How Do You Deep Fry Thanksgiving Turkey?
This is my favorite Deep Fried Turkey recipe. It is Alton Brown’s Deep-Fried Turkey recipe from his Turkey episode. It is a little difficult to make, but takes only 45 minutes to cook and makes a juicy, delicious turkey.
Courtesy of Alton Brown and the Food Network
Ingredients:
- 6 quarts hot water
- 1 pound kosher salt
- 1 pound dark brown sugar
- 5 pounds ice
- 1 (13 to 14-pound) turkey, with giblets removed
- Approximately 4 to 4 1/2 gallons peanut oil
In order to determine the correct amount of oil, place the turkey into the pot that you will be frying it in, add water just until it barely covers the top of the turkey and is at least 4 to 5 inches below the top of the pot. This will be the amount of oil you use for frying the turkey.
Directions:
Brine your turkey: How do you brine a turkey easy for juicy breast meat?
Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to cooking.
Place the oil into a 28 to 30-quart pot and set over high heat on an outside propane burner with a sturdy structure. Bring the temperature of the oil to 250 degrees F. Once the temperature has reached 250, slowly lower the bird into the oil and bring the temperature to 350 degrees F.
Once it has reached 350, lower the heat in order to maintain 350 degrees F. After 35 minutes, check the temperature of the turkey using a probe thermometer.
Once the breast reaches 151 degrees F, gently remove from the oil and allow to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes prior to carving. The bird will reach an internal temperature of 161 degrees F due to carry over cooking.
For many, the holidays are full of tradition and regularity. If things start to get a little stale for your Thanksgiving get together, try shaking things up a bit by frying the Thanksgiving turkey. It may seem like an outlandish proposition, but it produces outstanding, tasty results. Follow these simple steps to learn how to fry your own Thanksgiving turkey for a ****y holiday everyone will remember. Purchase a specialty turkey fryer. These can be found at most large retail stores like Target or Wal Mart or certainly online and come with all the tools you’ll need including a large pot (30, 40 or 60 quarts), turkey frying hardware, a propane burner, and a deep frying thermometer. Pick up a turkey and frying oil. An 8 to 10 pound turkey is ideal, though most fryers can accommodate a bird up to 12 to 14 pounds. Peanut oil is the most used oil for frying as it has a high smoke point and good flavor. It can be found at most Grocery stores in bulk at Restaurant Supply or Wholesale food stor
