We are coming upon one of the greatest and most delicious holidays of the year, Thanksgiving. There will be plenty of turkey and mashed potatoes and green bean casserole and apple pie to send us into a food coma. One thing we see every year, however, is a news story about someone getting severely injured, or even killed, trying to fry a turkey for that Thanksgiving meal. Let's learn what not to do to stay safe this Thanksgiving.

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A fried turkey is so delicious. A fried turkey can also be very dangerous. Why? Because a lot of people ignore safety and common sense to get that bird to the table. Fire departments put on demonstrations every year to show what can happen if frying a turkey is not done properly. Before you start commenting, yes that fryer was overfilled with a oil, a big no-no. Yes, it was just dropped in the grease instead of being lowered slowly. The point of what is happening here is that if a fried turkey is done wrong, like in this video, this is what will happen.

Here's what NOT to do when frying a turkey this Thanksgiving.

  • Use the fryer outdoors. Common sense, yes, but I've seen some set up at the front of their garage or on their porch. Get the fryer away from your house.
  • Make sure your turkey fryer is level. It doesn't take much to tip one over.
  • Never, ever, drop the turkey in and leave. Watch it the whole time its frying.
  • Keep your kids and your pets away from the fryer. Best way to do this is just keep them entertained inside.
  • DO NOT overfill your fryer. Basic physics here, if you add a solid to a liquid, the liquid is going to get pushed up.
  • DO NOT FRY A FROZEN TURKEY. Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and dried off as much as possible.
  • Have a fire extinguisher on hand.
  • DO NOT fry your turkey if it is raining. The rain dropping into the hot oil will cause the oil to boil over. No, DO NOT put a tent or other type of covering over it. Find another way to cook the turkey.
  • After your fried turkey is done, the oil will take time to cool off. Let it cool before emptying the oil and cleaning.

Another great tip, simply follow the instructions. It's that easy. Follow the instructions and you will have very few, if not any, issues frying a great tasting turkey for Thanksgiving this year.

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