The fall means feasting and few items are are revered as the humble turkey. The symbol of early American colonists’ sustenance has become a year-round treat, but if you’re looking to put your own spin on the board, try deep-frying your turkey. While this style of preparation can be tricky, a good fryer can make this preparation a breeze. Here are our recommendations.
Heavy-duty construction
Domestic turkeys were first raised by Native Americans in Mexico and Central America as early as 25 A.D. and were brought back to Europe around 1519 by Spanish explorers. Just a couple of thousand years later, this outdoor propane fryer awaits today’s tasty turkeys. This heavy-duty, welded cooker offers 33,000 BTU cast burners along with a 29-quart aluminum post with a lid, basket, lifting rack and hook.
Buy Now: King Kooker Propane Outdoor Fry Boil Package
High output
Benjamin Franklin famously preferred the American turkey to the bald eagle as a symbol of the young nation, calling it “a more respectable bird.” If you’re new to deep frying a bird, consider this setup from CreoleFeast as a great starter kit. It has two pots – including a monster 30-quart container, steamer basket, thermometer, rack, lifting hook, marinade injector, burner stand, liquid propane hose and regulator. It’s designed to prevent tipping – one of the biggest dangers when using this much hot oil.
Buy Now: CreoleFeast TFS3010 Propane 30 Qt. Turkey and 10 Qt. Fish Fryer Boiler Steamer Set
Cooks up to 16 pounds
Fire departments have a few big holidays where they can expect a lot of extra home visits – the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve for mishaps from fireworks and Thanksgiving for deep-frying disasters. Cooking with oil is a bit dangerous because of the risk of pots overturning and causing injuries and fires. This option from Char-Boil removes the risk and offers infrared cooking instead. It’s still big enough to handle entire turkeys, chickens and other feasts up to 16 pounds. It comes with a basket, thermometer, lid and – most importantly – a step-by-step cooking guide.
Buy Now: Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-less Liquid Propane Turkey Fryer
Fry, steam or boil
It’s thought that about 88 percent of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving while about half as many do so on Christmas. Still, turkey is the No. 4 protein of choice for Americans behind chicken, beef and pork. Let’s flip that around with this easy-to-use electric fryer from Butterball, a brand that knows a thing or two about turkeys. If clean-up is your worry, stop sweating. This appliance has dishwasher-safe components and an oil drain valve to make the meal’s aftermath a breeze.
