How to Deep Fry a Turkey (in peanut oil) – this deep fried turkey recipe provides a step-by-step tutorial on the fastest way to cook your bird for the holidays – your turkey will be moist, flavorful and done in no time! The perfect Thanksgiving turkey!

Someone basting a deep fried turkey on a platter.

Best Deep Fried Turkey

Did you know there was a way to fast-track your turkey cookin without sacrificing flavor OR moisture!? There is – deep-frying! It only takes 3 1/2 minutes per pound! This you gotta try – plus, think of all that free oven space…..

When I first heard of the concept of deep-frying a turkey, I envisioned that the turkey would end up incredibly dry and …. well, gross (I am picturing the turkey from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation where Cousin Eddy cooks the turkey and it bursts open upon the slightest touch of a sharp knife and it is essentially empty inside it is so dry). I was wrong. I was blown away with how moist the turkey was and how much flavor it had. Now, there is something to be said for slow-roasting a turkey – don’t get me wrong – but this recipe is so delicious and so FAST, you may never go back!

Why I Love This Recipe

Fast: With only 3.5 minutes per pound of turkey – it will be done in no time!
Flavor: The flavor really is amazing – this might be my favorite way to cook a turkey.
Moisture: Since it cooks so fast and is cooked in liquid, there really isn’t much opportunity for your bird to dry out.
Free up Your Oven: Think of all that free oven space you will have without a big ole turkey inside of it!

How to Prep Your Turkey Before Deep Frying

There really isn’t much you need to do in order to prep your turkey for the deep fryer. It’s very different than your typical baked, grilled or smoked turkey where you need to pat dry, rub with butter and season. All you need to do to prep your turkey is:

Thaw: Completely thaw your turkey (very important – see our tutorial on how to thaw a turkey) – do not cook unless it is 100% thawed – and bring to room temperature.
Remove Giblets + Hock Lock: Remove giblets, neck, etc. from inside. Additionally, remove any hock lock that is holding the legs in place.
Brine (optional): Complete any sort of brine you desire, if you choose (optional).
Peanut Oil: When you are ready to deep fry, add enough peanut oil to your aluminum deep fryer (you can test out how much you need by practicing with water first) so that your turkey will be completely submerged.
Temperature: Bring oil temperature up to 400 degrees F. – do NOT let it go over 400 degrees as it is very dangerous and could catch on fire. Keep covered when heating oil.

Deep Fried Turkey Brine

You can brine your turkey first, but you don’t have to. A lot of people do, but it isn’t necessary for a successful Deep Fried Turkey. I have made this recipe plenty of times without brining first and they always come out delicious. Learn more about brining here + get a great Citrus Turkey Brine recipe!

What You Will Need

Here what you need (Ingredients + Equipment) in order to successfully deep fry your turkey:

Best Oil for Deep Frying Turkey

The best oil for deep frying turkey is peanut oil because it has a high smoke point (or flash point) which makes it less likely to catch fire compared to other oils. The smoke point of peanut oil is 450 degrees F. So, if you need to choose an alternative cooking oil just ensure it has a smoke point of at least 450 degrees F.

How Much Oil to Deep Fry a Turkey

If you are using a 12-15 pound turkey and a 29qt pot you will need approximately 3-4 gallons of oil. That being said the easiest way to do a quick check of the exact amount you will need is to simply place your turkey in your pot (you can do this before you take it out of the packaging) and fill it with water (enough so the turkey is fully submerged). Then do a quick measure of how much water you needed – this is recommended as the size of your turkey and the size of your pot will vary.

How Long to Deep Fry a Turkey

A turkey is deep fried for 3 1/2 minutes per pound.

What to do After You Take Out the Turkey

Once you carefully remove the turkey from the deep fryer (make sure cavity is empty of any liquid) and place on a large plate/platter.
Immediately baste with melted butter and sprinkle with salt.
Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Carve – here is a great video on how to properly carve your turkey!

How to Deep Fry a Turkey

Here are a few step-by-step photo to help you along the way:

Add your peanut oil and get it hot.

Slowly lower turkey into the hot oil

Someone lowering a turkey into hot peanut oil.

A whole turkey sitting in hot peanut oil being deep fried.

Make sure it is fully submerged. Put cover back on.

