Two of the sources we read say 3 minutes per pound for turkeys up to 13 pounds and 3½ minutes per pound from 14 pounds up. A third uses 3½ for every size, at 350°F. So a 13 lb bird is 39 minutes in one and 45½ in another. Below are the numbers side by side, and the one thing that settles it: your thermometer.
We haven’t fried a turkey ourselves, and we couldn’t open USDA’s or NFPA’s turkey fryer pages. Everything below is what the cooking sources say. Follow your fryer’s manual and official safety guidance first!
How long to deep fry a turkey per pound?
It depends on the source. Kosmo’s Q’s table and Culinary Depot’s text both use 3 minutes per pound for 10 to 13 pounds and 3½ for larger birds. Fueling a Southern Soul says 3½ minutes per pound at 350°F for any size.
| Turkey weight | Kosmo’s Q and Culinary Depot rate | Fueling a Southern Soul (3½ min per lb) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 lb | 30 minutes | 35 minutes |
| 12 lb | 36 minutes | 42 minutes |
| 13 lb | 39 minutes | 45½ minutes |
| 14 lb | 49 minutes | 49 minutes |
| 15 lb | 52½ minutes | 52½ minutes |
| 16 lb | 56 minutes | 56 minutes |
| 20 lb | 70 minutes | 70 minutes |
Notice the jump. Going from 13 to 14 pounds adds 10 minutes in the first column, because the rate changes. Culinary Depot also puts oil at 375°F when the bird goes in, while Fueling a Southern Soul fries at 350°F, so the rates aren’t strictly the same recipe.
What internal temperature should a fried turkey reach?
The sources don’t agree, and the gap is large. Culinary Depot says to confirm an internal temperature of 180 to 190°F. America’s Test Kitchen goes the other way: pull the bird when the thickest part of the breast hits 150°F, and let carryover cooking take it to about 160 to 165°F.
ATK’s author learned this the hard way. The first turkey was fried in 350°F oil until the breast hit 160°F, and it was drastically overcooked, because the temperature kept rising while it rested. Its expert advice was to fry at around 300°F to limit carryover cooking.
That’s one test kitchen’s experience, not a rule for every fryer. But it explains why a time-only chart can overshoot. Probe the thickest part of the breast, and rest your bird before you decide it’s done. Ten to 20 minutes is the rest time Culinary Depot gives.
How much oil do you need?
Measure it, don’t guess. Culinary Depot and Fueling a Southern Soul both use water displacement. Put the turkey in the empty pot, add water until the bird is covered, and mark the water line. Then remove the turkey, dump the water, and dry the pot. That mark is your oil line, so you’ll want a permanent marker!
Both sources list 4 to 5 gallons of oil for a 12 to 14 pound bird, and Kosmo’s Q lists 5 gallons. Treat those as ballpark numbers, since the mark is what counts. Fueling a Southern Soul warns not to fill the pot with oil first and then add the bird, because that’s how it overflows.
What safety steps do the sources repeat?
Several show up in more than one place. Fry outdoors on a flat surface away from the house, garage and anything flammable. Don’t fry a frozen or partly frozen bird, and pat it dry, since moisture and hot oil don’t mix. Don’t leave your fryer unattended while it heats or cooks, and keep a fire extinguisher close!
The sources differ on details. Culinary Depot turns the burner off before lowering the turkey in, then lowers it in short stop-and-go steps. Fueling a Southern Soul lowers the bird “very slowly” and keeps the flame going while it fries. Check your fryer’s manual for its rule, since we haven’t tested either.
How long should you thaw it first?
Longer than you think. Kosmo’s Q allows about 24 hours of fridge time for every 4 pounds, so a 12 lb bird needs at least 3 days.
Fueling a Southern Soul says 7 to 9 days before frying, though it doesn’t tie that to a weight. Both agree on one point: never fry it frozen. Our turkey calculator works out thawing time from your bird’s weight.
Should you brine or inject it?
The sources lean toward flavor prep. ATK’s expert uses a brown sugar and kosher salt treatment, and another expert prefers a prebrined bird plus injected flavored butter. Fueling a Southern Soul injects a butter marinade and refrigerates it for 24 hours. If you want a wet brine instead, see our turkey brining guide.
One more note on stuffing. Culinary Depot says a deep-fried turkey can’t be stuffed, so cook the stuffing in a casserole dish in the oven.
What do you do with the oil afterward?
Let it cool completely. Culinary Depot says that takes roughly 3 hours, while Fueling a Southern Soul waits 12 to 24 hours before pouring it off.
Culinary Depot says the oil can be used two more times and starts to break down after its third use. A Reddit cook on a general deep frying thread describes how to save it:
“Let it cool some and strain it through fine wire mesh and then cheese cloth. Put it in a can or jar in your pantry. You can tell it’s bad by the smell.”
– r/Cooking (215 upvotes)
That’s about frying in general, not turkey oil specifically.
Not frying after all? Our spatchcock turkey cooking time and how long to smoke a turkey guides cover the other routes. Kosmo’s Q points out that frying frees up oven space for sides, so see our Thanksgiving side dishes ranked.
Deep fried turkey questions people ask
How many gallons of peanut oil for a 15 lb turkey?
The sources we read list 4 to 5 gallons for a 12 to 14 pound bird, so a 15 pounder is at the top of that or above it. Measure with water displacement rather than trusting a number.
Is it worth deep frying a turkey?
America’s Test Kitchen says that when done well, a deep-fried turkey is amazing, with browned skin and juicy meat. Enthusiasts call it the best they’ve had. The author also found it daunting at first, so go in with a plan.
Do you brine a fried turkey?
You can. Kosmo’s Q brines for 12 to 24 hours and pats the bird dry without rinsing. ATK’s experts use a sugar and salt treatment or a prebrined bird, then inject butter.