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An overhead view of a deep-fried turkey sitting on a platter surrounds by other holiday side dishes.

Best Deep-Fried Turkey

Course: Entree
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Air chill: 4 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 10
Calories: 562kcal
Author: Kris Longwell
Deep-Fried Turkey is truly a taste sensation. No need to brine this bird because we are injecting an amazingly delicious buttery marinade. If you are utilizing an outdoor fryer, take every precaution to prevent spillage or other catastrophic mishaps. Allowing the bird to air-chill for up to 24 hours is best, but you can deep-fry the bird within an hour of applying the rub and injecting the marinade.
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Extra Large Deep-Fryer See the blog post for the link
  • Large meat injector See the blog post for the link

Ingredients

  • 1 16 lb turkey fully thawed
  • 2.75 lbs peanut oil

For the Rub

  • 2 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 2 tablespoon Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoon Creole seasoning or Cajun, or cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sage ground, or ground thyme
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder

For the Marinade Injection

  • ⅓ cup butter melted
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • ½ cup chicken stock or turkey stock
  • 1 large lemon juice squeezed
  • 2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoon hot sauce such as Louisiana, Tabasco, or Franks
  • 2 teaspoon Creole seasoning or Cajun, or cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt not coarse, or just table salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oil to 335°F. This usually takes anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes.
    2.75 lbs peanut oil
  • In a small bowl, mix together the rub ingredients.
    2 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 2 tablespoon Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 tablespoon Creole seasoning, 1 teaspoon sage, 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Use your hands to apply the rub all over the turkey, including some in the cavity. Make sure to have removed the neck and the giblets.
    ⅓ cup butter, ¼ cup canola oil, ½ cup chicken stock, 1 large lemon, 2 teaspoon onion powder, 2 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoon hot sauce, 2 teaspoon Creole seasoning, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the marinade mixture. Fill the syringe with marinade. Inject the marinade into one of the breasts. Remove the syringe and insert it again in the same hole, but direct the needle in a different direction. Repeat this several times. Do this again with the other breast, and then the legs and thighs. You'll want to inject about a third of a cup in each breast, and about a quarter cup in the legs and thighs.
    1 16 lb turkey
  • Carefully place the bird in the basket and use the handle extension to slowly lower the basket into the hot oil.
  • Lower the lid and fry the turkey for 3.5 minutes per pound until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F.
  • Very carefully raise the basket from the oil (using the handle extension) and place it on the hook on the side of the fryer (see video for reference). Let the turkey rest for at least 15 minutes, tilting the bird to allow any accumulated oil in the cavity to drain out.
  • Carve and serve warm.

Video

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. 
How to Thaw a Frozen Turkey: Place in the refrigerator for 4 days before cooking. Or, place the frozen turkey (still in packaging) in a cooler or large basin and fill it with water. Add ice to the water every few hours. The bird will be thawed within about 8 hours. 
Remember to remove the giblets and the turkey from the cavity. Use them to make stock!
A 14 to 17-lb turkey is best for deep-frying. The Masterbuilt deep-fryer can handle up to a 20 lb bird, but a smaller bird cooks more evenly. 
See the blog post for links to the deep-fryer and meat injector. 
Turkey leftovers will keep up to 5 or 6 days covered in the fridge and can be frozen for up to 2 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 562kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 708mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1122IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg