How to Fry a Turkey
Fried turkey is a great way to quickly cook your bird for the holidays. You will get crispy skin, moist meat and a free oven to cook your sides. All you need is some simple ingredients and a safe technique to get the best experience.
You will need the following items to safely fry your turkey.
- Outdoor Burner
- 22 – 30 qt. Pot
- Butchers Twine
- Candy Thermometer
- Long Heavy Duty Tongs or a Meat Hook
- Medium Sized Cooler or Large Stockpot with Lid
- Clean Platter
- Meat Thermometer – Stem Style
Brined and Fried Turkey Recipe
- 11 lb. Turkey
- 1 qt. Water
- 1.5 C Salt
- 1 C Sugar
- 1 C Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 gal. Ice
Optional Flavor Enhancement
- 1/3 C Pepper Corns
- 10 Bay Leaves
- 1/4 C Dried Thyme
- 10 Garlic Cloves
- 2 gal Peanut Oil
1. Place your turkey while in the bag into your frying pot, then fill with water until the turkey is covered by one inch of water. Remove the turkey and mark where your water line is. That is how far up you should fill the pot with oil.
2. Place your brining ingredients into a saucepan, bring to a simmer and stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Remove the brine from the heat and let cool.
3. Remove your turkey from the bag, drain any juices, remove any plastic and bag ‘o’ organs from the inside.
4. Place the turkey in a cooler or large stockpot with lid. Pour the brine over the turkey and then stir in the ice. The turkey should be totally under icy water. Brine for 12-16 hours, and it is important to keep ice cold during this process or your turkey will spoil. I like to keep it outside during this time.
5. Remove the turkey from the brine, drain and dry very well, then set out at room temp for 90 minutes to remove the chill from the bird.
6. Place the frying pot on your outdoor burner at least 10 feet from your house, preferably on concrete. Attach the candy thermometer and fill up with oil to the water mark you made earlier. Turn the heat on and heat the oil up to 350 F.
7. Tie the legs together with butchers twine and dry the turkey with paper towels one more time. Very slowly hook the turkey legs using long tongs or a meat hook and lower into the oil. Keep kids and pets away during this time.
8. Cook the turkey for about 25 minutes at 350 F. Adjust the fuel as needed to maintain the heat. With a friend carefully bring up the turkey halfway out of the oil and check the temperature of the bird using a stem thermometer. The deepest part of the thigh, not touching bone, should register at 175 F. If it needs more time, fry for another 5-10 minutes.
9. Remove the turkey from the oil and place on a clean platter. Let the turkey sit for 20 minutes before carving.
