Des

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Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.

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Butterball Turkey Fryer

Butterball Turkey Fryer

My review of the Butterball Turkey Fryer:

Do you want to know how to give your family a heart attack? First, you invite them to your new home so that you can throw your very first Thanksgiving. Then you tell them that you are going to make 2 turkeys. Then you tell them that you are going to roast one and fry the other. Then for the grand finale you tell them that you are going to fry the other one….inside. Oh man I cannot tell you how many times I heard “no you need to do that outside.” I just nodded and smiled. I had it under control. Or I should say Masterbuilt did.

Let me give you a little back story here. I have always, always, always wanted to fry a turkey. But truth be told all of the warnings from that president from 24 turned Allstate ad man made me a little apprehensive to try it at home. However, when someone from Masterbuilt contacted me and told me that they wanted to give me an indoor one to test out I jumped all over the idea. And figured why not try it for my very first Thanksgiving? What can I say, I’m a bit of a rebel.

To tell you the truth when it came down to it, I was a little nervous to rely solely on a fried turkey for my first Thanksgiving. I mean what if it didn’t turn out. I did not want to spend Thanksgiving in the drive-thru. So I decided that I would make 2 turkeys. I would roast one and fry the other.

I put my roasted turkey in about 3 hours before dinner. I basted it every 20 minutes. The skin was crispy, the meat tender and flavorful. It was the perfect Thanksgiving turkey.

On the other hand, about 1 hour before dinner, after making sure it was completely dry, Ryan lowered the Cajun seasoned turkey into the peanut oil and closed the lid. 45 minutes later Ryan pulled the turkey out of the oil. The skin was crispy, the meat tender and flavorful. It was the perfect Thanksgiving turkey…in less than an hour. Genius.

In the spirit of complete and total honesty, the only problem that I did notice about the fryer was that after Ryan placed the turkey in the fryer a small drop of oil got on the digital timer and then it wouldn’t work. This wasn’t too big of an issue as we just timed it ourselves. But timer aside, the fryer worked pretty well.

The Butterball Turkey Fryer from Masterbuilt has the following features:

•      The fryer is retailed at $159.96

•      Adjustable thermostat temperature control

•      Stainless steel construction

•      Porcelain-coated inner pot

•      Digital timer

•      Folding lid with window and filter

•      Cooking basket with drain clip

•      Drain Valve for easy cleaning

•      Saves on oil – uses 1/3 less than conventional turkey fryers

•      It can feed up to 8 people when frying a 14 lb turkey

Leave a Comment

  • Reply
    Stacy
    November 9, 2011 at 1:51 pm

    This sounds great! I love fried turkey and I just heard about this deep fryer on the Bob & Tom Show! I would love to have one.

  • Reply
    Erica Best
    December 5, 2010 at 11:29 am

    i love to have this turkey fryer for Christmas because I”m tried of plain bake turkey and i want to kick it up for Christmas lol good luck everyone .

  • Reply
    jasper
    December 5, 2010 at 11:04 am

    i would love one of these to get my girlfriend off of her raw food diet kick. Plus I know that she has a weakness for anything fried. Since I don’t cook as much as she does, we end up eating rabbit food most of the weak. But if I had this i could cook for her more and show her that we can afford to eat some deep-fried deliciousness in between.

  • Reply
    Rebecca
    December 5, 2010 at 6:15 am

    Well my husband & father (without my knowing) gave away our turkey fryer so they could have an excuse to always have beef tenderloin at Holiday gatherings. I miss our fried turkeys and would love to have an indoor fryer so I could enjoy some turkey again! Merry Christmas!

  • Reply
    Rory
    December 4, 2010 at 5:24 pm

    I can’t do much for my near 80 grandma but it would be such a nice gift to let her relax this year (and all the rest) for once and cook her up a nice turkey in one of those bad boys. Happy Holidays everyone! (Merry Christmas)

  • Reply
    Michelle
    December 3, 2010 at 9:53 pm

    I’ve always wanted to fry a turkey! We’re having Christmas dinner at our house this year, so this would be the perfect opportunity to wow the folks.

  • Reply
    RichnLinda McBride
    December 3, 2010 at 12:11 pm

    We used to do the big messy outside fryer one of these would be great to have

  • Reply
    Kelly G
    December 3, 2010 at 8:29 am

    This turkey fryer looks great. It would allow me to fry the turkey myself as my husband is overseas and unavailable this year.

