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If you have always wanted to try a Deep Fried Turkey recipe for the holidays, now is the time! Learn how to deep fry turkey as safely and efficiently as possible for an unforgettable turkey dinner that’s moist, flavorful, and cooks in under an hour.
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Deep Fried Turkey
I love changing how I make my family’s holiday turkey every year, and this time, we opted for deep-fried turkey! Not only is this a unique and fun way to cook your holiday meal, but it is also utterly delicious.
Complete with the perfect seasoning for fried turkey, and all the steps you need to fry a turkey beautifully, this is the only deep-fried turkey recipe you will need. Enjoy!
Thank you for this awesome recipe. The step by step instructions really helped me fry my first turkey. It turned out so good.
Kari
Fried Turkey Ingredients
- Turkey
- Water
- Salt
- Peppercorns
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
- Granulated Garlic Powder
- Vegetable Oil
How to Deep Fry a Turkey
- Prep turkey the usual way by removing giblets, the neck, and any other unnecessary parts. In a clean and sanitized 5-gallon bucket, add 2 gallons of water, 1 cup of salt, and peppercorns. Stir.
- Add turkey to the water. If the turkey is not fully covered, add more water until it is. Place the bucket in the refrigerator and let it sit for 12 hours, up to 36 hours. If you don’t have a fridge that will fit the turkey, fill the bucket the rest of the way with ice after adding the turkey, and it will keep for 12 hours. If necessary, keep adding ice for as long as you want it to brine.
- Place the oil in your deep fryer and let it preheat to 350℉, which will take around an hour. Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry. This step is important when deep frying! Make sure your turkey is completely dry! Mix the sea salt, pepper, and garlic in a small bowl. Rub every inch of the outside of the turkey with the mixture.
- Once the oil is heated, place the turkey in the fryer insert, and very gently lower the turkey into the fryer. Do not drop the turkey into the oil- lower it slowly.
- Let cook for 46 minutes then gently remove and place on a pan with paper towels. Let rest for 30 minutes.
- Carve and enjoy!
Fried Turkey Recipes Tips
- Make absolutely sure your turkey is not dripping wet, and do not coat it with a sauce. It should also not be frozen! If it is wet or frozen it will cause the oil to respond violently, which is the primary cause of the fire, damage, and injury when frying a turkey.
- Add the turkey to the fryer slowly. Don’t drop it into the oil quickly – you may injure yourself or others doing so.
- If you have a bigger or smaller turkey, the only thing you need to change is the cooking time. It’s 3.5 minutes per pound of turkey. You do not need to adjust the amount of seasoning unless you want to. Simply make sure the seasoning is in equal amounts.
- Make sure you have a big enough fryer. I used a 64-quart deep fryer with the added removable insert. This should cook the largest turkeys – up to 30 pounds.
- If you have a smaller fryer, it’s okay as long as the turkey fits without having to be shoved into it.
- If your fryer is a different size, you will require a different amount of oil. Simply fill your fryer halfway full and no more – but check your fryer manual, as fryers differ across brands and types. It’s important to know the size of the fryer you’re using.
- You can use whichever kind of oil you prefer, but it will change the taste of your turkey. Peanut oil is a great choice as it has a high flash point, making it less likely to catch fire.
- If possible, have a second person help with the process for safety’s sake. Just make sure they are also appropriately dressed.
Deep Fry Turkey Safety Tips
Deep-frying a turkey is amazingly delicious, but be aware of the risks and follow these tips:
- Start by reading the owner’s manual that came with your turkey fryer.
- Never fry inside of your house or in the garage.
- Fry away from children, pets, or anything that might catch fire.
- The best place to fry would be in the driveway or a back patio at a distance from your house.
- Do not fry a turkey in the rain.
- Allow ample space to walk around the fryer.
- ⚠ It’s extremely important that your turkey is not dripping wet, does not have any sort of wet coating such as a sauce, and is not frozen. If it is, it will cause the oil to respond more “violently” and this is the specific reason people end up causing fires, damage, and injury.
- Measure the oil level ahead of time to prevent overflowing the pot.
- Start by heating the oil to a low temp of 275°F. Then, turn the heat up after you add the bird. This keeps the oil from splattering.
- Add your turkey to the fryer slowly. Don’t get freaked out and drop it quickly, as this can cause issues or injury. It’s best to use a turkey stand and lifter to transfer the bird in and out of the frying pot.
- Dress appropriately – wear heavy-duty heatproof gloves, clothing covering your whole body, and closed-toed leather work shoes or boots (don’t wear cloth shoes).
- Have a fire extinguisher within reach just in case.
Rather than coating it with a sauce when deep frying turkey, use a turkey injection recipe to add additional flavor to the bird apart from the seasoning.
