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Do you need to know hoew to defrost a turkey quickly and safely? If you are planning on cooking your frozen turkey, then you most likely will want to thaw it. This page will guide you on three methods you can use to defrost a turkey as well as give you information on how you can cook a frozen turkey if you don't have time to thaw the turkey before cooking it.
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Turkey Thawing Tips
- Never thaw pre-stuffed turkeys.
- Thawing in the refrigerator is the best method.
- Thawing a turkey using cold water requires regular checking.
- Using a microwave is possible, but only if you plan on cooking immediately.
- If you plan on roasting your turkey, you can avoid thawing the turkey altogether.
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Thawing a Turkey
This video, produced by the Butterball Talk Line, presents several methods for thawing a turkey. Although the expert refers to a Butterball turkey throughout the video, the methods she discusses will work for any frozen turkey. A turkey will take one day to thaw for every 4 pounds of meat.
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Introduction
- If you bought a frozen, unstuffed turkey, chances are you will want to thaw it. You may be tempted to pull the turkey out, plop it on the counter and wait a few hours. However, turkeys should never be thawed at room temperature.University of Illinois Extension: Commodity Frozen Turkey Because turkeys can contain salmonella, campylobacter and other bacteria, it is just as important that you thaw your turkey properly as it is to cook it.MarthaStewart.com: Food Safety, Fallacies, and Facts
Method 1: Using Your Refrigerator
- Thawing your turkey in the refrigerator is the safest method and will provide you with the best finished product.National Turkey Federation: Turkey Thawing Hints However, it is also the slowest method so you will need to plan in advance.Healthlink: Turkey Topics Plan on 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds of turkey.National Turkey Federation: Turkey Thawing Hints
- Your refrigerator should be set to about 40°F.Healthlink: Turkey Topics
- Keep the turkey in the original, unopened wrapper.USDA: Let's Talk Turkey Butterball: How to Thaw
- Place the turkey breast side up on a shallow tray or pan.Butterball: How to Thaw This will prevent the juices from dripping onto fresh foods.Clemson University: How to Cook Turkey
- Set on the lowest shelf of your refrigerator, away from other food.University of Illinois Extension: Commodity Frozen Turkey
- A thawed turkey needs to be used within 48 hours.USDA: Let's Talk Turkey Do not keep it in your refrigerator for longer than one to two days.Clemson University: How to Cook Turkey
- You can refreeze a turkey that has been thawed, but expect some loss in quality.USDA: Let's Talk Turkey Healthlink: Turkey Topics
- When ready to cook, wash the turkey in cold water and let it drain.University of Illinois Extension: Commodity Frozen Turkey
Refrigerator Thawing Times Turkey Size Time Required 4 to 8 pounds 1 to 2 days 8 to 12 pounds 2 to 3 days 12 to 16 pounds 3 to 4 days 16 to 20 pounds 4 to 5 days 20 to 24 pounds 5 to 6 days - YouTube Video: Thawing a Turkey (Time: 1:06)
Method 2: Using Cold Water
- Although this method is faster than using the refrigerator, it also requires the most time and attention on your part.Healthlink: Turkey Topics Clemson University: How to Cook Turkey
- Your turkey needs to be in a leak-proof container.Minnesota Department of Health: Turkey: Safe Thawing and Cooking If the packaging is torn, place the turkey inside a plastic bag.Clemson University: How to Cook Turkey
- Submerge the turkey breast side down in cold tap water.Butterball: How to Thaw The water should cover the turkey completely.
- Change the water every 30 minutes to ensure the turkey stays chilled.USDA: Let's Talk Turkey Butterball: How to Thaw
- It will take about 30 minutes per pound to thaw the turkey completely.National Turkey Federation: Turkey Thawing Hints
- Once it is thawed, cook the turkey immediately.USDA: Let's Talk Turkey
- Do not refreeze a turkey thawed using this method.Minnesota Department of Health: Turkey: Safe Thawing and Cooking
Cold Water Thawing Times Turkey Size Time Required 4 to 8 pounds 2 to 4 hours 8 to 12 pounds 4 to 6 hours 12 to 16 pounds 6 to 8 hours 16 to 20 pounds 8 to 10 hours 20 to 24 pounds 10 to 12 hours - YouTube Video: How to Thaw a Turkey (Time: 0:43)
Method 3: Using Your Microwave
- In order to thaw a turkey using your microwave, you will need to check your owner's manual to see if it is possible.USDA: Let's Talk Turkey Some microwaves are not capable of handling larger turkeys.Clemson University: How to Cook Turkey The owner's manual will also tell you the minutes per pound and the power level necessary for your turkey.USDA: Let's Talk Turkey
- Remove any outside wrapping on the turkey.USDA: Let's Talk Turkey
- Place the turkey on a microwave-safe dish to catch any drips.Minnesota Department of Health: Turkey: Safe Thawing and Cooking
- Microwave-thawed turkeys must be cooked immediately after thawing because some parts of the turkey may have become warm and begun to cook.Clemson University: How to Cook Turkey Healthlink: Turkey Topics
- Be careful when handling microwave-thawed turkeys because bacteria present will not have been destroyed and may have reached temperatures that allow them to grow.Healthlink: Turkey Topics
- Do not refreeze or refrigerate your turkey if you have thawed it in the microwave until after it has been cooked.USDA: Let's Talk Turkey
Method 4: Don't Thaw
- If you discover at the last minute that you forgot to thaw your turkey, you can safely roast it without thawing it.USDA: Let's Talk Turkey However, this method does not work for turkeys that will be stuffed.University of Wisconsin Extension: Cooking a Frozen Turkey
- You cannot grill, smoke or deep-fry a frozen turkey.MayoClinic.com: Thanksgiving Turkey: Can You Cook It Frozen?
- A frozen turkey takes about 50 percent longer to cook than a thawed turkey.University of Illinois Extension: Commodity Frozen Turkey
- Remove the giblet package with a tongs or forks when the turkey has thawed enough in the oven.MayoClinic.com: Thanksgiving Turkey: Can You Cook It Frozen?
- For complete instructions on how to cook a frozen turkey, check out the following links listed below. For more information on how to cook a turkey, check out Mahalo's how to cook a turkey.
- Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management: Cooking Turkey from the Frozen State
- About.com: Cooking Turkey from Frozen
- University of Wisconsin Extension: Cooking a Frozen Turkey
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