In the past decade or so, deep fried turkey has become a popular way to cook the Thanksgiving staple. With crispy turkey skin protecting juicy turkey meat, there is no question it is a great option.
This recipe was designed to deep fry turkey indoors on the stovetop. By breaking the chicken down into breasts, thighs, drums, and wings you can achieve a perfectly fried turkey from the comfort of your home. Using/buying an outdoor turkey fryer is a necessary investment for those who prefer deep fried whole turkey, obviously that can’t be done indoors.
Fried turkey is also a great option if you don’t have access to fresh turkey. Frozen or fresh turkey will be hard for the average person to tell apart with fried turkey, especially if you brine them as we will do in this recipe. If you are using a frozen turkey it is very important that it is thawed completely before frying, ice and frying is dangerous combination.
Start by preparing your brine. In a large pot, add apple cider, brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, rosemary, and orange. Heat all of these ingredients over high heat until boiling and then remove from the heat. Add 2 gallons of ice water to the pot and stir to quickly cool the brine. Allow the brine to cool until at least room temperature but aim for between 33-41 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once the brine is at the proper temperature, add your turkey parts to the brine. Brine the turkey for at least 24 hours but no longer than 48 hours.
Because the turkey is broken down into smaller parts you won’t need as much brine as a whole turkey would need. You only need enough brine to make sure all of the turkey parts are submerged in the brine.
After brining overnight, remove the turkey from the brine and pat each piece dry. Season with salt and pepper and let the turkey sit out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
To fry the turkey, add peanut oil to a large pot. Only fill the pot halfway with oil. This is a safety measure to make sure your pot doesn’t boil over and cause a fire. Heat the oil until it reaches 350 degrees and do your best to maintain that temperature by adjusting the heat when needed.
Carefully, add turkey to the hot oil. The breast will take about 5 minutes per pound of breast meat, the drums and thighs will take about 7 minutes per pound. Temp the turkey to make sure it is fully cooked. The breast meat should temp to 165 degrees, and the drums and thighs should temp to 175 degrees.
Remove the turkey from the oil and place over paper towel to catch the oil. Lightly salt the turkey with coarse salt and a bit of pepper as soon as the turkey comes out of the oil.
Let the turkey rest for at least 20 minutes before carving to allow the muscle fibers to relax and redistribute the juices throughout each piece of turkey. If you carve to soon all of the juices will run out of the turkey and it will be much dryer than it should be.
As soon as the turkey is done being carved/sliced add rosemary and thyme to the top of the pieces. The rosemary and thyme are aromatics and you will be able to taste the herb in each piece that they touch. This step isn’t a huge deal, especially if you make a great gravy but it is a thoughtful one.
Do not discard your fryer oil, it can be used over and over again.
You will notice the picture above is only the turkey wings, once you eat them you will understand why. The turkey wings are, by far, the absolute best part of fried turkey. Do your best to set one aside for yourself for all of the hard work you put into making everyone else a great meal.
Enjoy, and if this was made for Thanksgiving then Happy Thanksgiving. If this was just made for the love of fried turkey then Happy Fried Turkey Day!
Deep Fried Turkey
Ingredients
Turkey Brine
- 1 Fresh Turkey Butchered into breasts, leg quarters, and wings.
- 2 cups Apple Cider
- 2 cups Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Salt
- 2 tbsp Peppercorns
- 4 Bay Leaves
- 4 Whole Cloves of Garlic
- 2 Sprigs Rosemary
- 1 Orange Cut in Half
- 2 Gallons Ice Cold Water
Turkey Seasonings
- Salt and Pepper Enough to season the turkey very well, you will lose a lot in the frying process.
- 1 sprig Rosemary
- 2 sprigs Thyme
Frying Oil
- Peanut Oil Enough to fill your pot up half way, never use more than half to start. You can always add a little if you need to after the turkey is submerged.
Instructions
Brine
- Start by making your brine. In a large pot, add apple cider, brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic, rosemary, and orange. Heat until boiling then remove from the heat. Add ice water to the pot and stir to quickly cool the brine. Let the brine cool to at least room temperature.
- Once the brine is at room temperature, add your turkey to the brine. Keep the turkey in the brine overnight.
- Because the turkey is broken down into smaller parts, you only need enough brine to cover the turkey; if you are only doing one turkey you may only need half of the brining liquid)
- Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Frying the Turkey
- Heat peanut oil until it reaches 350 degrees.
- Carefully, add turkey to the hot oil. The breast will take about 5 minutes per pound, the legs and thighs will take about 7 minutes per pound. The internal temp of the breast should be at least 165, the thighs and legs should be closer to 175.
- Lightly salt and pepper again as soon as the pieces come out of the oil.
- Let the turkey rest for at least twenty minutes before slicing.
- As soon as it done being sliced, add rosemary and thyme as aromatics.