Fried Turkey Nuggets Recipe - Fried Turkey Breast | Hank Shaw (2024)

FAQs

What is the best oil to deep fry a turkey in? ›

Tip: Peanut oil is the most popular type of oil used for deep frying a turkey, but any oil with a smoking point of 450 degrees Fahrenheit will work. Try safflower oil or corn oil if you don't like peanut oil or are accommodating a peanut allergy.

Inject the bird with flavored butter. There's a reason a lot of turkey fryers come with large syringes for injecting the birds. “It's about layering in flavors,” Alexander says, and the butter “ups the moisture factor as well.”

If you brine the turkey for too long then it can start to have a negative effect and the proteins in the meat will start to break down, causing the meat to fall apart. So always keep to the guideline times and if your cooking time changes, remove the turkey from the brine, pat it dry and refrigerate it until needed.

Season the turkey inside and out with 1/4 cup kosher salt. Gently pull up the skin covering the breast meat and season the breast and thigh meat as well — you may not use all the salt. Refrigerate uncovered 24 to 36 hours. 1 hour before frying, let the turkey sit at room temperature.

Heat oil to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Gently lower breast in the oil, cover the pot with a lid, and fry until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

4-5 gallons cooking oil peanut oil for a 12-to-14-pound turkey in a 30-quart pot If anyone has allergies to peanuts, you can use canola or vegetable oil.

Do not use a pot lid when frying your turkey. If a fire starts, do not spray water onto it, as this could splash and spread the burning oil. Never leave your pot, fryer or hot oil unattended.

Directions. After measuring the amount of oil needed for the deep-fryer, dry the turkey well, inside and out, before proceeding. Mix the smoked paprika, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and thyme together in a bowl. Sprinkle the spice rub inside the cavity of the turkey and on the skin.

Brines add a lot of flavor but they don't penetrate as deep as an injection. Moisture. The injection penetrates deep inside the meat, ensuring a juicy bite. The injection is also a crutch from overcooking, so you will still have a juicy bird even if you cook it a bit too long!

Keep an eye on the bird for the duration of the frying time, and make sure the temperature is at 350 during cooking. Leave it uncovered. You should fry your turkey for 3-4 minutes per pound.

How do you know when fried turkey is done without a thermometer? ›

To find out if your turkey is done without a thermometer, pierce the mid-thigh muscle with a fork, explains Johnson. "When the juices run clear, and no longer reddish or pink in color, it's a good indication that your turkey is done." In most cases, the deep thigh is the last part of the turkey to be done.

Place turkey into a drain basket, neck-side first. Working slowly and carefully, gently lower the basket into the hot oil to completely cover the turkey. Maintain the temperature of the oil at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and cook turkey for 3 1/2 minutes per pound, about 35 minutes.

Cook the turkey about 3 to 4 minutes per pound. The turkey is done when the dark meat is at an internal temperature of 175° F to 180° F and all white meat is at an internal temperature of 165° F to 170° F. When the turkey is done, slowly lift it from the pot and place it in a pan or on paper towels to drain.

This time around I opted to use a butter/herb mixture under the skin like in this Mouth-Watering Herb Roasted Turkey Recipe. Then sprinkle kosher salt all over the turkey skin.

Fried turkey is traditionally prepared in peanut oil because it naturally maintains high temperatures throughout the cooking process and stops the oil from absorbing into the meat. This results in a bird that's crispy on the outside, moist on the inside and has a slight nutty taste.

If you're looking to replace the ingredient, the best alternative for peanut oil is sesame oil which shares a similar nutty flavour. However, if it's for frying and you need an oil with similar cooking characteristics, your best bet is sunflower, grapeseed or canola oil.

Yes, you can. Since vegetable oil and peanut oil have a somewhat similar smoking point, you can easily mix the two to fry anything, including a turkey. You just have to make sure that you work with the lower smoking point out of the two oils.

You'll need approximately 5 gallons of oil; more for larger turkeys. Turkey can be injected with a marinade, coated with breading or seasoned with a rub before cooking. Approximately 1 cup of marinade is needed for an 8- to 10-pound turkey, 2/3 injected in the breast and 1/3 in the rest of the turkey.