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How To Deep Fry A Turkey For The Outdoorsman (if you’re not afraid to die)
I’ll admit, I have never heard of anyone deep frying a turkey before. But boy, was I in for a surprise. With the help of fantastic food blogs, we’ll show you how to deep fry a turkey like a real pro in no time at all!
Luckily for our readers, our good friends at the Food Network have some great BARGAINS to be thankful for!
***DISCLAIMER***
Deep frying a turkey is for someone with lots of cooking experience. You have to know how to handle hot oil, especially at that temperature!
Remember, this is for the outdoors. You should not do this inside a garage or anywhere close to the house. Avoid doing this under a carport or under the dry pine tree. This turkey fry business has splattering oil, is messy, but is enjoyable from beginning to end.
My neighbors set theirs up for a year atop their glass-topped outdoor table. The oil splattered on the glass and the glass shattered. The 4-1/2 gallons of oil and turkey ended up on the ground amidst the shattered glass.
How To Deep Fry A Turkey | Traditional Way
You will need:
- a gallon of vegetable broth
- a gallon of ice water
- a cup of sea salt
- one tablespoon each of sage, rosemary, thyme, and black pepper.
Instructions:
- Grab your turkey from a local market. We recommend a Whole Foods or central market. Start by making a simple brine.
- Remove all excess giblets and the neck of the turkey. Get rid of any plastic or metal parts holding the legs together or a pop-out thermometer. Seal the turkey in an oven bag over night. On the following day, make sure to dry the turkey inside and out by gently patting.
- This is important – you don’t want the water droplets shooting out and hitting you in the eyes!
- Roll the turkey in a plastic bag of flour and pepper, and place it on the spindle. Take a twine and tie the legs and wings to the body. Now you’re ready to bathe your bird in piping hot oil!
Recipe compliments of Food52.
How To Deep Fry By Injecting Rich Goodness
Here’s how to deep fry a turkey without needing a huge deep fryer. This is perfect if it’s just you and your family this year, and you want to get it over with the quick and easy way.
You Will Need:
- 1 (8 to 12 lb.) turkey, completely thawed
- cooking spray
- 2 gallons peanut oil
Rub:
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Spice Injection Mixture:
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 tablespoon each of Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, and Cajun seasoning
- Several dashes hot pepper sauce
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Cook time:
- 45 minutes
4 to 8 servings
Instructions:
- Grab a sauce pan and combine all the ingredients for the spice injection mixture.
- Cook and stir over medium heat until butter melts.
- Once done, let the mixture cool until barely warm. Inject the mixture using a turkey baster into several spots on both sides of the turkey breast and thighs. Make sure not to inject too much into one side. Cover and chill overnight.
- Dunk the turkey into a vat of boiling hot oil – proceed with caution. We recommend wearing oven mitts for this, and to use something to balance the turkey.
- Enjoy the goodness that is deep fried turkey!
Check out how they did it over on taste with the eyes’ blog. Original recipe here.
RELATED: Easy Turkey Gravy Recipe
How To Deep Fry A Turkey The Easy No Fuss Way (if you’re Sam Sifton)
You Will Need:
- 1 12 to 16 pound turkey, thawed with giblets and neck removed
- 3 tbsp. kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
- a 5 gallon container peanut oil
Instructions:
- Heat oil to 350 degrees. Add the dry rub to the turkey.
- Lower the bird into the hot oil!
- Sit back and relax…and grab a beer while you’re at it. You’ve earned it. Check on your bird and cook it for approximately 3 1/2 minutes per pound!
- Bask in the glory that is your homemade deep fried turkey.
Recipe compliments of bon appetite – please visit their site for the full recipe and all the preparation instructions!
How to Deep Fry a Turkey | What Not to Do
Putting your still-frozen turkey in a pot of hot oil on top of your stove inside your house is a recipe for a turkey bomb.
Good pointers on what not to do.
- Find a spot away from things that’ll catch fire.
- Cover the ground with tarps, old carpets, cardboard, or anything that can absorb oil.
- There’s a significant 5’ radius of splatter. You should have a 8’ radius covered to protect concrete from acquiring permanent oil.
Now that we have safety precautions covered, it’s time you deep fry a turkey.
You can also watch this video by Sam the Cooking Guy to see his verdict on the different ways on how to deep fry a turkey:
That’s all, folks. Did you enjoy our deep fried turkey recipes? Let us know in the comments section below what you think of our homemade deep fried turkey recipes. Do you have a favorite way to fry turkey that’s been in your family for ages? Share it with us and we’ll give it a shot!
Which procedure are you more keen to trying out? Tell us in the comment section below!
Up Next:
- 19 Leftover Turkey Recipes To Extend Your Thanksgiving Celebration
- 15 Healthy Ground Turkey Recipes | Homemade Recipes
- How To Make Baked Macaroni and Cheese- Recipe
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Editor’s Note – This post was originally published on Nov 15, 2016, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
Before you place the bird in the oil… put in water into the pot and then place the bird into the water. Remove enough water so you have a few inches of empty space at the top. Remove the bird and dry it completely. Mark on the outside of the pot the water line and then remove the water and dry it completely. Bring the oil slowly up to the correct temperature. Before you lower the bird into the oil turn off the flame… let me repeat myself… turn off the flame before you lower the bird into the oil…slowly cook the bird and enjoy. Also it is best if you have a fire extinguisher on hand at all times.
YO WILLIAM your great! Tanks for da great video! we do enjoy DEEP FRY TURKEY, yummy in my tummy! have a great TURKEY DAY EVERYONE!
The caution about not placing the fryer near anything combustible cannot be stressed enough. That, and making sure the bird is completely thawed. If you wouldn’t put a frozen Pork Chop into a skillet of very hot grease, why on earth would you put a frozen Turkey into the extremely hot oil in the fryer, Use your heads people!