Look at that BAD BOY!!!
This year I am frying a Turkey, and am going to try and not catch anything on fire! At the Ivanovsky’s I will admit that my wife does most of the cooking on Thanksgiving with her siblings ( I really mean sisters and sisters – in -laws) and her Dad, while the rest of us watch football. Go ahead, throw something at me, I am just being honest. It’s not that I don’t want to help ( I really would rather watch football) but they never ask for any. Plus, I make dinner often during the week the rest of the year, so I am not a total slacker!
But now that the possibly of fire, hot oil and danger is involved I am ALL OVER IT!
Thanks to Fabulous Foods, this is what you will need:
You Will Need
In addition to a turkey, you’ll need a 40 or 60 quart pot with basket or turkey frying hardware, plus a propane gas tank and burner, a candy/deep fry thermometer, a meat thermometer and lots of oil. Use oils that have a high smoke point, such as corn, peanut or canola oils.
Before You Fry
Before beginning, (and before you even season or marinate your turkey) determine the amount of oil you’ll need by placing the turkey in the basket (or on the hanger, depending on the type of fryer you are using) and putting it in the pot. Add water until it reaches about two inches above the turkey. Remove the turkey and note the water level by using a ruler to measure the distance from the top of the pot to the surface of the water. Remove the water and thoroughly dry the pot. Now add enough oil to equal what the water level was without the turkey in the pot.
You should also keep a fire extinguisher and plenty of heavy duty pot holders nearby. An injector to add marinades and seasonings to the meat is also good to have, although you can make a plain turkey without it.
As far as the turkey itself goes, smaller birds work better for frying. Try not to go over 15 pounds.
Using the candy thermometer to determine temperature, heat the oil to about 325°F and no higher than 350°F. This usually takes between 20 to 30 minutes. Once the oil is hot enough, place the turkey in the basket or on the turkey hanger (follow instructions that came with your turkey frying kit) and slowly lower it into the pot.
Now let her fry! With whole turkeys, you can estimate on about three minutes per pound to cook. Remove turkey and check the temperature with a meat thermometer. The temperature should reach 170° F. in the breast and 180° F. in the thigh
Using an Injector to Marinade Your Turkey
An injector, which resembles a large hypodermic needle, allows you to inject a marinade directly into the meat. While you can make a fried turkey without this step and get a moist bird, it won’t be as flavorful as if you take the time to inject your bird with marinade about a half hour or so before frying.
While we tried many of the injector needles on the market, the plastic models are our favorite. We found that the metal needles break easily and these tend to be more flexible. We found ours at a dollar store.
Fill your syringe with marinade and inject it into both sides of the breast, the legs and the thighs of the turkey. Don’t be afraid to move the needle around to get the marinade into the whole bird. Sometimes it’s easier to get the thighs from the inside of the cavity.
Tips & Troubleshooting
- Do not stuff turkeys you plan on frying, it just doesn’t work and food safety issues come into play..
- Be sure to measure for the amount of oil you’ll need BEFORE you marinate or bread the turkey.
- Immediately wash hands, utensils, equipment and surfaces that have come in contact with raw turkey to avoid cross contamination.
- Keep an eye on the time, fried turkeys cook quickly. It only takes about 3 minutes per pound. Overcooking is one of the biggest mistakes beginners make. We should know, we cooked our first turkey so much the outside was charred completely black. Surprisingly, the meat inside the burnt shell was still delicious, so know that if you make this mistake, all may not be lost.
- Consume cooked turkey immediately and store leftovers in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking.
- Never leave the hot oil unattended.
- Don’t allow children or pets near the cooking area.
- Allow oil to cool completely before disposing or storing it.
If you have neighbors that are frying a turkey also, consider sharing the cost of oil. This my estimate of what it would cost to start with nothing this year:
Turkey Fryer Set $48.96
Peanut Oil $30.00 for 3 gallons
Candy Thermometer $3.97
Marinade Injector $2.98
Turkey ( At Kroger $.24 / lb.) $4.08
This year I am in at about $90. Next year, I will be MUCH cheaper as I will already have the main supplies.
Are you frying a turkey this year? Do you have any suggestions?
The good thing about a turkey fryer is that it ALSO makes an excellent crawfish boil pot in a few months!
And also makes a great way to boil those peanuts !
Make sure bird is thawed out COMPLETELY!!
while you have got the oil hot make a batch of fried pickles!! you never know what the “boys” in my house are gonna toss in the fryer
Melanie, How would I make fried pickles? We had them once at a resteraunt and they were delish! Would u have a recipe?
Check out Alton Browns “deep fried turkey” recipe(http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/deep-fried-turkey-recipe/index.html), it sits in a brine for 24 hours. You will NEVER go back! I have 50 guests at my house yearly who oftentimes have other celebrations they are attending as well. EVERY one of them comment on the moist, delicious turkey and how ours is “the best” 🙂
Love Alton Browns brine as well!……Saftey = measured oil, thawed turkey no hiding ice chunks, and a dried off bird. Alton used to have a video where he made a safe contraption out of pullies and a ladder kinda funny.
I love fried turkey. It tastes amazing, but please be super careful. I worked in a pharmacy and a few years ago the pharmacist spent most of Thanksgiving Day in the ER with her spouse. He was severely burned. Yes, it was his fault, but I just wanted to remind people to super careful. We want no ER trips posted. =)