Deep Frying a Turkey? … Do It Safely

Those who have tasted deep-fried turkey usually say there’s simply no comparison to oven-roasted – it cooks much quicker and is moist, with crispy skin and a beautiful color.

Of course, if you’re not careful, frying a turkey can ruin your holiday too. Many people accidentally start fires with their attempts to deep fry a turkey.

Here are some tips to safely cook a great deep-fried turkey:

1. Find a safe place to cook – Don’t ever set up a fryer any closer than 10 feet from your home, garage or any other structure. Make sure the area is flat to keep the fryer from tipping, and never put it on a deck or other flammable surface.

2. Don’t use too much turkey or oil – Keep your turkey to 12 pounds or less, don’t stuff it and make sure it’s completely thawed and dry. Use oil with a high smoke point (for example, canola or safflower) and test with water beforehand to figure out how much you need. Put the turkey in your fryer and fill with water until it is covered. This will show you how much oil to use. Be sure to dry everything completely after your test.

3. Use caution when it’s time to cook- Gently lower the turkey into the hot oil so you don’t splash it on yourself or the burner. Then monitor everything as it is cooking. Keep an eye on the oil temperature making sure it doesn’t get too hot and watch the clock, your turkey should cook for about 3-5 minutes per pound. Also watch kids and pets so they don’t get too close to the fryer.

4. Be prepared for disaster – The odds are you won’t need a fire extinguisher, but you should have one on hand anyway – a multi-purpose model with dry powder is needed. Don’t ever put water on a fryer fire. If you don’t have an extinguisher either cover the oil or dump a large amount of baking soda on the blaze. And, if all else fails, call 911- quickly!