# Anyone like fried turkey?



## vagriller (Jul 12, 2006)

I got a turkey fryer a few years ago. I love fried turkey. Anyone else? I just use a simple cajun seasoning/olive oil rub, then I fry in peanut oil. Any other tips and suggestions?


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## GB (Jul 12, 2006)

I love it too. We fried a turkey for the first time this past Thanksgiving after years of talking about it and saying we should do it. It was a huge success and we will be doing it again for sure.

We put a dry rub on it. I was nervous the rub would burn and taste bad, but it didn't. It tasted great.


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## Constance (Jul 12, 2006)

We've fried quite a few of them. DH injects them with a spice mix in olive oil and rubs them down with Bayou Blast or Tony Chacheries the night before he cooks them. He, too, uses peanut oil. 
If he's doing more than one, he does the second with a milder seasoning injection, and only uses the olive oil, S&P and crumbled sage on the outside. 
It's delicious, both ways. It's amazing how tender and juice the meat is inside that crispy outside. 

Just be careful. Frying turkeys is serious business. Always do it outside, in the open. Keep kids and small pets away, and have a fire extinguisher on hand. 
And if you're gonna party, wait until the turkey's done. Booze and hot grease don't mix.


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## TATTRAT (Jul 12, 2006)

Does the pope wear a funny hat! i love me some fried turkey, it is just proof that anything is better fried. Now if I could just infuse bacon in it?


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## Andy M. (Jul 13, 2006)

I got a fryer as a birthday gift a few years ago.  The turkeys are delicious, always juicy.


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## Chef_Jimmy (Jul 13, 2006)

Ever since i first made one, i make one every year. They are fantastic. I inject mine with strained italian dressing mixed with hotsauce and tony's, also rub tony's on the bird and allow it to marinate overnight. TIP: to measure the amount of oil you will need, put the bird in the pot (pre-maranating) and fill it with enough water to cover it by 2-3 inches, then pull out the bird and where the water level settles, make a mark and that is how much oil to use.


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## vagriller (Jul 13, 2006)

Chef_Jimmy said:
			
		

> TIP: to measure the amount of oil you will need, put the bird in the pot (pre-maranating) and fill it with enough water to cover it by 2-3 inches, then pull out the bird and where the water level settles, make a mark and that is how much oil to use.


That's what I do. It's not really dangerous if you are careful. Like most things in life.

TATT,
Do you mean bits of bacon? I have seen a gadget that will inject whole garlic cloves into meat and poultry. It might have come with the Showtime rotisserie, but I would hate to have to buy the Showtime just to get the injector. It might be possible to insert a knife and make a "slots" for bacon. I don't know how that would affect cooking time though, and it seems risky when cooking an entire turkey. Maybe try it with a few chickens first?


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## texasgirl (Jul 13, 2006)

I can't eat baked turkey after having fried. It's just juicier and the taste is out of this world!!


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## VegasDramaQueen (Jul 13, 2006)

My neighbor just told me yesterday that he is going to fry a turkey and invite some of us over for dinner.  This will be my first taste of fried turkey but everyone I know that has done it raves about the taste and the juiciness of the meat.  One of my friends fried a turkey for Thanksgiving 3 years ago and said they  will never do another roasted turkey again.  He brined it in salt and sugar overnight and said it was the best turkey they ever had.


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## vagriller (Jul 13, 2006)

The guy that got me hooked on fried turkey smoked on this past holiday season and they like the smoked even better! I might have to fire up the smoker soon. Nothing like summer turkey, right?


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## AllenOK (Jul 13, 2006)

The Ten Commandments of Frying Turkeys 

1) Don't get too big a turkey. The average pot that comes with these frying kits will hold about a 14 to 18 pound turkey. If that isn't enough do two turkeys instead of trying to pack a huge one in a little pot. 

2) Always fry your turkey outside on a flat even surface. Don't let kids or pets around while you are cooking. It might be a good idea to find a chair for drunk uncle Bubba to sit in also. 

3) Be prepared in case of an accident. Fire extinguisher...good idea. Water hose, probably bad idea. If the pot dumps over and catches fire, where is the burning oil going to go??? Under your car? Down through the gaps between the boards of your wooden deck? It is best to do this out in the yard or on a driveway. Get a piece of plywood to set it on and that will help keep splattering oil of off your grass or driveway. 