  • Reply
    susitravl
    December 2, 2010 at 11:44 am

    I would love to have my dinner all done at the same time – so frying the turkey would leave me all that room in the over for the dishes I want to bake.
    susitravl(at)gmail(dot)com

  • Reply
    Phil Hutchens
    December 1, 2010 at 6:21 pm

    I’ve always wanted to deep fry a turkey but like you said the Allstate ad and most news outlets make it seem dangerous. I live in MN so the Btu’s to run an outdoor fryer just makes it worse. Each Holiday bird still ends up a little different the fryer might just do the trick

  • Reply
    Heather L.
    December 1, 2010 at 2:46 pm

    Living in a third-floor apartment in the city can make outdoor activities difficult… don’t think I want to fry a turkey on my little wooden balcony! So an indoor fryer would be quite helpful, I’d think :) And save much-needed oven space for all those other yummy side dishes.

  • Reply
    Beth
    December 1, 2010 at 11:39 am

    I had deep fried turkey at Thanksgiving, I was jealous I couldn’t make one, hopefully now I can.
    Thanks,
    Beth

  • Reply
    Baine Messing
    December 1, 2010 at 9:16 am

    This would really help my family out since my mom has just told me that Thanksgiving is getting too much for her to do at her house and since Im a bit scared to do the turkey the ol fashioned way it would be much easier to do it w/ the fryer and my family loves to try different foods and Im always the one to make them try it!

  • Reply
    Judy Keyes
    December 1, 2010 at 8:36 am

    All the family will be home for Christmas. That means I will be serving 15+ people. More impacting than that – there will be 6 women cooks moving around the kitchen and with the stove in a corner situation – it gets crowded. At least if the turkey was in a fryer and not the oven – it would give us more elbow room! Our menu if a full one consisting of :
    Turkey
    Stuffing
    Mashed potatoes and gravy
    Broccoli and cauliflower with cheese sauce over it
    Green bean casserole
    Sweet potatoes
    5 fruit salad
    Molded gelatin salad
    Cranberry sauce
    Cranberry nut bread
    Boston brown bread
    Dinner rolls
    Pecan pie
    Apple pie
    Fruit cake
    Punch
    That’s why it takes 3 days to prepare and 6 cooks at the last minute to put it on the table.
    Many of the above items are made with your recipes – thanks so much for having a knack with creating great recipes!

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

  • Reply
    Lucy
    December 1, 2010 at 3:05 am

    I would love to have the fryer, we have group get togethers and I can think of so many more uses.

  • Reply
    Darcy Yazzolino
    November 30, 2010 at 9:32 pm

    My husband would be in heaven! It would help us by allowing my husband be inside, not outside in this cold rainy Washington weather.

  • Reply
    Paula
    November 30, 2010 at 6:10 pm

    The hubs is on a mission to buy a turkey fryer… somehow if I won one, and we burned down the house… it wouldn’t be so bad as if I had actually BOUGHT one. Ha!

  • Reply
    Melody Frye
    November 30, 2010 at 3:57 pm

    I have been talking about fried turkey since I moved back up to the northwest from Mississippi. Masterbuild is one of the best deep fryers on the market today. With this fryer I could embrace my southern roots and make the perfect turkey for my family and friends.

  • Reply
    Joan Meador
    November 30, 2010 at 3:49 pm

    My husband was just talking about wanting a turkey fryer the other day! This would be the ideal Christmas present for him as this economy has made us very broke! Thanks for the contest.

  • Reply
    amom
    November 30, 2010 at 3:07 pm

    I’ve only tasted fried turkey once, and have never made it at home since we don’t have the proper equipment. It would be awesome to have the Masterbuilt Indoor Turkey Fryer and cookbook for the holidays, and even for ordinary weekends!

  • Reply
    Alyssa
    November 30, 2010 at 3:01 pm

    My grandparents just bought a new house – so they are more budget conscious than ever. I’d love to be able to take this to them, with all the food of course, so they can host their first holiday dinner ever.

  • Reply
    Krista
    November 30, 2010 at 2:56 pm

    Every Christmas my mom’s family gets together, and we always have fried chicken. A few cousins have apparently tired of the chicken, so throwing a different kind of fried poultry at them might make them happy!

  • Reply
    Kathy
    November 30, 2010 at 1:25 pm

    Fried turkey sounds wonderful — even after Thanksgiving !! Would love to try this.

  • Reply
    Sara
    November 30, 2010 at 12:08 pm

    I just found out from my boyfriend (we’ve been living together for 3 months now), that his extended family is coming for Christmas dinner! YIKES! My oven is old and pretty tiny, and I’m supposed to provide both a ham AND a turkey – I can only fit one thing in the oven at a time, plus I need to make all the trimmings. I could really use a turkey fryer so I can cook both things in time for Christmas dinner. Pretty please consider me? (A little bribery: I adore your blog, and make almost everything you put on it with my boyfriend.)

