Instructions

1. 5 to 6 days before frying, figure out how much oil you’ll need. Before you fill your pot with oil, do a test run with water. Fill a 30-quart pot halfway with water, measuring with a quart size measuring cup if possible. When the pot is half filled with water, place the frozen turkey (still in its packaging) into the water. Add more water if needed to cover the turkey. Note the number of quarts of water you used to fill the pot and cover the turkey by about 1 inch — that’s how much oil you’ll need on fry day (don’t use more than 4 1/2 gallons). After you remove the turkey from the water, you can also mark the outside of the pot with a permanent marker to note the fill line for frying.
2. 5 to 6 days before frying, thaw the turkey. Thaw the turkey in the refrigerator in a pan or lined empty refrigerator drawer to catch any moisture. The turkey must be completely thawed to prevent the oil from boiling over during frying. A frozen turkey needs about 24 hours thawing time for every 5 pounds of turkey.
3. 2 to 3 days before frying, dry brine the turkey. Remove the turkey from its packaging. Remove the turkey's neck and giblets, or save for another use. Use a pair of kitchen shears to remove any excess skin and the turkey’s tail nub. Pat the cavity and the outside of the turkey dry with paper towels and place breast-side up on a cutting board or rimmed baking sheet. 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.
4. 1 hour before frying, let the turkey sit at room temperature. Let the turkey sit at room temperature for 1 hour before frying. Meanwhile, prepare for frying and heat the oil.
5. Prepare the fryer pot and burner. Find a space outside that is flat and has plenty of space around it. Concrete is best if you have a driveway or front walk. Set up a 20-gallon propane tank as far from an outdoor fry burner as the hose will allow. Make sure the hose is connected from the propane tank to the burner and that these are screwed as tightly together as possible. Set the pot on the burner (make sure it is dry inside) and clip on a long-stem fry thermometer. Fill the pot with enough peanut or canola oil to the previously noted level. Make sure you have a probe or meat thermometer for the turkey, heat resistant gloves, fire extinguisher, and pan for setting the fried turkey in.
6. Heat the oil. Turn on the burner by opening the valve on the propane tank completely and setting the valve on the hose or burner to its high setting. Light the burner and heat the oil to 375ºF. This will take about 1 hour — possibly longer in cold conditions. Someone should be outside monitoring the oil while it heats.
7. Prepare the turkey for frying. When the oil is almost ready, pat the turkey very dry again inside and out with paper towels. Remember any water or ice on the turkey creates a hazard for frying. Insert the base of a poultry lifter into the turkey — go through the neck opening so that the breasts of the turkey will be lowered into the oil first. If you like, you can tie the turkey's legs together with kitchen twine.
8. Turn off the burner and lower the turkey into the oil. When ready to fry, turn off both the burner and the propane tank. Put on heat proof gloves and use the poultry lifter hook to carefully and very, very slowly lower the turkey into the hot oil. You want to do this slowly to prevent boiling over, it should take 1 to 2 minutes to lower the turkey. When the turkey is fully covered in the oil, with the lifter touching the bottom of the pot, release the lifter tool from the base
9. SAFETY NOTE: If at any point the oil seems close to the edge of the pot — or you see flames under the pot — don’t drop the turkey. Instead, quickly remove it from the oil and move away to access the situation. If there’s too much oil in the pot, use a small saucepan to scoop out some of the oil a little at a time to reduce the amount.
10. Fry the turkey. Turn the propane and the burner back on to high. The oil temperature will have dropped, so let it come back up to around 350ºF. Adjust the flame as needed at the hose or burner as needed, not at the propane tank. Fry the turkey for 3 1/2 minutes per pound of turkey. A 12-pound turkey will take about 42 minutes, a 15-pound turkey closer to 52 minutes. Again, someone should be present near the turkey at all times during frying.
11. Check the turkey for doneness and remove it. When the estimated frying time is up, turn off the burner and propane again. Put your heat resistant gloves back on and use the lifter tool to raise the turkey out of the oil. Have a second person insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh not touching bone - the turkey is ready when it registers at least 165ºF. (If the turkey is not ready yet, slowly place the turkey back in the oil, turn the burner back on, and check every 10 minutes.) Place on a large disposable aluminum pan or roasting pan. (See Recipe Notes for clean up and oil disposal instructions.)
12. Rest the turkey for 20 minutes before carving and serving. Loosely cover the turkey with aluminum foil and let rest indoors for about 20 minutes. Carefully remove the turkey lifter as it may still be warm. Carve as desired or by following these directions: How to Carve a Turkey.