This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

How to Safely Deep Fry a Turkey for Thanksgiving

Deep-frying a turkey can be delicious but dangerous without the right safety tools.

ach year, families gather around a roasted or baked turkey for the holidays. Some families decide to go outside of the box and deep-fry turkeys for the holidays, which is when things get more serious.

I grew up with my dad frying turkeys for the holidays. As newlyweds, my wife and I will fried a turkey for our first Thanksgiving together and may continue the tradition.

Several dangers can mount from deep-frying a turkey, though. More than 4,000 fires occur on Thanksgiving across the country, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

Find out what's happening in Florissantwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Therefore, in order to ensure a safe holiday season, we’re showing how to safely deep-fry a turkey.

In order to reinforce the safety issues, we teamed up with Florissant Valley Fire Protection District to give step-by-step safety tips.

Find out what's happening in Florissantwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Here are a few tips for deep-frying a turkey.

  • Make sure that the turkey is completely thawed out before frying. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) advises 24 hours for every four to five pounds.
  • Remember to remove the neck, giblets and timer in the turkey before frying.
  • When preparing the turkey, you can season it or buy a flavor-injector system sold in grocery stores such as Schnucks and Dierbergs.
  • When taking the turkey out of the fryer, make sure the temperature reaches the recommended temperature of 165˚F, as recommended by the USDA.
  • Always refer back to your manufacturer’s manual for all questions, concerns and instructions.

Have a wonderful—and safe—holiday season.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Florissant