Deep Fried Turkey

So, I’ve been hearing about Turkey Fryers, Deep Fried Turkey, Masterbuilt, and Butterball for a very, very long time. I’ve been DYING to try everything out for myself, but the thought of one of those huge, propane fryers exploding, and all of us ending up in the emergency room was a bit too terrifying for me. I know, a bit graphic yeah? Anyway, I decided that this Thanksgiving I was going to just go for it, so I started to do my research… Lo and Behold the Butterball INDOOR Electric Turkey Fryer.

Here are my favorite points and then on to the deep fried turkey.

Safety…Approved for indoor use!! Especially important in freezing cold Utah. I have zero desire to be outside, especially to cook. The thermostat temperature control insures oil won’t overheat and with the patented Electric Indoor Design there’s no open flame (unlike traditional turkey fryers). NO PROPANE EXPLOSION!! Woohoo! Of course, you should always be careful with blazing hot oil, but I’d much rather fry in this puppy than in the traditional fryers.

Convenience…This fryer uses 1/3 less oil than traditional turkey fryers (2 vs. 3 gallons), cooks turkeys up to 14lbs in only 3.5 minutes per pound and it frees up your oven for cooking the rest of the Thanksgiving meal. Don’t tell me you’ve never had the, “I have to cook two sides, rolls, pies and a turkey, but we have 1 oven” dilema. Our house wasn’t blazing hot from all of the cooking and dinner happened right on time, with everything hot because I didn’t have to cook in rounds.
There’s even have an XL model that fries turkeys up to 20lbs!!

Taste…Hands down, the best tasting turkey you’ve ever eaten. No kidding. It was hot, juicy, tender, and flavorful. AMAZING. Consumers claim that the primary reason they fry turkey is because of the taste plus a fried turkey only absorbs about a tablespoon of oil. sweet!
Versatility: Guess what? You can boil in this sucker too! Just add water instead of oil. I plan on using my turkey fryer for other things too, not just turkey.
Easy Clean up… I was DREADING cleanup. I thought it was going to be ridiculously long and annoying. It was a cinch!! The Butterball Indoor Electric Turkey Fryer has a built-in oil drain valve plus the frying pot, basket and lid are all dishwasher safe. I thought the basket was going to be torture to clean, but I put it in the sink, turned on the hot water and started spraying it off, and ALL of those little browned bits washed right off. Seriously? That’s easier than cleaning regular pots and pans!!!

It’s easy to find too ..

Walmart
Amazon
Costco
Lowes
Academy Sports
Bass Pro Shop
Sears
Winn Dixie

Turkey Basics

Before we jump in to making this deep fried whole turkey, I want to cover a few of the basics:

A frozen turkey will need thaw 24 hours per every 5 pounds.
Turkey will need to cook for 3-4 minutes per pound.
Safe internal temperature for a turkey is 175 degrees F the thigh and 165 degrees F in the breast.

So let’s assume you are going to roast a 14 pound turkey that is frozen when you purchase it and you want to have your meal on Thursday afternoon. Here is your brief timeline:

Remove turkey from freezer to thaw in the fridge: 3 1/2 days ahead of time (Sunday afternoon – Wednesday afternoon)
Brine: 4 hours (Wednesday afternoon/fevening)
Turkey rests in fridge: 8 hours (overnight Wednesday to Thursday morning)
Turkey in deep fryer: 45-50 minutes
Turkey rests: 15 minutes

Now the turkey is ready to carve and eat Thursday afternoon! Now here are those same steps in a little more detail…

Is Turkey a Good Source of Protein?

Protein is an essential component of a balanced diet.

Turkey and chicken are popular sources of protein because they are also very lean.

Turkey has about the same amount of protein as a serving of beef, but the fat content in beef is significantly greater.

How Long Will Cooked Turkey Keep?

Cooked turkey can be kept for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Turkey should be well covered or placed in a close-able plastic bag for best storage.

Can Cooked Turkey be Frozen?

You can store your left-over turkey in the freezer.

After the turkey is cool, place in a heavy duty freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.