We get the allure of deep-frying a turkey: Your oven is free to bake other dishes, you don't have to spend hours basting, the bird's skin turns crispy while the meat stays juicy (or so every TV chef declares, triumphantly, as he or she takes the requisite, "oooh, yum, food!" bite on-camera). Not to mention the fact that you look like a total BA majestically lowering the bird into the deep-fryer, only to pull it out 45-ish minutes later, perfectly golden and ready to carve.
Kids will think you're a culinary wizard!
Your father-in-law will finally respect you!
Your uncle Jimbo will volunteer to brush that dirt off your shoulders, because his teenage daughter recently explained to him what that phrase meant!
Like our IKEA Man, you plunge forward boldly. You've watched half a YouTube demo. You've got this.
And then you start to lower the bird into that vat of bubbling-hot peanut oil, and your confidence starts to quake. Your voice hits a Steve Urkel-like squeak: Should it be sizzling this much? Did I use too much oil? Not enough?
Which eventually leads to a question that needs no reply:
...Did I do that?!
The reality is that deep-frying a turkey may seem simple, and while we joke about it here, it's not something you can just wing, like making Tater Totchos or, say, giving your maid of honor speech (not that we would recommend that either). Some of the key causes of deep-fryer-related accidents involve turkey fryers tipping over; placing a partially frozen turkey into the fryer, causing the oil to sputter and pop; and spilling cooking oil onto the burner, which can cause a fire, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
If you're thinking of deep-frying a turkey this Thanksgiving, State Farm has a list of tips for doing so safely (basically, doing the complete opposite of our illustrated friend above).
Follow Delish on Instagram.