  • Reply
    K. Rock
    November 30, 2010 at 11:26 am

    This would be great for me to try!! I would love to start some new traditions with my family.

  • Reply
    Dave
    November 30, 2010 at 9:40 am

    I hate wasting so much oil from the outdoor version that I seldom use it. The indoor model seems to be more practible and economical. My family can’t wait to have me make turkey enchiladas with the leftovers. Frying the turkey really imparts a nice flavor to the bird so I haven’t made the enchiladas since the last time I used the fryer 3 years ago!

  • Reply
    Brenton
    November 30, 2010 at 9:32 am

    Aside from all the normal reasons for desiring to add an indoor turkey fryer to the arsenal, I want to make stuffing fritters when the turkey is done……..!

  • Reply
    Sean
    November 30, 2010 at 9:24 am

    I would drive around looking for frustrated families who had ruined turkeys then swoop in with this bad jackson and be a hero who got invited back every Thanksgiving after.

  • Reply
    Hila
    November 30, 2010 at 8:19 am

    I have ALWAYS wanted to try fried turkey, and this would let me do it all myself :)

  • Reply
    Holly
    November 30, 2010 at 6:31 am

    This would free up my tiny oven to fit side dishes into. I have a small tabletop sized oven and cooking the turkey in a fryer would simplify my cooking process! Thanks for such a great giveaway!

  • Reply
    Martha
    November 30, 2010 at 5:27 am

    I had my first fried turkey last week. This indoor fryer would make me the queen of the holidays with my family!

  • Reply
    Lisa P
    November 30, 2010 at 5:16 am

    My boyfriend and I just started renting a house and have really wanted to have our friends and family over for the holiday’s and a fried turkey would certainly be a big crowdpleaser! We are both avid chef’s and have always wanted to fry a turkey but with the chilly temperatures around the holiday’s up her in MA it makes that very difficult. This indoor fryer would certainly do the trick and would make for a great dinner for everyone.

  • Reply
    Jenn's Food Journey
    November 30, 2010 at 5:12 am

    I’m like you.. I’ve always wanted to try frying a turkey but I was a bit nervous about it. And in 45 minutes??? I mean how can that not help someone out … a full turkey, cooked in less then an hour…. sign me up!!

  • Reply
    Kim K.
    November 30, 2010 at 4:31 am

    It would be awesome to win this turkey fryer. We have been frying turkeys for Thanksgiving for a few years now, but the fryer has always scared me to death! This would make my husband’s day!

  • Reply
    Sara
    November 30, 2010 at 4:28 am

    Yum! Fried Turkey for Christmas. I would love to try this.

  • Reply
    Judy R
    November 30, 2010 at 4:12 am

    A turkey fryer would be fantastic! I’ve never had a fried turkey and would love to try one.

  • Reply
    Tanja in VA. Beach
    November 30, 2010 at 3:34 am

    My husband is often out of town and me and gas and an open flame and hot oil and errant drops of water just do not mix! I would love, love, love one of these!

  • Reply
    jfitz
    November 30, 2010 at 12:52 am

    Fried Turkey is just the start. French fries cannot be far behind!!!

  • Reply
    David P. Swindler
    November 30, 2010 at 12:25 am

    Yeah, this would be just the ticket to propel me into the 21st century of turkey preparation!

  • Reply
    Georgia
    November 29, 2010 at 9:29 pm

    I have never even tried fried turkey but everyone that has tried it has loved it. Guess I need to win it so we can try it :)

  • Reply
    Joann
    November 29, 2010 at 8:37 pm

    WOW! A fried turkey! I have been dying to try one! Since I’m no longer employed, I don’t have the disposable funds to purchase a turkey fryer but I bet my family would kick in for the peanut oil! Please, please pick me!!!!!!
    Thank you for your consideration!! Happy Holidays!

  • Reply
    Deliliah Lynn
    November 29, 2010 at 8:15 pm

    I absolutely love to cook and share with fellow friends and neighbors who have no where else to share a meal with family or friends any time of the year, and especially during the holidays, but I live in an apartment complex where am not allowed to have a BBQ grill or outdoor fryer and the oven is so small that there is only room to roast one turkey and no room to also bake yams or even a green bean casserole or even biscuits so holiday meals shared with others are always a sad hodge podge variation from the norm we grew up with :-( Store bought extras heated in a microwave just aren’t the same :-( It would be so wonderful to be able to share a yummy deep fried turkey and all the other baked trimmings at the same time with others this Christmas and to be able to share the traditional leftovers with them too!

