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.
As a passionate turkey enthusiast and experienced deep fryer, I know that the key to mouthwatering deep fried turkey is keeping the meat moist and packed with flavor. After years of experimentation, I’ve found that an injectable marinade is the absolute best way to achieve this goal. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about using injectable marinades for your next deep fried turkey extravaganza.
What is an Injectable Marinade?
An injectable marinade is a highly concentrated and flavorful liquid that is literally injected into the turkey using a meat syringe. The needle allows the marinade to penetrate deep into the muscle for significantly more flavor than just brining or rubbing a marinade on the surface.
When injected properly, the marinade spreads throughout the meat during cooking This keeps it incredibly moist and provides a big flavor boost from the inside out
Benefits of Using an Injectable Marinade
There are several key benefits that make injectable marinades a must for deep fried turkey
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Enhanced moisture The liquid marinade helps retain moisture and prevents the turkey from drying out This is especially important for lean turkey breast meat
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Better flavor distribution: With deep penetration into the meat, you get more even seasoning instead of just surface flavor.
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Tenderized texture: Marinade ingredients like vinegar and fruit juices gently break down turkey proteins for a more tender bite.
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Faster cooking: Injected marinade speeds up cooking time by brining the turkey as it cooks.
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Crispy skin: The marinade won’t make the crispy fried skin soggy as long as you pat the turkey dry before frying.
Choosing an Injectable Marinade
You have endless options when it comes to injectable marinade ingredients. Anything that can pass through a syringe is fair game. Here are some of my favorite flavors:
- Citrus juices like orange, lemon, lime
- Vinegars such as apple cider, white wine, balsamic
- Savory liquids like broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire
- Sweet additions like honey, maple syrup, brown sugar
- Herbs, spices, garlic, onion, mustard, hot sauce
I recommend using at least 1/2 cup of marinade total per pound of turkey meat. You can inject up to 2 days before cooking.
Injection Technique and Safety Tips
Proper technique is vital to get the most out of your injectable marinade. Follow these tips:
- Choose a high-quality stainless steel meat injector with a wide bore needle to prevent clogging.
- Inject marinade deep into the thickest parts of the breast, thighs, and drumsticks.
- For even coverage, space injections 2-3 inches apart and inject perpendicular to the grain.
- Avoid over-injecting any one area to prevent bursting.
- Apply pressure during injection to prevent marinade from leaking back out.
- Discard any leftover marinade that touched raw turkey to prevent foodborne illness.
- Chill the injected turkey for at least 4 hours before cooking.
My Favorite Injectable Marinade Recipe
This is my go-to injectable marinade for deep fried turkey. Feel free to tweak it to your tastes:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1⁄2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1⁄4 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1⁄2 tsp salt
- 1⁄4 tsp black pepper
Instructions:
- Whisk all ingredients together until well combined.
- Inject marinade deep into turkey pieces.
- Refrigerate 4-24 hours.
- Pat turkey dry. Deep fry at 350°F until cooked through.
The acidic vinegar and savory seasonings in this recipe keep the turkey incredibly juicy and full of flavor. It’s easily my most requested marinade!
Deep Frying Turkey Safely
Once your turkey is perfectly injected, keep these safety tips in mind:
- Deep fry outside on a flat surface away from buildings.
- Use a thermometer and maintain oil temperature at 350-375°F.
- Fully thaw and dry turkey before frying to prevent splatter.
- Carefully lower and remove turkey slowly using rigging.
- Fry 3-4 minutes per pound until 165°F interior temp.
Let’s Get Frying!
As you can see, infusing your bird with an injectable marinade takes your deep fried turkey from great to phenomenal. I hope these tips give you the confidence to master this simple technique. Trust me, your guests will be begging for more of your unbelievably juicy, flavorful deep fried turkey. Now it’s time to get injecting and frying! Write me with any turkey frying questions – I’m always happy to help fellow enthusiasts. Happy Thanksgiving!
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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?
Can you inject marinade into turkey?
How to prep a turkey for deep frying?