Recipes
When it comes to deep frying a turkey, there aren’t really “recipes” (as most people are used to), but rather ways to flavor your turkey before you deep fry it. You can flavor your bird in one of 3 main ways:
- Brining (soaking your turkey overnight in a salt-water based solution giving extra flavor, and more importantly, extra juiciness and texture after you cook it)
- Dry Rub (rubbing herbs, spices and other goodies onto your turkey and letting them absorb into the skin before cooking it)
- Injection (injecting either a pre-made or homemade marinade into the turkey to flavor it. WARNING: this type of flavoring is less subtle than a rub or a brine, so make sure you know your audience before embarking on injection. You’ll also need an injection kit/syringe to inject the marinade into the turkey).
Here’s a few recipes to get you started:
1. Brining
Citrus Turkey Brine
3 cups Apple Cider
1/4 cup Fresh Rosemary
5 cloves Garlic, Minced
1½ cup Kosher Salt
2 cups Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons Peppercorns
5 whole Bay Leaves
Peel Of Three Large Orange, zested
2 gallons ice water
Bay and Lemon Brine
2 gallons water
1 cup sugar
1 cup kosher salt
2 lemons, sliced in 1/2
4 bay leaves
3 cinnamon sticks
Small handful cloves
Beer Brined Turkey
4 quarts Beer (Your Choice)
4 quarts Ice or Water
2 cups Kosher Salt
1 cup Sugar
4 Bay Leaves
3 Thyme bunches, fresh
3 Yellow Onions, peeled and chopped
3 Celery stocks, sliced
3 Carrots, peeled and sliced
2 Lemons, quartered
4 Garlic Cloves, peeled and sliced
2. Dry Rub
Country Rub
2 cups crushed real bacon bits
2 cups minced parsley
2 cups tomato paste
1/3 cup cracked black pepper
1/3 cup paprika
Creole Turkey Rub
25 whole bay leaves
3 tablespoons Creole seasoning
3 teaspoons dried thyme
3 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
Old Fashioned Turkey Rub
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3. Injection
Honey Beer Turkey Injection Recipe
1/4 C. apple juice or apple cider
1/2 C. good quality honey
1 C. medium bodied ale
1-2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
2 tsp. garlic juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Savory Turkey Injection
1/4 cup light oil
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon ground bay leaf
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
Italian Herb Injection
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup red wine
1 tablespoon Italian Seasonings
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon black pepper