Deep frying your Thanksgiving turkey may sound like madness. Yet doing so yields impossibly juicy turkey that oven-roasted poultry simply can't beat. Dad's Deep Fried Turkey infuses each bite with a balance of sweet, tangy, and earthy flavors that no amount of basting can replicate. Once it emerges from the oil, you'll find crackling, crispy skin over fall-off-the-bone tender turkey. You won't have to worry about filling the fridge up with leftovers this holiday because Dad's Deep Fried Turkey has a reputation for vanishing!
Ingredients
• 3 cups packed light brown sugar • 1 1/2 cups Dijon mustard • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons salt, divided • 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper • 2 gallons cold water • 1 bunch thyme • 10-12 cloves garlic, crushed • 12 pounds turkey • 2 1/2 gallons vegetable oilDirections
In a large stockpot, whisk to combine the mustard, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, and salt.
Gradually whisk in the water. Then add in the garlic and thyme.
Add in the turkey, then cover and brine it in the refrigerator for 35 hours.
In a turkey fryer or a large 18-quart stockpot, heat the oil to 400 degrees F. This may take up to an hour to heat up, so patience is key.
Remove the turkey from the brine, then pat it dry inside and out using paper towels.
Move the turkey to a frying basket, breast side up. Place the turkey into the hot oil, frying for 3 minutes per pound, for about 36 minutes total.
Lift the basket up and out of the fryer, then drain the turkey on a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet for about 15 minutes.
Carve and serve!