Turkey frying in the great outdoors. There are a few different types of outdoor turkey fryers. Some are electric, some are propane. Some that are traditional deep fat turkey fryers, and some that are oil free or oil-less turkey fryers.

I wanted to touch upon the later two as they are made by very respectable companies that primarily make outdoor cooking gear. They are safe, easy and cook great. The thing is, is that they really are not deep fryers. They technically roast the bird using radiant heat or infrared heat.

A few of the upsides here are less mess, easier clean up, less of a fire hazard, other cooking options.

Obviously, you have a virtually splatter free cooking unit, as you have no oil to spit, pop, or boil over. This makes clean up much easier as you do not have to wait for frying oil to cool down. You don't have oil to filter and store. You still need to wait for the unit to cool down before clean up and storage, but this will take considerably less time than a unit full of hot oil. Some of the pieces of these units are dish washer safe, therefore also saving time. Certain parts must be hand cleaned and should never be submerged in water though.

These units are safer as there is no hot oil that can come in contact with open flame, which could pose a potential fire hazard. Safety precautions should still be taken though. No pets or kids, of any age, running around the unit at all. Remember that you still have either an electric cord or a propane tank hooked to a hot container that is full of hot food. The sides of the unit will be hot. Make sure that you have appropriate protective gloves and your handling equipment on hand. Even though there is less of a potential for fire, you should still keep a constant eye on any outdoor cooking equipment.

Using no oil is a healthier option compared to deep fried foods. Less calories and no oil, but still having crispy yet juicy turkey is a definite up point.

Another positive point to these units, as compared to a conventional turkey fryer, is you can use seasoning rubs. You can still use injectable seasonings, but rubs would normally boil right off in hot frying oil. Rubs will now be a tasty and crispy part of the outside of your bird or other meats and vegetables that can be roasted in these units. Some of these units actually have the option of adding soaked wood chips for adding smokey flavor.

Now for the down sides. As I said, these units do not technically deep fry. You cannot make traditional french fries or doughnuts in an infrared cooker. You can smoke food but you cannot out and out deep fry. A traditional turkey fryer, you can also boil, steam and stew. This is not an option here as there is a hole in the bottom of the unit for a drip pan.

These units are portable enough, especially the propane units, but if you are tailgating or camping with an electric unit, having a generator is a must. You can roast and smoke all sorts of meats and vegetables in one of these oil-less fryers, which is nice for different menu options at the stadium or at a campground get together. But having a traditional fryer that has a stock pot that you can stew chili in, steam corn and lobster in, or deep fry chicken wings is a much more versatile piece of cooking equipment for people that use outdoor cooking equipment all the time.

These radiant heating units are great. They are cleaner and safer than traditional turkey fryers. The infrared heat seals in moisture for crispy, juicy, less fattening and flavorful food. If you have been looking for a turkey fryer for the holidays, but been hesitant to buy for safety issues, than this may be an option for you.