This Thanksgiving, switch it up with this Deep-Fried Turkey! This step-by-step guide to deep-frying turkey will uses a simple rub and injection liquid.


Thanksgiving is coming up in a few weeks, and that means it’s time to start talking turkey! Making a juicy turkey for Thanksgiving is an American tradition, and each family has their favorite cooking method.

My Mom has always oven baked her turkey. My husband’s family smokes their birds. And my little family? We love to deep fry our turkeys! We love this Deep Fried Cajun Turkey recipe, and it’s become a new tradition. 

I love deep frying turkeys for a few reasons:

  • First, it’s fast! It is arguably the shortest cook time of any possible methods, with most birds being fully cooked within an hour.
  • Second, it’s rich, decadent and yields INCREDIBLE crispy skin!
  • Also, you can really have some fun with your flavors!

Today, I’m sharing with you a recipe for Deep Fried Cajun Turkey, and also some basic tips and tricks on frying whole turkeys, so that you can create your own masterpiece this Thanksgiving!

How to Choose the Right Turkey

When choosing a whole bird, you first need to identify whether you’d like to buy a frozen or fresh turkey. And, that choice largely depends on when you need it!

Fresh birds have limited availability, typically just the two weeks prior to Thanksgiving. So, if you’re making a Christmas turkey, frozen will be your only choice.

Frozen turkeys are available year round, but you will need to allow several days for defrosting. I chose a 17-pound frozen turkey and put it in the refrigerator three days before cooking to defrost. 

Preparing your Deep Fryer

  1. Set your fryer system up outside on a flat surface, away from the house. Check the capacity of your frying system to see what size of turkey it can accommodate. Most fryers can accommodate an 18-lb turkey. I usually purchase a 15 to 17 pound turkey to be safe. 
  2. Next, you need to figure out how much oil to deep fry a turkey. To figure out how many gallons of oil you need, stick the turkey in the frying pot and then fill the pot with water, up to two inches above the turkey. Take the turkey out the pot and thoroughly pat the skin dry before applying any spice rubs.
  3. Use a piece of tape to record the water line, then remove the water and dry the pot thoroughly.
  4. Fill the pot with oil up to the mark and then remove the tape.
  5. Turn the heat to medium-high, and heat the oil to 375° Fahrenheit. I think peanut oil is the best oil for your fryer basket! It’s a neutral oil and has a high flash point, which will help you make sure your fryer doesn’t smoke! You can also use vegetable oil.

Dry Brines vs. Wet Brines and Injections

I prefer a dry brine or rub for my whole turkeys. Soaking a big bird in a wet brine water bath for several days is a bit questionable on the safety side, and it’s also a time consuming process, especially for extra large birds.

In addition to a dry rub, I inject my turkey with a yummy injection fluid.

How to inject a turkey

You can add flavor and moisture to your turkey through injecting it with an injection liquid, and then applying savory dry rub.

You will need about one ounce of injection liquid for every pound of turkey, and an injector.

I have a recipe for a spicy injection marinade below, or you can purchase a pre-made injection liquid like this one. It is VERY good! 

Or, you can use my basic turkey injection recipe that uses Worcestershire sauce.

Here’s how to inject a whole turkey:

  1. Inject the liquid into the meaty parts of the bird, plunging the needle in as deep as possible. I like to start in the thickest part of the breast.
  2. Then, adjust the needle in a different direction, inserting more liquid. Doing this minimizes the amount of holes you have to make in the bird. Less holes means less ways for moisture to seep out!
  3. Aim for a 1/2 ounce to 1 ounce injected per hole.
  4. Once the bird is injected, pat the skin dry again and apply a flavorful spice rub. Rub it deeply into the skin and into the internal cavity of the turkey. 

When should you inject a turkey before frying?

You can inject the turkey right before cooking it.

But, feel free to inject it up to 12 hours before cooking, then allow it to rest in the refrigerator. 

It’s go time! Let’s fry a turkey! 

When your oil is hot and your turkey is prepped, follow the steps below to fry the turkey!

