Thanksgiving Turkey?

I'm thinking about frying a turkey for Thanksgiving. Please share your experiences, tips, tricks, buying a fryer kit? Thanks.

After watching my Brother-inlaw do it, I'll never attempt it. Looks too dangerous, if you don't know what your doing. They do taste good, though. Although I prefer the traditionally-baked turkey.

They're tasty. Give it a trial run before Thanksgiving. The downside of it going poorly is a ruined Thanksgiving.

I've done several and they've always been great. One Thanksgiving I fried one and the wife did one in the oven; the best of both worlds. First time I fried one was for a small New Years Eve party on 12/31/99, when it was relatively unknown. At least 2 people that were there went out and bought a kit for themselves.

I don't do them that often because it's just the wife and me now and clean up is a pain. Now fast forward to what got delivered yesterday.

https://www.masterbuilt.com/mbtv08/index.aspx

We have a 10lb turkey and will give it a try tomorrow and report back. BTW I had a coupon code of BBETF and got it for $119.95 and free shipping. The site didn't have a place for the code but they honored it when I sent an email.

spc wrote:I'm thinking about frying a turkey for Thanksgiving. Please share your experiences, tips, tricks, buying a fryer kit? Thanks.

1. Hope for good weather don't do this in the rain.
2. Important to monitor temp, make sure kit has a good dial thermometer. Bring oil to 400, once bird is in keep it 375-400.
3. Make sure you have enough gas in the tank, don't want to be replacing a tank while cooking.
4. Move away from the house and deck, pick a flat level spot.
5. Keep kids & pets away.
6. Be fully clothed & no flip flops.
7. Use peanut oil if you can, higher flash point.
8. Avoid adult beverages till you're done.
9. Pre measure how much oil is needed to immerse the turkey, don't want to overflow or add cold oil when dropping the bird.
I do this by putting the bird in the pot and filling with water to the desired level. Pull the bird out and measuring down to the level left.
That's my fill line for the oil. Mine is 7" from the top.
10. Lower the bird in slowly.
11. Avoid brineing and make sure bird is fully at room temp and DRY. Dust inside & out with Cajun spice or inject.
12. Remove 'extra parts' and plastic popup
13. Doing a turkey (not turkey breast) I pick one about 12lbs and cook at 3.5 minutes per lb @375 (oil temp). I use a stop watch.
14. Let bird sit before you carve.
15. Don't plan to do this at the park, it takes a LONG time for the oil to be cool enough to process.
16. Cover the pot & oil, seal it best you can, weigh down the lid to keep animals away and cheesecloth filter the oil next day.
17. Picking at the carcass is THE BEST

We have never done a whole turkey because we don't like the dark meat but my husband does this thing where he makes turkey cutlets out of the turkey breast and fries them on the stove in olive oil like chicken. He uses a spice rub and lite breading on the cutlets. They are mmm good! Best of all it removes the dangerous part of the whole turkey fry and has minimal clean up. My mouth is watering just thinking about them! Lisa

Is anyone thinking about a 23 pound deep fried bird? Do U need any links to the ongoing cholesterol problems in America?
Not to rain on your parade, but when they have you splayed open in the OR, you might think back at some choices you made that might not be working out real well. I've seen deep fried birds, and had to opt out when it was my turn to get served. Roasting is still pretty darned good!

YOu could always smoke it if you have all day starting at o'dark thirty.

I have been deep frying turkeys since 1995. Our favorite is the Cajun Injector brand creole butter flavor.

You are HARD CORE!!!!!

Another crowd favorite that I use my turkey fryer for.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bratwurst-And-Shrimp-Boil/Detail.aspx
I leave out the lemons!!!
You can do more than just fry.

I have had fried turkey a few times and didn't really care for it much.

I like to cook a bird on my Weber Performer - just did one yesterday by-gosh! 18lbs of Butterball and took right at 3-1/2 hours. I use a little bit of apple wood chips for flavor, but otherwise it's just salt and pepper with a rubdown of vegtable oil prior to putting on the grill. I use ONLY natural lump charcoal - briquettes are OK for steaks and burgers, but for long cooks where you have to add fuel, briquettes give the food a nasty taste.

It's so easy on the grill - just put on the turkey with a drip pan underneath (charcoal goes in the baskets on each side) and just keep an eye on the temp and add charcoal and wood as necessary. Fabulously tasty and juicy.

Chris

whistlenut wrote:Is anyone thinking about a 23 pound deep fried bird? Do U need any links to the ongoing cholesterol problems in America?
Not to rain on your parade, but when they have you splayed open in the OR, you might think back at some choices you made that might not be working out real well. I've seen deep fried birds, and had to opt out when it was my turn to get served. Roasting is still pretty darned good!

Done right, deep fried turkey isn't oily in the least.

Also, peanut oil isn't all that bad for you.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionso ... olesterol/

1. Use liquid plant oils for cooking and baking. Olive, canola, and other plant-based oils are rich in heart-healthy unsaturated fats.

Someone mentioned to avoid brineing but I have done it without any problems. The key is making sure the bird is dry before frying. Oil and water and all that......

Also, I tried the deal with putting it in the pot and filling it with water to figure out how much oil to use but I didn't count on how much oil expands when it's at 400*.

My advice is to short fill it and top off as needed.

This is the one I got and it's got some really nice safety and convenience features.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=p ... lpage=none

also been deep frying them for years. found the largest bird to use is a 12 #. actually have 3 fryers and do 2-3 at a time all different flavors. after the first one you learn the hang of it.

once you do you almost never want to go back!! kinda like coal vs wood

Did one at my parents house last year. Best tasting turkey!