4) Know how much oil you will need. Don't fill the pot up and get it to 365°F and then try to put a turkey in it. If you do then you need to re-read #3 because about half of that oil will leave the pot. A good tried and true way of figuring the amount of oil is the water method. Put the raw turkey in the pot and fill it with water just until the turkey is almost underwater. Now take the turkey out and mark where the water level is. That is the amount of oil you will need. 

5) Get rid of all the water. Before you fill the pot with oil dry it as good as you can. That goes the same for the turkey. Pat it dry with paper towels. Shake it around to get the water out of the cavity. Hot oil and water do not mix very well. 

6) Use good clean oil. Peanut oil is usually the preferred oil in that it can withstand the higher temp's better then other oils. Regular oil can be used but I spend the couple extra bucks and get peanut oil. You can use it for quite a while if you take care of it. Get a filter of some kind and use it. They can be bought all over the place and are made just for this. I found that coffee filters do not work unless you have about 6 days to kill filtering oil. 

7) Wear thick leather gloves. When you are lowering that turkey into the oil you will get some splattering so expect it. Our natural instinct when something very hot hits our hand is to pull it away. Ok, you get splattered, you let go of turkey to pull hand away, turkey now PLUNGES into boiling oil, you are on your way to the hospital to get new skin on both of your legs. Just get some good thick gloves. Also watch out for that hole where the neck was. Oil will gush out of that like a volcano. 

TURN THE FIRE OFF. This has to be the one thing I really try to do. After you get the oil up to temp. and are ready to lower the turkey in turn the burner of first. 99% of the time you will have some oil splash over the side. With the fire off all you have now is a little mess (but you have a piece of plywood down just for the messes, right?) instead of the possibility of a flare up. Once the turkey is in and the oil has settled down re-light the burner. Remember, you do not have to have the flame at it highest. Once the oil heats up it doesn't take too much to keep it hot with the exception of outside temp. and wind. That is just something you will have to figure out. 

9) Go slow. Don't just try to lower the turkey in the oil in a few seconds. Take your time. Lower it in a couple of inches and then raise it up just a little. Lower it in a little farther and then back up a little. When the turkey is a little over half way in kind tilt it a little to each side. This will let any air pockets out and you won't have a big splash of oil when an air bubble comes out. Never leave the turkey by itself. Always have someone there watching (except drunk uncle Bubba) just in case something happens. Going slow also applies to taking the turkey out. Don't just yank it out and splash oil on everyone who will now be out there wondering when it will be ready. Take it out slow and let the oil drain out of the cavity back into the pot. Make sure that you have the turkey high enough so that it won't hit the lip of the pot when you swing it around to sit it on something. 

10) Know when the turkey is done. The general rule is 3.5 minutes per pound. That usually works real well but I take the internal temp. also. I will raise it up ( or have someone else raise it) about half way out of the oil and take the temperature in the breast. It should read 165 to 170°F and I will consider that bird done. Take it out and let it sit for about 15 minutes and carve it up


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## VegasDramaQueen (Jul 13, 2006)

_Right, VAGRILLER. I will never understand why people won't eat turkey all year long. I make at least 4 turkeys during the year not counting the Thanksgiving bird. Turkey is healthy, low fat, cheap and easy to prepare. You can get a lot of mileage out of a 16 lb. turkey and smoking a turkey in a Weber Kettle grill is out of this world.  I like using Pecan chips because they have a subltle,  almost sweet flavor along with a handful of oak.   How ever you make it, roasted, grilled, or fried, this is one versatile bird._


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## vagriller (Jul 13, 2006)

I have found that the recommended temperatures will turn the bird black. Cooking it at 275-300 works better to get the it golden brown.

DQ,
I wonder though that if I have several turkeys throughout the year, will the holiday bird be less special?


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## VegasDramaQueen (Jul 14, 2006)

vagriller said:
			
		

> I have found that the recommended temperatures will turn the bird black. Cooking it at 275-300 works better to get the it golden brown.
> 
> DQ,
> I wonder though that if I have several turkeys throughout the year, will the holiday bird be less special?


 
Good question vagriller, but in our family it isn't so much the turkey that makes Thanksgiving special, it's the type of  side dishes that are served.  In the spring and summer,  we use different veggies and and other sides  because different things are in season at that time.   And at Thanksgiving we have more people at our table and the feeling is not the same as it is the rest of the year.    I still roast my Thanksgiving turkey because I love the gravy and mashed potatoes that go along with it at Thkgv.   You can't get gravy with a fried or grilled/smoked turkey.


