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Many of us are looking forward to eating a crispy, juicy turkey with all the fixings on Thanksgiving. For some, it will also be the only time all year that our turkey fryer is used.
Even though their name suggests they’re good for cooking turkeys, turkey fryers can be used for a lot more than you might think. The best turkey fryers can be used all year round for sides, sweets, and everything in between.
Turkey fryers have become increasingly popular in recent years for their ability to quickly fry up a juicy, delicious turkey. But did you know that turkey fryers can be used for so much more than just frying birds? With their powerful burners and large capacity, turkey fryers open up a whole world of fried foods you may have never considered making at home before.
In this article, we’ll explore 9 great foods – beyond turkeys – that you can fry up in your trusty turkey fryer. Get ready to unlock the full potential of this versatile cooking equipment!
Seafood Boils
One of the most popular alternative uses for turkey fryers is boiling up seasoned seafood for Cajun-style seafood boils. You can easily fit a few pounds of shrimp crawfish clams, mussels, and crab legs into a turkey fryer pot.
Fill the pot with water, spices like cayenne pepper, garlic, lemon, and your favorite seafood boil seasoning blend Bring it to a rolling boil and dump in your shellfish for an easy, fun meal The turkey fryer provides plenty of space for the seafood to cook evenly and circulate in the boiling broth.
Southern-Style Fish Fries
In many parts of the Southern United States, turkey fryers are used more for old-fashioned fish fries than actual turkeys! Fryers can quickly fry up crispy, golden fillets of catfish, tilapia, trout, flounder, and more for a crowd.
For the perfect fish fry, mix together cornmeal, flour, Cajun seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper and dredge your fish fillets in the mixture before frying. The turkey fryer lets you easily fry up basket-fulls of fish for parties, church gatherings, and big family dinners.
Steamed Tamales
While they’re great for frying, another cool trick is using turkey fryers to steam tamales. Fill the pot with a couple inches of water, stack a steaming basket on top, fill with tamales in corn husks, and cover.
The moist heat environment effectively steams the tamales for perfectly tender masa and filling. You can also experiment steaming bao buns, shrimp shumai, or vegetables in a turkey fryer.
Giantbatches of Fried Chicken
Frying up enough fried chicken for a crowd can be a tedious task…unless you have a turkey fryer! In one fry session, you can easily fry up pounds of chicken pieces with crispy, crackling skin and piping hot, juicy meat.
Make sure to use a thermometer and maintain the oil temperature at the ideal 350°F. The large capacity allows you to fry dozens of drumsticks, wings, breasts and thighs quickly for picnics, potlucks, and summer BBQs.
Corn Dogs
For a fun summertime treat, use your turkey fryer for homemade corn dogs! Skewer hot dogs on sticks, dip them in a corn dog batter, and fry them up for a crispy exterior encasing the juicy hot dog.
Kids especially love customizing their corn dogs with fun dipping sauces and toppings. The turkey fryer provides plenty of space for frying up batches of corn dogs on sticks quickly and safely.
Herbed Beer-Battered Onion Rings
Onion rings are always a hit at parties and cookouts. With a turkey fryer, you can freshly fry up platefuls in just minutes! For an amazing beer-battered version, dip sliced onions in a batter of beer, flour, herbs, salt, and pepper before frying.
The turkey fryer allows you to fry loads of onion rings at once until they’re beautifully browned and crispy. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauces.
French Fries for a Crowd
Forget buying frozen fries – with a turkey fryer you can make superior homemade french fries for large gatherings! Simply cut potatoes into fry shapes, soak in cold water for 30 minutes, dry thoroughly, and fry at 350°F until crisp and golden brown.
The turkey fryer provides plenty of oil volume for frying heaping batches of fries quickly. Offer fun dipping sauces for customized flavor.
Apple Cider Funnel Cake
Your turkey fryer isn’t just for savory foods – you can also use it for sweet fried treats! Funnel cakes are easy to whip up by pouring batter into hot oil in circular patterns. For a fall twist, use an apple cider funnel cake batter made with cider, flour, baking powder, eggs, sugar, and spices.
Fry up the sweet funnel cakes in your turkey fryer in autumn for apple and pumpkin picking trips, football games, and harvest festivals. Top with powdered sugar, whipped cream, and other toppings.
Flaky Deep Fried Apple Pies
You can also fry up sweet hand pies for a unique dessert. Make an apple filling with sliced apples, sugar, cinnamon, lemon, and thickener. Place heaped spoonfuls of filling onto homemade pie dough circles, fold and crimp the edges, then fry until golden brown.
The turkey fryer allows you to safely fry up multiple apple pies at a time for impressiveResults The options are endless when using your turkey fryer for purposes beyond frying whole birds. With these delicious ideas, you’ll be able to get so much more versatility and use out of this handy equipment.
Cajun chicken wings
You can use your turkey fryer to cook any kind of chicken wings, but cajun chicken wings are my favorite because they are a nod to it’s Louisiana roots.
The key to getting truly crispy wings is to add a cajun spice mix to cornflour. Cover your chicken wings completely with the dry spice mix. Then, one by one, put each wing into the hot oil.
After taking the wings out of the oil, you can coat them in a cajun sauce if you like them juicy and saucy. You can also make your own cajun spice mix if you want to change how spicy the cayenne pepper or smokey paprika is.
These chicken wings are a great side dish for Thanksgiving and other holidays. They can also feed a lot of people, so they’re perfect for any dinner party or event.
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Deep fried turkey with @LoCoCookers turkey fryer
FAQ
Can you use a turkey fryer for other things?
What else can you cook in a turkey deep fryer?
Can you reuse oil after frying a turkey?
What is a turkey fryer used for?
A turkey fryer is a large cooking appliance used for boiling, steaming, or frying heaps of food. It is the ultimate party tool and can cook things quickly.
How do you cook a turkey in a turkey fryer?
Heat the oil in the turkey fryer to 350°F after completely immersing the turkey. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain this temperature during the frying process. This is how you cook a turkey in a turkey fryer.
Is a turkey fryer worth the investment?
If you use your turkey fryer only for turkeys, you’re missing out on its full potential. A turkey fryer is a significant investment, and it can be disappointing to spend $200 on a large appliance used only once a year. However, you can use your turkey fryer for much more than just frying turkeys.
What can a turkey fryer be used for?
A turkey fryer is essentially a large pot, making it great for making and holding large quantities of chili or soup. We particularly like it for making multiple batches of Eastern North Carolina Fish Stew. It can be used to fry almost anything else.
Can you cook tamales in a turkey fryer?
You can use a turkey fryer for more than just frying turkeys. This kit comes with a large steamer basket for boiling seafood and steaming tamales. The large-format feasts are the turkey fryer’s forte.
Can you boil fish in a turkey fryer?
A turkey fryer is not only for frying turkeys; it can also be used for boiling. You can do fish boils or fish fries in it. Just load the fish and fixings into the steamer basket and have at it. The fryer is ideal for these types of dishes.