  • Reply
    Marianne
    November 29, 2010 at 8:04 pm

    There’s no better turkey than one that’s deep fried.
    Why freeze out in the cold when you can cook it inside?
    But why stop there? I ask you, madam,
    I’m dreaming of pork roast, or maybe a ham.
    A duck. A goose. A chicken. A pheasant.
    Or a nice leg of lamb. Doesn’t that sound pleasant!
    I’d love this indoor fryer for sure
    But, it’s not just for turkey anymore!

  • Reply
    michelle
    November 29, 2010 at 7:52 pm

    That sounds delicious. I have never heard of an indoor turkey fryer before. That’s neat-o.

  • Reply
    Linda Bolz
    November 29, 2010 at 7:47 pm

    We love deep fried turkey, but don’t like the outdoors in the cold so and indorr turkey fryer would be wonderful !!

  • Reply
    ginny dodson
    November 29, 2010 at 7:27 pm

    Oh, MY….with 9 kids and all those that come with them, I have to make 2 turkeys as it is….I have a recipe I LOVE but have always wanted to do something different with the other one (read: fry), but been sceered to….what a fun thing to do!!!

  • Reply
    Rekaya
    November 29, 2010 at 7:23 pm

    The Turkey Fryer will allow me to relive memories of eating fried turkey in New Orleans with friends – I miss them!

  • Reply
    michelle m
    November 29, 2010 at 7:20 pm

    I have always wanted to try frying a turkey but never have due to safety concerns. As cold as it will be here in CO this winter, this would be a lot of fun to try.

  • Reply
    Heather
    November 29, 2010 at 6:32 pm

    After the angry letter from the apartment complex on why deep frying turkey’s outside is not allowed. I would love to fry one inside and share the tasty rewards. I love the deep fried turkey and wish that I could have had one this year!

  • Reply
    Dwayne Smith
    November 29, 2010 at 6:04 pm

    I’ve always wanted to try fried turkey, but never had the chance to.
    The Masterbuilt fryer would come in handy.

  • Reply
    Maegan
    November 29, 2010 at 4:17 pm

    I’ve been cooking Thanksgiving dinner for a couple of years now, but as interested as I’ve always been in deep frying a turkey, I’ve always been really intimidated by the idea. I honestly had no idea you could fry a turkey indoors! Every cooking segment I’ve ever seen featuring a deep fried turkey usually takes place way out in the backyard, far, far away from both house and inhabitants…Maybe that’s why I’ve always been so scared to give it a go…Anyways, I’d love to try my hand at using the Masterbuilt! It sounds like a fantastic appliance and I love that it can be used for things other than turkeys!

  • Reply
    Susan Marie
    November 29, 2010 at 3:31 pm

    What a wonderful idea to come up with an indoor fryer, and thank you, Des, for the giveaway! We love fried turkey, but have to go to our son-in-law’s house to get it, at a time when he and our daughter are not celebrating with *his* family. This way, we could fry it, and have that oven space for everything else!

  • Reply
    Joi Sharrer
    November 29, 2010 at 1:05 pm

    I have never had fried turkey…nor have my children. We have heard such wonderful things about it. Would love to try it. Our oven doesn’t work so it would definitely help us be able to have a turkey dinner.

  • Reply
    barbara
    November 29, 2010 at 1:01 pm

    My honey has always wanted to fry a turkey, and this year he put a turkey fryer on his wish list! I’m a little afraid to try it, but deep-fried mac & cheese sounds fantastic!

  • Reply
    Greg
    November 29, 2010 at 12:46 pm

    I make a prime rib every holiday season, and would love to try making it in one of these bakers.

  • Reply
    angela
    November 29, 2010 at 12:10 pm

    I need this so I can work up the courage to finally cook a WHOLE turkey!

  • Reply
    Julia
    November 29, 2010 at 11:43 am

    To be able to fry a turkey indoors would be AMAZING! My kitchen is the same as it was when the house was built in 1967, so there is VERY little room for roasting one; plus, here in the deep South, we like to eat turkey year round (to say nothing of our love for frying!).

  • Reply
    Alta
    November 29, 2010 at 11:43 am

    That is sooo cool. I live in the Pacific NW and the idea of frying a turkey outside in the rain was never that appealing. But you have totally made me what to do one inside. I love crispy turkey skin and this is just perfect!!! I could make something for Christmas for my family!!! Yahoo!

  • Reply
    Katie
    November 29, 2010 at 10:57 am

    It would help me out: if I won I wouldn’t have to figure out what to make this year for Christmas. Love deep fried turkey!!!!

