Deep Fried Cajun Turkey Recipes

DEEP-FRIED TURKEY

Steps:

• Wash turkey inside and out under cold running water; pat dry. Finely grind bay leaves in spice grinder; transfer to small bowl. Finely grind thyme, oregano, and peppercorns separately; add to bay leaves. Mix in Creole seasoning and garlic powder.
• Rub 1/3 spice mixture on inside of turkey, 1/3 under skin of breast, and 1/3 on outside of turkey; place in roasting pan. Cover; marinate overnight in refrigerator or up to 24 hours.
• Bring turkey to room temperature. Using a wooden skewer, thread neck flap securely to bottom of turkey. Fold wing tips under. Using steel or aluminum wire, truss legs and tail's nose together securely; form a handle with wire. This will enable you to hold turkey while submerging in hot oil.
• Heat oil in 10-gallon pot with liner basket over high heat until temperature registers 360 degrees. Holding turkey by handle, immerse in oil. Maintain temperature at 360 degrees while frying. Fry until golden brown, about 45 minutes, or 3 minutes per pound.
• Lift turkey from oil; transfer to a wire rack over a roasting pan. Drain for 15 minutes. Serve.

CAJUN DEEP-FRIED TURKEY

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion juice, garlic juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, cayenne pepper and beer. Mix until well blended.
• Use a marinade injecting syringe or turkey baster with an injector tip to inject the marinade all over the turkey including the legs, back, wings, thighs and breasts. Place in a large plastic bag and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Do not use a kitchen trash bag. If your turkey is large, you can use an oven bag.
• When it's time to fry, measure the amount of oil needed by lowering the turkey into the fryer and filling with enough oil to cover it. Remove the turkey and set aside.
• Heat the oil to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C). When the oil has come to temperature, lower the turkey into the hot oil slowly using the hanging device that comes with turkey deep-fryers. The turkey should be completely submerged in the oil. Cook for 36 minutes, or 3 minutes per pound of turkey. The turkey is done when the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C). Turn off the flame and slowly remove from the oil, making sure all of the oil drains out of the cavity. Allow to rest on a serving platter for about 20 minutes before carving.

DEEP FRIED CAJUN TURKEY

Steps:

• Take whole turkey place in deep fryer fill with water remove turkey.
• Mark the water line with a marker.
• Spill out water and dry careful not to remove marked line.
• Fill with canola oil.
• Heat oil to 350 degrees.
• In a small pot melt butter and oil and fresh herbs and crushed garlic let simmer 15 minutes.
• Strained and set aside.
• Save garlic and herbs.
• Tie legs and wings with cotton string to keep them in place next to the body.
• Place the chopped strained garlic and herbs under the skin of the turkey.
• Inject the herbed butter-oil mixture into the breast and legs.
• Rub the cajun mixture inside and outside of the turkey.
• Place the turkey breast side up in lowering slowly into oil.
• CAUTION Of splattering oil.
• Fry turkey 3 1/2 minute per pound.
• Use a meat thermometer in the thigh and when it reads 180 degrees its done.
• Remove from hot oil and drain on paper towels.
• Lets rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Carve and serve.
• I`m really sorry that I didn`t get a picture of the turkey before I carved it.
• So the carved picture is what you get for now.
• I`m making this for the Fourth of July so I hope to get the picture of the whole turkey then.

FRIED TURKEY RUB WITH CAJUN INJECTION

Steps:

• Mix all rub ingredients together and apply ample quantities to the outside of the turkey. Let meat marinade for 8-24 hours.
• Combine injection recipe ingredients including 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the rub; boil and reduce to 1 cup. Cool and strain mixture then inject into all areas of the turkey.
• Fry turkey according to weight of bird and fryer instructions. DO NOT attempt this indoors or too close to a builidng.

CAJUN DEEP FRIED TURKEY

Steps:

• Two days prior to cooking: Defrost turkey. Although not recommended by the FDA, when I have forgotten to take it out early enough, I have successfully thawed it in warm water in the sink - draining and refilling as water turns cool.
• Evening prior: Strain Italian dressing to catch items too big for the injector needle. Melt a stick of butter and add to the strained dressing.
• Take a handful of your favorite Cajun seasonings and add to marinade (I prefer Tony Chachere's (TM) Creole seasoning, Chef Paul Prudhomme's® blackened seasoning, Zatarins® Creole seasoning, Cajun Shake seasonings, and any Cajun spice I can get my hands on).
• Add onion powder and garlic powder to taste. You can also purchase Cajun Injector seasoning from the store.
• Use injector to inject marinade into the breasts, thighs, and wings. Stick the needle all the way in. As you slowly pull out, slowly press and inject spices into the turkey. Inject from multiple angles for maximum coverage. The more you use, the juicier the turkey will be when you cook it. Also, rub seasoning on the outside of the turkey, under the skin, and the inside cavity as well.
• Place turkey, legs up, on holder and place inside plastic oven roasting bag. Keep overnight in an ice chest with a little ice.
• Morning of: Fill fryer approximately 1/3 with oil (You don't need peanut oil, but once you try it, you won't use anything else. It also smokes less).
• Dip turkey while in the plastic bag in oil and fill or drain as needed. Oil should just cover the top of turkey. Ensure you have a hole at the top of the plastic bag, otherwise the bag will expand with air and you will not get an accurate reading. Take turkey out of oil and place back in cooler.An alternative is to use water the previous day prior to seasoning/injecting turkey. Place turkey in a plastic bag and then place in the pot. Pour water into pot until bagged turkey is fully submerged. Remove turkey, mark the water level, empty water, dry and pour oil to that spot.
• Heat oil to 375°-400°F. It takes approximately 30 minutes. Remove turkey from plastic wrap and place in oil. Oil should drop to 350°. Ensure you keep the temperature between 325°-350°F, but the closer to 350°F the better. Cook 2-3 minutes per pound. Never, ever cover pot with lid! You will have much more on your hands than a "smokin' Cajun turkey."You may cook a larger turkey, but most cookers can't handle more than 20 pounds. The largest one I cooked was 21 pounds, but it barely fit in the pot and made cooking the very tip extremely tricky.
• Remove and let the turkey rest before carving. According to Emeril, the best way to carve is to pull the legs, wings and thighs off; then undercut the breast following the bone to the center and then slice.

