For the ultimate roast dinner in the air fryer, you must try an air fryer 3 bird roast. Known as a turducken or a bird, in a bird, in a bird, it’s just as easy as roasting a boneless turkey breast and so delicious.
This 3 bird roast is cooked in the air fryer with carrots and potatoes for an all in one air fryer dinner, perfect for Christmas or other celebrations.
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3 Bird Roast
I was late to the 3 bird roast tradition. That is because we lived in Portugal and the tradition had just not made its way over to us.
During Christmas 2021, I was reading all about the 3 bird roast and loved the idea that you could enjoy several meats in one.
Whilst many families couldn’t choose and would have a roast gammon in the air fryer and a turkey crown in the air fryer, I liked the idea of a combo.
After Christmas 2021 had gone, I asked my butcher to make me some. I froze a bunch of them, and we enjoyed them in the slow cooker and the air fryer and really fell in love.
Then for Christmas 2022 we decided to take the hassle out of Christmas and instead enjoy a slow cooker 3 bird roast. It was amazing and so effortless compared to what Christmas can be like.
Now here we are getting ready for another Christmas, and I wanted to celebrate the 3 bird roast this week by showing you today how to make an air fryer version, then tomorrow a slow cooker 3 bird roast. Then you can decide which gadget that you want to use.
Today, I will be showing you an air fryer 3 bird roast dinner. So not just cooking a turducken in the air fryer, but also the potatoes and carrots to go with it. Very similar to the other all in one roast dinner we have made for you.
If you love a roast dinner in the air fryer do check out our air fryer pot roast, air fryer gammon dinner, air fryer pork leg roast, air fryer leg of lamb with potatoes, air fryer turkey thigh dinner, or our favourite – the air fryer roast chicken dinner.
What’s A Turducken?
A turducken, also known as a bird in a bird in a bird, is turkey rolled in duck rolled in chicken.
- The tur is the turkey
- The duc is the duck
- Then ken is the chicken
Its delicious because it brings together three of your favourite types of poultry to create a delicious roast that you can cook in the air fryer.
It is also a food with many names, with some referring to it as a turducken, some as a bird in a bird in a bird, and most as a 3 bird roast.
Your turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken is often sold by the butchers wrapped in bacon, which because of the stuffing of the meat and the bacon, means its much harder for your turkey to get dry.
How Do You Cook A 3 Bird Roast?
You can cook a three bird roast, just like you would any roasting joint. So, this can be in the oven, in the air fryer, in the instant pot pressure cooker, in the ninja foodi, or in the slow cooker or sous vide.
Of course, I don’t like my oven as I prefer the speed of the air fryer, and that air fryer roasts don’t shrink.
Where Does Turducken Come From?
Turducken comes from the United States, yet whenever I ask an American, they have never heard of Turducken yet the Brits have.
Apparently, a farmer walked into a butcher’s shop in Louisiana in the 80’s and asked for his turkey, chicken, and duck to be stuffed inside each other.
Turducken Recipe With Bacon
Another reason I prefer a turducken in the air fryer compared to the slow cooker, is that because you generally get sold a three bird roast with bacon, it helps to make the bacon more crispy and more like the oven based version.
3 Bird Roast In Air Fryer Ninja
You can also make a 3 bird roast in an Air Fryer Ninja. If you have a 2 drawer air fryer, then what you can do is cook the Christmas 3 bird roast in one drawer and then the roasted potatoes and carrots in the other.
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3 Bird Roast Recipe Ingredients
Turducken – Any traditional three bird roast will work well in this air fryer recipe. We found that the bird in a bird in a bird averaged between 1kg and 2kg so do a temperature check just in case your roast is bigger than ours.
Sides – I also added potatoes and carrots, then its like a traditional roast dinner and you can use the space around the bird for this.
Oil – Then of course, a little oil for the potatoes and carrots. For this we highly recommend extra virgin olive oil as it’s the best oil for air frying.
Seasoning – Then of course, its nice to add some flavour so for seasoning we recommend salt, pepper, mixed herbs and dried parsley.
Can You Recommend An Air Fryer?
I often get asked which air fryers I recommend and which one I use. In 95% of our air fryer recipes, we use either the Philips Air Fryer XL or the Cosori XL because they are the best ones, we have found out of many air fryers we have tried over the years. You can click on the links above and read up on them.
Plus, we recommend you head over to our air fryer recipes category as we have more than 500 tried and tested everyday air fryer recipes and have been air frying for 10+ years.
How To Air Fry A Turducken?
- Start. Let’s start with placing the turducken into the air fryer and giving it a head start. Air fry for 15 minutes at 180c/360f whilst you prepare the sides.
- Sides. Peel potatoes and chop into roast potato sizes and then peel the carrots and chop into chunks. Place into a bowl with oil and seasonings and mix well with your hands.
- Beeps. When the air fryer beeps add the potatoes and carrots in the spaces around the turducken. Then air fry for 25 minutes at 180c/360f.
- Turn. Next air fry for a further 15 minutes at 180c/360f.
- Crispy. If your potatoes are not crispy enough for your liking you can remove the turducken now, and then just air fry the potatoes for a final 5 minutes at 200c/400f.
You now know how to cook a Christmas 3 bird roast in the air fryer!
How Long To Cook 3 Bird Roast In Air Fryer?
The 3 bird roast in air fryer time is JUST 55 minutes, plus an extra 5 minutes if you would like an extra crisp on your roast potatoes. I have noticed online that oven cook times for a 3 bird roast is well over 90 minutes, so it is a good time saver in the air fryer.
What Temp Should A 3 Bird Roast Be?
The internal temperature for a 3 bird roast should be at least 70c/160f. This is because it includes both chicken and turkey that need to be of a certain temperature to be safe for you to eat.
Listen To Air Fryer 3 Bird Roast
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What Sides To Serve With Turducken?
You should treat your turducken aka your 3 meat roast like you would any air fryer roast dinner and go with any traditional sides that you would normally have such as:
- Air Fryer Pigs In Blankets
- Air Fryer Stuffing Balls
- Air Fryer Yorkshire Puddings
- Air Fryer Frozen Yorkshire Puddings
- Air Fryer Frozen Brussel Sprouts
- Air Fryer Frozen Cauliflower
- Air Fryer Cauliflower Cheese
- Check out all our 600+ air fryer beginner recipes!
Learn how to air fry a bird in a bird roast below, note you can print it out with or without photos, adjust servings, or click between metric and imperial depending on where you are in the world.
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Air Fryer 3 Bird Roast
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg Turducken
- 8 Medium Potatoes
- 8 Medium Carrots
- 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Mixed Herbs
- 2 Tsp Parsley
- Salt & Pepper
Kitchen Gadgets
Instructions
- Place your turducken into the air fryer basket, aiming for the middle. Air fry for 15 minutes at 180c/360f.
- In the meantime, peel your potatoes and carrots. Chop the potatoes into quarters and then the carrots into chunks. Or you can cut the carrots into strips like you would for honey glazed carrots. Place them into a bowl and mix with oil and seasonings with your hands until well mixed.
- When the air fryer beeps add the potatoes and carrots around the turducken filling in any spaces. Air fry for another 25 minutes at the same temperature.
- Turn over the turducken with tongs and also shake the air fryer basket to move about the potatoes and carrots. Air fry for another 15 minutes at the same temperature.
- Remove the turducken and allow it to rest and then air fry the potatoes and carrots for a final 5 minutes at 200c/400f to make them crispier or serve as is.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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