Peanut oil bubbling in a deep fryer with a whole turkey fully submerged.

Once fully cooked, remove and baste with butter and sprinkle with salt.

A deep fried turkey in the middle of a Thanksgiving table.

A deep fried turkey on a Thanksgiving table.

Recipe FAQs + Tips

Be Smart: You are dealing with 350-400 degrees F. peanut oil … be smart and safe. Pick a safe place to put your fryer that is flat and dry. I would also suggest putting something around your air fryer to let people know to stay away from it. Have a fire extinguisher on hand (just in case) and use gloves when placing turkey in the oil and when taking it out.
Don’t Leave Unattended: Never leave the deep fryer unattended – and if YOU need to go inside to cook something else, leave someone else responsible for keeping an eye on it.
Thaw + Room Temp: Make sure it is fully thawed and at room temp before lowering into the hot peanut oil.
Go Slow: Lower the turkey incredibly slow. Like, really slow. Whatever you think is slow… triple it .. that should be slow enough 🙂

Deep Fried Turkey Side Dishes

More Side Dish Options

Other Turkey Recipes You Might Like

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How to Deep Fry a Turkey (in peanut oil)

Author: Erin Jensen
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 52 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 2 minutes
Yield: 1 Turkey 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Deep Fryer
Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Description

How to Deep Fry a Turkey (in peanut oil) – a step-by-step tutorial on how to successfully deep fry your turkey! Super simple and so delicious!

Ingredients

Scale

1 whole turkey (15 pound turkey pictured)
Peanut oil (approx. 3-4 gallons – see Notes)
1 stick butter, melted
2–3 Tablespoons kosher salt

Instructions

Thaw: Completely thaw your turkey (very important) – do not cook unless it is 100% thawed – and bring to room temperature.
Remove Giblets: Remove giblets, neck, etc. from inside. Additionally, remove any hock lock that is holding the legs in place.
Brine (optional): Complete any sort of brine you desire, if you choose (optional)
Peanut Oil: When you are ready to deep fry, add enough peanut oil to your aluminum deep fryer (you can test out how much you need by practicing with water first) so that your turkey will be completely submerged.
Temperature: Bring oil temperature up to 400 – do NOT let it go over 400 as it is very dangerous and could catch on fire. Keep covered when heating oil.
Slowly Drop Turkey: Place turkey in an aluminum basket/strainer (usually comes with a turkey fryer) and very, VERY slowly drop into the hot oil. Ensure oil does not bubble over the top.
Cover: Cover immediately.
Temperature: Your temperature will drop from 400 down to 350-325. You are going to want to cook the turkey at 350 for 3 1/2 minutes per pound.
Keep Covered: Cook covered, uncovering only occasionally to keep an eye on internal temp.
Check Internal Temp: Once you have cooked the turkey for 3 1/2 minutes per pound, carefully raise the turkey up out of the peanut oil enough so you can check the internal temperature with at meat thermometer. Turkey is fully cooked when the dark meat is at 165 and white meat is at 175/180.
Remove + Baste: Carefully remove from fryer, drain and place on a large platter. Baste with melted butter and sprinkle with salt.
Rest: Let rest for 30 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Do I Need to Prep/Pat Dry the Turkey: Nope. You don’t pat dry or rub with olive oil beforehand – you will be basting with melted butter afterwards though! You can brine your turkey beforehand, but that is completely optional and it will turn out amazing without doing so.
Cooking Time: the cooking time in the recipe card was calculated using a 15 pound turkey (15lbs x 3.5 minutes = 52.5 minutes). Make sure you are calculating your cook time based upon the number of pounds your turkey is.
Meat thermometer: You will want a trusty meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. I have this meat thermometer and love it.
Peanut Oil: You can just buy peanut oil from your local grocery store. You will most likely need 3-4 gallons (this will obviously depend upon how big your turkey is and how large your deep fryer is).
Hock Lock: You will want to remove any hock lock that is holding your turkeys legs together – they are usually plastic and will melt in the deep fryer.
Fully Thaw Your Turkey: It bears repeating that you MUST fully thaw your turkey and allow it to come to room temperature before you deep fry it.

Keywords: how to deep fry a turkey

Originally published November 19, 2016.

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