Who frying next week and how many?

My wife is from a larger southern family and we usually have a mess of folks at one of her aunts houses, at least 3 tables full. I'll be frying up two or three turkeys, plus possibly smoking a couple of pork butts.

Remember to be safe with those fryers, and make sure that the bird is FULLY THAWED!
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I'm frying one. Last year we had two.

Last year a bear showed up during dinner and knocked over my turkey fryer. Fortunately the turkey was on the table.
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Any tips for newbs? I keep eyeing a turkey fryer.... I figure I'd brine the bird... then what... get the oil going.... do you dry it first then lower it into the basket or....?
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WHOA!

That's pretty much it. Follow the instructions that come with the fryer. Definitely DO NOT put a frozen turkey in there, thaw it. And don't fry it underneath an awning or indoors. Make sure there's plenty of open space and nothing flammable nearby. We do it in the middle of our street! And it splatters everywhere, on you, spills over onto the street, etc. so watch out! (You can measure how much oil to put in there the day before, by lowering the turkey into the pot with the pot filled with water and noting where on the pot to fill with oil on Thanksgiving.....but it'll still splatter)

Costco sells an infrared oil-less fryer if you don't want to have to shell out $40 in oil every time you fry one up.

So we do this every year. Last year we began a tradition of frying one and buying one from this AWESOME place: http://www.gobblegobble.com/

Greenberg Smoked Turkey's are amazing. Truly. It was the hands-down favorite last year.

So we'll fry one & have the smoked turkey.

One question I have for the experienced turkey fryers....our fryer's instructions says not to use more than a 16-pound turkey...well, Costco didn't have anything smaller than 20 pounds and I didn't know the fryer had a limit. Should I be concerned?
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Frying is awesome. It's important to let the bird sit for sometime after you take it out.
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Do NOT put a frozen turkey into hot oil! Imediate flash steam = overflowing scalding, flaming oil = pain, injury, destruction, etc!

Make sure that the bird is thawed and DRY!!!

Also, don't put the fryer on anything that is flamable!


If you try to cook a bird that is much over ~16 lbs, by the time the inside is done, the outside is burnt. If I need more than ~16 lbs, I get 2.

I usually don't brine my birds, but we have our own injection that my wife and I have come up with over the years.


Turkey frying gone VERY WRONG! <=Clicky

Don't get too scared. Just use common sence and be careful!





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So Steve, you're telling me I have to actually go back to Costco, brave the already horrendous crowds and return the dead bird. Cr@p! :-):-)

My own damn fault.
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yea I've watched some of the youtube videos where people just have instant blow up of oil and everything when frying, that's one reason I've stayed away for so long.
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It's your call. I have not had real good luck with birds over about 17 lbs personally.

Of course, you could always keep it and smoke it :-)



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The other important thing to do is NOT overfill the pot with oil!

I take the bird (still in it's wrapper usually) and place it in the clean pot. Then fill the pot with water (with the turkey still in it) until the water just covers the bird. mark the outside of the pot with a marker, drain the water, and prepare the bird.

When you are ready to fry the bird up, fill the pot up with oil to the level you previously marked. I usually go ojust a little shy. I figure the only part of the turkey that will possibly out of the oil is the knuckle bones of the legs and even then, the oil is boiling up around them.




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Also, lower the bird into the oil very slowly, wearing gloves. Good advice on the big birds, I usually do a 14 pounder, cooks nice in under an hour. Another great excuse to go outside and smoke a cigar too. GL.
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Agreed on all points!

:-)


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If you've never tried it, do a deep fried ham sometime. It's delicious! You basically use the same instructions as the turkey. It get's nice and charred (black) on the outside. It's very good!
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We did one this afternoon for our work potluck. Tony Chachery makes a killer garlic butter injection kit. We did a 13.94lb bird in about 50minutes. Kept the oil temp close to 325. I second or third it being COMPLETELY thawed and DRIED. We used a broom handle to lower it into the pot. Also moved it around once in a while....

Needless to say it was a huge hit.....some much so we didnt even get any. :-)
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I have never done a ham, but I did do a prime rib roast once. As you said, very good!



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I do two 16 pound turkeys and sometimes two turkey breasts for the gaggle that comes over. The in-laws take one of the turkey breasts home along with some of the trimmings. We have enough turkey meat for giving some to every family that comes...along with all the trimmings.

Cooking the two turkeys along with the turkey breasts helps justify the cost of the peanut oil. Anyone else using anything else to cook the turkeys in?

I've got an infrared turkey cooker that I picked up last year....but the neighbor bought one and the turkey never was quite right. Haven't had the guts to test it yet.

Haven't tried the ham in the fryer yet....I'll have to experiment after Thanksgiving.

Tnip23 was right on the money with going out and smoking a good stick. Cooking a turkey in the cooker keeps me out of the wife's hair and of course, my dad, father in law, brother in laws, and sons all have a good time swapping lies and jokes with one another while we're "watching the turkey."
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Probably the most enjoyable part of the dinner for me!


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I've been thinking about it. I normally do it every year, but it seems like such a chore. I'd rather just sit back, smoke, have some beers, and let my father in law smoke one for a change.
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Sounds like a plan. I did that a couple of years ago when one of my wife's uncles wanted to do it.



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I heard about the Char Broil Big Easy as the oil-less turkey "fryer". They claimed on Bob and Tom that it's just as good as the real fried turkey. It's steep at around $150 though. Of course, no oil mess though.
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