Frying A Turkey

"Deep fried turkey" is all the rage in the US for turkey preparation. It's easy and very fast. A ten pound bird takes 35 minutes. Plus it tastes wonderful!

We ate our first deep fried turkey at my cousin's house before it became the national rage. He had improvised the set-up etc and said he cooked many turkeys before he got it right. Now you can buy the set-ups at Walmart and everyone is doing it with the following recipe.

My cousin cooks the bird AFTER the guests arrive. It's like the focal point of the pre-dinner prep and very entertaining to watch. Plus it keeps everyone out of the kitchen while the cook is busy. And drinks all-around!

The hard part is coming up with the pot that is big enough. I guess a camping store would be the best bet for finding one. It has to be very, very big. You also need a way to lower the bird into the hot oil and also lift it out. My cousin used a wire he rigged around the bird that he fashioned a handle from. There might be something better out there now, but that is a very important part of the set up as the bird is really heavy. The rest of the set up is a table to prep the bird on and the fire.

So here it is.

Deep-Fried Turkey Recipe

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
User Rating:

1 (10-pound) turkey
4 tablespoons of your favorite dry rub
3 to 5 gallons peanut oil
Cook's Note: To measure the amount of oil needed to fry the turkey, place turkey in fryer, add water to top of turkey, remove the turkey and the water line will indicate how much oil will be needed to fry your turkey. Having too much oil can cause a fire. The pot should not be more than 3/4 full or the oil could overflow when the turkey is added.
Wash bird inside and out, and allow to drain. Rub turkey all over with dry rub. Allow the bird to sit until it reaches room temperature.
Heat peanut oil in a turkey fryer or a very, very large stockpot to 350 degrees F. Lower turkey into hot oil, making sure it is fully submerged. Fry turkey for 3 minutes per pound plus 5 minutes per bird. Remove turkey from oil and drain on paper towels.