Cajun Deep-Fried Turkey

This Cajun deep-fried turkey is juicy, tender, and full of spicy flavor. A holiday showstopper made with a beer marinade and fried in peanut oil.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 1036 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 cups butter
• 1 (12 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 gallons peanut oil for frying, or as needed
• 7 fluid ounces beer
• 0.25 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 0.25 cup onion juice
• 0.25 cup garlic juice
• 0.25 cup Louisiana-style hot sauce

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add beer, onion juice, garlic juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Mix until marinade is well blended.

Step 2

Turn off the flame and slowly remove turkey from oil, making sure all of the oil drains out of the cavity. Allow turkey to rest on a serving platter before carving, about 20 minutes.

Step 3

Use a marinade-injecting syringe or turkey baster with an injector tip to inject marinade into turkey, including legs, back, wings, thighs, and breasts. Place the turkey in a large food-safe plastic bag or brining bag and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Step 4

When it's time to fry, remove turkey from the bag and place into the cooking basket; discard any remaining marinade. Measure the amount of oil needed by lowering turkey into the fryer and filling with enough oil to cover it. Remove turkey and set aside.

Step 5

Heat oil to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C). Lower the turkey slowly into the hot oil using the fryer’s lift mechanism. Fry for about 3 minutes per pound, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 36 minutes total for a 12-pound bird.