Deep Fried Turkey Tips, Tricks & my Recipe

Deep Fried Turkey – Tips, Tricks & my Recipe

Deep fried Turkey has become pretty popular over the past few years. Even though I was deathly afraid when we made it for the first time I decided that I wanted to try it. We deep-fried our first Turkey a few years ago and I haven’t looked back since. The meat is so tender and incredibly juicy. It is a great alternative to roasting the Turkey in the oven. I love having the extra room in my oven for all the other side dishes. It is extremely important to follow a few steps and to take precautions before frying. I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of videos and heard many stories about fires caused by people deep-frying their Turkey. Make sure you deep fry your Turkey outside Do NOT attempt to do this inside. Have a Fire Extinguisher nearby (just in case)

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Here are some tips that I would like to share with you before you get started

If you are buying a fresh Turkey stop reading here and skip to the next step. If you are buying a frozen Turkey remember that depending on the weight of your Turkey it can take 4 days to thaw in the refrigerator. Allow enough time to thaw your Turkey completely.

Some people swear that brining their Turkey gives them better results. I am not one of these people. I’ve tried it a couple of times and can honestly say that there was not much of a difference in taste. Most Turkeys show on the label “Contains up to 8% of a solution of Water, Salt, Spices, and Natural Flavor”. That is pretty much telling you that that the Turkey has been injected with a brine. This applies to most frozen Turkeys. Check the ingredient list to make sure. It is absolutely optional to brine but in my humble opinion really not necessary.

Remove the pop up thermometer that usually comes with the Turkey and use a reliable Thermometer.

Make sure your Turkey is completely thawed. That means it should not have any ice in it. Remove the giblets and the neck from inside the turkey. Rinse the Turkey. After you’ve rinsed the Turkey pat the inside as well as the outside dry with paper towels.

To make sure you use the correct amount of oil place the turkey into the pot that you will fry it in. Add enough water to make sure it covers the top of the turkey. The water should be at least 4 to 5 inches below the top of the pot. This will be the amount of oil you have to use for frying the turkey. Do not exceed the maximum fill line

When you are ready to lower the Turkey into the oil turn off the burner –then lower the Turkey VERY SLOWLY into the oil. Once the turkey is in the oil turn the burner back on.

A turkey is safe to eat when cooked to 165°F. Some people recommend cooking poultry to 160° F because the meat will continue to cook after you remove it from the oven or, in this case, after you remove it from the oil. To check the temperature correctly your thermometer should be inserted in the thickest part of the thigh.

Enjoy !

Do you have any tips or tricks you’d like to share ? Please comment below. I would love to hear from you.

 

My Fried Turkey Recipe

 

Ingredients

16 pound turkey (thawed)

4- 4 ½ gallons of peanut oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 ½ teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon granulated garlic

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

 

Directions

Remove the turkey from the refrigerator, rinse and pat dry. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking. Mix the salt, paprika, onion powder, granulated garlic and poultry season together in a small bowl. Season the Turkey inside and out with the seasoning. Put aside. Place the oil into your turkey fryer and heat to 350 ° F. Once it has reached temperature turn the gas off and slowly lower the bird into the oil. Turn the burner back on and bring the temperature back to 350 ° F. Try to keep up this temperature. The Turkey will take about 3-4 minutes per pound. After 40 minutes start checking the temperature of the turkey using a quick read thermometer. Once the thigh reaches a temperature of 158° F remove the bird from the oil and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Carve and enjoy.