How to Fry a Turkey

Frying a turkey is one of the most popular way of cooking it in Southern America which is gradually gaining popularity throughout the nation. One of the reasons that has attracted people to fried turkey is that it takes less time than the other conventional methods of cooking turkey. Turkey is deep-fried with the help of a special cooking apparatus which is called a turkey fryer. If you really love fried turkey, investing on a deep fryer will be a good idea.

Turkey Frying Equipment

Most people think that fried turkey is greasy and oily. However, when cooked properly, one can get a fried turkey which is not greasy, but crispy-skinned, moist and highly flavorful. As I said earlier, if you want to know how to deep-fry a turkey, the most important thing that is required to fry a turkey is a turkey fryer. The fryer is a 40 to 60 quart pot that contains a turkey frying hardware and is attached to a propane gas tank and a burner.

Other things that one may require to fry turkey include a deep-fry thermometer, a marinade injector and a meat thermometer. One very important thing that people have to keep in mind is that the turkey should never be fried indoors like in the kitchen or even a garage. It is always good to do it in the backyard as it involves a whole lot of oil which is flammable. The best place to fry turkey is on a rock or concrete surface, outside the house, but far from trees and leaves. Also, it is extremely crucial to keep a fire extinguisher on hand while frying a turkey.

Essential Ingredients

The most important ingredient that you would require is a whole turkey. However, you can also take only the breasts and the legs of the turkey to fry, as per your wish. Turkey is usually fried in a light oil like peanut oil, vegetable oil, etc. Though many people like to eat simple fried turkey, frying it by adding marinades and rubs can actually enhance the taste of the turkey. For marinades and rubs, you can use ingredients like garlic powder, pepper, hot pepper sauce, lemon wedges, etc.

Preparation

Although it is fine to use any type of light oil for frying turkey, here we will make use of peanut oil. Before you start with the actual frying process, wash and clean the turkey well. Make sure that you dry the turkey completely before placing it in the oil. Once you have dried the turkey, apply the rub or marinades with the help of a marinade injector and allow it to stand for a while, may be for half an hour. For those, who want to use a turkey fryer, here is a step by step guide that you can follow.

Step 1: The first step would be to ensure the amount of oil that will be needed to fry the turkey in the fryer. For this, place the turkey in the fryer and fill it with water till it reaches two inches above the turkey.

Step 2: Take out the turkey from the pot and mark the water level with a ruler. Once you have done this, discard the water and clean the turkey fryer thoroughly so that no traces of water remain in it.

Step 3: After this, pour oil into the fryer till the level you have marked. Heat the oil in the fryer until it starts boiling. Determine the temperature of the oil with a candy thermometer and when it reaches 325° F, lower the turkey into it with the help of a turkey hanger.

Step 4: Allow the turkey to fry in the oil for some time. Usually, it takes three minutes to cook every pound of turkey. Check the temperature with a meat thermometer frequently. When the temperature in the turkey breast reaches 170° F and the temperature at the thigh region reaches 180° F, the turkey is said to be completely done. Remove the cooked turkey from the fryer with the help of a turkey hanger and place it on a bloating paper to remove the excess oil.

The same method has to be followed, if you want to fry a turkey breast or a turkey leg. Safety is one of the most important things that has to be kept in mind while frying a turkey. One should use hand gloves while handling the fryer as well as the turkey. It is also necessary to clean the equipment and other utensils thoroughly to avoid contamination. So, try to fry the turkey along with a friend or your partner and enjoy the delicious flavor of fried turkey.