it “looks close.” Turkey deserves certainty, not vibes.

Give it time to rest

Once the turkey comes out, let it rest before carving. This helps the juices redistribute and keeps your cutting board from turning into a poultry waterpark.

Think beyond turkey

To get the most value from the Big Easy, use it year-round. Chicken, pork shoulder, roast beef, and other hearty cuts make this cooker much easier to justify than if it only appears for a holiday cameo.

Extended Experience: What Living With the Big Easy Really Feels Like

Owning Charbroil’s Big Easy is less like adding a flashy gadget to your backyard and more like recruiting a very dependable assistant who never talks back and does not borrow your tongs. The first experience usually starts with a little curiosity, a little skepticism, and at least one person asking, “Wait, how do you fry without oil?” That question follows this cooker around like a celebrity rumor, and honestly, it deserves the attention because the answer sounds suspicious until you see the results.

The most noticeable thing about using the Big Easy over time is how much stress it removes from big-meal cooking. A holiday turkey has a way of becoming the emotional center of the day. If it goes well, everybody glows. If it goes badly, the cranberry sauce can only do so much. The Big Easy changes the mood because it simplifies the process. Instead of hovering over a pot of hot oil like a worried lifeguard, you prep your bird, lower it into the basket, monitor the temperature, and let the cooker work. It feels less like a stunt and more like a plan.

There is also something deeply satisfying about moving the turkey outdoors without committing to full-on pitmaster theater. Not everyone wants to manage a smoker for hours or master charcoal technique. The Big Easy occupies a middle ground that is surprisingly comfortable. It gives you that outdoor-cooking identity without requiring a new hobby, a new vocabulary, or three weekends of trial and error. You do not have to become “the turkey guy.” You just have to make good turkey.

Another underrated part of the experience is the cleanup, or rather, the lack of a major cleanup. With deep frying, the meal can be over and the work still looming in the corner like a greasy final boss. With the Big Easy, the aftermath is much more reasonable. You empty the drip tray, clean the basket, and move on with your life. That might not sound thrilling, but in the real world, easy cleanup is one of the most attractive flavor notes a cooker can offer.

There is also a confidence boost that develops after a couple of cooks. The first run may feel experimental. By the second or third, you start trusting the machine. You learn how your favorite seasoning behaves, how much browning you prefer, and how to time the cook around the rest of the meal. That familiarity is what turns the Big Easy from “interesting purchase” into “actual routine.” Suddenly it is not just for turkey. It is for Sunday chicken, a pork roast for game day, or a roast beef dinner when you want something hearty without heating up the whole kitchen.

Of course, it is not perfect. Wind can be annoying. Outdoor space is required. And if you are chasing the exact sensory drama of true deep-fried turkey, this cooker is not going to fool your taste buds into signing a legal affidavit. But for many households, that is not really the point. The point is getting a bird that looks beautiful, tastes juicy, has genuinely crisp skin, and does not require a gallon-by-gallon negotiation with hot oil.

That is why the Big Easy feels like such a practical win. It does not ask for much. It asks for propane, a little prep, and enough patience to let the meat rest before carving. In exchange, it gives you consistency, less mess, more oven space, and a cooking process that feels controlled instead of chaotic. In a world full of kitchen gear that promises revolution and delivers clutter, that kind of competence is refreshing. The Big Easy may not be flashy, but it earns the kind of praise that matters most: people use it once, then start planning what to cook in it next.

Final Verdict

Charbroil’s Big Easy Outdoor Air Fryer earns its reputation because it solves a real problem in a smart way. Popular Mechanics’ test reinforces what several other reviews suggest: this cooker is simple, capable, safer than oil frying, and impressively effective at producing juicy meat with crispy skin. No, it is not a perfect substitute for true deep frying. But it may be the better choice for most people, especially those who value convenience, easy cleanup, and a little less holiday chaos.

If your goal is to make a great turkey without turning dinner into a backyard risk-management seminar, the Big Easy is a strong buy. It is practical, versatile, and genuinely useful beyond Thanksgiving. And in the crowded world of outdoor cooking gear, that is a pretty big deal. Or, to put it another way, the Big Easy lives up to the second half of its name surprisingly well.