How Long Should A Turkey Thaw Before Cooking

How To Safely Thaw a Frozen Turkey in Time for the Big Meal

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For the vast majority of us, the turkey we buy for Thanksgiving and other holidays will be frozen when we bring it home. And good golly, is that turkey frozen solid. Unfortunately, many of us have heard stories about the turkey still being frozen on Thanksgiving morning, but with a little know-how you can easily avoid that situation (and cope with it if you find yourself in it). Here's how to make sure your turkey is safely defrosted right on schedule for your holiday meal.

(Image credit: Emma Christensen)

The Best Way to Thaw: In the Refrigerator

Letting your turkey thaw in the refrigerator is by far the safest and easiest method — it's totally hands off — but it takes the longest. Here's how to do it:

Place the turkey (in its original packaging) on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. The rack helps to elevate the turkey and provide circulation on all sides for even thawing, but isn't strictly necessary if you don't have one or are using a different pan. But be sure to place the turkey in some sort of pan to catch any juices that may drip from the turkey's packaging as it thaws, potentially cross-contaminating other food in your fridge.
Transfer the turkey to the refrigerator: Make sure there is nothing touching or leaning against the turkey. Do not place anything else in the pan with the turkey; juices may leak from the turkey as it thaws and can contaminate anything else in the pan.
Thaw the turkey completely in the fridge: Total thawing time will depend on the size of your turkey; refer to the chart below and allow about 24 hours for every five pounds of turkey. If you have time, give yourself a day or two as a buffer just in case your turkey takes longer to thaw than expected. Thawed turkeys can be kept for up to 2 days in the refrigerator, so it's better to err on the side of allowing more time than less.

Refrigerator Thawing Times for a Frozen Turkey

4- to 12-pound turkey — 1 to 3 days
12- to 16-pound turkey — 3 to 4 days
16- to 20-pound turkey — 4 to 5 days
20- to 24-pound turkey — 5 to 6 days

A note on brining: If you're planning to brine your turkey, either in a brine solution or with a dry-brine, you can start this while it's still partially frozen.

(Image credit: Emma Christensen)

The Faster Way to Thaw: In Cold Water

If you're running short on time, you can speed up the thawing process with the cold water method: Simply submerge the frozen turkey, still in its packaging, in cold tap water, allowing about 30 minutes for every pound of turkey. Here's how to do it:

Place your turkey in a large plastic bag: The packaging on your turkey isn't necessarily waterproof. To prevent the turkey from getting waterlogged during this quick-thaw process, put it in a large plastic bag to protect it.
Place the turkey in a large pot or bucket: Make sure the turkey fits inside the pot and can be fully submerged.
Fill the pot with cold water. Do not use warm or hot water to speed thawing — this puts the turkey within the "danger zone" of 40°F to 140°F for longer than is safe, and your risk of food poisoning increases drastically. Weigh the turkey down with a pot or other heavy pan if it floats.
Change out the water every 30 minutes. As notes above, estimate roughly 30 minutes for every pound of turkey and use the chart below for timing.

Cold Water Thawing Times for Frozen Turkey

4- to 12-pound turkey — 2 to 6 hours
12- to 16-pound turkey — 6 to 8 hours
16- to 20-pound turkey — 8 to 10 hours
20- to 24-pound turkey — 10 to 12 hours

How to Tell When Your Turkey Is Thawed

Check the turkey each time you change the water to gauge how thawing is coming along. Here's how:

Check the breast meat: When thawed, the breast meat should feel pliable and springy.
Check the legs: When thawed, the legs and wings should move loosely in their sockets.
Check the inside: The inside should be free of ice crystals and you should be able to easily remove the packet of giblets.

Partially thawed turkey? You can use this quick-thawing method in combination with the refrigerator method if you realize your turkey is still partially frozen on Thanksgiving or Christmas morning.

A note on safety: Turkeys thawed in cold water should be cooked immediately after thawing.

No Time to Thaw? Cook It Frozen!

If your guests are due to arrive in a few hours and your turkey is still frozen solid, don't panic! It's actually completely safe to cook a frozen, or partially frozen turkey. Roast it at 325°F and increase the cooking time by about 50 percent if totally frozen, or about 25 percent if partially frozen. This works because the heat of the oven keeps the turkey out of the danger zone; as the turkey thaws, it also starts to cook. Remove the giblets as soon as they are thawed enough to do so, and season the turkey with salt, pepper, and other spices halfway through cooking. The turkey is done when it registers at least 165°F in all areas. See How to Cook a Frozen Turkey for all the details and a timing chart.

How Not to Thaw: On the Countertop

You should never leave your turkey on the counter to thaw, or try thawing your turkey in warm water, by blowing it with a hair dryer, or any other shortcuts. All of these methods put the turkey within the danger temperature zone of 40°F to 140°F for longer than is safe, and your risk of food poisoning increases drastically.

All facts in this article are based on the USDA guidelines for safe poultry cooking.

Emma Christensen

Contributor

Emma is a former editor for The Kitchn and a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. She is the author of True Brews and Brew Better Beer. Check out her website for more cooking stories.

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