This recipe is for a Smoked and Fried Turkey - or Smo Fried Turkey. First step is to brine a whole turkey, smoke it with pecan wood, and then deep fried it in peanut oil to get a juicy, smoked turkey with a perfectly crispy turkey skin.
I brined this 12lb bird, then smoked it on a pellet grill until it hit around 150° internal, then I dropped it in 350° peanut oil until the breast was 165°. As soon as it came out of the hot oil, I gave it a good shake of my cajun seasoning.... This turkey came out with a super crunchy, crispy skin on the outside and some seriously juicy, smoked meat on the inside!
Malcom Reed
Ingredients
1 Whole Turkey 12lbs
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1 bottle Malcom’s Bird Brine
2 gallons Water
1 can Vegetable Cooking Spray (or your favorite oil)
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2 Tablespoons Killer Hogs AP Seasoning
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2 Tablespoons Malcom’s King Craw Seasoning
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Meat Bags
Directions
Remove thawed turkey from packaging be sure to check the cavity and neck area for giblets.
Place the turkey in Meat Bag or large container and pour in the bottle of Bird Brine. Add 2 gallons of water (enough to completely submerge the bird) and place in the refrigerator or in a cooler on ice for 24-48 hours.
Remove turkey from brine and allow to drain. Place on a wire rack over a sheet pan and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours to dry the skin. (It helps to pat the excess moisture off the skin with paper towel)
Prepare pellet grill for indirect smoking at 275°F using pecan pellets.
Spray the skin with the cooking spray – or another oil – and season with AP seasoning on all sides.
Place the turkey in the smoker breast side up until an internal meat probe hits about 150° F.
Set up a turkey fryer for deep frying at 350°F using peanut oil for best flavor. Any clear frying oil will work.
Remove the turkey from the smoker and insert the turkey frying rod/hanger through the cavity.
Leave the meat probe inserted in the thickest part of the breast to monitor internal temperature while frying.
Carefully lower the turkey breast side down into the hot oil. Use extreme caution and follow the turkey fryer directions carefully.
When the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the breast, carefully remove the turkey from the hot oil allowing it to drain. Place the turkey immediately on a cutting board breast side up and remove the turkey frying rod/hanger.
Season the outer skin with King Craw Cajun Seasoning and let the bird rest for 5-10 minutes before carving.
