# Deep fried turkey? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 23, 2001, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-turkey/94827 "2001-11-23T01:11:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Barking\_Spider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Barking\_Spider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Spider)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-turkey/94827/1 "2001-11-23T01:11:44Z")
This is the first year I have ever heard of people cooking their turkeys this way. Has anyone here ever tried it? What about the taste? Also, does deep frying the turkey add very many fat calories? I just saw a turkey deep fryer on sale at Lowes, and am thinking about getting one and trying it out. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-turkey/94827/2 "2001-11-23T01:27:33Z")
Numerous people at these boards have tried this method. You may wish to have this moved to IMHO for a better response. ---
**Author:** ![DMAAN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/278dde/32.png) [@DMAAN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMAAN)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-turkey/94827/3 "2001-11-23T01:39:21Z")
??? Turkey deep fryer? Sorry but the last turkey I had hardly fit in the oven, how big is this fryer? I bought a large capacity deep fryer and I don’t think I can even fit a small turkey in it. Gawd I feel dumb. I actually finished writing that before realizing ‘oh yeah you can cut the bugger up before frying’ duh. I always wanted KFC to do turkies on Thanksgiving. KFT d ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-turkey/94827/4 "2001-11-23T01:50:02Z")
[HELP! Our gas oven is busted and tomorrow’s Thanksgiving!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=100359) [What is the proper way to deep fry a whole turkey?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=93937) ---
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-turkey/94827/5 "2001-11-23T03:22:53Z")
The Washington Post had an [article](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A738-2001Nov21.html) about this in today’s paper. Apparently, it is a southern thing that has begun to catch on in other parts of the country There actually are fryers that are large enough to fit a whole turkey into, but this cooking method is only for birds up to a certain size, though, as when they are very large they won’t cook properly. ---
**Author:** ![hansel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6bbea6/32.png) [@hansel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hansel)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-turkey/94827/6 "2001-11-23T03:34:11Z")
I’ve deep fried a couple of turkeys, and it’s great. The turkey doesn’t absorb any oil. Instead, the oil sears the skin shut, keeping the juice in. The skin is left crispy and tasty. It takes about 30 minutes for a ten pound turkey. One word of warning: oil at 300 degrees doesn’t bubble or boil, it stays still. But when the turkey hits it, it almost explodes. I was so startled the first time that I nearly dropped the turkey in, which would almost certainly have knocked over the fryer, spilling twenty gallons of boiling peanut oil on my legs. You need to be ready for that. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-turkey/94827/7 "2001-11-23T03:52:16Z")
Since this has been discussed so recently, I’ll close this thread and direct and further comment to the previous threads, linked to above. bibliophage moderator GQ