A Dozen Foods You Didn't Know You Could Deep Fry
Sure, anything can be tossed in the fryer, but not everything comes out tasting good. Here at the Thrillist test kitchen, we give loads of things the deep-fry treatment. Sometimes they come out glorious and life-altering, like grilled cheese soup dumplings or fried pot pie, but sometimes we make mistakes so bad, regret lingers in our pores for weeks.
Lucky for you, I did all the experimentation already and can wholeheartedly stand behind these 12 recipes. From Cubano corn dogs to Cadbury Scotch eggs, I've made them all many times, and you should too!
Chicken pot pie
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 8
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
- 1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ¾ cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 rotisserie chicken, meat only, shredded (about 2 ½ cups)
- 10 ounces (2 cups) frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn), thawed
- 2 quarts vegetable oil
- 16 frozen empanada wrappers or "discos", thawed
DIRECTIONS:
- In a large saucepan, melt 1 stick butter over medium heat. When foam starts to subside, add onion; cook until soft, 2 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, thyme, and pepper until well-blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in chicken and vegetables. Remove from heat.
- Heat oil to 350℉ in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed 4-quart pot fitted with an oil thermometer.
- Lay empanada wrappers on a lightly floured surface. Dip a finger in water and brush along edges to moisten. Scoop 1/2 cup of chicken mixture into the center of 8 wrappers. Flip the other wrappers on top of the filling so that moist edges match up and seal in the filling; crimp edges closed with the tines of a fork.
- Melt remaining 1/2 stick butter in a small dish in the microwave.
- Gently place 2-3 pies at a time into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes each side. Remove from oil and place on paper towels to drain. Immediately brush both sides with melted butter.
Peanut butter and jelly
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 12
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 quarts canola oil
- 12 slices white sandwich bread, edges trimmed
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup grape jelly
- ¼ milk
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oil to 350℉ in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot fitted with an oil thermometer.
- In the center of each bread slice, dollop 1 teaspoon peanut butter and 1 teaspoon jelly. Working with one slice at a time, fold the edges over the fillings and use your hands to mold it into a ball. Drizzle a little milk over the ball to help bind it together. Repeat with remaining slices.
- Fry balls in hot oil for 2 minutes; drain to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve warm.
Deviled eggs
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Yield: 14
INGREDIENTS:
- 12 eggs
- 4 ounces pancetta or thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 14 frozen spring roll pastry wrappers, thawed
- 2 quarts vegetable oil
DIRECTIONS:
- Place eggs in a single layer in a medium saucepan and fill with enough water to cover eggs by an inch. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and leave covered for 14 minutes. Rinse under cold water for 1 minute.
- Cook pancetta in a medium skillet until crispy, about 5 minutes.
- Crack egg shells and carefully peel under cool running water. Slice eggs in half lengthwise, removing and transferring yolks to a medium bowl, and placing the whites on a cutting board.
- Mash yolks into a fine crumble using a fork. Chop egg whites and add to yolks along with pancetta. Add mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and cayenne; mix well.
- Fill a small bowl with water and set it by your work surface. Lay an egg roll wrapper on your work surface in a diamond (with a corner facing you). Dip your index and middle finger in the water and brush them over the top edges of the diamond. Scoop 1/4 cup of the deviled egg filling onto the lower-third of the wrapper. Pick up the bottom corner and cover the filling, wrapping it tight (stay below the side corners). Fold in the sides and roll to the opposite end to seal.
- Heat oil to 375°F in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot. Fry rolls until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to drain.
Guacamole
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 32 bites
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 quarts vegetable oil
- 2 cups cold guacamole
- 1 (13-ounce) bag tortilla chips, finely crushed
- 2 eggs, beaten
- Kosher salt
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat oil to 375℉ in a deep fryer or heavy pot fitted with an oil thermometer.
- Working in batches, drop guacamole by the tablespoon into the crushed tortilla chips; roll around to coat. Dip each ball into the eggs, then dredge once more in the chips.
