Learn how to Deep Fry a Turkey with our simple recipe. Make a Deep Fried Turkey for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner and wow your family and friends with how juicy and tender it turns out. 

 

I made a Deep Fried Turkey for the first time several years ago. It was an instant hit. I was slightly nervous at first but soon learned there was no reason to be nervous about it- it was really quick easy and completely worth it.

Some of our family really like a traditional turkey for Thanksgiving, but every person admitted how juicy and flavorful the deep fried turkey turned out. Most of our family and friends now prefer to eat a deep fried turkey. Now that should tell you something.

If you are wanting to learn how to deep fry a turkey then you will want to keep reading because I’ll walk you through all the steps and answer all the most asked questions, too.

What is a Deep Fried Turkey?

When someone says they are going to deep fry a turkey it means they are going to fully cook it by frying it in a  turkey fryer pot filled with peanut oil. 

No need to inject, marinate or mess with fancy rubs. Cooking it using this method of frying gives it so much flavor and leaves it moist and tender that you really don’t need a lot of extras to make it delicious.

What you’ll need to Deep Fry a Turkey

Aside from needing a turkey you will need some equipment. Ask around first and see if anyone you know owns any of the supplies- otherwise you can find almost anything you need off of Amazon or other online retailers.

To deep fry a turkey you will also need:

• turkey fryer pot (a large enough stock pot for your turkey),
• peanut oil
• propane burner
• frying basket
• temperature gauge
• meat thermometer
• a rod
• apron
• fire extinguisher
• oven mitt

Check out my favorite grilling products from Amazon here

Is Deep Frying a Turkey dangerous?

As long as you adhere to all safety precautions and take the job seriously- you don’t need to worry. Deep Frying a turkey is for outdoors. You do not want to fry a turkey in  a garage or under a carport. I always deep fry my turkey in our drive way and I never leave it unattended or let anyone under the age of 18 near it. 

Frying a turkey can lead to oil spills and splattering so make sure you don’t have anything else surrounding you that could catch on fire. You may even want to opt for wearing long sleeves or pants- just in case. Don’t let that scare you though. If you are smart and use common sense everything will be just fine!

Improper frying techniques can lead to severe burns and house fires. No one wants to be the person who burns down their neighborhood all for a fried bird.

DO NOT DEEP FRY A FROZEN TURKEY!!! If you’re wondering what happens when you do, there are plenty of YouTube videos showing the results.

How much oil and what kind should you use?

The amount of oil you use depends on how big of a turkey you are making. This recipes is for a 15-18 pound turkey and you should plan on using no less than 3 to 4 gallons of oil.

There is something called the Water Trick that will help you determine who much oil to use. Place the  turkey in your frying pot head side down and fill pot with water until turkey is just fully submerged or leg bones are barely seen. Remove turkey and remember where the water line is.- you could even use tape or a dry erase marker to be more accurate.

This tells you exactly how much oil you will need to add to your pot so that it doesn’t overflow and risk an oil fire.

Peanut Oil is what you should use and you can find it at any grocery store, Costco or even ACE Hardware. I have heard of some people who use other kinds oil but my recommendation would be to stick with peanut oil for the best results. 

 

How to Deep Fry a Turkey

Here is what you will need:

• 1 15-18 lb Turkey
• 4 Tbs Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 3-4 Sprigs Fresh Thyme (leaves stripped & finely
  chopped)
• 1-2 Springs Fresh Rosemary (leaves stripped & finely chopped)
• 1 tsp Vegetable or Canola Oil
• 3-4 Gallons Peanut Oil

Instructions:

First you will want to prepare you bird for frying.

• Remove turkey from the package and rinse thoroughly.
• Remove any remaining pin feathers.

Determine how much oil you will need to use by using the Water Method

• Place turkey in your frying pot head side down and fill pot with water until turkey is just fully submerged or leg bones are barely seen.
• Remove turkey and remember where the water line is. This gives you exactly how much oil you will need to add to your pot so that it doesn’t overflow and risk an oil fire.

How to season your turkey for frying (do this the night before)

1. Pat turkey dry with paper towels.
2. Place on a cooling rack in a cookie sheet
3. Combine salt, garlic powder, pepper, thyme and rosemary
4. Spray or cover turkey with vegetable or canola oil.
5. Rub herbs and spices on all surfaces of the turkey making sure to separate the skin from the breast and add rub inside as well as the cavity.
6. Place in refrigerator over night
7. Remove from refrigerator and pat dry and liquid that has accumulated on the bird.
8. You can rinse the brine off but it is not necessary. If you choose to do this, make sure you dry the turkey extremely well as water will cause hot oil to splash and spit.

Ready to get frying? Here’s what you’ll do next

1. Add your oil to the line you had pre measured and heat to 325° F. Once oil is to temp, turn off your burner and SLOWLY add your turkey to the oil breast side down. The slower the better. I usually take almost a full minute to get my turkey fully submerged in the oil.
2. Once turkey is in the oil, turn your burner back on and bring oil up to 350° F. This may take some time but don’t worry, your turkey is still cooking.
3. General rule of thumb is cook for approximately 3 1/2 minutes per pound. So a 15 lb Turkey will take about 52 minutes to cook. A 16 lb turkey, 56 minutes and so on and so forth.
4. At about 7 minutes prior to your designated done time, turn off your burner, slowly lift your turkey out and insert an internal read probe thermometer (I use the Thermoworks MK4) into the thickest part of the breast. You’re aiming for a temperature of 160° F. If needed, put turkey back in and turn burner back on and repeat until you reach 160° F
5. At 160° F, remove your turkey and place it on a cooling rack for 20-30 minutes. During this time, the temperature will rise to 165° F and your turkey will be ready to carve.
6. Turn off the burner. 
7. Remove the turkey with the same rod you used to lower it into with
8. Let the turkey linger over the pot for a minute so the oil can drain out 
9. Place the turkey onto a platter with several paper towels
10. Let the turkey sit for about 20 minutes after removing it from the oil, then carve and enjoy!

 

How to clean up after Deep Frying a Turkey

Phew, you did it! Now it’s time to clean up. The least fun part of making anything. But it is necessary.

You should let the oil cool overnight, then dispose of it or store it for later.

If you filter and store your oil properly, you can use it to deep fry for a later time.

What do you do with leftover Turkey?

The possibilities are endless. You can store leftovers in fridge for up to a week. Make sure they are covered in an air tight container. You can also freeze leftover turkey. Store in a freezer bag and enjoy within 3 months of freezing.

Leftover turkey is one of my favorite things. You can eat it alongside other Thanksgiving fixins’ or make use it to make turkey sandwich or use it in soups, chili’s stews, and casseroles.

Here are more Thanksgiving recipes you may enjoy:

• How to Smoke a Turkey
• How To Smoke a Turkey Breast
• Fresh Cranberry Sauce
• Cheesy Potatoes
• Easy Classic Cheese Ball
• Pumpkin Pie
• Peach Galette
• Pumpkin Cookies