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Home » How to Fry a Turkey

How to Fry a Turkey

By Marybeth Feutz 2 Comments

Do you want to fry a turkey, but aren’t sure how to do it? Check out this post for all the equipment, preparation, and safety tips you need to fry a turkey!

How to Fry a Turkey from My Fearless Kitchen. Do you want to fry a turkey, but aren't sure how to do it? Check out this post for all the equipment, preparation, and safety tips you need to fry a turkey!

How To Fry a Turkey

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The very most important step in frying a turkey is to get your turkey ready. Once you’ve picked out the perfect turkey, it is essential that your turkey is completely thawed. Seriously. Give yourself plenty of time to get that turkey thawed (allow 1 day for every 5 pounds of turkey). We are going to be dealing with a lot of very hot oil here… and dropping a frozen turkey into all that hot oil is going to make for a big mess, and probably a fire. No one wants a fire!

Once the turkey is thawed, make sure you take out the giblets. Then I highly suggest that you brine your turkey. It’s not necessary, but it makes the turkey taste so much better!

Here’s your set up. You are going to need a turkey fryer – complete with an outdoor propane burner, a propane tank, a large frying pot, an oil thermometer, a turkey holder, and a handle to lift the turkey out of the oil. Most turkey fryer kits will come with everything (except the propane tank). Or you can visit your local hardware or farm store and collect all the pieces to make your own. You will also want an oven mitt and an instant-read meat thermometer.

How to Fry a Turkey from My Fearless Kitchen. Do you want to fry a turkey, but aren't sure how to do it? Check out this post for all the equipment, preparation, and safety tips you need to fry a turkey!

You are also going to need a place outside to do this. Not in your garage, not in your garage with the overhead door open, not in your barn, not under your covered porch. Outside. It’s a safety thing. Remember, we’re dealing with 3-4 gallons of hot-hot-hot oil here!

We live on top of a hill, and get a lot of wind. John built a windbreak (from some old metal barn siding) to keep the wind out of the burner. We also use an old piece of plywood under the fryer to catch any mess. These parts are not necessary, but make cooking and clean up a little easier for us.

Place your turkey on the turkey holder, breast side down. Do all your propane tank hook ups and put the pot on top of the burner. Pour the oil into the pot, and turn on the heat. (We use peanut oil to fry our turkeys. Here’s a good summary of some other other oil options out there.) Over high heat, heat the oil to 250 degrees F. Once the oil gets to 250 F, carefully lower turkey into the oil – be sure to use the turkey holder and the handle!

How to Fry a Turkey from My Fearless Kitchen. Do you want to fry a turkey, but aren't sure how to do it? Check out this post for all the equipment, preparation, and safety tips you need to fry a turkey!

This is what the pot looks like right after you put the turkey down in the hot oil. The oil will bubble up. It could bubble out and over the top if:

  • the oil is much hotter than 250 F, or
  • if your turkey isn’t thawed, or
  • if you have too much oil in your pot.

This makes an oily mess (also another good reason to do this outside on a grassy area), but can also be very dangerous. Hot oil on an open flame can make a serious fire, and one that is hard to put out. So remember… safety first!

How to Fry a Turkey from My Fearless Kitchen. Do you want to fry a turkey, but aren't sure how to do it? Check out this post for all the equipment, preparation, and safety tips you need to fry a turkey!

Once the turkey is in the oil, keep your heat on high until the oil gets to 350 F. Then lower the flame so the oil stays at 350 F for the rest of the cooking. If your burner has a automatic shut off timer on it (like ours does), you’ll need to keep an eye on the timer and the burner. When the timer gets close to turning off, just add more time so you can keep cooking.

After your turkey has been in the oil for 35 minutes, check to see if it is done. This is easiest with 2 people. Carefully pull the turkey out of the oil (using the handle and an oven mitt) and check internal temperature of the breast meat. You want to take the turkey out when it gets to 151 degrees F.

