If you've really forgotten until the last minute, you can stick a rock-hard, frozen turkey straight into the oven. 3 ways to thaw your turkey in time for Thanksgiving. Bonus: How to roast a frozen turkey. Refrigerator Thawing (Recommended) The USDA recommends thawing your turkey in the refrigerator. Brine the turkey in the refrigerator or an ice-filled cooler for 12 to 24 hours. Weigh the turkey down with a plate or bowl if it floats. You also should avoid using warm or hot water to thaw the turkey. Thaw for 1 day per every 4 pounds; This method should be planned well in advance to ensure youâve given the turkey enough time to thaw. Never thaw your turkey at room temperature! Turkey stay a the correct temperature to prevent proliferation of bacteria, but ensure thawing at the same time. Make sure the frozen turkey is in a leak-proof package or plastic bag. Ashlee Clark Thompson. The back and bottom of the fridge generally stay the coldest. Every four to five pounds of turkey will require 24-hours of thaw time in the refrigerator, according to the USDA. A 15 pound bird will take about 3 days to thaw completely. The time the turkey takes to thaw will vary based on the temperature of your refrigerator. Just follow the tips in the latter part of this article. Nov. 21, 2018 8:42 a.m. PT. RELATED: The easy way to make healthier comfort foods. Place the turkey in an oven bag or your brining container. Learning how to thaw frozen turkey safely is the first step to deliciously golden brown, perfectly moist Thanksgiving turkey success. 1. The best way to thaw turkey breast is in the refrigerator. Leave the ground turkey in the fridge for up to a day until it thaws. Let the turkey sit in the water. How to thaw a Thanksgiving turkey. The problem is, you need to allow 30 minutes of thawing time for every pound of frozen bird , and you MUST keep the water 40 F or colder the entire time. The turkey should ⦠Keep the turkey in its original wrapping. Place turkey on a tray on a bottom shelf in refrigerator; Allow 5 hours of thawing time per pound (10 hours/kg). Note: Changing the water every 30 minutes is key for food safety, so be sure to set a reminder. Controlling the thawing process using safe methods helps you thaw turkey fast while preventing potentially dangerous bacteria growth. Placing the turkey in the boiling water does not cok the turkey because it is still in the package. Im a big procrastinater so this works pretty fast when im in a rush, so since yours is already somewhat defrosted it would defrost even faster. Cold Water Thawing. There are three safe ways to defrost a turkey: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in a microwave oven. (It'll go more quickly if you regularly change the water, since it'll cool very quickly with your frozen turkey.) The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) food safety guidelines state that a whole turkey requires a full day for every 5 pounds, while 1 pound of ground beef typically thaws in one day. This takes some commitment: to thaw a 16 pound turkey will take 8 hours to thaw, allowing 30 minutes of defrosting time per pound. The fastest way to defrost a turkey breast is in the microwave, using its defrost setting. When the water gets cold, refill the sink with warmer water. This is both so it will thaw evenly and also to make sure everything stays chilled and safe. The submersion method will thaw your turkey at a rate of about 30 minutes per pound. Refrigerator Method: This method of thawing a turkey is the safest, as it keeps the meat cold until it is completely defrosted. Submerge the turkey in a large pot or other vessel filled with cool (40 degree) water, changing the water every 30 minutes or continuously running a slow stream of water from the tap. The best fast way to defrost or thaw chicken or poultry safely is easy and quick. If you have more time to spare, then go the regular way: thawing turkey in the refrigerator ensures peace of mind. It just takes some time. You can thaw a frozen turkey faster in cold water than in the fridge. Make sure the turkey is totally submerged (use a baking dish to weigh it down if you have to). The best way to thaw a turkey is to let it happen naturally in the fridge. Also, you can hold the thawed turkey in the fridge for up to 2 days before cooking. If ⦠"If your turkey weighs 16 pounds, it will take about four days to thaw. A much safer option is the one Alton Brown (of Good Eats) recommends. How to properly defrost a turkey in the refrigerator: Keep the turkey in itâs original, airtight packaging. How long to thaw turkey in the refrigerator: Defrost the turkey for approximately 24 hours for every four pounds, so a 16-pound bird would take about four days. "This will quickly bring it up to temperature but won't make it too warm." How to thaw a Thanksgiving turkey. Refrigerator thawing is the number one most recommended way to thaw a turkey. Keep doing this. The cold water will thaw your turkey, but keep it out of the temperature danger zone. So a 12-pound turkey should be completely thawed in 6 hours, and a 16-pounder in 8. It takes up to 6 minutes per pound to thaw this way, though time varies by ⦠The USDA recommends this method, and it's even safe enough that you could re-freeze the thawed turkey if you want to. Depending on the size of the meat you need to thaw, this method may take a full day or longer. Use turkey within 4 days after thawing. 1. Thaw it in the fridge. Take your frozen turkey, place it into a 5 gallon bucket, full of cold water. The Best Way to Thaw Turkey. Instead, use the fridge. Your turkey should defrost (approximately) at a rate of 2 pounds every 1 hour. Before it's popped in there, lay it on a rimmed tray, which will catch any leaks. How to thaw a frozen turkey in cold water If you donât have the time to thaw your turkey in the fridge, this is one of the fastest ways. How to Quickly Thaw a Turkey. So, for a ten-pound turkey, youâre looking at about five hours of thaw time. Plot twist: don't thaw your turkey at all! When the outside of the turkey is pretty much defrosted, run warm water inside the turkey, after removing the pouch that's inside it. Next, make sure your turkey is totally submerged in the water. To thaw the turkey, submerge the bag in a ⦠Because of the potential for bacterial growth, you should avoid certain thawing methods, including leaving the turkey breast at room temperature. Allow at least 1 day of thawing for every 4 lbs of turkey. It's possible to safely thaw a frozen turkey in a sink full of cold water, but it won't be easy. While frozen, a turkey is safe indefinitely. But, as savvy cooks know, microwaves may be quick and convenient, but they often compromise the quality of food as a trade-off. Don't thaw a turkey on the kitchen countertop where it can become a nesting area for nasty bacteria â or your catâs midnight snack. Place the turkey in a large pan to catch any liquid that will melt from the turkey as it thaws. Don't thaw a turkey on the kitchen countertop where it can become a nesting area for nasty bacteria â or your catâs midnight snack. Defrosting a turkey isn't hard. As soon as it begins to thaw, bacteria that may have been present before freezing will begin to grow again. If you need to know how to thaw a turkey fast, skip ahead to the second point outlined below.But if you want to know why turkey thawing is kind of a ⦠Pour the cooled brine over the turkey, adding additional cold water as needed to ensure the turkey is completely submerged. If your turkey doesnât fit in your sink or biggest pot, just be sure to flip it frequently. Thaw it in the fridge. How it works: Place your turkey (in its original packaging) in the refrigerator on a large platter to catch any drippings. Keep turkey in original wrapper and place on tray. It is dangerous to thaw turkey breast at room temperature, where it would seem to defrost the quickest, because harmful bacteria will start to find the meat once the temperature on the surface rises just a little above freezing. "The quickest and safest way to thaw a turkey is to put it in a bowl with a small stream of cold running water running over it," says Williams. Here's why you should use your sink, not your microwave to help chicken thaw. It does take up room in the fridge, but it's the safest way to keep the turkey at a safe temperature for the entire thawing time. However, the thawing process will require a lot more attention on your behalf. Thaw turkey breast side up, in an unopened wrapper on a tray in the fridge (40 degrees F or below). 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