Deep-Fry Your Turkey Step By Step

fried turkey

With Thanksgiving on its way, it’s time to start thinking about what to serve your family and guests. If you’re like most people, turkey will be the main feature. If you usually bake yours in the oven but want to try something else this year, deep-frying is a good option. This is a delicious idea, and it is one that you can follow and then love the results.

Some Items for Preparation

First, make sure you head to the store to get your turkey with plenty of days to spare before Thanksgiving. You don’t want to chance not finding one for the big day. Follow the instructions on how to thaw the turkey. This can often take a few days and usually involves keeping it in the refrigerator leading up to Thanksgiving day. Furthermore, on the morning of the holiday, unwrap the turkey and remove the neck and giblets. Next, pat dry the turkey with a paper towel.

Grab your fryer and add oil to it. Heat it up to 375 degrees. However, make sure you are not overfilling it. There should be a fill line on the fryer, so keep an eye to make sure you don’t put in too much. As the oil is heating, feel free to put your desired seasonings on the turkey. These could also include any injected flavors or marinades.

Time to Start Cooking

Next up, take a look at the size of your turkey and note the total weight. This is important because you will want to deep-fry the turkey for about three to four minutes per pound. Get a thermometer and measure the internal temperature. It should be between 175 degrees and 180 degrees for the dark meat and 165 degrees to 170 degrees for the white meat.

After You Deep-Fry it

Once you have deep-fried the turkey, there is still work to do. For instance, you will need to carefully lift it out of the pot and set it on some paper towels or towels to drain. Moreover, let the turkey sit for about 20 minutes before you start to carve it.

You might also like: Hide From These Tennessee Haunted Houses

Other Helpful Tips

If this will be your first experience deep-frying a turkey, you may need a hand to prepare it successfully. For the most effective deep-frying, you should thoroughly and completely thaw the turkey.

Also, make sure you remove any excess fat. Turkeys weighing 14 pounds or less can go into the deep-frying pot whole. However, if your turkey weighs more than 14 pounds, separate the legs and thighs from the breasts for best results. Also, if you ordinarily put stuffing in your turkey, this won’t work with deep-frying. Instead, cook the stuffing separately.

Deep-frying a turkey is a different experience, but it is one that produces a delicious dish. Try this method this Thanksgiving, and you may never go back to baking it in the oven.

Disclaimer: The stock image is being used for illustrative purposes only, and it is not a direct representation of the business, recipe, or activity listed. Any person depicted in the stock image is a model.