How To Deep Fry a Turkey and Not Burn Your House Down

I am not gonna lie, I thought Deep Frying a turkey was a Michigan thing. It actually originated in Louisiana. I remember some kind of TV special that had Kid Rock and Hank Williams JR deep frying turkey at his place. That was the first time I was introduced to it. Since Kid Rock did it, I figured it was pure Michigan. I also see the news and every year someone starts a house fire because they do this all wrong. It starts with temp. The temp has to be right. First timers have a hard time doing this. Just ask this guy.

A lot of people tend to agree that deep fried turkey tastes better. It might not be the healthiest alternative, but is anything fried ever? To do this properly, you got to follow the process.

Make sure you measure the oil level. ( too much oil contributes to a lot of the fire issues). Speaking of those, keep you propane tank at least 2 feet away from your fryer. It is also a good idea to have a grease-rated fire extinguisher on hand.

Heat the oil to 375. Once the turkey is in the oil will cool and you want to keep it around 325.

Prep the turkey. Make sure the bird is thawed. Frozen will not work right. Kid Rock's secret recipe is to inject the turkey with seasoning. Do not over stuff the bird. Remember, what you put in changes the weight.

Slowly...KEYWORD SLOWLY...lower the bird into the oil. Set the timer for 3-4 min per pound. That means a 10 pound bird will take you about 45min to an hour to cook. Make sure to remove the thermometer before you put it in!

Fry the bird until the breasts are about 170 and the thighs 180.

Remove it and let it cool a bit before commencing with the carving.

Hopefully, this helps you avoid fried turkey issues. Now you know and knowing is half the battle. If you do fry a turkey this year, I will take mine with a side of honey mustard. I am not down with gravy. I know that is borderline criminal.