Tips for frying turkey breast include making proper preparations to cook the poultry, preparing the fryer and oil, and determining the appropriate cooking time. Some tips that differ from traditional turkey cooking procedures when frying turkey breast are geared toward safety and cooking location. Tips used for frying turkey breast can include determining the proper size turkey breast to use, the type of oil that can be used and proper resting time for the cooked meat. There are also preferred methods for cooling the oil, filtering the oil and determining the shelf life of used oil.
Cooks considering deep-frying a turkey or turkey breast should find a safe location to set up the fryer. Appropriate cooking areas include outdoor areas clear of any structures or buildings. The oil used in frying turkey breast can easily spill and catch on fire, so the cooking should not be close to anything flammable. Another tip is to pat the turkey dry with paper towels prior to placing the poultry into the hot oil. Any water on or in the meat will result in splashing and popping of the hot oil, potentially lifting it up and out of the roaster pan.
Once the proper location has been chosen, the proper oil must be decided on. An oil with a high smoking point is typically the best choice for frying turkey breast. Peanut oil is the most common type of oil used when frying turkey breast, however, corn, sunflower and canola oils are also suitable oils to use. The oil must be brought up to the correct cooking temperature before placing the turkey into the oil.
When frying turkey breast, a tip to having a less oily turkey is to allow the turkey to rest on a bed of paper towels for several minutes after it has finished cooking. This will allow the excess oil to drain out of and off of the turkey and be collected in the paper towels for easy disposal. If the cooking oil is to be reused, it is wise to allow the oil to cool down in the pan with a lid covering it to prevent contamination. Once cooled, the oil can be strained through a cheese cloth and filtered through a coffee filter to be stored in the refrigerator until the next use.