If you’ve followed Life’s A Tomato for any amount of time, you know my Char-Broil Big Easy gets a serious workout all year long. Char-Broil markets it as an oil-less turkey fryer, and yes, it absolutely crushes a Thanksgiving turkey, but that name really sells it short.
The Char-Broil Big Easy is great at cooking just about everything – I’ve done appetizers, sides, and even desserts on it – but I particularly love using mine for main dishes. That’s where this cooker really earns its spot on my patio.
A Cooking Beast!
What makes it so perfect for main dishes is the TRU-Infrared technology. You get that beautiful, crispy, golden-brown, almost fried exterior without ever having to deal with gallons of oil, splatter, or that heavy fried feeling. On the inside, everything stays ridiculously juicy and tender. It’s that combination of crispy outside, moist inside that makes it ideal for almost any protein you can think of.
EZ. PZ.
It’s also the most foolproof way I know to cook a main course. Most of my recipes come down to the same simple formula: a little oil, your favorite seasoning or rub, and about 10 minutes per pound. No overnight brines, no babysitting charcoal, no constant flipping and checking temps. You load up the basket, drop it in, close the lid, and go make your sides. I get rotisserie-style results with a fraction of the effort, and I don’t have to heat up the whole kitchen to do it.
Cook This. Cook That.
Over the years I’ve cooked just about every main dish you can imagine on mine. We’re talking a 16-pound turkey with no brine and no fuss, Old Bay crab legs that I can never seem to stop eating, honey-chipotle glazed ham with a crispy edge and super-moist center, Shake ‘N Bake pork chops that were unbelievably tender, super-fast Cajun marinated chicken, baby back and St. Louis ribs that fit perfectly when cut down to 11 inches, pulled pork that shreds perfectly for sandwiches in a fraction of my smoker time, garlic lobster tails, simple roast chickens, and yes – even SPAM and hot dogs that came out way better than they had any right to be.
It’s my go-to for both quick weeknight dinners and big weekend cooks, and it’s saved me more than once when I needed a main dish that was guaranteed to impress without a lot of stress.
Let’s Go!
So I decided it was time to round up all of my best hits in one place. Here are some of my favorites!
The List
1
Easy Large Turkey on the Char-Broil Big Easy
No brines. No fancy rubs. Just a 16 pound turkey, a little oil, and some seasoning and 10 minutes per pound.
I can eat a scary amount of crab legs. Fortunately, I don’t have to tell you just how much a ‘scary amount’ is, but when the crab legs are as great as these Old Bay crab legs cooked on my Char-Broil Big Easy, I cannot control myself.
Honey-Chipotle Glazed Ham on the Char-Broil Big Easy
I’m a big fan of cooking honey-chipotle glazed ham on the Char-Broil Big Easy. The ham gets a nice roasted flavor, a bit of a crispy outside, and a super-moist inside.
I could’ve fired up my gas grill to cook a batch of hot dogs. Or lit some charcoal. That’s when I had a ‘duh’ moment. The Big Easy! It cooks everything great, so why not use it!
These Kick’N chicken legs on the Char-Broil Big Easy came out fantastic, just like all the other poultry I’ve ever cooked on the Big Easy. Super moist and tender.
Cooking a pork butt on the Big Easy was not only easy and quick (compared to a 10-12 hour cook time on my smoker), but the end product came out super moist and tender. The meat shreds very easily, perfect for BBQ sandwiches or my favorite, BBQ pulled pork baked potatoes.
I’d make these ribs again. And again. You can fit 2 racks into the Big Easy (they have to be cut to fit as they have to be around 11″ or so or less in length).
Beer-Can Seasoned Chicken on the Char-Broil Big Easy
The seasoning is so good you can leave out the beer can. The Big Easy cooks up chicken so moist and tender you won’t notice it’s not there, and the Weber seasoning packs such great flavor you’ll be as happy as if you did use the beer.
