How To SAFELY Fry a Turkey for the Holidays
Deep-fried turkey is a concept that started in the south and has risen in popularity all over the world, and for good reason: the results are delicious. I know you’re shaking your head right about now, but just trust me on this – it doesn’t come out like you’d think. The turkey is not greasy; the deep-frying process seals the outside and the turkey remains tender and juicy, while the skin gets extra crispy, and it will be the best turkey you’ve ever tasted.
However, frying a turkey without a little know-how can turn into disaster. Obvious there are some safety concerns of lowering and lifting a big turkey into a vessel of boiling oil. Instructables Alton Brown (see video below) offers a few safety tips to frying the perfect turkey for the holiday season. Alton details each step of the process so everyone will be free from harms way.
First off the Turkey size does matter, smaller turkeys 8 to 14 pounds are perfect for frying. If you have a larger bird we suggest you detach the dark meat (leg and thigh portions) from the breast and fry the two turkey parts separately. Frying a larger whole turkey will naturally take longer to cook, which means the outside will be over cooked. For this reason we suggest to stay within the 8 to 14 pound range.
The Cooking Oil
The last thing you want to do is lower a turkey into a pot that has to much hot cooking oil in it. So here’s a handy little tip to avoid making that mistake. Place your thawed turkey into the empty pot that you will be using to fry the bird. Fill the pot with water until the Turkey is completely covered. Remove the turkey and place somewhere to dry and then season. Note the water level in the pot, use a ruler to measure the distance from the top of the pot to the surface of the water. This is how much cooking oil you will need to safely cook your holiday bird, should be about 3 1/2 – 5 gallons. The maximum oil level should not exceed 3 to 5 inches from the top of the pot.
As for what cooking oil to use, peanut oil is my favorite because of its wonderful added flavor as well as its high smoking point, If you or a member of your family is allergic to peanut products any oil with a high smoke point such as Corn Oil, Safflower Oil, or Canola Oil will work. To get the best flavor out of your bird, prior to cooking you can inject the turkey with your favorite marinade and or rub it with a dry spice rub. Another popular method is to brine for about 12 hours
You Will Need
In addition to a turkey, you’ll need a 40 or 60 quart pot with basket or turkey frying hardware, a propane gas tank and burner ( I suggest the Cajun Cooker from Walmart or the King Kooker from Home Depot), a deep fry thermometer, a meat thermometer, a metal or fiberglass A-Frame ladder, a two-foot piece of lumber (1′x2′ or a 2′x4′ works nicely), a simple pulley, and a length of 3/8″ rope. The ladder and pulley gear is intended to let you lower and raise the turkey without injuring yourself from oil splatter by using a simple pulley system, which is the real focus of this guide.
If you have never tried frying a turkey, you should try this sometime. It’s worth it, just make sure to fry outdoors away from any flammable materials. On your driveway or in the grass away from the house are good locations. Frying whole turkeys is fast process, you can estimate cooking times at about three minutes per pound. When your time is up simply 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. We strongly suggest having a fire extinguisher and heavy duty pot holders standing by. You shouldn’t need them if you follow the guide but you never know. The step-by-step instructions can be found in detail over at Instructables. How To SAFELY Fry a Turkey.
Have you tried frying a turkey? We would love to hear about it, please share your experience with us in the comments.
[via LifeHacker]
My father does this every year and you are so right, the best Turkey you will ever eat in your life. We live down here in Texas and I can tell you this is nothing new to us. Hope you people in the rest of the country enjoy this, we do
I would like to suggest using Rice Oil as a great fryer oil-smoke point 490 and super healthy!!