Fried vs Smoked Turkey

It's that time of year. I usually fry a couple birds each year for both our our families.
With the injury I'm not sure I should be working around the hot oil. I can get a helper but thought I would ask what everyone's though are on smoked turkey vs fried. I got a big green egg so my beer can chicken is pretty well liked so I think I could do a decent one.

Recipes? Advice? Is smoking worth the extra time?

 

Spatchcoked and smoked. It makes getting the dark meat done easier. I'll never do one another way.
https://www.seriouseats.com/2012/11...-thanksgiving-fast-easy-way-spatchcocked.html

 

I don’t do either. I inject one with creole butter, rub it with seasoning and put it in one of these.

https://www.charbroil.com/the-big-easy-oil-less-fryer

 

I got a giant turkey fryer as my mother inlaw never fully understood what it meant when I said I could only fry a 14lb bird. She likes to push the limits for holidays.
Anyways it is easy enough to do and I usually do it alone. Just it's $40 to buy the oil and is really only worth it if I fry a bunch of them. Have to get a little cousin to help or something but thought maybe smoking one just so I'll know the difference. Hard part will be explaining to which family why they get smoked turkey as they are used to fried now.

 

Do both. The best turkey I've ever done I smoked it for about 2 hours (can't remember exactly but it wasn't long) with apple wood, THEN deep fried it. It was amazing. Nice smokey flavour, but crispy skin and juicy meat.

 

That may be a good idea. Doesn't exactly help with the work load but I tend to go overboard when cooking.

 

Fried Turkey is amazing!

 

Just giving another option. If you really want to reduce the workload just do a spatchcocked one. It's pretty easy, and cuts down on cooking time, and produces great results as everything cooks more evenly.

 

Deep fried. Don't smoke 'em cause they don't fit in the bong.

 

They're a bitch to keep lit too

 

I LOVE smoked turkey. I’ll do a high smoke for the first hour, then crank it up to around 325 for the rest of the cook to crisp the skin. Always turns out GREAT.

 

+1 on smoke first then deep fry last

 

I love both ways, but have only done smoked myself. I prefer whole bone-in breasts instead of whole turkeys, but either way it doesn't take nearly as long as you might think. I usually inject with creole butter and rub with something.

 

A few years back my aunt and uncle had the all the family over for Thanksgiving so it was a pretty decent size turnout. They made all 3 bird....1 roasted, 1 fried and 1 smoked.

If I recall correctly the smoked was the one that seemed to receive the most accolades. I think it was a combination of the smoked flavor as well as a better brining prep.

 

I have a frozen smoked turkey I intend on frying at some point.

 

My favorite turkey I Rotisseried on the Weber Kettle with a couple of small chunks of Hickory thrown on top of the coals. IIRC I put a cajun butter seasoning under the skin. Damn, I'm hungry

 

Never been a fan of smoked meats. Like I'm sucking on a charred stick.

 

I have one of these also. I’ve found you absolutely have to brine to get some flavor but they do come out juicy with a good crispy skin. I generally smoke one and put one on the big easy...the smoked one is usually gone first but my wife would kill me if I didn’t do the big easy one. Another plus is it frees up the ovens to make more pies.

You ever cook anything in there besides turkey?

 

Where do you live???