As Thanksgiving approaches, deep-fried turkey has become a popular alternative to traditional oven roasting Lower cook times and juicy, crispy skin make it an enticing option However, dropping a frozen bird into a fryer can have disastrous results. Read on to understand why you should never fry a frozen turkey and how to deep fry safely.
Why You Should Avoid Frying Frozen Turkey
It may seem convenient to toss a frozen turkey straight from the freezer into a hot deep fryer. But this is incredibly unsafe for several reasons
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The ice crystals in a frozen turkey violently explode when hitting boiling oil. This causes eruptions of hot oil that can severely burn cooks.
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Partially frozen turkeys contain moisture that makes oil overflow. This can ignite fires on burners and damage equipment.
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The outer surfaces of frozen turkey burn while the inside remains raw. This leads to poor texture and food safety issues.
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Clogged turkey injectors from ice can cause leaks during frying. Oil spurting from leaks risks serious burns.
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Even partial ice on a turkey produces violence bubbling when fried, shooting hot oil out of the pot.
Simply put, deep frying any frozen meat is a recipe for disaster. Only fry fully thawed and dried turkeys for optimal safety.
Epic Frying Fails from Frozen Birds
To drive home the dangers of frozen turkeys in fryers, let’s look at some cringe-worthy examples:
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Videos show cooks lowering frozen birds into oil resulting in explosive eruptions of hot oil shooting 5-10 feet into the air.
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Amateur cooks have ignited huge grass fires when hot oil from partially frozen birds hit the propane flames under fryers.
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Biting into deep fried frozen turkeys reveals burnt outsides enclosing raw, icy centers – a vile combination!
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Overflowing oil from frozen birds has damaged decks, siding, and more. Even cleanup is a deterrent to frozen fryers.
After reviewing these frozen turkey frying fails, proper thawing is clearly essential for safety and quality!
Tips for Safely Frying Thawed Turkey
When frying a thawed turkey, follow these tips for success:
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Completely thaw turkey in the fridge 1 day per 4-5 pounds. A 12 lb bird needs 3 days thawing.
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Pat the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels before frying. Moisture causes spattering.
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Use an oil thermometer to maintain 350-375°F temperature for even cooking.
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Lower turkey slowly into oil to prevent overflow. Monitor oil level.
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Inject oils instead of wet marinades to add flavor without moisture.
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Fry approximately 3-4 minutes per pound, adjusting for turkey size.
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Check temperature with a meat thermometer. Breasts should reach 165°F.
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Allow cooked turkey to drain 15-20 minutes before carving for optimal crispiness.
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Have an extinguisher on hand in case of oil fires.
With proper thawing, drying, and monitoring, you can safely prepare delicious deep-fried turkey. Just keep frozen birds out of the equation!
Healthy Alternatives to Deep-Fried Turkey
If you’re concerned about the risks of deep frying, consider these healthier turkey cooking methods:
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Roasting a well-seasoned turkey yields crispy brown skin without oil.
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Grilling over indirect heat imparts delicious flavor while avoiding oil.
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Smoking turkey breast results in tender meat with amazing smoky essence.
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Spatchcocking or butterflying the turkey enables fast, even cooking.
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Air frying turkey pieces or a small turkey provides crispy results without oil.
Don’t chance a viral frying fail this Thanksgiving. Follow proper techniques to enjoy your holiday meal, not a trip to the ER! With safe practices, you can savor perfect fried or oven-roasted turkey.
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Every fall, millions of dollars of damage, trips to the ER and even deaths result from attempts to deep-fry turkeys. The vast majority of these accidents happen because people put frozen turkeys into boiling oil. If you are considering deep-frying this year, do not forget to thaw and dry your turkey before placing it in the pot. Failure to do so may lead to an explosive disaster.
What is so dangerous about putting even a partially frozen turkey in a deep-fryer?
I am a chemist who studies plant, fungal and animal compounds and have a love of food chemistry. The reason frozen turkeys explode, at its core, has to do with differences in density. There is a difference in density between oil and water and differences in the density of water between its solid, liquid and gas states. When these density differences interact in just the right way, you get an explosion.
Density is how much an object weighs given a specific volume. For example, imagine you held an ice cube in one hand and a marshmallow in the other. While they are roughly the same size, the ice cube is heavier: It is more dense.
The first important density difference when it comes to frying is that water is more dense than oil. This has to do with how tightly the molecules of each substance pack together and how heavy the atoms are that make up each liquid.
Water molecules are small and pack tightly together. Oil molecules are much larger and don’t pack together as well by comparison. Additionally, water is composed of oxygen and hydrogen atoms, while oils are predominantly carbon and hydrogen. Oxygen is heavier than carbon. This means that, for example, one cup of water has more atoms than one cup of oil, and those individuals atoms are heavier. This is why oil floats on top of water. It is less dense.
While different materials have different densities, liquids, solids and gases of a single material can have different densities as well. You observe this every time you place an ice cube in a glass of water: The ice floats to the top because it is less dense than water.
When water absorbs heat, it changes to its gas phase, steam. Steam occupies 1,700 times the volume as the same number of liquid water molecules. You observe this effect when you boil water in a tea kettle. The force of expanding gas pushes steam out of the kettle through the whistle, causing the squealing noise.
Orange County firefighters demonstrate the fiery outcome of adding a frozen turkey to a deep fryer
FAQ
Does a turkey need to be thawed before frying?
What happens if you put a frozen turkey in hot oil?
Is it better to deep fry frozen or thawed?
Can You Thaw a frozen turkey before frying?
Thaw the turkey in the refrigerator in a pan or lined empty refrigerator drawer to catch any moisture. The turkey must be completely thawed to prevent the oil from boiling over during frying. A frozen turkey needs about 24 hours thawing time for every 5 pounds of turkey. 2 to 3 days before frying, dry brine the turkey.
Can you deep fry a frozen turkey?
The vast majority of these accidents happen because people put frozen turkeys into boiling oil. If you are considering deep-frying this year, do not forget to thaw and dry your turkey before placing it in the pot. Failure to do so may lead to an explosive disaster. What is so dangerous about putting even a partially frozen turkey in a deep-fryer?
How do you Dry a Turkey before frying?
After unwrapping, pat the turkey very dry with paper towels inside and out. Season the turkey with kosher salt and then let it absorb the salt for at least 24 hours in the fridge. If space allows, leave the turkey uncovered, which helps dry the turkey even further. Pat the turkey dry again just before frying.
How long does a frozen turkey take to cook?
When cooking a frozen turkey, no part of the turkey is within the temperature danger zone for longer than is safe, even though the total cooking time is longer. The meat cooks through as it thaws and reaches that safe temperature within those two hours. How Much Longer Does a Frozen Turkey Take to Roast?
Can you cook a frozen turkey in the oven?
Obviously, with the turkey frozen solid, you won’t be able to pull the bag of giblets out of the cavity. Don’t worry about it right now. Set the turkey on the rack and put it in the oven. Do not open the door of the oven for two hours. After two hours, you should be able to work your meat thermometer into the deepest part of the thigh.
Can you fry a Turkey this year?
For anyone planning to fry a turkey this year, the CPSC says that if you make any of the mistakes below, you run the risk of burning down the house: Use your fryer on a porch, in a garage, or next to your house. It’s also crucial to carefully read and follow the instructions that come with your fryer, the CPSC says.