How To Deep-Fry A Turkey Like A Boss

Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends to gather together around a giant feast, and remember what they are thankful for. Why not treat your loved ones to a whole new way to prepare a turkey this year? That’s right, it’s time to learn how to deep-fry a turkey like the boss you are. I don’t know about you, but I sure am thankful for the ability to fry anything and everything I could ever want to. Things are about to get deep-fried, golden brown, and delicious up in here.

I remember the first time I tasted a fried turkey at Thanksgiving. It was at a friend’s house, and I was in awe of both how quickly the bird cooked, and how anyone would dare chuck that beautiful bird into a deep fryer. Turns out, fried turkey is the best way to serve turkey. The skin is extra crispy, and the meat comes out perfectly tender. My mouth is watering just thinking about it right now…

Frying a turkey can be a little intimidating if you’ve never tried it before. A huge bird, a massive vat of oil… Yep, there’s a little danger involved if you don’t know what you’re doing. Fear not my fried bird-lovin’ friends, I’ve got the ultimate guide to how to deep-fry a turkey without doing any damage to you, the ones you love, or your home. Get ready for some finger-licking good turkey this Thanksgiving.

Get Your Bird

First things first, you have to buy the bird. Most standard turkey deep fryers accommodate an 18-pound bird, but if you want to ere on the side of caution, I recommend shooting for a 16-pound bird that’s sure to fit.

Get Your Equipment, And Set Up

Make sure you set up in an open area away from things you love like your lawn, your home, and your children. Your set-up should look like the one in the photo above.

Equipment You’ll Need: An outdoor turkey fryer with a burner and stand, fryer and meat thermometers, hanger (used to get the turkey in and out of the hot oil), propane tank, and most importantly, a fire extinguisher (safety first!). You’ll also want an apron and heavy-duty oven mitts.

Prep The Bird

Before you go dropping the turkey into the hot oil, make sure the turkey is 100 percent defrosted. Wipe off any excess water from the turkey, both inside and out. Water + hot oil = death (or at the very least, a lot of burns). No one wants to deal with a grease fire on Thanksgiving!

Time To Fry

Heat the oil in the fryer up to a fiery 350 degrees. Insert the hanger into the bird, and make sure that bird is secure. Losing the bird in the hot vat of oil is a big no-no.

Carefully lower the turkey into the oil (this is where you should be wearing the apron and oven mitts!). Ease it in, and detach. Then, let the fryer do the work. Plan on cooking the turkey approximately three minutes for every pound of turkey.

Check The Temperature

About five to 10 minutes before the turkey should be finished cooking, carefully remove the turkey from the oil to check the internal temperature. As soon as the turkey reaches 145 degrees internal temperature, remove the turkey and allow it to rest at least 15 minutes before carving.

Now all that’s left to do is EAT. God bless America, am I right? I bet you’re ready to get your Thanksgiving fried bird on now!

For more Thanksgiving ideas, check out Bustle on YouTube.

Images: Alesia Berlezova/Fotolia; Giphy