Deep-fried Turkey (w/Q-View)

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hova1914

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Feb 21, 2013
105
12
Washington, DC
Hosted the in-laws this year for Thanksgiving. Decided to fry a turkey instead of smoke, and used themule69's method located here ----> http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/152861/deep-fried-turkey#post_1095550. Only adjustments I made was I used a homemade Cajun rub instead of store bought (paprika, garlic and onion powder, black and cayenne pepper, thyme, & salt) and I injected the bird with a butter/dale's marinade mix with a little rub dissolved in it. I did all this the night before and put it in the fridge overnight to let the seasoning soak in. Here's the naked and rubbed/injected bird on Thanksgiving Eve.

Woke up early the next morning to let the bird thaw to room temperature. I read somewhere that doing this prevents uneven cooking. I was concerned with bacteria from leaving the turkey out to thaw the day before, refrigerating, and then leaving it out again 8 hours later, but I was more concerned with making an under/overcooked, dry, flavorless turkey on my first attempt with the in-laws there to bear witness. I figured the hot grease would kill anything bad, so I decided the benefits outweighed the risks. You may feel differently, and I wouldn't blame you if you did. After 5-6 hours of thawing, I put the bird in the fryer (SWMBO found a swanky butterball indoor turkey deep fryer on sale at Costco for $120. I recommend it because frying outside in the cold WHOMPS!). Since I've never fried indoors, I took extra precautions and made sure the cooking area was well ventilated, had a smoke detector/fire alarm nearby as well as an extinguisher. Here is the turkey as I lower into the grease and mid-fry.

I had an 18 pound turkey & did 3 mins per pound expecting it to be around 155-160 when done and come up to 165-170 while draining/resting. However, I forgot to subtract the weight of the giblets and turkey neck. When I pulled the turkey out and checked its temperature, it was at 167! It still turned out well, but if I had left it in any longer it could have overcooked. It's a mistake I won't make next time, and hopefully you guys learn from it. Below is fresh out the grease and on the table as we were setting it.

SWMBO & the in-laws LOVED the turkey. They raved about how juicy and flavorful it was, especially the white meat (which is why I injected because white meat can be bland sometimes despite the rub). Not bad for a first attempt. My new fryer and I will have plenty of time to practice and perfect between now and next thanksgiving. So it should be 20Xs better next year! [emoji]128515[/emoji]
 
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That looks really good. I co-workers girlfriend bought one of the XXl buterball fryers I have not talked to him yet to see how his turned out.

Does it work well, I thought about one but I already have 3 gas ones.
 
 
That looks really good. I co-workers girlfriend bought one of the XXl buterball fryers I have not talked to him yet to see how his turned out.

Does it work well, I thought about one but I already have 3 gas ones.
I absolutely LOVE mine! frying is INFINITELY much easier, more safe, and warmer/cooler since I don't have to sit outside in the winter/summer watching it. My only complaint would be the clean-up. With a gas you just dump or store your grease, wash the pot, and you're done. This one has an electric heating element that is inserted directly into the grease, so I have to clean it in addition to a large pot and strainer. It's a bit of a pain, but not so much to make me go back to frying outdoors.
 
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I have deep fried many turkeys, yep, they are very good tasting, especially when brined and the injected with some good flavour profile.

My only suggestion is always put tin foil under the smoker to catch any grease that can get away, ruining your cooking area.  I use the wide foil; make a sheet about 5 feet wide by 5 feet long, using craft glue to put the pieces together.
 
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