How to Cook a Frozen Turkey

Did you forget to thaw the turkey and now you need to figure out how to cook it in its frozen state? If you have forgotten to thaw the bird, don't worry.

There are several methods you can use to thaw a turkey, but they all require some advance planning. Assume you you have a 16 pound turkey that's still frozen, and you want to serve it for dinner that evening. It will take 8 hours to thaw using the cold water method, and then 4 hours to roast unstuffed. Since you'd be able to cook that same turkey in 6 hours from the frozen state, it makes more sense to just cook a frozen turkey.http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/crawford/documents/Cooking_turkey.pdf

Cooking frozen turkey produces a juicy, tender, and safe product. There is no need to remember to thaw the turkey four days ahead of time, and cooking a frozen turkey minimizes risk of pathogen cross-contamination from juices from the raw bird.

Cooking a frozen turkey may actually result in a better-tasting meal because the frozen water in the breast meat takes longer to melt than the water in the leg and thigh. This means that the leg and thigh come out well cooked and tender, not tough, and the breast is still juicy.

1. Preheat the oven to 325. While some people prefer to roast their turkey at a higher temperature to ensure a golden brown bird, a frozen bird should be cooked at 325.http://busycooks.about.com/od/thanksgiving/a/cookfrozenturke.htm
2. Unwrap the turkey, season with salt, black pepper, and poultry seasoning and place in a roasting pan in the oven.
3. Remove the giblet bag if there is one stuffed inside the turkey -- the plastic can melt and leach toxins into the bird if it is left in.http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/thanksgiving-turkey/AN01483 If it is impossible to remove the giblet bag in its frozen state, you will need to remove it a couple of hours after the turkey has been placed in the oven.http://www.grassfedrecipes.com/turkey-cook-times.html
4. Baste as desired.

The turkey should be placed onto a rack in a baking pan, which may be left open or covered. This method enables the heat to distribute evenly around the bird.http://www.grassfedrecipes.com/turkey-cook-times.html

A frozen turkey will take 50% longer to cook than a thawed turkey. Make sure to use a meat thermometer to ensure that the turkey has been cooked to a safe temperature. The turkey is considered done when the meat in the inner thigh reaches 180 F.http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/crawford/documents/Cooking_turkey.pdf

The frozen turkey may be basted with juices and seasonings before it goes into the oven, but for maximum flavor it should be basted again during the cooking process. Basting frequency is up to the cook, but some home chefs recommend basting and seasoning an hour into the roasting process and then several more times thereafter.http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1739,135178-247198,00.html