Deep Fried Turkey, How it Should be Done

Tim Woodbury of Woody’s Butcher Block in Santa Maria has fried many turkeys.

“Oh there’s so many different recipes,” he says about deep fried turkey.

But, done the wrong way, and things could go wrong in a matter of seconds.

“The biggest problem with deep fried turkeys is people trying to cook them when they’re still frozen,” says Batallion Chief Rick Bertram of the Santa Maria Fire Dept.

If you are planning to deep fry your turkey, he says make sure you know the proper steps.

“It’s important to keep it away from combustibles such as cardboard or wood tables in the back,” he says.

“Make sure you have it in an open area, and by open area we don’t mean, don’t try it in your garage because we have seen a few of those over the years,” Bertram.

“I usually wear welders gloves because it gets kinda hot,” says Woodbury.

Most importantly, make sure the bird is completely thawed.

When you’re ready to fry the bird, Woodbury says drop it in slowly.

“The deeper the turkey gets the more it bubbles so you have to take three or four to five minutes before you can get the turkey completely into the oil before you can cover it,” he says.

Other suggestions include; using peanut oil, Woodbury says peanut oil cooks the meat thoroughly and it ends up with a much lighter taste.