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Thanksgiving often brings together an endless variety of brining techniques, controversial side dishes, and heated family debates. It’s no surprise hosting can be overwhelming—unless, of course, you’ve got The Right Stuffing, that is. This series covers everything Thanksgiving, helping you craft dishes that will be the centerpiece of your celebration year after year—even if it doesn’t assist with managing your family dynamics.
After years of reading “How to Deep Fry Your Turkey” guides, surviving 47 Thanksgivings, and volunteering with the Red Cross for two decades, my most significant takeaway is this: don’t deep fry your turkey; just roast it in the oven. For the record, I have a large ceramic gas kiln in my driveway, and I’m no stranger to fire—I’ve been welding and blowing glass since I was fifteen. But combine hot oil, frozen turkeys, flammable yards, and intoxicated people, and you’re asking for trouble. That said, the assignment is ‘how to deep fry a turkey safely,’ and while I can’t find a good reason to do it, the least hazardous way, if you insist on proceeding, is using an electric fryer indoors.
Introducing the Turk ‘n’ Surf
First, gather all the necessary tools and ingredients. I was fortunate to borrow a Masterbuilt Turk ‘n’ Surf turkey fryer/seafood boiler from a local kitchen library. You can easily find electric turkey fryers on Amazon, and they’ll cost you only slightly more than the oil to fill the fryer. I spent $64 on three gallons of peanut oil and picked up a small eleven-pound turkey. This fryer can handle up to fourteen pounds, but newer models can fry up to twenty-pound turkeys. You’ll also need your preferred brine or rub ingredients, heat-resistant oven mitts, and a thermometer for checking the turkey’s temperature. Make sure you know where your fire extinguisher is and that it’s in working order.
Some fundamental turkey-frying physics
Before we dive in, let’s establish some basic truths: when water meets oil, it splatters. When ice meets oil, it can explode. Oil at 400 degrees will melt plastic furniture, children’s toys, play structures, and even children themselves. It can set your yard on fire. The main goal is to keep the oil safely contained in the pot, preventing it from overflowing or coming into contact with any water while it’s dangerously hot.
Oil + water = hospital visit (and ice = water)
Oil + plastic = fire truck call
Propane + grass/wood chips/trees/leaves/patio furniture = insurance claim
Propane + hot tubs/playground sets/play pools = denied insurance claim
Fire + oil + children/pets/wildlife = CPS/vet bill/police report
Drunk people never understand how displacement works (Fill a bathtub, it won’t overflow. Get in, and it’s now overflowing.)
Infuse the bird with flavor
There are many opinions on how to prep a turkey (personally, I’m a fan of Kenji’s osmosis method with salt). Former Mytour senior food editor Claire Lower recommended simply ‘dry rubbing it,’ but I was surprised by how many recipes call for brining, despite it introducing liquid (which breaks Rule #1 above). But being naturally curious, and this being my first time deep frying, I decided to experiment: Could I dry the turkey out after brining, and would the brine enhance the flavor? I’d also read that you could figure out how much oil you need by putting the turkey in the fryer, filling the pot with water, and then measuring it. Why not try the same method with brine? So, I mixed 2 cups of citrus juice from grapefruit, lemon, lime, and orange, 1 cup of salt, 3 tablespoons of peppercorn, a head of garlic, an onion, 2 cups of celery, 1 cup of white wine, and a tablespoon of chicken-flavored Better Than Bouillon. I boiled it all in three gallons of water, let it cool, and poured it into the fryer. I then prepped the turkey, which was still a bit frozen, removing the plastic hanger by the legs, the pop-up thermometer, the neck, and the hidden giblet bag under the neck flap (always check there).
I left the turkey to chill, covered, outside in the fryer overnight since the temperature was under 40°F. However, if you live in warmer climates or if your local wildlife has figured out how to use opposable thumbs, it’s fine to keep it inside with some ice to maintain a temperature under 40°F. After eight hours, I carefully pulled out the turkey-filled basket and checked the waterline in the fryer.
Brining in the fryer is a true game changer
Even if you’re planning to completely disregard my advice and deep fry outside with propane in a pot, you should still brine the turkey in that pot, though clearly, we’ve yet to build a relationship of trust. But hey, once you’ve taken the turkey out of the brine, you’ll know exactly how much oil is needed to cover it. It seems like a brilliant idea now, before the alcohol kicks in. All you have to do next is toss out the brine and dry the pot. (Why bother cleaning it? You’re about to heat oil to 350-400°F in it anyway.)
Let’s get it started
Think about where you’ll place the fryer in your kitchen. Ideally, it should be under the hood or near a window. I did both: aiming a fan at the fryer to blow the smoke outside and positioning it under the exhaust fan. Now, time to fill the turkey fryer with oil to the designated fill line. Remember, we already know the amount needed to cover the bird. If the fill line goes above that, don’t go all the way. If it’s too low, well, that’s a problem. You want the whole bird submerged in oil, so check: Did the turkey sit properly in the brine? Was it positioned horizontally in the basket? Is the bird within the weight limit? Make sure you’re not overfilling the fryer. Assuming everything checks out, go ahead and pour in your oil (three gallons works for me, though...such a waste) and fire up the fryer. If the math doesn’t add up, time to grab a roasting pan and switch to plan B.
