Air Fryer Rolled Boneless Turkey Joint (2024)

This Air Fryer Rolled Boneless Turkey Joint will dispel any remaining myths about white turkey being dry or tasteless. The juicy and succulent meat is quick to cook, easy to carve and delicious served hot or cold. Plus the skin crisps beautifully for added golden crunch and I’ve included instructions to make a simple turkey gravy using the drippings.

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I’m quite evangelical about turkey being a delicious and moist meat. I know I say this every time I publish a turkey recipe but it’s a drum I will continue to bang. The only reason so many people think that turkey is dry is because it is so often overcooked.

Over time I’ve cooked lots of different turkey cuts including whole turkeys and fully butchered turkey crowns like my wet brined and oven roasted version and even a small crown cooked in the air fryer.

I’ve also published instructions for how to air fry a small turkey breast fillet and a whole turkey leg – thigh and drumstick. And I love them all but I have to admit that this rolled breast joint, which is really quite large, might actually be my favourite. Especially as it is such an economical way of having lots of thin sliced turkey for sandwiches etc. Because it has no bones, it is super easy to carve.

How to Serve

Naturally we err towards thinking about Christmas dinner or even Thanksgiving meals if you’re on the other side of the pond. Turkey is so synonymous with both these meals that it can get overlooked at other times of the year. But if you look for it, it is generally available to buy year round, especially rolled boneless joints like this rather than whole fresh turkeys.

I love to make Americana inspired meals and I’ve experimented with various classic Thanksgiving menu items. So if you are a non American looking for something a bit different, try serving the turkey with some of these dishes –

• Baked macaroni cheese – mine uses a roux base.
• Green bean casserole – don’t overlook this classic, it is actually delicious.
• Creamy mashed potatoes – serve them with the turkey gravy.
• Roasted or air fried sweet potatoes or squash. I’ve not gone so far as to try making the masjmallow covered yam/sweet potato dish just yet!
• Fluffy and flaky buttermilk biscuits – kind of like savoury scones and served like a bread roll with the meal.
• Smooth cranberry sauce – emulate the perennial favourite canned cranberry sauce.
• French silk pie – a whipped cream topped chocolate tart with with American style pie pastry base.
• Or – a double crusted fruit pie using the same flaky pasty recipe.

Air Fryer Christmas Dinner Recipes: Turkey, Trimmings & More

For more air fried recipes to make the perfect Christmas dinner (or any roast dinner for that matter), check out this handy post where I’ve collected all my recipe in one easy place.

Everything is included from three different cuts of turkey – breast, crown and whole leg, three types of stuffing – regular packet stuffing, packet stuffing balls and balls with added sausage meat and vegetables like carrots, parsnips, carrots and parsnips(!) and of course sprouts to two types of pigs in blankets – chipolata sized and with cocktail sausages, roast potatoes and a few alternative ideas like bacon wrapped sprouts and roast pork loin.

Ingredients

Turkey

Rolled boneless turkey breast joints are sold in butchers and supermarkets. You will more likely find them in the chiller in the autumn and winter and otherwise in the freezer sections.

The name for this kind of cut of turkey varies slightly depending where you buy it. Some are simply called boneless breast joints, some are called easy carve turkey joints and others something like boneless turkey crowns. You should be able to see if you’re buying the right thing quite easily.

Do look for a joint that has been evenly rolled and is largely fully covered with un-ripped skin. This will help to keep the meat moist as it cooks by protecting it from the direct heat.

You quite often find that you can buy rolled turkey joints that contain stuffing. I’m personally not a fan of these as I find that the whole of the meat just tends to take on the flavour of the stuffing. I’d rather let the flavour of the turkey shine.

With regards to the freezer options, many of them come in foil trays ready to cook. They’re smaller than the joint I’ve cooked here and need different treatment – I’ve got specific instructions for these smaller joints here:-

Oil

As usual I’ve stuck to using a neutral vegetable oil for this recipe. The oil helps the turkey skin to crisp up and start browning. And it gives a surface for the salt to adhere to.

You can use any oil you prefer but if you are choosing something with a distinct flavour, make sure that that flavour complements the rest of your meal.

Salt

I’ve used my favourite Maldon sea salt flakes to season the turkey. The flakes are mild in flavour so if you are using free-flowing table salt, you may wish to halve the quantities as that salt is stronger when measured by volume.

Allergen Information

This recipe is free from egg, dairy, gluten and nuts. This assumes that you are cooking a turkey joint without stuffing. If you have chosen an options with stuffing, you will also need to check for relevant allergens.

Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.

How Long to Air Fry a Rolled Turkey Breast Joint

This 1.5kg/3.5lb turkey joint cooks in 3 stages for a total of 55 minutes. It then needs a good 15 minutes to sit and rest before being carved.

The three stages simply involve turning the joint twice during the air frying process.

• The turkey starts cooking skin side up. This gives the skin a chance to cook and forms the main part of the cooking time – 30 minutes.

• The joint is then turned to cook upside down for a further 20 minutes. This helps the juices redistribute throughout the meat and for the underside to cook with more direct heat for a time.

• Lastly, it is turned skin side up again and given a quick 5 minute more air frying to ensure the skin is golden and crisp.

While the joint rests covered in foil and a towel, this is the perfect time to drain all the cooking juices and fats from the air fryer basket and use them to make a simple and delicious gravy.

How to Air Fry Boneless Turkey Joint From Frozen

I do not recommend cooking a large piece of turkey breast from frozen. It is a sure fire way to overcook the outside of the meat whilst undercooking the centre. Which leads to serious overcooking and then people complaining that turkey is a dry meat. And I think we know how I feel about that by now!

Instead allow it to thoroughly defrost fully before preparing and air frying the meat. It should ideally be at room temperature.

Leftovers – Storage & Reheating

The leftover turkey meat is brilliant. I like to try to only carve off the meat I’m going to be eating for the main meal and then leave the rest as one whole joint. At least until it’s cold and then can be thoroughly chilled in the fridge – ideally overnight.

At this point it can be sliced thinly and then I like to use it like any cold cut I’d buy from the deli counter – in sandwiches, toasties and even on my leftover Christmas dinner pizza – which is a stunner. Or you can cut it into thicker pieces and add to soups or use to make a really great version of fried rice.

The leftovers will keep in the fridge for several days providing they are well covered or in an air tight container. You can also freeze any leftovers – I would suggest slicing the turkey and freezing it in small portions to make defrosting quicker and easier.

You can eat leftover turkey cold but if you want to reheat, I like to do so in the microwave. I add a drop of water and heat in small bursts – it doesn’t take long to become piping hot and stays lovely and juicy. To do this in the air fryer, you can loosely wrap the turkey slices in foil along with a tiny amount of water. This will effectively steam the turkey hot and again keep it nice and moist.

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What Exactly is an Air Fryer?

Very simply, an air fryer is a small convection (fan) oven. The benefit is that the hot air is circulated all around the food being cooked which speeds up the cooking time and cooks the food more evenly.

What are the Benefits of Using an Air Fryer?

Size, time and energy usage. Air fryers are ideal for cooking smaller quantities. Heating up a space that the food just fits into requires less energy and means that the heat source is much closer to the food. Combining these two things can speed up the cooking time.

Rotary types are not usually good for recipes where the food is breaded, glazed, likely to break up or in a tray/container. They do however make the best chips and roasted veg.

My 2 in 1 version like the one I’ve linked also has a rotating tray for things that could be broken up by a paddle, but the height clearance with the lid isn’t deep enough to use it to cook some items like sausage rolls. I’ve now actually retired by Actifry in favour of having my two basket type fryers.

Mini Oven Air Fryers

These usually have a glass door, shelves and overall are really quite large. You can cook quite a decent quantity of food in them so are best if regularly cooking for multiple people. They often come with extra features like a rotisserie spit or kebab skewers.

Multicookers with Air Fryer Functions

Some likeNinja 11 in 1and some of the earlier versions with a few less functions, have an air fryer option. They mostly operate the same as a basket fryer but the basket drops in the top rather than sliding in like a drawer.

Some electric pressure cookers likeInstant Potscan also air fry when used with a specific lid.

Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?

As much as I do love air frying, the honest answer to this is no. And the more detailed answer is that it will always depend on what you’re cooking, how much of it you’re cooking and what type and size of air fryer you have.

Once you need to cook in more than 2 batches, it often makes more sense to use an oven. If you already have the oven on to cook other items, it may make more sense to throw one more item in rather than using an additional appliance.

I don’t think either method is often necessarily better than the other. The important point to note is that there is absolutely no difference in the finished product.

Do Air Fryers Need to Be Pre-Heated?

The answer to this is rather annoying – it depends. It depends entirely on your model and type of air fryer. The best advice I can offer is to check your manual and follow their guidance. My Cosori models have a preheat function. I press a button and it heats at 205c/400f for 4 minutes.

It’s also worth noting that regardless of whether you are supposed to pre-heat or not, if you are cooking in batches, it is quite likely that anything after the first batch will cook a little quicker because of the retained heat. It is best to check on them before the cooking time is completed.

What is the best temperature to Air Fry at?

It will always depend on what you are cooking and from what state. All of my air fryer recipes don’t use temperatures above 200c/390f because many of the most common fryers in the UK don’t go above this. Mine goes to 230c/450f and I use this temperature a lot but it is no help for me to share recipes which many people can’t use.

What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…

Not all air fryers have different settings like this. When they do it usually relates to the fan speed. The default setting to use will always be “air fry” so unless something else is specifically stated in the recipe, always use the air fry option.

There are other air fryers that have an additional heating element which cooks from underneath rather than just the top. Just as with the other settings, unless you are using a recipe which states to use a second heating element, stick with just using the top down air fry option.

Of course if and when you become more confident with air frying, using recipes and the settings of your air fryer, you can start adapting them to suit.

Can Food Be Cooked From Frozen In An Air Fryer?

Absolutely! To cook from frozen you usually will need to reduce the cooking temperature and increase the time to make sure your food is cooked right through to the middle.

It is best to check my individual recipes for cooking from frozen advice as some items are a little different. And there are occasionally exceptions to the rule.

Can I Reheat Food In An Air Fryer?

Yes. As a general rule I reheat food for roughly 1/3 of the original cooking time at the same temperature. Or at 10 degrees lower for half the time for larger items.

Are Air Fryer Liners a Good Idea?

Unless otherwise stated, I do not use liners when air frying. Basket and rotary type air fryers are designed to be used without liners. Mini oven types will generally require some kind of tray like with a regular large oven although most come with crisper racks to use.

There are many air fryer liners available including quite thick silicone ones. These will affect the cooking times and possibly temperatures of your cooking/baking. I also don’t like how cooking juices are prevented from dripping through the basket rack. This can stop food from crisping all the way around.

When I do want to collect the juices, I mostly use some foil, or occasionally a foil tray which can be washed and reused.

If you do prefer to use them, once you have got a feel for how they affect your cooking and baking, you may need to make adjustments to the recipe accordingly.

Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did it turn out?

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The Recipe