Yes, I know this is lower than the recommended internal temperature of 165 degrees F for turkey. You’re going to let this turkey rest for at least 30 minutes in a quiet place. While it’s resting, it will still be cooking from the carry over heat. This carry over cooking is going to bring the breast meat up to 165 degrees F, which is where we want to be for food safety (and tastiness, too!).

How to Fry a Turkey from My Fearless Kitchen. Do you want to fry a turkey, but aren't sure how to do it? Check out this post for all the equipment, preparation, and safety tips you need to fry a turkey!

There is really nothing that looks quite as pretty as a golden brown fried turkey!

After your turkey has rested for 30 minutes, you’re ready to take out the turkey holder and carve the bird! (Check out this video for some carving tips.)

How to Fry a Turkey from My Fearless Kitchen. Do you want to fry a turkey, but aren't sure how to do it? Check out this post for all the equipment, preparation, and safety tips you need to fry a turkey!

In all seriousness, safety while you are frying your turkey is very important. Check out Alton Brown’s video (from the “Fry Turkey, Fry” episode of Good Eats) for some more turkey frying safety tips.

We love fried turkey, and we’ll fry at least 2 turkeys (sometimes 4!) every holiday season. The biggest bummer about fried turkey is that there aren’t any drippings to make gravy with. Try this No-Drippings Gravy recipe instead!

Take the Fear Out of Turkey

Do you want even more tips about turkey? Check out these Top 10 Turkey Tips and never be afraid of cooking turkey again!

Top 10 Turkey Tips from My Fearless Kitchen. This guide has everything you need to know for your Thanksgiving turkey. Learn how to choose the right turkey, how to store it until the big day, and how to brine a turkey. Get the 3 steps to a perfect turkey, get tips on how to fry a turkey safely, and learn how to carve your turkey like a pro. Plus, get a huge list of recipes for your turkey leftovers!

Will you fry your turkey this year? Let me know how it goes!

Enjoy!

3 Ways to Take the Fear Out of Your Kitchen

  • How to Thaw a Turkey
  • How to Carve a Turkey
  • How to Keep Hot Foods Hot

3 More Recipes to Try

  • 3 Steps to the Perfect Turkey
  • Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries
  • Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Printable Recipe Card for How to Fry a Turkey

How to Fry a Turkey

Marybeth Feutz
Do you want to fry a turkey, but aren't sure how to do it? Check out this post for all the equipment, preparation, and safety tips you need to fry a turkey!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hr
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 1 hr 40 mins
Course Main

Ingredients
  

  • 1 turkey 12-14 pounds, thawed with giblets removed
  • 3 to 4-1/2 gallons peanut oil
  • Turkey fryer kit

Instructions
 

  • Brine your turkey overnight.
  • Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse, and pat dry. Set the turkey aside at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
  • Pour the oil into a turkey fryer and heat on high on an outside propane burner.
  • Bring the oil temperature to 250 degrees F (measure with an oil themometer).
  • Carefully lower the turkey into the oil.
  • Continue to heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees F. Then lower the heat to maintain the temperature at 350 degrees F.
  • After 35 minutes of cooking, check the temperature of the turkey breast, using an instant-read meat thermometer.
  • When the breast meat temperature reaches 151 degrees F, remove the turkey from the oil and allow to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes. Carry-over cooking will bring the turkey to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
  • Carve turkey.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

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Related

Filed Under: Holiday Tool Box, Main Dish Recipes, Recipes Tagged With: deep fried, deep fry, food, fried turkey, fry, how to, recipe, safety, turkey, turkey fryer

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How to Store a Turkey »

Comments

  1. Jennifer Celeste says

    11/03/2015 at 3:23 pm

    Pecan pies are my family’s favorite fall food

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Hi! I'm Marybeth, the blogger behind My Fearless Kitchen! Jump in, and let me share what I'm learning about food, farming, quick kitchen tips, and easy recipes to chase the fear out of YOUR kitchen! Read more.
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