Frying your Thanksgiving turkey is a vibe—it sets a mood that says, “I am celebrating this holiday 110 percent, but it’s going to be fun and chill, and we’re going to be outside.”
In regard to the finished product, fried-turkey enthusiasts utter a common refrain: “It’s the best turkey I’ve ever had.” They rave about how deep frying produces beautifully browned skin and juicy meat.
Frying chicken in a turkey fryer is a brilliant way to cook a large batch of juicy, crispy fried chicken with ease. These oversized cookers allow you to safely deep fry chicken to perfection. With the right technique, you can churn out piles of tender, golden southern fried chicken that will have everyone begging for seconds.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about frying chicken in a turkey fryer. You’ll learn how to choose the right fryer, prep and brine the chicken, heat the oil, fry the chicken to crispy perfection, and clean the fryer afterwards Follow these simple steps and tips, and you’ll be a fried chicken pro in no time!
Selecting the Right Turkey Fryer for Chicken
When selecting a turkey fryer, keep the following factors in mind
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Size – Choose a fryer that can comfortably fit the amount of chicken you plan to cook. For 4-6 portions, a 12 qt fryer is sufficient For larger quantities, opt for a 20+ qt fryer
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Safety Features – Select a fryer with safety features like auto shut off and lid locks to prevent oil spills and burns. Stainless steel offers durability.
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Basket – A fryer basket makes it easy to safely lower chicken in and out of hot oil. V-rack baskets help prevent sticking.
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Temperature Controls – Integrated temperature controls help maintain oil temp. Look for fryers with adjustable thermostats.
Selecting the right size fryer with key safety features will lead to fried chicken success.
Prepping the Chicken for the Fryer
Proper prep is key for beautifully fried chicken:
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Choose Fresh Chicken – Opt for good quality, fresh chicken parts – drumsticks, thighs, wings, and breast pieces work well. Rinse and pat dry.
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Brine the Chicken – Soaking chicken in a saltwater brine ensures juicy, well-seasoned meat. Brine for 2-4 hours.
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Dry Thoroughly – Pat chicken very dry after brining. Any moisture will cause splattering once chicken hits hot oil.
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Season Generously – Sprinkle chicken all over with favorite fried chicken seasoning or rub. Let it sit to allow flavors to meld.
Proper brining, drying, and seasoning gives chicken the edge before frying. Now onto the fun part – firing up the fryer!
Heating the Oil and Frying the Chicken
Heating the oil properly and frying chicken at the right temperature is critical:
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Oil Type – Opt for peanut, vegetable or canola oil which have high smoke points suitable for deep frying.
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Fill Line – Fill fryer with oil to the “fill” line, generally about 3-4 inches deep.
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Heat Oil to 350°F – Heat oil to 350°F to ensure chicken browns and cooks through without burning.
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Don’t Overcrowd – Fry chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding. Drumsticks and thighs can touch but breast pieces need space.
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Fry Times – Fry smaller pieces for 8-12 minutes, larger pieces like whole legs and thighs for 15-18 minutes. The chicken is done when it reaches 165°F internally.
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Drain and Cool – Drain fried chicken on a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Don’t pile chicken or it will steam and lose its crispness.
Following these frying guidelines produces the crispiest, most scrumptious fried chicken you’ve ever tasted!
Cleaning and Storing the Turkey Fryer
Maintaining the turkey fryer ensures it lasts many seasons:
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Cool Oil – Allow oil to fully cool before attempting to drain or handle the fryer at all. Hot oil can cause severe burns.
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Strain Oil – Strain cooled oil through a cheesecloth into an appropriate container to remove food particles. Store oil for future frying.
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Clean Fryer – Scrub fryer with hot soapy water. A bottle brush helps clean inside crevices. Rinse and dry thoroughly.
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Store Properly – Place fryer in a safe, dry spot away from weather elements. Store lid separately.
Proper care makes your turkey fryer last for years of fried chicken fun!
Handy Tips for Frying Chicken Like a Pro
Follow these handy tips and tricks for expertly fried chicken every time:
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Use an instant read thermometer to accurately monitor oil and chicken temperatures.
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Allow oil to return to temperature between frying batches. This maintains crispy chicken.
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Keep chicken chilled until ready to fry for juicy meat that cooks evenly.
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Rotate chicken in oil for even browning. Use tongs to gently turn chicken.
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Keep flour dredge very cold in the fridge or freezer so it maintains a light, crispy crust.
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Mix up your dredge by adding spices and herbs to the flour. Cajun seasoning is amazing!
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Frying chicken outside on a burner reduces unwanted frying odors in your home.
Now you’re ready to fry incredible chicken in your turkey fryer. Just follow these steps for tender, juicy, crispy fried chicken the whole family will request again and again. Frying chicken is fun, rewarding and worth the occasional splatter. Get frying!
Tips from the Experts
While developing this recipe, I reached out to two turkey-frying experts to get some advice. Here’s what I learned.
