Deep frying a turkey is a quick and delicious way to get a perfectly moist and tender bird on the table for Thanksgiving or any special occasion. However attempting to deep fry a frozen turkey can lead to serious safety hazards and epic cooking fails if not done properly. In this article we’ll go over why you should never deep fry a frozen turkey, what can go wrong, and tips to successfully fry a thawed turkey safely.
Don’t Deep Fry a Frozen Turkey!
It may seem convenient to toss a frozen turkey right into the deep fryer. However, dropping a frozen turkey into boiling hot oil is incredibly dangerous and can cause severe injuries and damage.
Here’s why you should NEVER deep fry a frozen turkey:
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Oil and water don’t mix! The ice crystals in a frozen turkey can cause hot oil to violently explode when making contact. This can lead to third degree burns and injuries
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A frozen turkey doesn’t cook evenly in hot oil. The outer surfaces will burn while the inside remains raw and frozen.
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Dense frozen meat exposed to scorching oil leads to flare ups and fires. The frozen turkey can quickly ignite.
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Partially frozen turkeys contain ice crystals that can clog the turkey injector. Oil can leak through clogged holes and catch fire.
Simply put, deep frying any frozen meat is hazardous. Only fry thawed, completely dry turkeys to avoid risks and disasters.
Deep Frying Frozen Turkey Fails
To drive home why frozen turkeys and deep fryers don’t mix, let’s look at some cringe-worthy deep frying fails.
Explosive Hot Oil Eruptions
When ice crystals meet searing 350°F oil, the result is violent bubbling, steaming, and hot oil meltdowns. Videos of frozen turkeys being lowered into fryers show hot oil shooting 5-10 feet into the air and all over surrounding surfaces.
Grass Fires
A partially frozen or damp turkey produces even worse results. Amateur cooks dunking partially frozen birds into fryers have managed to ignite massive grass fires in their yards. As oil bubbles out of the pot and hits the propane flame, fires erupt.
Burnt Exteriors and Raw Centers
The scorching oil only penetrates the outermost layers while the inside stays frozen solid. People biting into deep fried frozen turkeys end up with a charred exterior coated in raw turkey slime – not very appetizing!
Equipment Damage
The moisture from frozen turkeys can cause hot oil to overflow the fryer, damaging equipment, decks, siding, and more. The mess of clean up alone is reason to avoid frozen birds.
By reviewing these cringeworthy fails, it’s clear proper thawing and drying is a must!
Tips for Safely Frying a Thawed Turkey
Here are some tips to successfully deep fry a turkey and avoid anyfrozen bird fails:
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Thaw the turkey completely in the refrigerator – Allow 24 hours thawing time per 4-5 lbs.
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Dry the turkey thoroughly – Pat the skin and cavity completely dry with paper towels before frying. Any moisture can cause spattering.
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Use a turkey fryer thermometer – Maintain oil temp at 350-375°F for even cooking.
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Monitor oil level – Lower turkey slowly to prevent oil overflow.
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Inject oils and seasonings instead of wet marinades – Injectable oils like olive oil and melted butter keep the turkey moist without added moisture.
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Fry the turkey 15 minutes per pound – Fry a 12 lb turkey for 3-4 minutes per lb, 15 lb turkey for 3 minutes per lb.
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Check internal temp with a meat thermometer – Internal temp should reach 165°F in the breast and 180°F in the thighs.
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Allow cooked turkey to drain – Let it drain for 15-20 minutes before carving for optimal crispness.
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Be prepared to extinguish oil fires – Keep a fire extinguisher on hand just in case of flare ups.
With the proper prep and safety measures, crispy fried turkey cooked outside can be a fun, safe way to feed a crowd. Just be sure to keep frozen birds far away from fryers!
Delicious Fried Turkey Alternatives
If deep frying seems too risky, here are some other delicious ways to cook up a perfect turkey:
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Oven Roasting – Roast a well-seasoned turkey until the skin is crispy and golden brown.