  1. When your oil has reached 375° Fahrenheit. and you are ready to place the turkey in the fryer, turn off the burner.
  2. If you have a poultry rack, place the whole turkey on it breast down with the legs up. If you don’t have a poultry rack, you can just use the fry basket (basket with holes) to hold the turkey.
  3. Lower the bird into the hot oil slowly, a few inches at a time. Hold the bird in the oil and pull the bird back up if it appears that the oil is about to spill over.
  4. Slowly lower the turkey until it’s covered with oil, and then return the oil back to a heat of 375°F. Maintain this oil temperature while the turkey is frying. 
  5. The general rule of thumb is to fry the turkey for 3.5 minutes per pound. So, my 17-pound turkey took about one hour to fry.
  6. To check to see if a turkey is done, stick your thermometer into the thickest parts of the thigh and breast. Make sure both are at 165°F. It helps to have a second person to help you with this step. One person lifts the turkey up, and the other takes the temperature.
  7. When the turkey is done, allow let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before carving it, tenting it with foil to hold heat in. 

How to Reheat Fried Turkey (without drying it out!)

I think the best way to reheat leftover Cajun fried turkey is in the oven!

  1. Wrap the turkey in foil and add a splash of turkey or chicken broth before sealing the foil packet tightly.
  2. Place in the oven and heat at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes. Check the packet to see if the turkey is warmed through. Be careful, steam may escape!
  3. If the turkey is not ready, continue to warm in the oven for 5 minute increments, checking each time, until the turkey is warm. 

Leftover turkey is AWESOME in these Thanksgiving Leftovers Sliders!

Safety Tips for Frying a Turkey

  • Wear sturdy, close toed shoes
  • Keep the fryer as far away from the house as possible, and off of wooden decks.
  • Keep the fryer on a level surface
  • Turn off the burner before doing anything that could cause oil to spill over. Oil + open flame = fire! 
  • Keep a fire extinguisher at the ready!
Deep Fried Cajun Turkey

Deep Fried Cajun Turkey

Yield: Serves 15
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours

This Thanksgiving, switch it up a little bit with this Deep Fried Cajun Turkey! An easy rub and injection give it a crispy skin and so much flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 15–17 pound whole turkey, thawed, giblets removed
  • 3-4 gallons peanut oil, for frying

For the homemade rub:

  • 3 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper (reduce to decrease spice level)
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder

For the injection liquid:

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ cup lemon juice
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons onion powder
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons Tabasco or hot sauce of your choice
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust or omit to reduce heat)

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, prepare the Cajun spice rub.
  2. In a separate small bowl, prepare the Cajun injection liquid.
  3. Remove turkey from the refrigerator and allow it to rest at room temperature to remove the chill.
  4. Prepare turkey by removing neck and giblets from cavity, then patting dry with paper towels.
  5. Prepare fryer by adding peanut oil and heating until the oil temperature reaches 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  6. Inject turkey with cajun injection fluid, about one ounce of injection for each pound of turkey.
  7. Pat turkey skin dry, then thoroughly coat the outside of the turkey and inside of the turkey cavity with cajun spice rub.
  8. Fry the turkey for 3.5 minutes per pound, until the internal temperature of the thickest part of breast registers at 165 degrees Fahrenheit using an instant read meat thermometer.
  9. Allow turkey to rest for about 30 minutes before carving.

Notes

You can inject and rub the turkey for up to 12 hours before cooking.

Most turkeys you buy in the store now are already injected with a salt and sugar brine. For this reason, I've reduced the amount of salt in the rub, and recommended using unsalted butter in the injection liquid. This will keep your turkey from tasting like a saltlick! 🙂 Of course, it's your turkey, and if you like it salty, use salted butter and increase the salt in the rub!

Feel free to substitute your favorite creole seasoning for the homemade cajun seasoning above. I'd choose a low sodium one if possible.

Yes, you can use this recipe for turkey breast! Maintain the same plan of 3.5 minutes of frying per pound, and reduce the rub and injection recipes by about ⅔rds.

Nutrition Information
Yield 15 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 173Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 24mgSodium 1295mgCarbohydrates 6gFiber 2gSugar 1gProtein 1g

The nutrition for this recipe is calculated by an app, and may be incorrect.

Did you make this recipe?

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Need the perfect side dish for this Deep Fried Cajun Turkey? I recommend: 

I have a whole post dedicated to my favorite Thanksgiving recipes, check it out here!

Deep Fried Cajun Turkey