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    Cooking Tips » Fried Turkey

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    • Fried Turkey

    Have you Tried Fried? WHY NOT? Just might be the best Turkey you've ever had! We expect that this will be the easiest to prepare and most flavorful Turkey you've ever had. If the oil reaches the correct temperature before submersing the Turkey and the peanut oil is maintained at the proper temperature during the frying process, the heat will sear in the juices and the Bird will not taste greasy.

    Here are some Tips and Guidelines Barbeques Galore hopes you can use when Deep Frying that Bird:

    EQUIPMENT:

    SAFETY EQUIPMENT:

    1. Heavy-duty Gloves with long forearms.
    2. Safety Glasses
    3. Non-water based Chemical Fire Extinguisher
    4. Instant-Read Meat Thermometer

    FRYING EQUIPMENT:

    1. Turkey Pot (minimum 28 Qt.)
    2. High output Propane burner (minimum 100,000 BTU)
    3. Long Thermometer (12 inch)
    4. Marinade Injector
    5. Injectable Marinade
    6. Dry Rub (seasoning)
    7. 3-5 Gallons of Peanut Oil (depending on size of pot and size of Bird)
    8. Long-reach butane lighter.
    9. Hey, don't forget the Turkey. Depending on the size of the pot, 12-13 pound Bird for a 26 QT. Pot, 16-18 pound Bird for a 30 QT. Pot.

    SAFETY TIPS:

    1. Be sure your Pot will allow for about 6 inches of expansion above the level of the immersed Turkey, depending on the size Gobbler. Do not allow to overflow! NEVER try to fry a Turkey that's too big for the pot.
    2. Always use long heat-resistant gloves when lowering or removing the Bird from the hot oil. Wear a long-sleeve shirt and cooking apron.
    3. Oil and water don't get along. Be sure your Turkey, inside and out, is completely dry before you lower it in the hot oil.
    4. Keep small children and pets away from the burner and the hot oil-filled pot.
    5. After you achieve the optimum temperature, turn the burner OFF before you SLOWLY lower the Turkey into the pot. Re-light the burner after the turkey has settled in.
    6. When your Turkey is ready to remove from the pot, first turn the burner OFF.
    7. Remember that the oil will remain very hot for hours after you have turned off the burner. Place the pot in a safe place to cool.
    8. Make sure that the burner is placed on a flat, stable surface.
    9. When using an Injector, do not re-dip the needle into the sauce bottle. Pour what you want to use from the bottle into a separate container. Refrigerate what's left from the bottle for a future use and dispose of any remainder from the separate container after Injecting the Turkey.
    10. Never operate an outdoor cooker inside a building or confined area within 6 feet of any combustible surface or material. For use in a well-ventilated area only!
    11. Always carefully read and follow the instructions on your cooker and LP tank.

    SETTING IT UP

    1. Soap-test the hose and all connections from your High Pressure Burner to your LP Tank to make sure there are no leaks.
    2. Test for volume of the oil that's required by placing your Turkey in the empty pot and filling it with water to cover the Bird within ¨öˇ± of its highest point. Remove the Turkey and mark the water lineˇ¦this will be the level of peanut oil you will want to use. Remember to allow for approximately 6 inches for expansion.
    3. Use an absorbent grill mat or aluminum drip pan under the burner. Do not place burner on a wood deck. If you are frying on concrete spread a layer of sand several feet around the fryer to absorb any spilled or splattered oil. Just sweep the sand up when you're done.
    4. You should have at least 1 1/2 hours of propane in your LP tank per Bird (about 30 minutes to reach temperature and 45 minutes to an hour to fry the Gobbler). Consider filling your tank or having a spare one handy. Most of our Barbeques Galore stores have propane tank exchanges available. Do this before Thanksgiving Day!

    FRYING GUIDELINES

    1. Raise the temperature of the oil to 375 F (the temp will cool down to 350 F when the Turkey is introduced to the oil). You want to fry your Bird at 350 F.
    2. The Turkey must be completely thawed. Towel dry the outside and the inside of the Turkey before submersing it in the hot oil.
    3. Remove the neck and giblets.
    4. At this point you can use your favorite marinade and inject it directly into the meat and especially the joints. You should also use a dry rub and generously rub it onto the Turkey. You might want to put some Creole Mustard under the skin of the Birdˇ¦you'll love the flavor!
    5. Lower the Turkey into the oil with the legs pointing up. (Burner should be turned OFF and then re-lit)
    6. Lower it SLOWLY!
    7. Allow 3 ¨ö minutes per pound to Deep Fry your Turkey. Example: a 14 ¨ö pound Turkey will take about 50 minutes, a 17 pound Turkey will take around 1 hour.
    8. NEVER COVER THE POT WHEN FRYING WITH OIL.
    9. Always use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature of the Turkey. It's done when the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees at the thickest part of the Turkey. Don't forget to use gloves when reaching down towards the pot to use the meat thermometer.
    10. When the Turkey's done, turn the burner OFF and use gloves to remove it from the pot.
    11. Let the Turkey drain for a moment and then place it on some paper towels.
    12. Allow the Turkey to rest for about 15-20 minutes before carving.
    13. ENJOY YOUR DEEP FRIED TURKEY!

    ABOUT OIL FIRES

    1. The leading cause of restaurant fires is water being added to hot oil in deep fryers. The water, being heavier than oil, sinks quickly to the bottom and nearly immediately boils and turns to steam. The hot steam rapidly expands and forces itself back up through the hot oil creating a volcano of splatter. This oil being thrown from the fryer often lands on nearby open flames from grills and other cookers and immediately ignites, spreading the flame across all areas covered by the splattered oil. Spraying water to stop the fire only spreads out the oil, and thus spreads the fire across a larger area.
    2. It is for this reason you must be sure your turkey has NO excess water or liquid on its surface or in the cavity. The flame on the turkey fryer should be TURNED OFF prior to immersing the bird. Water on or in the turkey can cause oil splatter, which can ignite and scorch the poor soul lowering the turkey into the oil. Moisture in the skin of the turkey will create much the same sort of reaction, though on a smaller scale. When your turkey (remember, surface and cavity dried) is SLOWLY lowered into the HOT OIL, the moisture remaining in the skin will cause the oil to boil up about two inches higher. This is a normal reaction and poses no problems providing that the boiling pot is big enough to handle the expansion (We recommend you always allow a minimum of six inches for expansion), and that other safety precautions have been taken.

    NEVER, NEVER, NEVER LEAVE YOUR TURKEY FRYER UNATTENDED WHILE IN USE

    Hoping you and yours will have a safe and wonderful Grilling, Smoking & Frying Holiday Season.

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