Fried Turkey Time

For the past 6 or 7 years I've been frying a turkey for Thanksgiving Day dinner and for the past 3 years I've also been frying 2 for potluck lunch for about 35 co-workers.  A fried turkey is so much better than oven baked turkey.

For the uninitiated, fried turkey retains moisture better than oven baked, but even though it's cooked in peanut oil or cottonseed oil the turkey is not greasy.  Simply heat the oil to 300 degrees, turn off the heat source, and slowly lower the turkey into the oil.  Relight the heat source and cook the turkey 3 1/2 to 4 minutes per pound.

A 13lb. turkey is the perfect size for deep frying. Any bigger and you risk a boil over or undercooking the bird. For a smaller bird, you simply have less turkey goodness to enjoy, and who would want that?

I use Shake's Honey Brine from The BBQ Shack and brine my turkeys overnight prior to cooking. You can still use the brine for a baked turkey or even a slow cooked bbq turkey. You can also stuff the turkey with mango, peach, apples, organges, etc. - or something else - to get creative and add a little something extra to the flavor profile.

Here's a video I did back in the summer for a recipe contest where I used mangoes. The video is for a smoked turkey, but the brining process is similar. It goes without saying, but if you decide to deep fry, stuffing the bird with fruit is not a good idea (insert smiley thing here).



And here's a word of final advice, because fried turkey does add an extra element of risk....Think Safety.