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Smoking – Impart amazing smoky flavor by slowly smoking the turkey over low heat.
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Grilling – Get crispy skin and juicy meat by indirect grilling the turkey.
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Air Frying – Air fry turkey pieces or a small turkey for crispy skin without all the oil.
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Spatchcocking – Spatchcocking or butterflying the turkey allows it to cook fast and evenly.
Don’t chance ruining Thanksgiving or becoming a viral cooking fail! With the right techniques, you can enjoy tender, golden fried turkey without any explosions. Here’s to a happy, safe holiday feast!
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Every fall, millions of dollars of damage, trips to the ER and even deaths result from attempts to deep-fry turkeys. The vast majority of these accidents happen because people put frozen turkeys into boiling oil. If you are considering deep-frying this year, do not forget to thaw and dry your turkey before placing it in the pot. Failure to do so may lead to an explosive disaster.
What is so dangerous about putting even a partially frozen turkey in a deep-fryer?
I am a chemist who studies plant, fungal and animal compounds and have a love of food chemistry. The reason frozen turkeys explode, at its core, has to do with differences in density. There is a difference in density between oil and water and differences in the density of water between its solid, liquid and gas states. When these density differences interact in just the right way, you get an explosion.
Density is how much an object weighs given a specific volume. For example, imagine you held an ice cube in one hand and a marshmallow in the other. While they are roughly the same size, the ice cube is heavier: It is more dense.
The first important density difference when it comes to frying is that water is more dense than oil. This has to do with how tightly the molecules of each substance pack together and how heavy the atoms are that make up each liquid.
Water molecules are small and pack tightly together. Oil molecules are much larger and don’t pack together as well by comparison. Additionally, water is composed of oxygen and hydrogen atoms, while oils are predominantly carbon and hydrogen. Oxygen is heavier than carbon. This means that, for example, one cup of water has more atoms than one cup of oil, and those individuals atoms are heavier. This is why oil floats on top of water. It is less dense.
While different materials have different densities, liquids, solids and gases of a single material can have different densities as well. You observe this every time you place an ice cube in a glass of water: The ice floats to the top because it is less dense than water.
When water absorbs heat, it changes to its gas phase, steam. Steam occupies 1,700 times the volume as the same number of liquid water molecules. You observe this effect when you boil water in a tea kettle. The force of expanding gas pushes steam out of the kettle through the whistle, causing the squealing noise.
Never Deep-Fry A Frozen Turkey
FAQ
Why can’t you deep fry a frozen turkey?
How long to thaw a frozen turkey for deep-frying?
What happens if you deep fry something frozen?
Is it better to deep fry frozen or thawed?
Should you deep fry a frozen turkey?
Here’s the physics of why you must never deep fry a frozen turkey. Deep frying is a simple method for cooking with lots of benefits. Unlike the traditional oven-roasting, where heated air externally cooks whatever you put into the oven from the outside, deep fryers work by submerging your food into an extremely hot liquid: oil.
Is deep frying a Turkey dangerous?
But this method of cooking can be a very dangerous undertaking. Every fall, millions of dollars of damage, trips to the ER and even deaths result from attempts to deep-fry turkeys. The vast majority of these accidents happen because people put frozen turkeys into boiling oil.
Can you deep fry a Turkey from Hell?
Link Copied! Beware the deep-fried turkey from hell. Video demonstrates how NOT to deep fry your turkey. CNN’s Jeanne Moos reports. Man told he has spider eggs in toe. Hear what an expert thinks Beware the deep-fried turkey from hell. Video demonstrates how NOT to deep fry your turkey. CNN’s Jeanne Moos reports.
Can you deep fry a thawed Turkey?
Yes, you can still deep fry a turkey for Thanksgiving. Yes, you can safely apply a dry rub. Yes, you can brine your turkey beforehand. And yes, you can safely deep fry an entire thawed turkey so long as you follow the proper procedure. Remember that you are dealing with extremely hot oil, and this can burn you severely.