How to Make Deep Fried Turkey

Deep-fried turkey—if you haven’t had it, I promise you are missing out on a juicy and well-flavored turkey. It isn’t only people in Texas, home of the fried food exhibit in their State Fair, who enjoy this. You can deep-fry a turkey at home.

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Juicy fried turkey

Let’s be honest here. Most people only make a turkey for dinner on Thanksgiving because it is a tradition. Too often, the bird is disappointingly dried out and flavorless. At least there are all those holiday side dishes and desserts to make up for a lackluster main course.

But if you like good turkey, I am talking about a golden, crispy turkey that is juicy and full of flavor; you got to try this deep-fried turkey recipe. In less than an hour, you can finally serve a Thanksgiving dinner where the turkey is the star of the meal and not your Aunt Sally’s recipe for cranberry sauce!

This deep-fried version is so darn delicious that you might even find yourself frying one up when it isn’t even a holiday!

Save hours of cooking time

No one wants to get stuck in the kitchen during Thanksgiving, especially when the game is on. Roasting a turkey in the oven can take hours and requires plenty of hands-on supervision and regular basting to ensure it cooks evenly. Still, half the time, the turkey is raw in the center and burnt on the outside.

But deep-frying at 400°F takes only about three and a half minutes per pound to cook the turkey thoroughly to the bone. That means you can start a 15-pounder at half-time, and it will reach a proper turkey internal temperature well before the end of the fourth quarter!

I use my Masterbuilt Butterball Indoor Gen III Electric Turkey Fryer. What I like about this is you can fry a turkey indoors without an issue.

To brine or not to brine, that is the question

These days, most people already know that brining a turkey is a fantastic way to add additional flavor and provide a safety net against it drying out in the oven. Following this deep fried turkey recipe makes it easy to avoid overcooking the meat easy, but brining still gives you a more flavorful bird.

However, if you choose to brine the turkey, you need to make sure that it is extra dry before putting it into the oil. Water and hot grease can lead to out-of-control bubbling and splattering.

Brining a turkey can boost its flavor profile, but it requires plenty of planning. A turkey needs between 10 and 12 hours to get the most benefits from its saltwater bath.

But using a flavor injector, basically a large syringe, to pump seasoned liquid directly into the meat of the bird can cut the prep time to just about an hour. After filling the injector with your favorite flavoring liquid:

1. Plunge it about half the length of the needle into the thickest part of the turkey breast.
2. Please press down the plunger a little, then pull the injector slightly up without entirely taking it out of the hole and plunge the needle back into the meat in a different direction.
3. Do this a few more times and repeat on the other half of the turkey breast.

Give the turkey 20 to 30 minutes to allow the liquid to distribute evenly before drying the turkey entirely and deep-frying it.

Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need to deep fry a turkey:

• Whole turkey, fresh or completely defrosted
• Marinade
• Salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Oil for fryer – vegetable, peanut, safflower, or canola oil

How to deep fry a turkey

1. Dry the turkey completely with paper towels.
2. Inject marinade into the turkey breast, legs, and thighs.
3. Allow turkey to marinate in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before frying.
4. Heat oil to 400°F or the temperature recommended by the deep fryer’s manufacturer.

5. Place the turkey on the deep fryer rack or basket.
6. Fry the turkey for approximately 3 to 4 minutes per pound.
7. Use a thermometer to make sure that all dark meat has an internal temperature of 175°F and all-white meat has an internal temperature of 165°F.
8. Place the fried turkey on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet to drain.

Cooking tips for deep fried turkey

Completely thaw your turkey – thawing a turkey on the countertop is not the best way to thaw a turkey. Consider thawing your turkey either in the refrigerator. It may take a day or two to thaw in the fridge. Or you can thaw it in a cold water bath.

When I used to work in the grocery store business, you would be surprised how many people would go into the store on Thanksgiving morning and buy a frozen turkey to prepare that night. Thanksgiving is not a surprise holiday. Buy your bird a couple of days in advance.

Buy a fresh turkey especially if you are getting one on Thanksgiving day.

Take the packaging off the turkey – your turkey will come with a variety of packaging. Remove the wrapper and leg ties. Make sure you remove the plastic pop up cooking tab, giblets, and the neck. You can save the giblets and neck to make broth.

Pat the turkey dry – make sure you remove any excess moisture from the turkey. Paper towels will do this very well. Dry both the inside and outside of the turkey. Excess water may cause the hot oil to splash and bubble out of control.

Cooking the turkey – Preheat the oil to 400°F or the proper temperature as mentioned by the manufacturer. The bird will need to cook about 3 to 4 minutes a pound. Cook all dark meat to an internal temperature of 175° F to 180° F, and all white meat to an internal temperature of 165° F to 170° F.

Ideas for marinade

You don’t need to buy an expensive marinade for your deep-fried turkey, you can make one from scratch that is as good if not better than any you can purchase from a bottle. Ideally, you should inject your turkey a few hours before you are going to prepare the bird.

Some of my favorites include chicken marinade. This is a basic marinade that can be simply purchased. But you can put together other ones easily.

Cajun – you can prepare one with 16 ounces of Italian dressing, 1 cup creole seasoning, 1/4 cup cayenne pepper, and 1/4 cup black pepper.

Butter and Beer – 1/2 pound butter, 5 ounces beer, 1/2 pound butter, 2 tablespoons salt, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder

Simple and Savory – 2 cups chicken broth, 1/4 pound butter, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt

You may also want to use a rub, if desired. I like using a simple salt and pepper rub; it works well to help season the skin of the deep-fried turkey.

Oil for frying a turkey

You can use any type of oil to deep fry a turkey. I personally like to use peanut oil, but this is my preference. You could also use a blend of vegetable oils if desired. Canola oil works very well, and it is a lot less expensive.

Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes

• Panera Mac and Cheese
• Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
• Southern Cornbread Dressing
• Cracker Barrel Carrots
• Baked Cream Corn
• How to Make Fried Okra
• Squash Casserole Recipe
• Cranberry Salad
• Old Fashioned Mashed Potatoes
• Lime Jello Cottage Cheese Salad

Leftover Turkey Recipes

• Hot Turkey Sandwich
• Cream of Turkey Soup
• Turkey Enchilada Casserole with Cream of Chicken Soup

Be sure to check out more of my easy Thanksgiving recipes and the best copycat recipes to make for your family.

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Deep Fried Turkey

You haven’t had a turkey until you have had it deep fried. 

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Deep Fried Turkey

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 10

Calories: 624kcal

Author: Stephanie Manley

Ingredients

• 1 turkey completely defrosted
• 16 ounces marinade
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 3 gallons vegetable oil you can use peanut, safflower, or canola oil

Instructions

• Dry turkey completely with paper towels. Inject turkey with up to 16 ounces of marinade. Allow turkey to marinate in the refrigerator for a couple of hours if desired before frying.
• If desired use a rub on the turkey to help season the skin and the inside of the bird.
• Bring oil up to the proper temperature, 400°F or the temp specified by the fryer manufacturer.
• Fry the turkey approximately 3 to 4 minutes per pound. Use a thermometer to make sure that all dark meat to an internal temperature of 175° F to 180° F, and all white meat to an internal temperature of 165° F to 170° F.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 624kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 72g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 231mg | Sodium: 1915mg | Potassium: 751mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2.8mg