LAST UPDATED: April 15th, 2022
Deep-frying turkeys has become one of the popular ways to prepare turkey at holiday’s or after a successful Spring hunt. The only downside to this recipe is that you need either an electric turkey fryer or a propane fryer with a quite a bit of oil and a special thermometer… fortunately you’ll probably like this recipe enough that it will pay for itself throughout the years.
Deep-Fried Wild Turkey
In the refrigerator, thaw a turkey (about 13 pounds is the maximum size).
Put enough vegetable or peanut oil in the pot to cover the bird (roughly 3-4 gallons) and heat to 350 dgrees. This is where the electric fryer is pretty handy. One way to know for sure how much wil you’ll need is to place the turkey in the pot and pour in enough water to cover the bird. Remove the bird and mark the water level on the inside of the pot, then add the oil until it reaches that mark.
Inject the bird with a butter-flavored marinade (there are several available at the grocery store). Or, just us a pound of melted butter. To inject the bird, you can purchase a commercial injector or pick up a livestock syringe from a veterinarian or at a retailer who deals in farm and ranch supplies. When injecting the bird, make as few holes as possible. Insert the syringe into the breast and pump several ounces into one spot. Refill the syringe, put it into the same hole and inject several ounces into a different spot. Put three to five ounces in each breast and two to three ounces in each leg and thigh.
When the oil reaches 350 degrees, place the turkey in the basket and very slowly lower it into the pot. It’s important to keep the temperature of the oil between 325 and 350 degrees. The cooking time is approximately 3 1/2 minutes per pound of turkey.
When done, the skin should be brown and crisp and the meach should be moist and flavorful. Allow the bird to rest 15 minutes before carving, allowing the juices to be absorbed into the meat.
