If you want to serve a turkey that will steal the show this holiday season, look no further than my Fried Turkey Recipe! The inside will be so juicy and tender, and the outside will be so crispy, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered to roast it in the oven in the first place. This bird is given a tasty homemade injection and then rubbed with cajun seasoning, making for an out-of-this-world holiday experience!
My daddy has been frying our Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey for the last ten years. Once we had the first taste, we never went back. Don’t worry if the thought of deep-frying scares you. This guide is both a recipe and a “how-to” guide. My homemade turkey injection marinade is so full of flavor it will make your taste buds dance! I’ll walk you through the whole process step by step.
The goodness doesn’t stop there. Not just any turkey is going to be fried; we’re adding a mix of cajun spices to it to make it taste more like the South. Peanut oil, the king of oils, is used in this recipe to get that crispy, golden outside that you know from a good fried turkey. Please put on your apron and join the party, because if you’ve been looking for the best fried turkey recipe, you’ve just found it!
This guide on how to fry turkey is fun, friendly, and oh so tasty, whether you’ve done it before or this is your first time. Happy Thanksgiving y’all!.
Warning: Frying a turkey is an extremely dangerous undertaking. There are steps that can be taken to lower the risk, but you can’t just heat up a bunch of oil and dunk a turkey in it without hurting yourself or other people. Be sure to follow the safety guidelines provided below.
Deep frying a whole turkey is a showstopping centerpiece for any festive meal. When done right, it yields the ultimate in crispy, golden skin encasing tender, juicy meat. But taking your deep fried turkey from great to spectacular requires infusing flavor directly into the meat. This is where an injectable marinade comes in.
Injecting a concentrated, flavor-packed marinade deep into the turkey is the secret to exceptionally moist, seasoned meat. When paired with the quick cooking of deep frying, it’s a foolproof way to get incredibly tasty results every time.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to master the injectable marinade technique for deep fried turkey, including:
- Benefits of marinating from the inside out
- How to choose the best injectable marinade
- Proper injection techniques and safety
- Step-by-step deep frying method
- Delicious marinade recipes to try
Let’s get ready to fry up the best deep fried turkey you’ve ever tasted!
Why Injectable Marinades Are Key
Marinating is a go-to way to infuse flavor and moisture into turkey meat. But traditional methods like brining or rubbing a marinade only penetrate the surface
Injecting allows the marinade to spread deep into the thick breast meat and thighs for more complete coverage. This provides
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Enhanced moisture to prevent drying out, especially in lean breast meat
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Better flavor distribution rather than just surface seasoning
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Tenderized texture as marinade breaks down proteins
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Faster cooking as it brines from the inside while frying
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Crisp skin since marinade doesn’t touch the exterior
When paired with the quick cooking of deep frying, injecting is the clear winner over other marinating methods.
Choosing an Injectable Marinade
The possibilities are endless when it comes to the ingredients for an injectable turkey marinade. Anything that can pass through a syringe is fair game, including:
- Fruit juices like orange, lemon, pineapple, apple
- Vinegars such as balsamic, cider, wine
- Savory liquids like broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire
- Sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, molasses
- Herbs, spices, garlic, mustard, hot sauce
Aim for a thin, pourable consistency. Use at least 1⁄2 cup marinade total per pound of turkey. Infuse flavor up to 2 days before cooking.
Now let’s get into technique.
Injection Technique and Safety
Proper technique is vital to get the most out of injecting. Follow these guidelines:
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Use a high-quality stainless steel meat injector with a wide bore needle to prevent clogging
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Inject deep into the thickest parts of breast, thighs, and drumsticks
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Space injections 2-3 inches apart and go in perpendicular to the grain
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Avoid over-injecting any one spot to prevent leakage
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Apply pressure during injection to keep marinade from backing out
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Discard leftover marinade that touched raw turkey
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Chill injected turkey at least 4 hours before frying
With the right technique, you’ll get perfectly distributed flavor and moisture!
Step-by-Step Deep Frying Method
Once your turkey is infused with flavor, it’s time to deep fry. Follow these steps:
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Heat at least 5 quarts of frying oil to 350-375°F in a large pot
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Pat turkey completely dry
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Carefully lower turkey into hot oil using a fryer basket
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Maintain oil temperature during cooking
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Fry 3-4 minutes per pound, until interior temp reaches 165°F
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Remove turkey slowly and let rest 10 minutes before carving
Be sure to deep fry outside on a flat surface away from buildings. Now let’s get to those amazing recipes!
Sensational Injectable Marinade Recipes
The possibilities are endless when it comes to flavor combinations. Try these delicious injectable marinades:
Citrus Herb Marinade
Juice of 2 oranges, 2 lemons, 1 lime + 2 tbsp olive oil + 2 cloves garlic, minced + 2 tsp dried thyme + 1 tsp black pepper
Spicy Cajun Marinade
1 cup chicken broth + 3 tbsp hot sauce + 1 tbsp Worcestershire + 2 tsp Cajun seasoning + 1 tsp paprika + 1⁄2 tsp cayenne
Savory Garlic Marinade
1 cup chicken broth + 1⁄4 cup soy sauce + 6 cloves garlic, minced + 2 tbsp brown sugar + 2 tsp dried rosemary + 1 tsp onion powder
Get creative and make your own signature marinade!
Get Frying!
As you can see, injecting marinade before deep frying is the clear path to exceptionally moist, flavorful turkey. With the right technique and a delicious homemade marinade, your bird will be a shining star at any meal.
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Safety Guidelines You Should Follow For Deep Frying Turkey
As mentioned above, frying a turkey is not something to be taken lightly. To protect yourself and others, it’s important to not only be ready, but also do everything you can to stop disasters before they happen.
Let’s kick things off with a few critical points:
- Children and pets should be nowhere near a deep-frying setup. They shouldn’t have any chance of getting even close to it.
- Before you fry, read and follow the directions and warnings that came with your deep fryer. It’s more important to follow those rules than to break them, no matter what this post says.
- Inside fryers are too dangerous for my taste, so I don’t think you should use them. But if you have to set up inside, make sure it’s really an inside setup. An outdoor setup will not suffice inside and vice versa.
- It’s always a good idea to have a fire extinguisher on hand.
- Wear protective clothing. I strongly advise that you wear protective gloves, long sleeves (maybe even layers), and shoes with closed toes. Oil splatter burns are not fun.
- Once the food is in the fryer, don’t leave it alone! If you need to go to the bathroom or get out of the cold, find someone to take your place.
- Most importantly, DO NOT DRINK AND FRY. I know it’s Thanksgiving and we all deserve to drink and have fun, but I promise it won’t be worth the trouble.
Okay, now that we’ve covered the serious stuff, let’s talk deep-frying!
What to serve with Cajun fried turkey
- Not Butter: If you can’t have dairy, don’t use butter for the injection. Instead, use a high-smoke oils like avocado oil.
- Herbs and Spices: To make your turkey injection taste even better, add some fresh thyme, rosemary, or smoked paprika.
- Seasoning Blends: If you don’t like Cajun, you could make your own turkey rub, BBQ rub, lemon-pepper seasoning, or even the classic herbes de Provence.
- Canola or sunflower oil also work well, though they might change the taste a little.
Step By Step Instructions: Brine, Inject, And Deep Frying A Turkey
FAQ
Can you inject a turkey when deep frying?
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How to prep a turkey for deep frying?