Deep Frying a Turkey

[fisher_king2004]

Not sure if this is the right forum but I am looking for some suggestions/tips on deep frying a turkey. I just got a deep fryer and want to test it out. I already am planning on cooking far away from the house but would welcome any tips on what to season the bird with and how long a 12-15 lb bird will take.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I would post this in the cooking forum.. Its way down near the bottom of the form list here...

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/forums/26/1/Cooking_and_Sharing_Recipes

as for your question. I usually cook mine 3 mins per pound plus 10 mins. Get the bird as DRY AS POSSIBLE before you put it in.. and put it in very slowly and safely...

[Duffman]

Number one rule for turkey frying, put the wrapped turkey in the pot and then fill it with water, now take out the turkey. See how much water is left in the pot, mark that level because THAT is how much oil you will need in the pot to cook it.

Just some fire prevention advise.

[Mike Stark]

if you google "how to deep fry a turkey" you will find TONS of info and videos.

[Lund79]

Duffman is right about the correct amount of oil. One thing I will add. After taking turkey out, pat dry before placing it in the heated oil or it will splatter all over. Slowly dunk the bird as well. About 3 min per pound is what I use for time.

[McGurk]

Allow the bird to thaw in the fridge a few days, and allow it to get close to room temp right before the cook.

-Use the mentioned trick to get the right amount of oil.

-After you pull the bird back out of the water and mark the remaining water level, pat that bird down and get it DRY DRY DRY! Warm the oil to around 375-400 (but no more than 400!!!) so when you get the bird goes in the oil doesn't cool the oil too much.

-I use 2 guys and a 5 or 6' long 2x2 strung through the hook handle, with the hook duct taped in the middle to lower the turkey into the hot oil.

-Allow for 3 to 3.5 minutes per pound (a 15 lb turkey should be done in around 50 minutes).

-Keep the temp as close to 350 as possible during the cook.

-Turn off the gas and let the flame die out flame before pulling the bird.

-Get some welding gauntlet gloves and use the hook to pull it out.

-Put it on a jelly roll pan or something like that and cover it with tin foil, and let the oil drain and let it rest 10-15 minutes before slicing (keeps it juicy!).

A trick I've started to do is cutting off the wings and putting them in about 1/2 way through to cook. Otherwise they are almost inedible if cooked the entire time. Another trick is to let the bird come to room temp un-evenly by laying it on a pie pan full of ice with the breast down. That allows the rest of the bird to go in warmer and cook faster, and then the breasts won't dry out as bad as they cook slower. Good Luck, and there is a lot of info in the posted link above.

[Tom7227]

I've done it a number of times and every time the oil boiled up over the top of the pot. Put down a sheet of cardboard and you'll save clean up time. The rig I got came with a long temp gauge and it was very useful. There was also a coat hanger style hook to put in in the pot along with the plate that came with the rig. It only took about 45 minutes or so to cook a turkey. I personally think that all the injection stuff doesn't work very well. The area right around the place you injected gets a bit of flavor but it doesn't seem to go very far into the meat. But all in all it's a great way to cook.

[paceman]

dang I am getting hungry.....

[delmuts]

"dang I am getting hungry....." Me too!

The info about the oil level, and making certain the bird is dry are VERY inportant! Last week our local news showed how having to much oil with a wet bird can be dangerous! The oil splatterd and boiled over , then caught fire from the burner. Be safe and enjoy!

[MNmikew]

The key to getting the injectable marinade to work is DO NOT PUNCTURE THE SKIN. Slide the injector under the skin and inject in multiple spots. You can work the skin loose on the breast and get the injector to pretty much cover the bird. I highly recommend the creole garlic butter injector marinade.

[bucketmouth64]

This was my second year for frying turkey. What I did different, as mention before, was to leave bird out to room temp before cooking. I injected it again and all excess marinade drained from bird and by leaving it out it dried the excess moisture. When I lowered it there was no boilover or spatter. I cooked it 3min/pound, you need to remember that the bird is still cooking on the inside when you get it out of the oil. The meat was super moist. Good luck and enjoy.