Deep Fried Turkey

[Hector]

My brother-in-law deep fries a turkey when we have Thanksgiving at his house. It's really good, but I miss the stuffing being cooked inside the turkey. Apparently, you're not supposed to deep fry a turkey with stuffing in the cavity.

Actually...you are not supposed to cook the stuffing inside a baked turkey either...that means that as the turkey around it cooks, juices that may contain salmonella bacteria soak into the stuffing, which then must be cooked to a minimum of 165°F in order to be safe. Getting the stuffing to this temperature usually means overcooking the turkey.

I always cook the stuffing separately..then when the turkey is just about done...THEN, and only then...you stuff the turkey...then serve...

[warlock664]

You got it; anything for a fellow Raiders fan !

Warlock...thanks for posting those awesome pictures...you are beginning to look like me now...keep up the good work...

Now invite me to your upcoming Thanksgiving, dammit...

[Hector]

You got it; anything for a fellow Raiders fan !

YOU RAIDER FAN?????????????????

I LOVE YA!!!!!!!!!

[Mikey]

Actually...you are not supposed to cook the stuffing inside a baked turkey either...that means that as the turkey around it cooks, juices that may contain salmonella bacteria soak into the stuffing, which then must be cooked to a minimum of 165°F in order to be safe. Getting the stuffing to this temperature usually means overcooking the turkey.

I always cook the stuffing separately..then when the turkey is just about done...THEN, and only then...you stuff the turkey...then serve...

My mom cooked her turkeys with the stuffing inside for over 50 years and nobody ever got sick.

[Hector]

My mom cooked her turkeys with the stuffing inside for over 50 years and nobody ever got sick.

The natural free range turkey from yesteryear is not the same hormone-injected turkey of today...unless you buy free range turkey...which is about three times more expensive...

[Mikey]

She used buy the brand that was on sale

[Hector]

Our last year's Thanksgiving turkey...free range no-hormones turkey (they are smaller)...but I still cooked the stuffing separately....

[Hector]

She used buy the brand that was on sale

People back then where much tougher...today...we are a bunch of wimps...

[Adam West]

People back then where much tougher...today...we are a bunch of wimps...

What Hector is saying is absolutely true regarding Salmonella. I used to work in the catering/food industry from the time I was 15 until I graduated from college and learned a lot about food contamination. With that said, my mom always used to cook the stuffing in the raw bird (she did always wash the cavity thoroughly beforehand so that might have helped).

Also, regarding cutting into portions before cooking; I don't think that would be as effective as cooking the whole bird. The frying process is supposed to retain all the juices and cutting it up will have less fat exposure and probably a dryer tasting turkey.

[jds1911a1]

Amen to that! I've heard horror stories about being burned with hot peanut oil.

Oddly enough, it's one of the things I've always wanted to taste.

Is it possible to cut up the turkey ahead of time, and simply fry it in a Dutch oven?

if the oil is hot enough then you could but the point of the whole turkey fry is the skin seals and keeps the oil out of the flesh.

you could use chicken prep like you would if baking it and then put in oil at 450 degrees. pot should be deep enough to cover the bird (or legs or whatever) with oil.

[rchatlin]

Thanks for all the great tips, advice and warnings.

Warlock -
what brand / model Fryer is shown in your mouth watering pics?

r
o
b

[warlock664]

Hey Rob, honestly, I have no idea! I've had it for over 10 years now, and there are no manufacturer logos on it! It has the capacity to fry up to an 18-lb turkey (though I believe I've exceeded that by a pound or two on occasion), and it uses a standard propane tank. I believe many of the newer fryers use electric, and are probably easier to regulate, though I've gotten pretty good at using mine (I've fried nearly 20 turkeys, I would estimate).
IIRC, mine cost around $60 at the time. I'm always impressed by how quickly the process goes; an 18-lb turkey can be cooked in 63 minutes, though I usually exceed that by 8-10 minutes to be safe. I usually have Thanksgiving gatherings for my family at my house, and when my brother was living, he would often bring another turkey with him to fry after mine was done, he'd eat mine, then take his home!

[Rallygirl]

y...unless you buy free range turkey...which is about three times more expensive...

,...or shoot your own turkey. Oops sorry, the redneck in me escaped again.

[rche]

I don't know if they have Academy stores nearby you, Rob. That is where I picked up my frypot which is pretty much the same as the one pictured in this thread. I seem to recall the kit was in the $50 range as well. It may have even come with some oil and a syringe/needle setup for the injections.

An added bonus:
With the giant pot and the propane cradle, I have also been able to host some good crawfish/crab boils with 20-30 or so lbs of shellfish going in the pot at one time.

[Zemo]

I've been deep frying the Thanksgiving Day turkey for 10+ years now; I wouldn't have it any other way! As long as you're smart, it isn't dangerous at all. Just be sure the turkey is completely thawed before dipping it in the oil. I always set up on the patio, away from any overhang. IIRC, the temperature for deep frying is 325, with recommendation of 3.5 minutes per pound. I always go 10-15 minutes over that just to be safe. Keep checking on the temp every 5 minutes or so and adjust the flame if needed (my fryer works with a standard propane tank). Here are some pics from a couple of years ago:

Thawed turkey, prepared with rub and creole butter sauce injected:

http://i321.photobucket.com/albums/nn393/frehleyfanatic/DSCN1123-3.jpg

The fryer, pre-heated to 325:

http://i321.photobucket.com/albums/nn393/frehleyfanatic/DSCN1124-3.jpg

Turkey immersed and cooking in peanut oil:

http://i321.photobucket.com/albums/nn393/frehleyfanatic/DSCN1126-1.jpg

It's done!

http://i321.photobucket.com/albums/nn393/frehleyfanatic/DSCN1128.jpg

Doesn't it look delicious?

http://i321.photobucket.com/albums/nn393/frehleyfanatic/DSCN1130.jpg

Mmmmmmmmm!

http://i321.photobucket.com/albums/nn393/frehleyfanatic/DSCN1132-1.jpg

Clean up is a bit of a hassle, but I've gotten really good at it. I strain the oil and re-bottle it (it's amazing, you recover nearly all of it), freeze it, and use it once more, sometimes for Christmas.

This info is dead on. I have what looks like the same size fryer, got it at lowes. Frys an 18 pounder no prob. Inject the bird as much as you want with your favorite sauces. So easy and perfect. Run your oil after it cools through some cheese cloth and you can use it again for Xmas.