  • Reply
    Wendy
    November 29, 2010 at 10:41 am

    Well, I have a total fear of hot oil, open fires, and I hate being cold (ie. standing outside in freezing weather). So I think an indoor fryer would cut down on my contact with all those. And my husband’s favorite part of the turkey might be the crispy skin.

  • Reply
    Tamra
    November 29, 2010 at 10:38 am

    I’ll be making my first Turkey this Christmas – I couldn’t think of an easier (and more delicious) way to do it!

  • Reply
    Steven Mc.
    November 29, 2010 at 10:20 am

    way up north you dont really want to be outside supervising a fryer in december, much nicer to be inside where there are cookies and 5 layers of clothing isnt required to prevent frostbite

  • Reply
    Jenny
    November 29, 2010 at 10:14 am

    This is great! Ive never seen an indoor version of a turkey fryer! We have always wanted to fry a turkey but havent been able to do so yet. This would be awesome as I have always drooled over the thought of deep fried turkey! Thanks for the option to win this awesome thing!

    BTW, I made your cranberry sauce over thanksgiving and it was a hit!!!! The kids even loved it! :)

  • Reply
    Aviva Goel
    November 29, 2010 at 9:21 am

    i was staring (and drooling) at an indoor fryer and a tabletop rotisserie just last night! Thanks for the amazing giveaway, Des! With an ever-growing list of mouths to feed over the holidays, an indoor fryer would definitely save me oven room for my other holiday treats, and maybe even give me a chance to relax and not worry about basting for a change! When I am not cooking, I am a grad student conducting cancer research, so maybe not having to worry about basting intervals would allow me to focus on my studies!

  • Reply
    Fun and Fearless in Beantown
    November 29, 2010 at 9:20 am

    Um, this is AWESOME! I’ve never tried deep-fried turkey and as a city dweller, an indoor turkey fryer would be unbelievable. I hope I win this!

  • Reply
    Sandy Legg
    November 29, 2010 at 9:18 am

    I got one and returned it. The thermostat wouldn’t let the oil heat up. It just kept tripping the safety switch. Got tired resetting it.

  • Reply
    Jessie
    November 29, 2010 at 9:05 am

    My husband has a turkey fryer on his Christmas list! I’d love to win one and not have to go shopping for one!

  • Reply
    Diana
    November 29, 2010 at 8:53 am

    Well, I have never tried a fried turkey but would love to try it out! One year we tried a tur-duk-hen and it was wonderful.. We are always up for trying new things! What a fun give-a-way!

  • Reply
    Dennis
    November 29, 2010 at 8:50 am

    I have been frying turkeys the conventional way for over 25 years having spent many $$$$ on oil. I would love to save every penny I can especially now being on limited income.

  • Reply
    Dana
    November 29, 2010 at 8:50 am

    A turkey fryer would be GREAT this year! We also bought a new house and it would be nice to try a new way to cook turkey; not to mention it would free up the oven. Thanks!

  • Reply
    Christie
    November 29, 2010 at 8:45 am

    My family has wanted to try a fried turkey…I love the idea of an indoor fryer! I would be able to use it for a small party…that seems like it would save a lot of time!

  • Reply
    Crissy
    November 29, 2010 at 8:42 am

    My husband loves doing things with turkey, we did one smoked this year on charcoal!!! He loves frying turkey and always is freezing – Would love to give him one for Christmas!

  • Reply
    Jess
    November 29, 2010 at 8:04 am

    Oh my gosh, I have wanted to fry a turkey for so long, but was not in love with the idea of going outside to fry it on what is usually a frigid day! This would be amazing for Christmas!

  • Reply
    P. Robertson
    November 29, 2010 at 7:54 am

    We’ve been talking fried turkey for years-the Masterbuilt Indoor Turkey Fryer would get a lot of use in our kitchen! Even in California, it gets pretty chilly in the winter so frying a turkey indoors would be just perfect! We have a really large extended family that often ends up at our house for the holidays! They would all be happy campers!

  • Reply
    Kristin Radermacher
    November 29, 2010 at 7:50 am

    Since it will be below freezing the rest of the year… An indoor option would save my behind :)

  • Reply
    Cathy K
    November 29, 2010 at 7:39 am

    Turkey fryer indoors, WoW We have a small kitchen with a for burner stove. Indoor fryer would free up some space on the stove or oven. I love deep fried turkey, what a great idea!

  • Des

    Hey! I'm Des!

    Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.

    Read more »

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    Help spread the word. You're awesome for doing it!