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
Step 1
In a large stockpot, whisk to combine the mustard, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, and salt.
Step 2
Gradually whisk in the water. Then add in the garlic and thyme.
Step 3
Add in the turkey, then cover and brine it in the refrigerator for 35 hours.
Step 4
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.
Step 5
Remove the turkey from the brine, then pat it dry inside and out using paper towels.
Step 6
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.
Step 7
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.
Step 8
Carve and serve!
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