Deep fried turkey is one of those dishes that sound exquisite and dreamy but attempting it at home can be scary. Will the pot catch on fire? Will the turkey burn? How can you deep fry a turkey without accidents? No worries! You’ll find answers to these and other questions in our turkey frying guide.
How to deep fry a turkey: Method One
We turned to Butterball, the Thanksgiving turkey experts, for tips on how to deep fry a turkey easily and with minimum mess.
Butterball experts agree that the ultimate deep fried turkey is prepared in an electric fryer. Not only does this save you the headache of setting up your equipment outside but an electric fryer takes the guess work out of deep frying a turkey.
Here are the steps involved in the turkey frying process:
- Ensure turkey is completely thawed and at room temperature
- Make sure drain valve on the electric fryer is in the OFF position and the safety tap is on
- Fill the electric fryer with oil until the MAX/MIN fill line
- Turn the temperature to 375F
- Inject the turkey with your desired marinade (Butterball recommends using 1 oz. of marinade per round of turkey)
- Rub the turkey with seasonings such as paprika or black pepper
- Place the empty fryer basket in the fryer for two minutes and take it out (this will give it a nonstick coating and prevent the turkey from sticking)
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Place the turkey inside the basket and lower it into the oil very slowly
9. Cook the turkey 4 minutes per pound (for instance, a 14 lb. turkey will be ready in 56 minutes)
10. Lift the turkey out of the electric fryer and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving
See it all come to life in this instructional video from Butterball:
How To Deep Fry a Turkey: The Alton Brown Method
What happens if you don’t have an electric turkey fryer? Then you can deep fry a turkey using the Alton Brown method.
First off, Brown recommends doing a displacement test. This means you’ll have to figure out how much oil will fit into your chosen frying vessel.
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To do a displacement test: Place the turkey inside the pot. Pour enough water to cover the turkey. Remove the turkey from the pot and measure the water. This is how much oil you will need to deep fry your turkey. Be sure to dry your pot thoroughly before deep frying the turkey.
Next, set up your equipment outdoors. You’ll need: a large stock pot for the turkey, frying oil, a propane tank, a long hook for placing/pulling turkey from the oil, and a fire extinguisher for safety.
As an extra precaution Brown recommends wrapping the propane gas cable in foil in case any oil flies out of the pot.
Remember: the turkey should reach an internal temperature of 165F before being consumed. Try these tips for carving a turkey like a pro.
Take a look at this video where Alton Brown explains how to deep fry a turkey his way:
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