vtfireman85 Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 Looks like a house full this thanksgiving, not sure how thrilled i am about that but whatever. I would like to try frying a bird. I have never actually done it so please offer as much wisdom as possible, bird size/ oil temp/ time/lb. keeping in mind the group that are coming they will be shocked and awed by pretty much anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ray54 Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 The first thing in my mind is do you a safe place for a fire if the weather is bad that day. 😉 Fireman with his house afire is not good. Most out here with the quick cook time and mild weather by your standards cook outside on dirt. Guys with far more experience than I can talk marinated or not and all kinds of seasoning. Only directly involved on one and think it took as long to heat the oil as to cook the 10 lb turkey. But as you said house full it takes bigger than average pot to cook bigger than a 12 or maybe 15 pound bird. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve C. Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 Better get a line of credit for the peanut oil. You'll need close to three gallons. I'm too frugal (o.k., I'm cheap) to enjoy spending close to $50 just for oil, but sometimes I'm overruled. It is tasty, and there are more recipes out there than you can shake a stick at. If you go ahead with it, I'd suggest buying some frozen breaded tavern food, like onion rings, mushrooms, green beans, etc., so you can get a little more good out of the oil. Another possibility would be to cut the bird up a little and air fry it. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twood1954 Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 Alton Brown has good video on frying turkeys. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtfireman85 Posted October 14, 2022 Author Share Posted October 14, 2022 1 hour ago, twood1954 said: Alton Brown has good video on frying turkeys. Hes my hero 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kracked1 Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 Fried quite few through the years. Makes a great tasting bird. I found an injection recipe we liked and modified from there. As said it isnt cheap at all. But I could do two birds with the same oil. It would stay good for a couple weeks poured back in the jugs. Second bird was cut up and frozen for sandwiches and soups. No reason you couldnt do more than two if you wanted. I also did pitchfork steaks a couple times, they were tasty! Season your steaks and put in the hot oil for a couple minutes. Perfect seared crust and juicy inside! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Englander Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 One thing the video didn't mention is to shut the flame off until the bird is successfully submerged without drama and then relight it. I've tried it and it sure cooks fast/tastes good but is way easy to overcook. I use V rack in the oven at high temp and turn the bird. Lots of time breast down and on sides and breast up to finish. Big crowd? Two smaller birds - one in the oven and one fried. The oven bird for presentation while the fried bird can be cut and already on the platter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IH Forever Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 Sorry I can't give any advice, although I do love the taste of fried turkey. We have a "friendsgiving" each year with several couples we hang out with. I've made bone in turkey breast on the smoker for that, always a big hit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse in WI Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 Thaw bird days in advance, let it come to room temp the day of cooking, inject with marinade of flavor using the fancy syringe they sell, make sure bird is dry before putting in oil, have a way to hang the bird onto something as you won't be able to hold the legs and put it in the cooker, remove the wings before cooking and put them in the oil the last 10 minutes or so otherwise they'll cook to a crisp. Monitor oil temp frequently to maintain the 350-400 range. Too hot of oil equals you buying pizza delivery for the meal. To know how much oil to put in based on the size of the bird you need to put the bird in the cooker, fill the cooker with water until it is about 2-3" from the top, now remove the bird and let all the water inside the bird collect in the cooker. Make a mark or take a measurement of the water level and dry the cooker. Fill cooker with oil to the mark and heat the oil. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12_Guy Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 Fried turkey can be very good if done correctly. My bil has been using us as his test subjects as he learns. He is getting better but there seems to be a learning curve. I prefer to roast them on a spit on the grill. A rotisserie kit costs less than the oil and lasts much longer. Defrost, season the crap out of the bird with a rub, through it on the spit and then go enjoy some football. Easy peasy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rawleigh99 Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 Don't do it on the deck and make sure you don't have too much oil so it overflows when the turkey is added! You probably already knew that as a fireman though! LOL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmall Doctor Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowrosefarm Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 My brother cooks his thanksgiving turkey in a fire pit. It's a long process, but the results are amazing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acem Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 We use a 'fish fryer'. It takes a big pot and alot of oil. Peanut oil is best but other oil can be used It tastes great and very juicy if you do it right! Fry a buch of other stuff while you're at it. Taters, shrimp, okra, onions, fish, hush puppies, cheese, etc. Do be careful. Several gallons of hot oil can be dangerous. Especially with a flame under it. You could even try deep fried crocks! Thx-Ace 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtfireman85 Posted October 14, 2022 Author Share Posted October 14, 2022 20 minutes ago, acem said: okra ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
int 504 Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 Okra is a vegetable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtfireman85 Posted October 14, 2022 Author Share Posted October 14, 2022 8 minutes ago, int 504 said: Okra is a vegetable. So was Christopher Reeves, but you wouldn’t have fried him. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nepoweshiekfarmalls Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 1 hour ago, vtfireman85 said: ? This is an Orca....... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfraider Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 Also, when it's done cooking, let it sit for 20-30 min outside the fryer. It will finish cooking the inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finney Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 We cook ours in the smoker, stuff it with diced apples and small amount of diced onion. Takes about 5 hrs. Really good. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acem Posted October 15, 2022 Share Posted October 15, 2022 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtfireman85 Posted October 15, 2022 Author Share Posted October 15, 2022 10 minutes ago, acem said: Finger lickin good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DT Fan Posted October 15, 2022 Share Posted October 15, 2022 I've eaten A LOT of fried turkey! Love it. My turkey hunting relation got that whole thing started. 'Cajun injector' marinade used to be popular, may still be? Anyway, the rosemary-garlic was fantastic but they discontinued it. Now, in later years Mom's oven turkey got to be 'to die for'. She didn't do anything to complicated, she just stuffed it and cooked in an oven bag. It was fantastic. Really going to miss that going forward but think I may be able to duplicate it with a little work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyredfan Posted October 15, 2022 Share Posted October 15, 2022 I like cooking it in a trash can (I use a aluminum bucket ). Works great and just need a bag of charcoal It’s kinda like smoked / baked 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DT Fan Posted October 16, 2022 Share Posted October 16, 2022 That looks scrumptious! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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