Deep frying a turkey for your holiday table is the ultimate! No more dry or boring turkey here! I will walk you through step by step how to safely and deliciously fry a turkey.
I dont remember what age I was when my dad started frying our turkeys for Thanksgiving, but I do remember the first time he did it.
In my mind, I was thinking it would be like a fried chicken nugget. Breaded. Heavy. Maybe greasy. I dunno. Just like fried chicken, but with a turkey.
I watched him camp out by the deep fryer out in the driveway while he kept a close on the bird. When he brought it in, I am not going to lie. I was shocked and thought the thing was burnt.
It looked nothing like fried chicken and quite frankly didnt taste like it either. It was so much more! The moment I sunk my teeth into that turkey I knew immediately I never wanted a regular oven-roasted turkey on our Thanksgiving table again.
The rest is history folks. Frying a turkey is simply life-changing. It is UNBELIEVABLY tender and moist. The flavor is OUT OF THIS WORLD good and it will no joke blow you away. Say goodbye to dry bland boring roasted turkey and hello to the new love of your life. Fried turkey baby![feast_advanced_jump_to]
Deep frying a turkey is the ultimate way to cook a moist, delicious bird for the holidays But to safely deep fry a turkey, there are some key steps you need to follow. One question that often comes up is – do you cover the pot when deep frying a turkey? Let’s dive into the details
An Overview of Deep Frying a Turkey
Deep frying a turkey involves submerging the turkey into hot peanut or vegetable oil to cook it. The oil should be heated to 350-375°F before carefully lowering the turkey in Once submerged, the turkey will cook for about 3-5 minutes per pound, so a 15 lb turkey will take 45-75 minutes to fully cook
To deep fry a turkey properly, you need:
- An outdoor propane turkey fryer with burner, pot, thermometer, and basket
- 5 gallons of peanut or vegetable oil
- 10-15 lb thawed and dried turkey
- Spices and injections for flavor
Set up your turkey fryer outside on a flat surface away from anything flammable. Thaw your frozen turkey 1 week in advance. Inject the turkey with a marinade and coat the outside with spices. Heat the oil to temperature. Then slowly lower the turkey into the hot oil to cook.
Do You Cover the Pot When Frying?
When your turkey is submerged in the hot oil cooking away, do you cover the pot with the lid?
The short answer is no, do not cover the pot when deep frying your turkey.
Here are the main reasons why you should not use the lid:
-
If the oil bubbles up, splashes, or overflows, an uncovered pot allows the oil to overflow safely over the sides rather than getting trapped by a lid.
-
A lid can trap steam and moisture, leading to more splattering and bubbling. An uncovered pot allows steam to release freely.
-
If a fire starts in an uncovered pot, the flare up is more visible and can be more quickly addressed. A covered pot traps the flame.
-
Leaving the pot uncovered gives you full visual access to monitor the turkey as it cooks for best results.
-
The high temperature oil and turkey do not need to be trapped for thorough, even cooking.
So for safety and ideal cooking, do not cover or lid your pot when deep frying a turkey. Leave it uncovered.
What to Do If a Fire Starts
If you notice your oil start smoking or see any flames appear, you need to act quickly:
-
Do not spray water on an oil fire! This can cause dangerous splashing and spread the flames.
-
Immediately turn off the propane tank and burner if it is safe to reach them. This will cut off the fuel source.
-
Very carefully cover the pot with the metal lid or a metal sheet pan to suffocate the flames. Keep the cover on until cooled.
-
Have baking soda on hand to sprinkle on small grease fires to extinguish them.
-
If the fire grows out of control, call 911. Never take risks over trying to extinguish a dangerous fire yourself.
Safety Tips for Deep Frying Turkeys
Follow these crucial safety tips when deep frying turkeys:
-
Always fry outside on a flat, level surface away from anything flammable.
-
Use a turkey fryer with handles and proper thermometers.
-
Completely thaw and dry turkey before frying. Ice crystals can cause hot splattering.
-
Calculate and use the exact right amount of oil. Too little or too much is dangerous.
-
Hot oil can remain dangerously hot for hours after cooking. Allow to thoroughly cool before disposal.
-
Do not overfill the fryer pot with oil. Overflows can cause fires.
-
Slowly lower and raise the turkey gently in and out of the oil.
-
Keep pets and children safely away from the cooking area.
-
Monitor the oil temp and turkey closely as it cooks.
-
Be prepared if any flames appear and know how to act.
-
Never deep fry after consuming any alcohol. Stay alert.
Tips for the Best Fried Turkey
Follow these tips and tricks for the tastiest deep fried turkey you’ve ever eaten:
-
Inject turkey with melted butter, broths, and cajun seasoning for extra juicy meat.
-
Coat the turkey skin liberally with dry seasoning rubs for crispy flavor.
-
Let the cooked turkey rest 20-30 minutes before slicing for juicier meat.
-
Use a high smoke point oil like peanut oil for the cleanest flavor.
-
Allow the oil to maintain proper cooking temperatures.
-
Cook stuffing separately to prevent foodborne illness.
-
Double check the turkey is fully cooked by taking internal temps.
