An improved outdoor cooking apparatus features a pot with multiple cooking inserts and burner frame that supports a burner element. One insert can be used for cooking an entire poultry carcass. Other inserts are perforated baskets that can be used to fry items.

A burner assembly for an outdoor cooker or a commercial fryer has a jet tube into which gas is injected by a nozzle on an angle oblique to the centerline of the jet tube. The nozzle is supplied gas through a manifold having gas ports. One port serves as an inlet through which gas is supplied. Another port serves as an outlet feeding gas to the nozzle. The nozzle has an exit orifice that is positioned closer to the wall of the jet tube than to the tube's centerline to minimize blockage of air into the jet tube. The oblique injection of gas and minimized air blockage help the burner assembly maintain a high-temperature blue flame.

A turkey cooking device comprises a base, a burner, a gas supply device, a turkey pot, a temperature control device disposed on the base or the burner, and a safety valve disposed on the burner. The burner and the turkey pot are disposed on the base. The burner is located below the turkey pot and connected to the gas supply device. The temperature control device comprises a temperature controller, which abuts against the outer circumferential wall of the turkey pot, is electrically connected to the safety valve and controls the burner to open or close through the safety valve. The temperature control device controls the safety valve to close to cut off a gas source when detecting that the temperature of the outer circumferential wall of the turkey pot reaches a preset temperature, so that the situation that food is affected under an excessively-high oil temperature and consequentially the health of eaters is affected is prevented; user attendance is not needed, and the device can be easily and conveniently operated by users; and fire accidents caused by spontaneous combustion of cooking oil under an excessively-high temperature can be prevented.

A high efficiency heating apparatus for heating fluids and cooking mediums, such as oil or shortening within a fryer, includes one or more natural draft combustion chambers that are affixed to exterior surfaces of a fry tank.

A high-efficiency heating apparatus for heating fluids and cooking mediums, such as oil or shortening within a fryer, includes a natural draft (non-powered) or a powered draft combustion chamber that is affixed to an exterior surface of a fry tank.