It’s not as difficult to make this fashionable dessert as it may sound. It’s really simple to adapt for any occasion or holiday and makes a lovely presentation.
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Cook Time: | 45 mins |
| Additional Time: | 10 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 25 mins |
| Servings: | 16 |
Ingredients
- 3 gallons peanut oil for frying, or as needed
- 1 (12 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
- ¼ cup Creole seasoning
- 1 medium white onion
Instructions
- Fill a turkey fryer or large stockpot with enough oil to fry turkey; be sure to leave room for turkey so oil doesn’t spill over. Heat oil to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Layer a large platter with food-safe paper bags.
- Rinse turkey and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Rub seasoning inside the cavity and all over the outer surfaces. Make sure the hole at the neck is open at least 2 inches so oil can flow freely into the cavity.
- Turn off the heat source. Place whole onion into the drain basket followed by turkey, neck-end first. Slowly lower the basket into the fryer until turkey is completely submerged in oil. Turn on the heat source and cook, maintaining oil temperature at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 45 minutes, or 3 1/2 minutes per pound.
- Carefully remove the basket from the fryer and drain turkey. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C) but no more than 180 degrees F (80 degrees C). Transfer turkey to the prepared platter to finish draining, 10 to 15 minutes.
- You can use vegetable oil instead of peanut oil if preferred.
- We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. Amount will vary depending on cooking time and temperature, ingredient density, and specific type of oil used.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 603 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 2 g |
| Cholesterol | 229 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Protein | 69 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Sodium | 571 mg |
| Sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 34 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
So moist! Easy to make but so dangerous to execute! I’ve Deep Fried many a turkey over the years and have only messed it up once. Don’t Over Cook The Turkey or your eating shoe leather! Keep it safe, no short cuts!
Perfect turkey !
I’ve made this two years in a row, and it has come out great both times. I like the simplicity of the recipe, and the taste of the creole seasoning. Just make sure the turkey is defrosted!
I used Creole rub and Creole injection I did not use the onion on the second round.
Great way to cook Turkey
As the submitter of this recipe, we have noticed a few alterations and editing made to the original recipe over the past 12 years or so. Over the past 35 years our family has deep fried our holiday turkeys. Why we use a fresh whole (uncut) peeled *yellow* onion in the drain basket with each bird? Especially when frying multiple birds as we do, the onion will turn black and somehow the oil lasts longer and does not scorch as quickly. But please, don’t cut the onion in half and stuff it inside the cavity as shown in the video. Clogging the cavity will only block the flow of oil that is crucial to cooking the bird evenly and efficiently. Why we don’t use injections? Some swear by them and there are so many flavors out there to choose from. We actaully tried the injection once (since everyone insisted it was the BOMB) and found it did not help in making a more moist bird. The results were a much saltier flavor and less juicy breast meat. Why poke holes all over the turkey only for all its good juices to run out during the cooking process, and to deal with dangerous grease popping and spattering as those running juices come in contact with hot grease? We are just way more generous on the creole seasoning dry rub. 1/4 cup is not enough y’all! Our original recipe was submitted using Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning. If you cannot find Tony’s in your area you can search many fabulous creole rub recipes found on the web. Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving and Holidays everyone!
Injected garlic and melted butter, also rubbed red pepper flakes all over inside and out, excellent recipe all in all and the directions were spot on, make sure to use peanut oil for sure, will always deep fry a turkey from now on
This was VERY good. Everyone loved it, though they were a bit skeptical.
I have made a Deep fried turkey before and used the Creole butter sauce and injected it into the turkey and the turkey was so moist on the inside and then made a concoction with seasonings on the outside and both inside and out of the meat I put the injector needle in various spots and really filled a lot of it and used two jars of the sauce
Instead of injecting a marinade I soak the turkey in a beer brine 12 beers a whack of salt garlic and a coue lemons for at least 48 hours and pat dry and voila best trukey ever
Truly tasty!! Everyone in my family loved it. Mine came out darker around the skin, though. Most likely due to my having kept it 400 degrees by accident. It took me some time to get the temperature down from there. I think the oil and the turkey retained the heat for while, but the taste of the turkey itself was marvelous!!
Tried this recipe and loved it but I did somethig a little different. I melted butter and mixed creole with it and then injected it everywhere and then sprinkled creole after.
Did not have creole spice, so found a recipie for one and proceeded…this was right on and we all loved it ty for sharing! This was my 1st deepfried turkey as well =0)
We made our first deep fried turkey for Thanksgiving this year and would of been lost without this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing. We made the turkey for my grandfather, since my husband and I aren’t the world’s biggest turkey fans. However, we both indulged it was just THAT good! It was the most delicious and perfect turkey ever! I would give it 100 stars if I could!!!!!!
DELICIOUS !!! First time frying a turkey so I read alot of reviews. And I will never roast a turkey again. Marinating is the key for a moist turkey.
This is the way to fry a turkey the best way!! But one reviewer stated…”put it in a NON SCENTED trashbag in the refrigerator overnight”… PLEASE…NEVER use ANY trash bags to put food into…they are ALL made with, NON-FOOD ingredients, and can contaminate ANY foods you put in them…there are food grade bags available…you can even use the cooking bags by Reynolds, you get 2 in a box for usually $2.59, and are pretty big–definetly big enough for turkeys!!
3 safety tips: 1. Before taking the bird out of the bag, STAND the turkey in the cooking pot and fill with water until it just covers the bird . When the bird is removed from the water it will give the amount of oil you need to put in the pot. 2. make sure turkey is as dry as it can be, inject the seasonings at the last minute is th best 3. Turn the propane off before putting the turkey in, so that if the oil does bubble over there isn’t a problem. Then relight
Made this turkey for Christmas dinner and it was a huge hit. Great flavor and juicy… I had to cook a 11 1/2 bird for about 40 minutes at 375
Peanut Oil is THE key! I’m so glad this recipe recommends it. The flavor was just to die for not to mention it’s pretty healthy with peanut oil.
This was the best Thanksgiving turkey we ever had. It was uniformly moist and juicy inside with beautiful firm meat, crackly and brown outside, and not in the least greasy. We will do it again next year!
This Recipe was Awesome..What a Juicy Tasting Turkey. I didn’t change a thing.