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## GB (Jul 14, 2006)

Drama Queen said:
			
		

> You can't get gravy with a fried or grilled/smoked turkey.


yeah that is the one thing I do not like about the fried birds. Gravy is my favorite part of the meal  and I really hate to give it up. The fried turkey is so good though that I can deal. This past year we bought some gravy from a turkey farm. I am glad someone thought to do that!


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## vagriller (Jul 14, 2006)

GB said:
			
		

> This past year we bought some gravy from a turkey farm. I am glad someone thought to do that!



Great tip. That way we can have our cake (or bird) and eat it too!


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## VickiQ (Jul 14, 2006)

We're doing a fried turkey for our BBQ.The bird gets a massage of cajun seasoning the night before and rest in the fridge taking it out a half hour before it's peanut oil jacuzzi.We're also doing baby backs and a jamaican jerk pork shoulder and probably a brisket.


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## vagriller (Jul 14, 2006)

I see lots of people talking about doing the rub the night before which is good, but from what I've heard it's not good to inject the bird with any of the canned stuff. Those things have vinegar and will break down the fibers of the bird or something. Maybe someone can expand on that.


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## GB (Jul 14, 2006)

I have never injected a bird (but hope to try that this year). I would tend to agree with you vagriller. There is a benefit to putting the run on early and letting it work it's magic, but I would think the injection would not need to go in until the bird was ready to cook.


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## vagriller (Jul 14, 2006)

GB said:
			
		

> I have never injected a bird (but hope to try that this year). I would tend to agree with you vagriller. There is a benefit to putting the run on early and letting it work it's magic, but I would think the injection would not need to go in until the bird was ready to cook.



I'm sure the veteran turkey friers (VTFs) already know this. Just don't want a first timer getting a bad taste in their mouth, lol, from a premature...uh...injection.

Am I on a roll today or what?


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## GB (Jul 14, 2006)




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## AriesGirl71 (Jul 17, 2006)

Fried Turkey is awesome! We have it this way every year for Thanksgiving.It is so much more moist than roasting or baking it in the oven.


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## jasonj79 (Jul 18, 2006)

I love fried turkey. I have actually perfected turkey. Don't mean to brag, but I have been making Turkey's for the last 5 years for Thanksgiving and all of the family (both sides) come to us for T-Day. 

When I fry it I use peanut oil. I throw rosemary, thyme, and sage in the oil along with about 40 garlic cloves, paper still on. Heat your oil then, don't throw the herbs in hot oill.  Then I simply salt and pepper the turkey with kosher salt and black pepper. I season the cavity and the outside heavily and rub it in very good. A lot of the seasoning does come off during the process put it still flavors the oil. I don't like using injectors because I notice it leaks out and the sugars in the marinade wind up burning and turning the turkey black. But with salt and pepper the skin stays brown. I usually pull the turkey when the breast is at 160-165 degrees. Then I cover it with a large stainless steel mixing bowl for about 20 minutes. Carry over cooking raises the temp a good bit. So if you pull it at 170 it will overcook after it rests. The skin turns out golden brown and the meat is very juicy. Next time I am going to brine the turkey the day before to see if that makes a big difference. I usually brine it when I roast it, but have never done it with frying. Just incase your wondering about the herbs, I use about 4 big rosemary sprigs, and a handful of fresh thyme. It flavors the oil nicely. Also good with fried chicken.

How do you guys usually make gravy with your fried turkey?


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## marmalady (Jul 18, 2006)

Allen - Great instructions for newbie fryers!!

Re Gravy - We had a FT this past Christmas, and about a week before, I bought some wings/thighs, and made a nice rich stock - roasted the meat w/some onion/carrot/celery  first - added some peppercorns and bay leaf; then froze the stock til the 'day of'.  I then used that to make a gravy; made a roux first with butter/flour, then added the stock.  Perfect 'homemade' gravy!

PS - Had enough stock leftover to make a great turkey-rice soup with the meat used for the stock, plus the leftover stock.


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## candelbc (Jul 18, 2006)

I have a Turkey Fryer and a Offset Smoker and enjoy Turkeys both ways.. In fact, I enjoy them TOO much.. 

I love Fried Turkeys, but a good Smoked Turkey is hard to beat. Especially if it has been brined.. A client of mine gave me a Smoked Turkey for Christmas one year, and that is really what got me started into the "WHITE SMOKE" world of Smoking Meats..

-Brad


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