# We may try to deep fry a turkey this Thanksgiving-- any advice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 11, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-try-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-this-thanksgiving-any-advice/602643 "2011-11-11T21:52:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-try-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-this-thanksgiving-any-advice/602643/22 "2011-11-23T02:06:31Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > You’re not at all ready… Please read the thread! The OP decided that discretion was the better part of valor & has decided to brine the turkey & cook it using a method less likely to require calls to 911… Not that a deep fried turkey can’t be delicious; it’s just Not For Beginners. A few years ago, a local bar did a Communal Turkey Fry in the parking lot. They had the serious equipment; also, once heated up, oil can cook several turkeys in a row. So the patrons brought their turkeys & waited while The Experienced did the cooking. Note: The patrons may have been drinking but the cooks were not. This is key… ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-try-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-this-thanksgiving-any-advice/602643/23 "2011-11-23T02:25:25Z")
You can both brine and fry if you ever want to fry one. You get the pluses from both. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-try-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-this-thanksgiving-any-advice/602643/24 "2011-11-23T02:35:52Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Yeah, if you read further on into the thread you will see that I realized this quite some time ago. I am not brining a 14lb bird. I am _now_ brining a 14 lb bird. Sheesh! ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-try-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-this-thanksgiving-any-advice/602643/25 "2011-11-23T03:01:07Z")
i’m a fan of the barbecue pit boys on youtube. check out their deep-fried turkey episode. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-try-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-this-thanksgiving-any-advice/602643/26 "2011-11-23T03:08:47Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > I’ve got 2 quarts of apple cider, brown sugar and salt boiling right now. I hope I gave myself enough time! If it comes out delicious I will take all the credit and if it tastes like ass, I’ll blame **Mr. Door**. I think you’re good time-wise. Put Mr. Gobbles in the brine tonight, take him out tomorrow night and let him air dry, pop him in the oven Thursday morning. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-try-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-this-thanksgiving-any-advice/602643/27 "2011-11-23T03:42:31Z")
I’ve fried Turkeys for 20 years: 1. Your 12 quart pot is not big enough. 2. Your gill is not hot enough 3. Go to lowes or hd or Walmart and buy a Turkey frying setup. They are pretty cheap. 4. Buy a Turkey injector or your marinade. 5. Inject the Turkey with a mixture of butter, teriyaki, pepper, Cajun spices, and oth her things you like. Put a little bit every 2 Inches 6. Use peanut oil. Buy a big I’ve gallon thing of it, but only I’ll your fryer halfway, 7. Preaheat the oil to 375. 8. Turn flame off. 9. Use oven mitts and carefully take hot oil pot off of burner and place on the ground several feet away. 10. The turkey should be hung with he large end facing up. You should lower it into the oil from a height and a distance. I use coat hanger wire and a broomstick o I am several feet away. Hot oil sticks to you like napalm. 11. Lower the turkey in very slowly 12. Clean up oil on side of fryer with paper towels. 13. Add more oil if needed so turkey is completely immersed. 14. Replace on burner. Start timing 3 minutes per pound. Target tmp for oil is 375. 15. Monitor continuously. 16. When done you should fry other things. Make balls of mashed potatoes or stuffing or both, dip them in egg wash, and roll them in crushed potato chips then fry them for a few minutes. 17. You should make gravy separately. 18. Filter the oil though a paper towel, refrigerate and save. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-try-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-this-thanksgiving-any-advice/602643/28 "2011-11-23T03:45:37Z")
Nobody reads the whole thread, do they? ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-try-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-this-thanksgiving-any-advice/602643/29 "2011-11-23T03:56:11Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The people I know that do this always use wire not string. > > … > > Another obvious thing nobody’s mentioned. Only fry a thawed turkey. Putting a frozen turkey in boiling oil is a very bad thing. We used a light chain with a hook on the end made for turkeys. It’s incredibly dangerous to drop a frozen turkey into oil; you can get some really nasty spattering, and if much oil hits the flame, you can be in real trouble. If your turkey is just insufficiently thawed, it will take three or four times as much time cooking and will be overcooked on the outside and barely done inside. We ruined one one year by not thawing thoroughly. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-try-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-this-thanksgiving-any-advice/602643/30 "2011-11-23T04:12:58Z")
OP, has anyone yet mentioned that this is a bad idea and you should just roast the turkey instead? ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-try-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-this-thanksgiving-any-advice/602643/31 "2011-11-23T04:24:21Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Nobody reads the whole thread That could pretty much be the site’s motto. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-try-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-this-thanksgiving-any-advice/602643/32 "2011-11-23T04:59:25Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Yeah, if you read further on into the thread you will see that I realized this quite some time ago. I am not brining a 14lb bird. > [@Biggirl](#): > > I am _now_ brining a 14 lb bird. Sheesh! Damn, girl, make up your mind! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-try-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-this-thanksgiving-any-advice/602643/33 "2011-11-23T05:17:44Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > The OP must watch this first: > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQYTMFCLy5E](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQYTMFCLy5E) Also, [this AT&T ad from a few years ago](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MR-2zKnn1I) has some good advice. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-try-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-this-thanksgiving-any-advice/602643/34 "2011-11-25T02:06:46Z")
So,how was it? Enquiring minds and all that. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-try-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-this-thanksgiving-any-advice/602643/35 "2011-11-25T02:11:36Z")
Even though I over cooked it (the drumstick bottoms were black), it was still the moistest turkey I ever made without a bag. This is only because I once made a turkey in a bag that fell right off the bone. It wasn’t so much roasted turkey as it was turkey stew. This year’s turkey was tender and juicy and tasty AND overcooked. I can’t wait for next year when I don’t overcook it! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-try-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-this-thanksgiving-any-advice/602643/36 "2011-11-26T01:40:22Z")
For what it’s worth, we did two turkies this year. One was cooked in the oven and one was deep fried. The deep fried one was gone before the oven one was even a third eaten. Yes, it’s a lot of trouble. But a good deep fried turkey is tasty. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-try-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-this-thanksgiving-any-advice/602643/37 "2011-11-26T02:30:28Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Preferably, have a Cajun show you how! This. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-try-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-this-thanksgiving-any-advice/602643/38 "2011-11-26T22:10:13Z")
Deep frying a turkey is tasty, but I don’t have the technology to filter and store the oil for the next time, so I do it rarely. Flavor brined and smoked is ideal, but you have to start around two days before you need it cooked, so that’s a problem for a spur of the moment turkey dinner. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-try-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-this-thanksgiving-any-advice/602643/39 "2011-11-26T23:17:34Z")
The brined turkey is withstanding the test of time. First, it was eaten up on Thanksgiving day. Usually the turkey just sits as the ham gets devoured. This year half the turkey was gone the first day. And it has withstood repeated reheatings. Even though I overcooked the bird, it is still so tender that I just finished pulled the last leg off the carcass with my hand. I’m afeared they’ll not be enough turkey for our traditional middle-of-next-week turkey curry salad. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-try-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-this-thanksgiving-any-advice/602643.md?page=1)