Deep-Fried Turkey
Updated Nov. 14, 2023
- Total Time
- 2 hours, plus 8 to 24 hours’ brining and 30 minutes’ resting
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour 45 minutes, plus 8 to 24 hours’ brining and 30 minutes’ resting
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:10 to 12 servings
- 1whole 12- to 14-pound turkey (see Tip), completely thawed
- 4gallons peanut oil or other vegetable oil, such as canola
- 1heaping cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1heaping cup kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) or ½ cup coarse kosher salt (such as Morton)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
1273 calories; 92 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 51 grams monounsaturated fat; 25 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 18 grams sugars; 90 grams protein; 1171 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Plan your setup. Frying a turkey requires: a vessel for dry-brining (large container; zip-top bag or unscented plastic kitchen trash bag); kitchen string (optional); 26- to 34-quart pot; turkey frying kit (frame, propane hub, turkey lifting hook system); propane; deep-fat fry thermometer; and instant-read thermometer. The pot should be able to hold the turkey and enough oil to cover it (while leaving some headspace) and the heat source should be able to get the oil to 350 degrees.
- Step 2
Most pots for frying have a fill line for the oil. Or use the water displacement method: Take the bird still wrapped in the packaging from the store and put it into the pot in its tallest position, then add enough water to just cover it, keeping track of how much water you have used. Remove the turkey, then mark the water level. Pour out the water and dry the pot. When you are ready to fry, you’ll add the same amount of oil to the completely dry pot to that line.
- Step 3
Brine the turkey: In a bowl, whisk together sugar and salt. Remove any giblets and neck from the turkey cavities and any plastic parts or pop-up thermometers and pat the bird dry, making sure that it’s fully thawed. Place the bird in a large container or plastic bag. Rub the salt-sugar mixture inside and outside the turkey, making sure to get the seasoning into the crevices. Seal the container or the plastic bag. Refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours. If you can’t fit the bird in your refrigerator, make sure the turkey is tightly sealed and use a cooler with enough ice or ice packs to keep the temperature around 40 degrees. Rinse the salt mixture from the bird, pat it very dry and place it on a sheet pan, lined with paper towels if necessary. If you have space and time, do this early in the day and allow the bird to sit uncovered in the refrigerator to further dry the skin. If not, rinse and pat the bird dry right before you prepare the fryer.
- Step 4
Set up your frying rig per the instruction manual: The fryer should be set up on a level area of dirt, gravel or concrete away from buildings. Have safety equipment including heat resistant cooking gloves and a fire extinguisher nearby. With the burner off, add enough oil to the pot to reach the fill line.
- Step 5
Heat the oil to 350 degrees (this usually takes about 30 minutes but can take up to an hour longer depending on outside temperature and other variables). Insert the hook provided in the turkey kit through the cavity. If you’d like, using kitchen string, tie the legs of the bird together.
- Step 6
Attach the lifting hook to the hook in the cavity.
- Step 7
When the oil is at the correct temperature, turn off the propane and slowly lower the turkey into the oil, being careful to ease it into the pot. (It’s OK if the tips of the legs are not fully covered by the oil.)
- Step 8
Turn the propane back on and monitor the oil temperature, adjusting as needed to keep it at about 325 degrees. Cooking time will vary with the size and temperature of the bird. Plan on about 3 to 4 minutes per pound, or about 45 minutes for a 14-pound turkey. At about 30 minutes, turn off the propane and test the temperature by lifting the bird from the oil and inserting a thermometer into the deepest part of the breast (a second set of hands is helpful here). The temperature should be at 155 degrees. (If the turkey is not yet done, carefully lower the turkey back into the hot oil, turn the propane back on and continue frying.)
- Step 9
When the breast meat hits 155 degrees, remove the bird from the oil and transfer it to a large rimmed baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. The heat will carry over while the bird rests and add 10 to 15 degrees to the internal temperature of the meat. Cover loosely with foil and allow the bird to rest for at least 30 minutes, although an hour is ideal, before carving. (The turkey will still be warm even after two hours of resting.) You will lose a lot of moisture to evaporation if you carve the bird hot from the fryer.
Tips
- Do not use a larger bird or it might not fit properly in the fryer.
- Finding something to do with four gallons of oil is a challenge, but you can see if a restaurant in your area recycles their cooking oil. Many do and may take your leftover oil.
Private Notes
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
Cooking Notes
Archie B
The article and the writing here are spot-on perfect! You missed the boat with all that leftover used oil, though -- the answer is obviously to pour it back into its original container(s), spill quite a bit onto the gravel, and then leave the jug(s) sitting in the carport for about 4 years, allowing your spouse and your sister-in-law to rib you every year about that old oil still sitting there from that year you tried to fry the turkey. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
Hollie
I think step three should say remove the turkey and then mark the water level. Not the other way around.
Tarra
We live in New Orleans and have been frying our turkeys for more than 25 years now. It's the fastest way to cook a turkey and, bonus - if you have a spouse who doesn't like to cook, but loves to stand next to a warm fire drinking beer outside, you can hand over that job to them and work on other things.