-
Allow any excess oil to drain off as you remove turkey from the pot.
-
Fry herbs and spices after cooking the turkey for bonus flavored oil.
-
Store leftover oil in the original container for reuse. Strain out food particles.
Disposing of Used Cooking Oil
After deep frying a turkey, you’ll be left with 3-5 gallons of used cooking oil. Proper oil disposal is important. Here are some options:
-
Allow oil to fully cool and store in original container for reuse. Strain out debris.
-
Pour cooled oil into a sealable container and dispose in the trash.
-
Contact local hazardous waste centers if they accept used cooking oils.
-
Research options to recycle oil through waste management centers, restaurants, or biodiesel companies if available in your area.
-
Mix oil with an absorbent like cat litter or coffee grounds before putting in the trash to solidify it.
-
Never pour hot or warm oil directly down drains. The oil can congeal and clog pipes.
Make This Year’s Turkey One to Remember
Deep frying a turkey takes some preparation and care, but it is worth it for the safest, juiciest, most flavorful turkey you have ever tasted. Now that you know not to cover the pot when frying, you have one less question to worry about.
Follow proper safety steps, refine your technique, and get ready for the best deep fried turkey of your life. Just leave the lid off, keep your eyes on the pot, and enjoy this year’s holiday bird cooked to crispy, golden perfection.
How to Prep Before You Start Frying
Measuring the Pot for Oil! This step is super important and you need to do it first! Using water displacement is the best way to know how much oil you will need to fry your turkey.
- Once you have bought your turkey, place it inside your frying pot and fill the pot up with water until the bird is covered. Use can use your outdoor yard hose or a bathtub to make this easier than trying to do it in your kitchen sink (unless you have a big and deep sink).
- Remove the turkey from the pot and with a sharpie, mark on the outside of the pot where the water line is. Dump the water out.
- When it is time to fill up the pot with oil, fill up to this line. Using a water displacement method BEFORE you start frying is super important! DO NOT fill the pot up with oil, heat up, then place your turkey in unless you have measured how much oil you need. This will help prevent fires and hot oil from spilling out if overfilled.
Turkey Prep – The most important thing is giving your turkey enough time to thaw before cooking. DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT fry a frozen or partially frozen turkey. If you do – have 911 on speed dial because it will end very badly for you.
- Place your frozen turkey in the fridge to thaw 7-9 days PRIOR to the day you need to cook. It takes about a week (give or take depending on how big your bird is) for a turkey to thaw out. A couple of extra days wont hurt.
- 24 hours before frying, remove from the fridge. Unwrap and remove any gravy packets, neck, and or giblets that are inside your turkey. Pat dry with paper towels and place in a large disposable pan or on a large baking sheet.
- Add a stick of butter to a small pot and place it on the stove on medium heat. Cook till melted then remove. Add garlic powder and white pepper to the melted butter and whisk completely to mix in.
- Using a marinade injector, inject the melted butter mixture all over the turkey breast. It will take a couple of rounds of filling the injector up with the butter, but keep injecting all over the turkey breast and meat until the butter is used up.
- Next, rub the turkey down with a cajun spice blend. Make sure to get it all over the outside, under the skin, around the legs, and cover as much of it as possible.
- Wrap the pan and turkey tightly in plastic wrap and place them in the fridge to rest for 24 hours.
Once you have measured the oil, prepped the bird, and gotten your frying station ready – it is time to start frying!
- Remove the turkey from the fridge and place it on the countertop for at least 30 minutes to come to room temp while you get your frying station prepped.
- Set up your frying station OUTSIDE and on the driveway or concrete. DO NOT set up on a porch, inside your home, on a deck, close to your house/anything that would catch on fire. Keep it in a wide-open clear space.
- Lay a couple of cardboard boxes that have been broken down on the driveway. This will help clean up any grease spills.
- Place the burner and propane tank on the cardboard boxes. Make sure your propane tank is full and hooked up to the burner per your fryer instructions. Place read the instructions to your specific fryer PRIOR to setting this up. Most have multiple safety features (a timer, locks, etc) now.
- Fill your pot up with peanut oil to the fill line you marked on the outside of your pot. Place the inside frying basket inside. Place on top of the burner.
- Open up the propane tank, turn the timer on, press the starter, and light the burner. Make sure the propane valve is switched all the way open to insure a large flame.
- Once the burner is lit, place the thermometer inside the pot, place the lid on and keep a watch on it while the oil heats up. This will take about 30ish minutes to reach 350 degrees. If your fryer has a timer on it (ours has a 15-minute timer – once those 15 minutes are up it flips off, killing the flame), keep an eye on it, turning the timer back every so often so that the flame stays going.
- Stay by the fryer at all times while this is heating up and the bird is cooking.
- Once the temperature of the oil has reached 350 degrees, the bird is ready to fry. Place the skewer through the middle of the bird, place it back on the baking tray, and bring it outside. Remove the lid from the fryer, place the hook on the skewer and very slowly lower the bird in the oil. The oil will bubble and splatter as you are lowering, just do it slowly so as not to burn yourself or splash any oil over.