- Fry guacamole balls in the hot oil until golden brown and crisp, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Sprinkle with salt.
Cubanos
Yield: 8
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup (6 ounces) leftover pulled pork
- ¾ cup (5 ounces) deli ham, cut into ¼-inch cubes
- 2 slices Swiss cheese, cut into ¼-inch squares
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons dill relish
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup warm (not hot) water
- ¾ teaspoon unflavored gelatin
- ½ cup + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 ½ cups cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ? teaspoon cayenne
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups well-shaken buttermilk
- 2 quarts peanut oil
- Yellow mustard for serving
- Pickle spears for serving
DIRECTIONS:
- Mix shredded pork and next five ingredients (through Dijon mustard) in a medium bowl. Dissolve gelatin in warm water, and add to pork mixture; stir until combined.
- Fill popsicle molds with pork mixture, and insert a wooden stick into each one (if you don’t have molds, skip down to the bottom for alternative instructions). Cover and chill in refrigerator overnight or at least 8 hours.
- Whisk together cornmeal, ½ cup of the flour, vegetable oil, baking powder, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cayenne in a medium bowl. Add eggs and buttermilk; mix until smooth. Let stand for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat peanut oil to 350°F in a deep-fat fryer or a deep 3-quart pot over medium-high heat.
- Put remaining 3 tablespoons flour in a shallow dish. Unmold pork skewers, with a little help from a knife, and dredge each one in flour to coat, shaking off excess.
- Stir batter to recombine and fill a tall drinking glass almost to the top with batter. Working with one at a time, submerge pork in glass and twirl to coat with batter. Allow excess batter to drip off. Slowly dip it into the oil and fry, flipping occasionally, until golden-brown, 10-12 minutes. You can fry 2-3 skewers at a time. Transfer to a wire rack to drain. Between batches, return oil to 350°F and refill the glass with batter.
- Serve with mustard and pickle spears.
Cookie dough
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 24
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 ½ cups chilled chocolate chip cookie dough
- 2 quarts vegetable oil, for frying
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ cup seltzer water, plus more, if needed
- Sea salt, for serving
DIRECTIONS:
- Roll cookie dough into 1-tablespoon size balls. Keep chilled in the fridge until ready.
- Heat oil to 350℉ in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot fitted with an oil thermometer.
- Combine 2 cups flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk in egg and seltzer. The batter should have the consistency of heavy cream; add more seltzer if needed.
- Working in batches, dredge cookie dough balls in remaining 1 cup flour. Using a toothpick, dip each ball into the batter, letting excess batter drip back into the bowl. Carefully slip it into the hot oil; fry for about 4 minutes, until golden brown..
- Drain fried dough balls on a paper towel-lined plate; remove toothpicks. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve warm.
Grilled cheese and tomato soup
Total Time: 8 hours, including freezer time
Yield: 32
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed tomato soup
- 16 slices Kraft Singles American cheese
- 32 slices (about 1½ loaves) white sandwich bread, edges cut off
- 2 cups milk
- 2 quarts vegetable oil
DIRECTIONS:
- Fill molds of an ice cube tray with soup (do not add water or milk). You should have enough soup to fill 8 molds. Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Cut each cube into 4 pieces. Wrap each piece in half a slice of cheese. Wrap a slice of bread around the cheese and drizzle 1 tablespoon of milk on the bread to get it moist enough to bind into a ball. Make sure there are no open seams.
- Heat oil to 325℉ in a deep fryer or a deep, heavy-bottomed pot fitted with an oil thermometer.
- Fry dumplings in batches until golden brown, 5-6 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
- Eat with caution, not only because they're hot, but because someone's going to fight you for that last one.
Donuts
Total Time: 3 minutes per donut
Yield: As many as you can handle
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups vegetable oil
- However many donuts you have laying around
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat oil to 350℉ in a deep fryer or heavy pot fitted with an oil thermometer.
