Do You Season the Oil When Frying a Turkey?

Frying turkey has become an increasingly popular cooking method, especially around the holidays. It produces a juicy, flavorful bird with crispy skin in a fraction of the time it takes to roast one. But one question that often comes up is – do you need to season the oil when deep frying a turkey? Here’s what you need to know.

Why Fry a Turkey?

There are several benefits to deep frying a turkey rather than roasting it in the oven:

• Faster cooking time – A 12-15 lb turkey takes only about 3-4 hours to deep fry while the same size bird can take 4-5 hours to roast. This makes frying ideal when you need turkey ready quickly.

• Moist and tender meat – The hot oil quickly sears the outside of the turkey, locking in juices. The result is very moist, tender meat throughout.

• Crispy skin – The hot oil fries the skin to a gorgeous crispy, crunchy texture that you just can’t achieve in the oven

• Flavorful seasoning – Spices and seasoning really penetrate deep into the meat when frying.

• Fun cooking method – Outdoor turkey frying has a fun, festive vibe.

Seasoning the Turkey Itself

The key to flavorful deep fried turkey is all in how you season the bird itself. Here are some tips:

• Brine the turkey – Soaking the turkey in a saltwater brine solution seasons the meat and helps it retain moisture. Brine 12-24 hours before cooking.

• Inject flavor – Using an injection needle to pump a flavorful marinade deep into the turkey breast and thighs really amps up the flavor.

• Rub the skin – Coating the turkey with a spice rub adds lots of flavor and encourages crispy skin.

• Season the cavity – Don’t forget to sprinkle seasoning inside the cavity as well.

With the turkey well brined, injected, and covered in rub, you’ll get all the flavor you need without having to season the frying oil.

Should You Season the Frying Oil?

While you certainly can add spices, herbs, or aromatics to the peanut or canola oil used for frying turkey, it is not strictly necessary.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• The turkey itself will likely provide plenty of flavor – If the turkey is properly brined, injected, and rubbed, the meat will already be well seasoned. Adding more flavor to the oil may make the end result overly flavored.

• Spices can burn quickly – Many spices and fresh herbs will burn if overheated. The oil generally reaches temperatures between 325-375°F for frying turkey, hot enough to cause delicate flavors to burn.

• Some flavors work better than others – Dried spices and aromatics like garlic, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves can work since they hold up well to frying heat. But fresh herbs and citrus zest are likely to burn.

• The flavor payoff may not be worth it – Even spices that can withstand frying heat may not impart as much flavor to the turkey as you’d think. Much of the seasoning will likely just remain in the oil.

Best Practices for Frying Without Seasoning the Oil

While seasoning the oil is optional, properly preparing the turkey and using these best practices will still ensure maximum flavor:

• Injection marinade – An injection marinade is crucial for adding lots of flavor deep into the meat. A good poultry seasoning, broth, and butter mixture works very well. Inject the night before frying.

• ** Apply two coats of rub ** – Generously coat the turkey with a spice rub. Chill for several hours or overnight to allow the rub to penetrate deep into the skin and meat. Apply a second coat of rub right before frying.

• Use peanut oil – Peanut oil has a neutral flavor and ability to reach high frying temperatures. This allows the flavor of the turkey itself to really shine.

• Maintain oil temperature – Use a thermometer to keep oil between 325-375°F. Fluctuating temps can cause uneven cooking.

• Fry in a well-ventilated area – Outdoor turkey frying ensures any strong oil smell dissipates quickly.

• Let turkey rest before carving – Allowing the turkey to rest for 30 minutes after frying helps retain moisture and allows juices to redistribute.

Flavoring the Oil Is Optional

At the end of the day, whether or not to season the frying oil comes down to personal preference. If you want to impart a hint of garlic, rosemary, sage, or other flavors to the oil, it certainly won’t hurt anything. But properly brining, injecting, and rubbing the turkey itself will still provide all the flavor you really need.

The most important things are using high quality peanut oil, maintaining proper oil temperature, frying the turkey slowly to prevent burns or uneven cooking, and letting the turkey rest before serving. Follow these tips and even without flavored oil, you’ll have an incredibly moist, juicy and flavorful deep fried turkey!