- Once the bird is fully in the oil, remove your hook, place the lid back on, and start the timer for the exact cooking time – REFERENCE COOKING TIMES BELOW – you will fry for 3 ½ minutes per pound of turkey you have.
- Keep watch of the turkey while frying. Keep the timer and flame going. Do not leave it unattended. Get a clean pan or baking sheet for the cooked turkey, and place it directly next to the pot until needed.
- Once the time is up, gently remove the lid (wearing grilling gloves – it will be hot) hook the skewer and slowly lift the turkey out of the oil. Raise up slowly so that all the oil and drain from the middle of the bird. Hold directly over the pot the entire time so the hot oil goes back into the pot.
- Once most of the oil has dripped off, carefully place it on the clean baking tray.
Cover the pot with the lid. Turn off the flame and timer. Shut off the propane completely. Leave be to let cool for the rest of the night. Bring the turkey inside and let rest for 20 minutes.
Once ready, place the turkey on a platter, or carve the meat prior and place it on a platter to serve! The inside will still be hot, so I recommend using multiple pairs of disposable gloves while caring for the turkey since it will be very hot still.
It takes 3 ½ minutes per pound of turkey that you have to fry and cook completely. 10 Pound Turkey = 35 minutes 12 Pound Turkey = 42 minutes 13 Pound Turkey = 45 ½ minutes 15 Pound Turkey = 52 ½ minutes 20 Pound Turkey = 70 minutes
How to dispose of the oil after: Leave the frying station to cool for 12-24 hours. I always like to leave for 24 hours just to make sure everything is completely cool. If this is your first time using your peanut oil, you should be able to get another use out of it. If your oil came in a big 3-5 gallon, you can store it back in the same bin. Place the propane tank and burner away. Gently remove the inside frying basket and let drain of oil as much as possible. Place on a trash bag to clean. Do this step over the cardboard that is still laid out. Place multiple trash bags over the cardboard area. Place the oil container over the trash bags. Using a large funnel (with a deep and wide mouth), place it over the opening of the oil container it came in. Slowly and carefully (and with help if you need it), pour the oil from the pot into the mouth of the funnel. Pour all of the clean oil back into the container, making sure to leave the bottom 10% out. That will have the bits and pieces that have settled to the bottom. Screw the lid back on the oil container and store it away. Pour the remaining oil and remains into an old container with a lid. Wipe down the pot and liner down with paper towels as best as you can. Throw the used paper towels, trash bags, old oil, and cardboard away. Wash the inner liner, pot, and lid with Dawn dish soap outside with your hose. Wash and scrub everything down to cut and remove the grease. Wash the thermometer and hooks as well. Rinse everything and dry completely. Store away as desired.If you need to dispose completely of your oil – check online to see if your city recycles peanut oil. If not, place the used oil in a container with a lid tightly on it and dispose of it in your regular trash cans.PRO TIP – having a large wide mouth funnel for this makes this process 100x easier!
Frying a turkey can be easily be done safely and efficiently following these steps. Once you have done it once you will have the hang of it to do it year after year for Thanksgiving.
I believe in you! You got this! once you taste how tender, juicy, and succulent a fried turkey is, you will never go back to a regular boring oven-roasted turkey again!
Check out my web story HERE on how to fry a turkey!
First, you need a turkey fryer. This one below is similar to the one we have (affiliate link*). Things you need included are:
- burner with timer
- gallon pot and lid
- oil thermometer with a long stem
- basket for the inside with a handle
- bird skewer plus handle
- extras: marinade injector, disposable gloves, plastic wrap, high heat or grilling gloves, cardboard boxes, lighter, trash bags, paper towels, large wide-mouth funnel
How to Deep Fry a Turkey the Safe & Easy Way | You Can Cook That | Allrecipes.com
FAQ
Do you cover or uncover a deep fried turkey?
Should you cover a pot when deep-frying?
What not to do when deep-frying a turkey?
How to put turkey in a deep-fryer?
How do you cook a Turkey in a frying pan?
Keep the flame low until the oil goes on the burner, then heat the oil to 350 degrees, using a frying thermometer to measure. Place the turkey on the fryer’s lifter, hook, or basket. Turn off the flame and remove the oil thermometer before gently lowering the turkey into the pot.
Is deep frying a Turkey dangerous?
One of the most dangerous parts of deep frying a turkey is lowering the turkey into the hot oil. Add too much oil, and it can overflow and cause a fire. Here’s how to safely measure the volume of oil. First, put the turkey in the pot and fill it with water to cover the turkey by about a half-inch.
What happens if you fry a Turkey in a pot?
Surely, if that pot holds a chicken, it can hold a turkey and five gallons of oil, you think. But when it comes time to fry, you either can’t get the oil hot enough or you try to cram the turkey into a too-small pot, causing an oil spill that catches fire. You’ve now become one of those YouTube horror stories.
Can you deep fry a Turkey outside?
Always fry your turkey outdoors in an open space away from the house, garage, swing set, backyard patio, or any other combustible structure. Do not attempt to deep-fry a turkey in inclement weather (if rain or snow gets into your fry pot, it could spell trouble).