I grew up eating oven-baked turkeys. No matter how mom did it, no matter how much basting, stuffing and fussing, the breast was always dry and had very little taste.
I just thought that was just another Thanksgiving tradition.
As I got older and started killing wild turkeys, friends suggested I fry the breast for tastier results. That was some of the best advice I ever got.
And now frying whole turkeys is commonplace and everyone does it. The problem is, not many people do it correctly.
I am sure you have all heard the stories of guys burning down their sheds, garages and even their homes with grease fires from failed attempts at deep-frying a turkey.
Some poor folks dropped the bird into boiling oil while still frozen. Most use WAY TOO MUCH oil and when the bird goes into the fryer, the ensuing overflow causes massive problems including, but not limited to, fire.
Another common issue with oil deep fryers is the ultimate mess these cookers tend to produce.
So, my intent in the following paragraphs is to give you a couple of viable options for frying whole turkeys, or anything else for that matter, safer and with far less cleaning than you have now with a deep pot, oil fryer.
At the end I will rate both methods on ease of cooking, safety and taste of the finished product.
Masterbuilt Manufacturing, LLC, makes dozens of amazing products to help make cooking easier and more fun.
The first fryer I want to talk about is their enclosed, countertop oil fryer. The BUTTERBALL XL electric fryer allows you to fry, steam or boil your favorite foods. That’s right; it is a multi-purpose tool.
This fryer uses 1/3 less oil than traditional deep fryers and is designed and tested to commercial standards. Cleanup is easy with the built-in oil drain valve and dishwasher-safe components.
The aluminum basket has patented drain clips and holds up to a 20-pound turkey or 5 pounds of chicken wings or even a large Cajun boil.
From a safety standpoint this unit is fully enclosed and designed to be used right in your kitchen. Let’s see you do that with a traditional deep fryer.
On second thought, DO NOT EVER try a traditional deep fryer indoors!
