How to Safely Fry a Turkey for Christmas Dinner

Turkey frying is a longtime tradition in the Southern United States that is now more popular than ever in other parts of the country. There are not many other ways of cooking a turkey that allows you to be eating a moist, delicious bird in less than 45 minutes. Learning to fry a turkey can be scary, especially when you hear reports of home fires and oil burns on the news. But, by learning some basic safety measures you can keep yourself and your family safe while enjoying this Southern favorite.

Preparing the Bird

The turkey needs to be thoroughly defrosted. Any water retained in the bird could cause it to explode because of the high temperatures used to cook the turkey. Therefore, if you are going to soak your turkey in a brine solution as recommended by FoodNetwork.com, you need to pat the turkey dry and allow it to sit at the least 30 minutes before frying.

Make sure to remove the giblets and neck in the turkey's carcass. Also, ensure the pop-up temperature gauge and all plastic coverings or bindings are also removed from the turkey before frying. Make sure you buy a turkey that's the right size for frying, most turkey fryer's work best with turkeys no more than 14 or 15 pounds.

Turkey Frying Equipment

There are a few alternatives when looking for a turkey fryer. Many turkey fryers are sold in kits and only require a propane tank. If you do not buy a kit and opt for the turkey fryer stand, in order to fry the bird you will need a thermometer, a lifter, a poultry holder or basket, a large stock pot and a propane tank.

CharBroil has and oil-less infrared turkey fryer, it's able to cook turkeys up to 16 pounds. Masterbuilt has an electric turkey fryer that can fry a 14 pound turkey and uses one third less oil than a traditional turkey fryer. Both consumer advocates and firefighters recommend these types of fryers.

Frying a turkey requires these additional items for safety. Since you're cooking with oil at an extremely high temperature, you need to protect yourself from burning. Use safety glasses and big long mitts, and avoid loose clothing. Also, remember to always have an all-purpose fire extinguisher close at hand.

Cooking the Bird With a Gas Fuel Turkey Fryer

If you use a conventional gas fueled turkey fryer, be sure to use it outdoors away from buildings and decks. Also, make sure it is resting on a flat surface. Do not overfill the turkey fryer with oil, and never leave it unattended. Turn off the flame before lowering the turkey into the oil. Slowly lower the turkey into the oil, make sure it is fully covered. Check your fryers instructions for hat tell you how long to cook the turkey, but mostly it around 3 1/2 minutes per pound of turkey.

You can use a meat thermometer to check for doneness, if you're not sure the oil temperature was sustained through the frying process. the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, your fried turkey is done. Use caution when lifting the turkey out of the oil, and allow some of the oil to drain out of the bird, too ovoid oil burns. Let the turkey rest for 30 minutes before carving.

Which ever turkey fryer you use TriCities.com said caution should be part of the Christmas dinner preparation. Fire departments across the country responded to 1300 home cooking fires on Thanksgiving 2008, compared to 420 such fires on an average day. Fried turkey is an excellent alternative to traditional roast turkey for your Christmas dinner, as long as you remember to always put safety first.