The Thanksgiving holiday is approaching and the big question on everyone’s mind is “How should the turkey be prepared?” You can use the traditional method of roasting your turkey in the oven, or you can try the deep-frying method. To help you decide which technique is best for you, here are some advantages and disadvantages to both.
Deep Fried Turkey
Advantages-
Speed: Cooking a turkey using the deep fry method allows you to cook the turkey faster. A 12-pound turkey will only take about 36 minutes to deep fry, while a 15-pound turkey will take about 45 minutes to deep fry.
Flavor: Deep-frying a turkey seals in the juices so the inside of the turkey stays flavorful and moist, while the outside remains nice and crispy.
Quick Clean up: When you roast a turkey you have to deal with scrubbing the roasting pan afterwards, but with the deep-frying method there will be no baked on grime to clean up after.
Disadvantages-
Danger: Frying a turkey can be very dangerous if there is too much oil in your pot. This will cause the oil to overflow when you place your turkey in, which could lead to a serious fire. You also risk getting serious burns caused by oil splattering.
Weather: Deep-frying has to be done outside, so if it rains or even snows it may put a damper on your holiday meal plans.
Price: You will need to purchase the materials to deep-fry your turkey, along with gallons of cooking oil, which can really add up.
Non-Traditional: You won’t be able to make gravy from the juices or have the stuffing cooked inside the turkey. So if your guests are expecting the traditional gravy or stuffing, they might be a little disappointed.
Food Poisoning Risk: If your oil temperature is too high you risk having a very crispy exterior and the inside may not be cooked completely. This causes a risk for food poisoning.
Oven Roasted Turkey
Advantages-
No Additional Expense: You won’t need to buy any additional equipment, your oven and a large roasting pan is all you will need.
Tradition: You will be able to make gravy from the left over juices, and if you choose to stuff your turkey with stuffing, you will be able to.
Time: You will have the time you need to prepare all your other Thanksgiving foods while your turkey cooks in the oven.
Safety: You won’t have to worry about a fire risk or burns, from splattering oil, like you would with the deep-fry method.
Disadvantages-
Tim: You will need to get an early start with the oven roasted method because the turkey will have to cook for many hours. Cooking a Turkey that is about 18 pounds will take at least five hours.
Dryness: Since you have to cook the turkey for so long, you run the risk of drying it out, especially the breast meat.
Food Poisoning Risk: Miscalculating cooking times can cause your turkey to be undercooked, which could cause food poisoning.
