Thanksgiving is just a few days away and most families are planning their dinner menu and trying to decide how to prepare their turkey this year.

While most people prefer to toss their turkey in the oven for several hours, there are actually a variety of different ways you can prepare a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.

One of the most popular is to fry it in a turkey fryer. Turkey fryers are made specifically for frying large birds and while they can make your turkey absolutely delicious, if you aren’t careful they can be dangerous.

Turkey fryers are responsible for hundreds of house fires and burn injuries during the Thanksgiving holiday and some people are even nervous about using one.

Don’t let the fear of a turkey fryer stop you from making a tender and tasty turkey, follow these tips and you won’t burn yourself, the turkey or anything else nearby.

The best turkey fryer is sturdy, heats up quickly, and makes a tasty turkey: http://t.co/nkCimp3KDB pic.twitter.com/HL3QRc4ENO

— The Sweethome (@homesweethome) November 18, 2014

Stay On The Job
It can take a while for a turkey to fry and it can be tempting to leave and watch some football or set the table while the turkey is in the fryer. You should never leave the turkey fryer unattended, even for just a few minutes. It could spill or leak out and cause a fire or burn someone. If you need to take a break, ask a friend or family member to keep an eye on it for you until you return.

Don’t Fry Inside
While it can be tempting to bring your turkey fryer inside, especially in cold weather, don’t do it. The safest place to use a turkey fryer is outside and away from your home or any other structures. This will prevent the turkey fryer from catching anything else on fire and give you more room to work.

Handle The Bird Carefully
Who isn’t excited to get their deep fried turkey out of the fryer and onto the table? Although you might be in a hurry to get the dinner ready, don’t yank your turkey out of the fryer. You need to be careful when removing it and always use oven mitts to reduce the chance of burns. Pulling the turkey out quickly could cause the grease in the fryer to splatter or drip, causing a fire or burning someone nearby.

Turkey Fryer Fire Demonstration, presented by William … Video for safety tips for turkey fryers► 1:39► 1:39… http://t.co/5zWMhvAOxf

— Laborers' Benefit (@LaborersBenefit) November 18, 2014

Frying a turkey is a fast and delicious way to prepare one, and you likely won’t have any complaints at the dinner table. If you are planning to fry a turkey this Thanksgiving, make sure you do so with care.