From Steve Cavendish, a Nashville, Tennessee, home cook and one of the biggest fried‑turkey evangelists around:
- Before cooking, treat the turkey with a combination of brown sugar and kosher salt. The combination helps create skin that is salty-sweet and crispy.
- Tie the legs together to create a more compact mass that will result in more even cooking (we bind the wings too). Binding the turkey also makes it easier and safer to move into and out of the hot oil.
- Fry at around 300 degrees to ensure even cooking and to limit carryover cooking.
- Pull the bird from the oil when the thickest part of the breast registers 150 degrees; carryover cooking should bring the breast to about 160 or 165 degrees, which is perfect.
From Hoover Alexander, owner and chef of Hoover’s Cooking in Austin, Texas:
- Use a prebrined (or “self-basting”) turkey to ensure moist results. Alexander says prebrined birds not only “stay juicier” but also are more available and affordable.
- Inject the bird with flavored butter. There’s a reason a lot of turkey fryers come with large syringes for injecting the birds. “It’s about layering in flavors,” Alexander says, and the butter “ups the moisture factor as well.”
For our version, I injected the bird with an ultratasty garlic butter bolstered with fresh thyme, sage, and rosemary. I pureed the butter with chicken broth in the blender and poured it through a fine-mesh strainer to ensure that it was thin enough to keep from stopping up the injector. After letting it cool, I shot it throughout my turkey.
Then I proceeded with the method I had nailed down through testing: seasoning the skin, trussing the legs and the wings close to the bird, placing the turkey breast side up on the vertical turkey rack to keep the legs closer to the heat source and ensure that they cooked to a higher temperature than the white meat, and frying at 300 degrees until the skin was browned and crispy and the breast registered 150 degrees.
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Having never tried it myself, I was excited by the prospect—but I also imagined it as a daunting, even scary, endeavor.
After studying dozens of recipes, I fried my first turkey on Thanksgiving Day in 350-degree oil until the thickest part of the breast registered 160 degrees.
It was drastically overcooked.
The problem was that while the turkey rested, its temperature kept rising due to carryover cooking (an effect that causes food to continue to cook after being removed from the heat, intensified here by the heat of deep frying), leaving the white meat dried out and tough. Even so, that turkey had some truly excellent bites, and I could taste the potential of the deep-fry method in the mahogany, nicely rendered skin.
Now, after seeking out advice from a couple masters, frying close to two dozen turkeys over the course of many months, and testing every variable, I’m here to tell you: The frying fanatics are absolutely right. When done well, a deep-fried turkey is amazing.
How to SAFELY Deep Fry Chicken Wings in a Turkey Fryer
FAQ
Can you fry other things in a turkey fryer?
You can fry almost anything in your electric turkey fryer… Use it for frying fish, chicken wings, French fries, or even donuts. And it also has a steaming feature, making it much more versatile than at first glance. Deep-frying turkey produces the most juicy turkey you will ever eat.
How long does it take to fry chicken in a deep fryer?
In a deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry chicken, several pieces at a time, until chicken is golden brown and juices run clear, 7-8 minutes on each side.Aug 8, 2024
Can you deep fry chicken in a turkey fryer?
Frying chicken in a turkey fryer is a brilliant way to cook a large batch of juicy, crispy fried chicken with ease. These oversized cookers allow you to safely deep fry chicken to perfection. With the right technique, you can churn out piles of tender, golden southern fried chicken that will have everyone begging for seconds.
How long do you fry chicken in a turkey fryer?
Place the chicken in the fryer basket. Lower the basket into the fryer and cook for 3-4 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the chicken from the fryer and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. The first step to frying a chicken in a turkey fryer is to prepare the chicken itself.
How long do you fry chicken in a frying pan?
To fry the chicken, carefully place the chicken in the fryer basket. Do not overcrowd the fryer, as this will lower the temperature of the oil and the chicken will not cook evenly. Lower the fryer basket into the oil and fry the chicken for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
How do you fry chicken in a deep fryer?
Heating the oil properly and frying chicken at the right temperature is critical: Oil Type – Opt for peanut, vegetable or canola oil which have high smoke points suitable for deep frying. Fill Line – Fill fryer with oil to the “fill” line, generally about 3-4 inches deep.
What temperature do you fry chicken in a fryer?
The correct temperature for frying chicken is 350 degrees Fahrenheit. To preheat the oil, turn on the fryer and set the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow the oil to heat for at least 15 minutes before adding the chicken. Now that the chicken is prepared and the fryer is ready, you can fry the chicken. Frying the chicken
How to choose a turkey fryer?
Follow these simple steps and tips, and you’ll be a fried chicken pro in no time! When selecting a turkey fryer, keep the following factors in mind: Size – Choose a fryer that can comfortably fit the amount of chicken you plan to cook. For 4-6 portions, a 12 qt fryer is sufficient. For larger quantities, opt for a 20+ qt fryer.