- Slice each donut in half lengthwise, then slice each half in half, so you have 4 discs. Gently place them into the hot oil and fry until brown, about 1 minute each side.
- Transfer to a wire rack to drain and cool slightly.
- To make the dip, whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth.
Cadbury creme eggs
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: Baker's dozen
INGREDIENTS:
- 13 Cadbury Creme Eggs
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 2 quarts peanut oil
- 3 egg whites, whisked with 3 tablespoons water
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 4 cups Cocoa Krispies
DIRECTIONS:
- Freeze Cadbury eggs for at least 30 minutes.
- Cook cake according to package instructions for a 13x9-inch pan. Let cool completely.
- Heat oil to 375℉ in a deep fryer or heavy pot fitted with a thermometer.
- Scoop 1/3 cup of cake into your hand, press a Cadbury egg into the center, and cup your hand around the egg until the cake fully envelopes the egg. Press to adhere the cake.
- Dip into egg whites, dredge in cocoa powder, and then dredge in Cocoa Krispies. Cup your hands around the egg again and press until the cereal adheres to the cake. Place the egg on a slotted spoon and carefully drop into the hot oil. Fry for 1-2 minutes, until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining eggs.
- Let cool slightly but eat while still warm.
Bourbon soaked twinkies
Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Yield: 6
INGREDIENTS:
- 6 Hostess Twinkies
- 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) bourbon
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 1 quart vegetable oil, plus 1 tablespoon, divided
- 1 cup flour, plus 6 tablespoons, divided
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS:
- Place a Twinkie in a shallow bowl, and drizzle 1 tablespoon of bourbon all over. Make sure it soaks up every last drop, then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining Twinkies. Place the sheet of Twinkies in the freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Heat 1 quart of oil in a fryer or large, heavy pot until it reaches 375°F.
- Combine milk, vinegar, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a liquid measuring cup.
- Whisk together 1 cup flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
- Put remaining flour in a shallow dish and dredge a Twinkie in it, coating all surfaces. Insert a short wooden skewer into the middle. Holding onto the skewer, dip the Twinkie into the batter, fully coating it and letting excess drip off. Submerge Twinkie in hot oil for a few seconds, and let go of the skewer. Let it fry for 2 minutes, then flip it and fry for another 2 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack; remove the skewer. Depending on the size of your pot, you can cook 2-3 at a time, just be sure it doesn't reduce the temperature of the oil too much.
Thanksgiving leftovers
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 32 fritters
INGREDIENTS:
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup medium-ground cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups solid leftovers (turkey, stuffing, green beans), chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1-2 quarts vegetable oil, for frying
- Cranberry sauce and/or gravy, for dipping (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, black pepper, sugar, and cayenne.
- In a small bowl, whisk milk and egg until combined; pour into flour mixture. Stir until combined. Add the Thanksgiving leftovers and stir until evenly mixed.
- Pour oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pot until it's about 3 inches deep. Place over medium-high heat until it reaches 365°F on an oil thermometer. Carefully drop 5 tablespoons of batter into the oil. Fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown all over, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fritters to a wire rack or paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve immediately with leftover gravy and cranberry sauce.
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Total Time: 35 minutes, plus freezing time
Yield: 32-36 bombs
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup gravy
- 4 cups cold mashed potatoes
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup flour
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 2 quarts vegetable oil, for frying
DIRECTIONS:
- Pour gravy into an icecube tray and freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Unmold gravy cubes and cut them into 4 smaller pieces.
- In a large bowl, mix together mashed potatoes, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
- Place flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs in three separate bowls. Wrap 2 tablespoons of mashed potatoes around 1 gravy cube. Dredge in flour, shaking off the excess, dip into eggs, and coat in breadcrumbs. Repeat with remaining mashed potatoes and gravy.
- In a deep fryer, heat oil to 375°F. Fry potato balls, a few at a time, for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Serve warm.