DEEP FRIED CAJUN TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oil to 375 degrees F.
• Stir salt and seasonings together. Mix until well blended. Use 1/2 to 2/3 cup for a 10 to 12 pound turkey. May be stored for several months in an airtight covered jar.
• Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey. Rinse the turkey well with cold water and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Take care to dry both inside cavities. Place in a large pan and rub the interior and exterior of the bird with the seasoning mix. To allow for good oil circulation through the cavity, do not truss or tie legs together. Cut off the wing tips and plump little tail as they may get caught in the fryer basket. Cover pan and place in refrigerator overnight.
• Place the outdoor gas burner on a level dirt or grassy area. Never fry a turkey indoors, in a garage, or in any structure attached to a building. Do not fry on wood decks, which could catch fire, or concrete, which could be stained by the oil. (Safety tip: have a fire extinguisher nearby for added safety). Add oil to a 7 to 10 gallon pot with a basket or a rack. At medium-high setting, heat the oil to 375 degrees F.(depending on the amount of oil, outside temperature and wind conditions, this should take about 20 to 40 minutes).
• Meanwhile, place the turkey in a basket or on a rack, neck down. When the deep-fry thermometer reaches 375 degrees F. slowly lower the turkey into the hot oil. The level of the oil will rise due to the frothing caused by the moisture from the turkey but will stabilize in about 1 minute. (Safety tip: to prevent burns from the splattering oil wear oven mitts/gloves, long sleeves, heavy shoes, and even glasses. It is wise to have 2 people lowering and raising the turkey). Immediately check the oil temperature and increase the flame so the oil temperature is maintained at 350 degrees F. If the temperature drops to 340 degrees F. or below, oil will begin to seep into turkey. Fry about 3 to 4 minutes per pound, or about 35 to 42 minutes for a 10 to 12 pound turkey. Stay with the cooker at all times, as the heat must be regulated. When cooked to 170 degrees F. in the breast or 180 degrees F. in the thigh, carefully remove the turkey for the hot oil. Allow the turkey to drain for a few minutes. (Safety tip: allow the oil to cool completely before storing or disposing). Remove turkey from the rack and place on a serving platter. Allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving.

DEEP-FRIED CAJUN TURKEY

Steps:

• Bring turkey to room temperature, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Set turkey in a deep fryer and fill with enough water to cover the turkey. Remove turkey and mark the water level. Empty water, pat the deep fryer completely dry, and fill with peanut oil to the mark. Heat oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Inject legs, thighs, wings, and breast full of Creole butter marinade until it can't take anymore. Rub the seasoning inside the turkey cavity and all over the skin.
• Place turkey in the hot oil and cook until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 42 minutes. Carefully remove from the deep fryer; an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

DEEP-FRIED CAJUN TURKEY RECIPE - (4.4/5)

Steps:

• Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey. Rinse inside of turkey; pat dry with paper towels. If present, remove and discard the plastic leg holder and pop-up timer. Preheat oil to 350°F. For rub, in a small bowl combine salt, paprika, thyme, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Slip your fingers between turkey skin and meat to loosen the skin over the breast and leg areas. Lift skin and spread some of the rub directly over breast, thigh, and drumstick meat. Season body cavity with any remaining rub. Tuck the ends of the drumsticks under the band of skin across the tail or tie legs to tail with 100-percent-cotton string. Twist wing tips under back. Place turkey, breast side up, in basket. Slowly lower basket into hot oil. Be cautious of splattering oil. Maintain oil temperature around 350 degrees F. Fry turkey for 24 to 30 minutes (3 minutes per pound). Remove turkey from hot oil to check doneness. Insert a meat thermometer into the meaty part of the thigh. Turkey is done when thermometer registers 180°F. Remove turkey from hot oil; drain on wire rack. If the turkey has not reached 180°F when you check for doneness, remove the thermometer and slowly lower the turkey back into the oil. Fry 3 to 5 minutes more and check temperature again. Let stand 15 minutes before carving. Variation Turkey Breast Option: Use a 4-pound whole turkey breast with bone. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. If present, remove pop-up timer. Preheat oil to 350°F. Prepare spice mixture and rub turkey as above. Place in basket and cook as above for 32 minutes (8 minutes per pound) to 170°F. Makes 8 to 10 servings