L Williams
I don't think that the directions in Part 3 are correct. If you mark the water line before taking out the turkey and then add oil to that line in a dry pot you are guaranteed to have a fire. You should remove the water submerged turkey, mark where the water line is, discard the water, dry the pot, and then add oil to the marked water line.
HBH
I have been making fried turkey for about 10 years at this point and the family loves it. The final variation that we do is definitely not traditional but makes for a great turkey. Dowse the entire bird in Buffalo Hot sauce and serve with a side of blue cheese dressing. One year I made two turkeys and the Buffalo turkey was stripped to the bones. One daughter said "why would you eat anything else if Buffalo turkey is available?"
Bill from Carolina
After many years of using my crawfish boil setup for fried turkeys and several near calamities, I bought an electric turkey frier 5 years ago. It uses only 2 gallons of oil for a 10-11 lb bird and browns up just as nicely. Injecting a marinade, such as the one Emeril has on line, is also a key component. We don't have the frisson of possibly burning down the house anymore, but it tastes just as good.
Jeffrey Krasner
Here's the best bet for the used oil: Carefully pour the oil back into the original container. Then place an ad on Craigslist or a similar platform that says: "Free used cooking oil for biodiesel." Every year, I find someone who uses my turkey oil to power their vehicle. I'm sure the exhaust smells heavenly.
Mark
I loved both the printed recipe and the audio version. But, if ever there was a recipe that called out for a video presentation, this was it.
Scott
One suggestion I have not seen is to inject the bird with a creole butter injectable, like Tony Chachere you can buy at store. One year did a jalapeno turkey and the in-laws were not too happy. Thankfully there was the other creole butter. Good idea turning the burners off and on when lifting turkey in and out.
Jake from DC
Bad idea to fight any accidental oil fire with an ordinary fire extinguisher—cover instead, if possible. Also, for oil disposal after cooking, there are several powders (see Amazon) that will turn oil into a solid you can safely throw away.
TW
We've been frying turkeys for years and, agreed, it frees up the kitchen and spreads out the cooking responsibilities. We always fry two to have leftovers and we usually fry our neighbors' turkey. We also throw in a bag of frozen French fries while the turkey is resting. The. Best. Fries. Ever. Plus the fries soak up the turkey bits, leaving the oil clean so we can do it again for Christmas. Finally, we recycle the oil, which our county uses to run school buses. Wanna try HBH's Buffalo turkey!
Phil
Safety is the most important part of frying a turkey. Especially the part about never putting a frozen, partially frozen, or wet turkey into hot oil. Also at Thanksgiving family gatherings there are usually lots of children around so be extra careful to keep them away from all that hot oil.
Roberto
We deep fried a turkey a few years ago. We had a big crowd and roasted one turkey and deep fried the other. This was my first DF turkey and we followed a highly lauded recipe, bought a very good bird, etc. The results: Meh. It was good enough, but everyone liked the roasted turkey just as much or better. Certainly not worth the hassle and expense, and where will you dump 4 gallons of dirty oil? I guess the upside is that you can use the deep fryer burner for cooking a big paella.
Neal Meissner
I have fried over 200 turkeys. I would never take a turkey directly from the refrigerator to the oil. You will have an eruption. The bird must first be allowed to come t room temperature.
Brassens
Why is this focused exclusively on propane burners? We bought an electric turkey fryer. Can be used safely indoors. Much more convenient than a possibly dangerous outdoor fire, and can’t be ruined by tge weather. 5 years and going, and delighted with the product!
TD
My solution has been to deep-fry the largest breast I can find (less chance of overflow) and roast a whole bird. Extra white meat for sandwiches!
HBH
I have been making fried turkey for about 10 years at this point and the family loves it. The final variation that we do is definitely not traditional but makes for a great turkey. Dowse the entire bird in Buffalo Hot sauce and serve with a side of blue cheese dressing. One year I made two turkeys and the Buffalo turkey was stripped to the bones. One daughter said "why would you eat anything else if Buffalo turkey is available?"
Tom
I find that the turkey is done when it floats to the surface of the oil. Just make sure your bird is completely thawed and gets to rest at room temperature for a couple hours before frying.
Weel
pre-fry:beat an egg white until it's loose, paint it thinly on a dry bird with a basting brush, then sprinkle your zatarains or tony cahchere's cajun spice all over, and the spices will adhere to the skin and wont wash off in the oil. on the temp, I usually fry at 350, but I will try 325 this year -- either way the oil needs to be a lot hotter than that when you slip the bird in -- it'll drop 25-50 degrees almost immediately. I might start at 365 instead of 350. catching up on temp takes time
Matt
A few *CRUCIAL* safety things (as mentioned in elsewhere, we've done ~200 fried birds): 1> DO NOT put a frozen bird in your oil (or any other soaking wet bird). The quick vaporization of the water may cause your oil to spill over into the flame and cause a big fire. 2> To start, submerge the turkey 1/4 of the way, hold for steam. Then 1/2, "" Doing increments keeps your oil from getting feisty (see #1 above). Use gloves. 3> Watch the oil temp. You need to be vigilant managing the heat.
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