Fried Turkey Recipe FAQs
The deep-fried turkey cooks quickly in comparison to any other turkey cooking method. A 13-pound turkey takes about 46 minutes to fry after brining overnight, in addition to a 30-minute resting time before serving. Cook for about 3.5 minutes per pound, but more importantly, always check the internal temperature of the turkey at the thickest part of the thigh. It should read 175℉ in the thigh and 165°F in the breast.
Although injecting the turkey is not necessary, using a butter injection for turkey when deep frying turkey adds tons of flavor and moisture. Add extra flavor to the bird by injecting it before frying it in both sides of the breast and both thighs.
Which kind of oil you use is up to you, though it will change the flavor of your turkey. Peanut oil, for example, adds a nutty flavor to turkey, and has a high flash point, making it less likely to catch fire. I fry my turkey in vegetable oil.
We recommend using 30 quarts of oil to make sure the turkey is fully submerged. You should always fill the oil to the maximum fill line on your large deep fryer.
Fried Turkey Temperature Chart
Top tip for cooking turkey: The internal temp for turkey will read 180° degrees F with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh and 170°F when inserted into the breast. When measuring internal turkey temperature, always use a meat thermometer.
No matter what size turkey you have, if you’re deep frying a turkey, it will cook for 3.5 minutes per pound.
| Turkey Weight | Feeds | How Long to Deep Fry Turkey |
|---|---|---|
| 8 pounds | 5 guests and under | 28 minutes |
| 10 pounds | 7 guests and under | 35 minutes |
| 15 pounds | 10 guests and under | 53 minutes |
| 18 pounds | 12 guests and under | 63 minutes |
| 20 pounds | 15 guests and under | 70 minutes |
| 30 pounds (maximum) | 22 guests and under | 105 minutes |
Tools for Frying Turkey
- Large deep fryer
- 5-gallon bucket or another container large enough to fit the turkey
Best Turkey Recipes
- Air Fryer Turkey Breast
- Thanksgiving Turkey
- How to Smoke a Turkey
- Sous Vide Turkey Breast
- Grilled Turkey
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast
- Boneless Turkey Breast
- Spatchcock Turkey
Don’t forget about the leftover bones. I always make Turkey Stock, and Turkey Carcass Soup! So good!
Side Dishes for Turkey
📋 Recipe
Fried Turkey Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Large Deep Fryer
- 5 Gallon Bucket or other container large enough to fit turkey with water
Ingredients
- 13 pound Whole Turkey
- 2 gallons water
- 1 cup salt
- ½ cup peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 30 quarts vegetable oil (see notes)
See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!
Instructions
- Prep turkey the usual way by removing giblets, the neck, and any other unnecessary parts. In a clean and sanitized 5 gallon bucket, add 2 gallons of water, 1 cup salt, and peppercorns. Stir.13 pound Whole Turkey, 2 gallons water, 1 cup salt, ½ cup peppercorns
- Add turkey to the water. If the turkey is not fully covered, add more water until it is. Place the bucket in the refrigerator and let it sit for 12 hours, up to 36 hours. If you don’t have a fridge that will fit the turkey, fill the bucket the rest of the way with ice after adding the turkey, and it will keep for 12 hours. If necessary, keep adding ice for as long as you want it to brine.
- Place the oil in your deep fryer and let it preheat to 350℉, which will take around an hour. Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry. This step is important when deep frying! Make sure your turkey is completely dry! Mix the sea salt, pepper, and garlic in a small bowl. Rub every inch of the outside of the turkey with the mixture.1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 30 quarts vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- Once the oil is heated, place the turkey in the fryer insert, and very gently lower the turkey into the fryer. Do not drop the turkey into the oil- lower it slowly.
- Let cook for 46 minutes then gently remove and place on a pan with paper towels. Let rest for 30 minutes.
- Carve and enjoy!
Notes
- If you have a bigger or smaller turkey, the only thing you need to change is the cooking time. It’s 3.5 minutes per pound of turkey. You do not need to adjust the amount of seasoning unless you want to. Simply make sure the seasoning is equal amounts.
- Make sure you have a big enough fryer. I used a 64 quart deep fryer with the added removable insert. This should cook the largest turkeys – up to 30 pounds.
- If you have a smaller fryer, it’s okay as long as the turkey fits without having to be shoved into it.
- If your fryer is a different size, you will require a different amount of oil. Simply fill your fryer halfway full and no more – but check your fryer manual, as fryers differ across brands and types. It’s important to know the size of the fryer you’re using.
- You can use whichever kind of oil you prefer, but it will change the taste of your turkey. Peanut oil is a great choice as it has a high flash point, making it less likely to catch fire.
- If possible, have a second person help with the process for safety’s sake. Just make sure they are also appropriately dressed.
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