The Seasoning Blend Your Deep-Fried Turkey Needs

Once you start deep frying your turkeys, it's hard to go back. Submerging the bird in bubbling oil makes it taste much better, ensuring that all it needs is a dash of salt and pepper. However, the mild-tasting bird does favor complex flavors, and who are we to deny it? Rather than whipping up your own spice blend for fried turkey, elevate it with Old Bay seasoning for a bolder taste.

Deep frying a turkey drastically cuts down on the cooking time, and it also produces a more flavorful bird. The skin develops a delicious crispness while the flesh remains juicy. The method works even better with a delightful spice blend like Old Bay seasoning. Though the product is prominently associated with seafood boils, grilled shrimp kebabs, or crab cakes, it's great for flavoring poultry. The blend contains celery salt, paprika, black and red pepper, as well as spices like mustard powder, bay leaf, and cinnamon.

The warm, aromatic blend deepens the taste of a fried turkey while also simplifying and safe-guarding the cooking process. The savory spice mix can be used to brine the bird prior to cooking it. Brining poultry enhances the taste and Old Bay works as a great seasoning for splatter-free deep-fried turkey since it won't splash the hot oil around like a wet brine would. Pat the turkey dry before rubbing it down with salt and Old Bay. Seal it with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours before frying.

Sprucing up a turkey with Old Bay seasoning doesn't give the dish a traditional taste, but the spice blend can certainly be used with all the earthy flavors typically used to enhance turkey. The product works well with the ingredients in autumnal herby turkey, with the savory, aromatic notes complementing the woodsy, pungent rosemary, sage, garlic, and onion used in the compound butter. After frying the turkey, whip up the compound butter and place a pat of it onto the meat and allow it to melt.

For deep-fried turkey with a ham-like quality, add sugar to the Old Bay seasoning before brining the meat. Sugar adds a succulent, sweet flavor to turkey while helping the skin get perfectly browned and crispy. The umami Old Bay seasoning complements any sugar's honeyed taste, but it works especially well with brown sugar. The rich, toffee-tasting granules mesh well with the deeper parts of Old Bay like clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Once the turkey's done, allow it to cool before slicing it up and serving it with dressing. A classic dressing with poultry seasoning and herbs works well, or you can add a dash of tartness to the turkey with this autumn country bread stuffing, which features dried cranberries, fresh thyme, and pecans.