Set the fryer temperature to 400°F, although we'll be cooking at around 350°F. Your fryer might not be able to reach 400°F, but that's okay; you can always adjust it. Let's begin by trying to get the fryer hot and ready.
The only time you want to use the words 'dry' and 'turkey' together is when preparing it for frying.
Rule #1 exists for a reason: Regardless of how you flavor the bird, it's crucial to dry it as much as possible before it enters the oil—both inside and outside. Use paper towels to start the process, then position the bird in front of a fan, rotating it every 15 minutes while the oil heats. At some point, make sure air is directed into the bird's cavity to dry it out as well. I can't stress enough that any ice on the bird is a safety hazard, as it melts last inside the cavity. Some people opt to refrigerate the bird uncovered overnight to ensure it’s thoroughly dry, but I don't have the fridge space or the patience for that.
The second reason to dry the turkey is to achieve crispy skin, which can't happen if the skin is damp.
The oil should take about an hour to heat up; once it reaches temperature, check it with a thermometer. Obviously, be careful since this is boiling hot oil. Wear heat-resistant gloves and use a long thermometer to stay safe from the heat. If your oil reaches 400°F, you're doing great; just lower the heat to 350°F, and you're all set to start frying.
Make sure to read these instructions at least four times to fully understand the process.
I felt sympathy for the bird, so I decided to cover it with a dry garlic and chili rub. After placing the turkey in the fryer basket horizontally with the breast side up, I lowered it carefully into the pot using the hanger that came with the fryer. Remember, the basket needs to align with a notch in the fryer, so check before lowering it. When I say to lower it slowly, take your time—it should take 20-30 seconds to fully submerge the turkey. The oil reacts instantly, so allow it to gradually fill the turkey's cavity, then completely submerge it, and finally release the handle from the hanger.
Now, you have two choices: cover the pot or leave it uncovered. I read that covering the pot could trap steam, making the turkey less crispy. However, this didn’t make sense since the turkey is immersed in oil, not air, the entire time. While condensation may form on the lid, falling back into the oil, reducing crispness, I decided to cover the pot for safety reasons—protecting my home, dog, and dignity. The basic calculation is 3-1/2 minutes per pound, which would make the turkey cook for about 40 minutes. Some recipes suggest removing the turkey when the breast reaches 145°F, not the FDA's recommended 165°F, because the temperature continues to rise even after removal. This made sense to me.
I was somewhat pleased when, about halfway through cooking, I began to detect a hint of citrus and pepper in the air, which made me think the bird might turn out just fine.
Around thirty minutes into cooking, the turkey's breast reached 145°F, signaling it was time to take it out. I wasn’t thrilled about this part. You need to figure out where to place the turkey basket, and keep in mind that you don't want to pour oil down the sink. So, I lined the sink with paper towels, put on gloves, and carefully used the hook to slowly lift the basket, letting the oil drain as I pulled it out. I tilted the basket to ensure all the oil drained from the turkey before carrying it the three feet over to the sink.
Once the turkey rested for about fifteen minutes, I thought about how to transfer it to the cutting board. I tried lifting it gently a few times but eventually decided dumping it was the best option. As I did, the turkey split into the legs and breast, which I took as a good sign that it was done. However, despite my best efforts, the skin wasn’t crispy. Research shows this is a common issue that can be avoided by properly drying the bird and leaving the lid off. I accepted my failure.
The final result.
I carved off some white and dark meat to taste. Here’s the thing, folks: I'm not particularly fond of turkey the way some people are. But when prepared correctly, turkey can be moist, tender, and flavorful right after it comes out of the oven. Unfortunately, when deep fried, it was bland, tough, and dry. I even took another temperature reading, and the breast still only registered 160°F. The bird had no trace of flavor from either the brine or the dry rub. At that point, I would've preferred Colonel Sanders, since with KFC, you don’t have to deal with disposing of three gallons of oil. It wasn't the worst turkey I've ever had—my almost mother-in-law used to throw unseasoned turkeys in the oven and spray them with Pam every few hours. But as you can see, my standards are pretty low.
Call me picky, but I expect more from my poultry.
How to clean up after deep frying.
What I should have done was think about all the other things I could deep fry while the oil was still hot, to make the most of it. Broccoli! Potatoes! Garlic! Twinkies! Anything to take advantage of this oil I bought for just one purpose. Instead, I let it cool down, like a complete fool, and then, using a funnel, I slowly poured it back into the original bottle, before dropping it off at a local cooking oil recycling center.
Thoroughly wipe the interior of your fryer with paper towels until it's completely dry and store it in its box, if possible. Then, take that box and toss it off a cliff, and opt for an oven-roasted bird next year.
