compiled a few must-follow tips for how to thaw a frozen turkey: a process that, if done incorrectly, has the potential to bring a ton of illness-causing bacteria to the holiday table. Cooking a frozen turkey-sicle is easy, just unwrap it and place it on a rack in a shallow roasting pan ($24). A bit of preparation will ensure that you're not faced with a still-frozen turkey on Thanksgiving morning. That's because once the bird is defrosted, bacteria that were present before it was fully frozen can begin to regrow, according to the USDA. Make sure to change the water about every half hour in order to maintain the water temperature, and not allow warmer water to become a breeding ground for salmonella. If the plan is to thaw the bird in cold water, make sure … Watch TODAY All Day! Thawing With Salt While Stirring (Fastest) Fill your container. Have a look at your microwave manual if you’ve got one, or initially place on the defrost function for 30 mins, then for 5 min-bursts until defrosted. And depending on how big it is, a frozen turkey can take several days to thaw in your fridge. Before it's popped in there, lay it on a rimmed tray, which will catch any leaks. Leave the turkey in its original wrapper. Instead, learn how to cook a still-frozen turkey. Six minutes per pound is a good rule of thumb. The USDA recommends thawing a turkey for 6 minutes per pound. But be prepared to work. Once thawed, use within 1 or 2 days. Since microwaves tend to heat things unevenly, make sure to rotate and flip the meat throughout the thawing process. A frozen turkey breast also can be placed directly in an oven and cooked, although it will take a long time to reach the proper internal temperature. That's if you can even fit a turkey in your microwave, which, obviously, you can't. If you can manage that, you'll be golden. If you don’t have a rack, use something, like a cookie cooling rack, to … Thaw turkey breast side down, in an unopened wrapper, with enough cold water to cover your turkey … And whatever you do, don't try to thaw a turkey in HOT water. For example, if you're planning to use it as a soccer ball; or maybe cook it and feed it to some wild animals. IE 11 is not supported. The heat will first thaw, and then cook the turkey. If the plan is to thaw the bird in cold water, make sure it’s in a leak-proof plastic bag before it is submerged. and when the breast meat close to (but not touching) the bone says 165°F, then it's cooked through and ready to eat. It's easy because you don't have to do anything. Wrap the turkey when thawing it in cold water. Uncooked meat or poultry (including frozen) shouldn't be left at room temperature for more than two hours. No one's ever given thanks to a frozen bird. Besides the fact that it is, let us say, unseemly to defrost a Thanksgiving turkey in some random bedroom (to say nothing of the bathroom), thawing a turkey at room temperature is a terrible practice. Approximate times to defrost a whole turkey in the fridge: - 10 pounds — 2 days plus 12 hours Before deciding whether to thaw the Thanksgiving centerpiece in the microwave, make sure it actually fits in there ... with some extra space to spin. Also, you've got to make sure the turkey remains completely submerged. It's pretty straightforward. Some turkeys can be cooked from frozen, but only if manufactures instructions say so. Refrigerator Turkey Thawing Time 8 to 12 pounds: 2 days. It's possible to safely thaw a frozen turkey in a sink full of cold water, but it won't be easy. Push the defrost button, punch in the weight of the bird and let the microwave work its magic. The turkey simply sits in the fridge and thaws all by itself. That’s why the researchers at Eat This, Not That! As you can see, thawing a 20-pound turkey in the refrigerator can take the better part of a week. A water bath can get you a roasting ready turkey. Here's a time chart to help you compare thawing times using the refrigerator and cold-water methods: Yes, temperature-wise, your turkey will be thawed, if that's all you care about. You're better off using the cold water technique, where your tiny turkey will be thawed in a couple of hours. You could also test the thicker parts of the turkey with a fork, to tell whether the meat feels frozen. 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. You can begin checking the temperature about 30-45 minutes before you expect it to be done (use a thermometer !) That’s bad news for anyone planning to hit the malls the next day for some Black Friday bargains. And if your sink is too small, this method won't work. Before you commit to thawing your turkey in the microwave, check your owner’s manual for the size turkey that will fit in your microwave oven, the minutes per pound and the power level to use when thawing a turkey. Estimate 50 percent longer cooking time for a completely frozen turkey and around 25 percent longer for a partially frozen turkey. Allow about 30 minutes per pound. Leave the turkey in its wrapper. If you overestimated the amount of time the turkey needed to defrost and it’s good to go a few days before the holiday, it’s safe to store the bird in the fridge — just don’t keep it in there for more than two days. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. It's about 8 inches high, right? Submerge the wrapped turkey in it and change the water every half hour. They also recommend placing your turkey on a dish to catch any leftover turkey juices. For a very large turkey, like a 20-pounder, which can take ten hours or more to defrost, you would have to change the water every thirty minutes for ten hours. Allow 1 day of thawing for every 4 pounds of turkey –use our Turkey Calculator for better estimates. That's twenty water changes! After all, loved ones should end the day with leftover pumpkin pie — not food poisoning. That's right! But if you're actually planning to serve it to people, this is not a good method to use. Every Classic Thanksgiving Dish — Ranked. Thawing a frozen turkey on the kitchen counter, or the dining room table, or in any other room of your house, is a HUGE no-no. There is only one safe, easy and good way to thaw a frozen turkey, and that is in the refrigerator. Moreover, you can't necessarily merely add fresh water from the tap; the water needs to be colder than 40 F. If the water coming out of your tap is warmer than that, you'll have to add ice to lower the temperature. There are a couple of other methods that might be technically safe. The best way to thaw turkey … How to Cook a Frozen Turkey Without Thawing (Don't Panic! Place it in a sterilized tub, large sink or bathtub. Check out Butterball’s thawing calculator — which allows people to choose either the refrigerator or cold-water method. 16 Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes to Feed a Crowd. When thawing a turkey in the refrigerator, allow 24 hours of defrosting time for every 4 to 5 pounds of bird, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. If it floats (and it will), you'll need to weigh it down. The best way to thaw a turkey Ideally, place the frozen bird into your refrigerator upon bringing it home from the grocer—hopefully several days … First, manage your guests' expectations. Get easy-to-follow, delicious recipes delivered right to your inbox. Then, using a fork, poke the thick parts of the bird and make sure they're no longer hard or icy. Cooking a frozen turkey will take around 50 percent longer than cooking one that's already been thawed. you have a 7-inch turkey), you don't need to resort to this method in the first place. Cover it completely with cold water. It's safe because it stays cold the whole time, thus preventing the growth of dangerous bacteria that can cause food poisoning. With two easy methods, your turkey will be oven-ready in no time. r/SmallYoutubers is a place where youtubers who think they don't have the views/subscribers they … Allow 30 minutes of thawing time for each pound of turkey, which translates to two to six hours for a 4- to 12-pound turkey. Planning ahead can help prevent problems on the day. The best way to thaw a frozen turkey is to submerge it into ice water in a sink, a large cooler, or a clean bucket. After it’s thawed, the turkey must be cooked immediately. Here’s the calculation: plan on 24 hours of fridge thawing for every 5 pounds of frozen turkey (for example: budget 4 full days of thawing in the fridge for a 20-pound turkey). So, if the turkey weighs 4 to 12 pounds, plan for it to defrost in the fridge for one to three days. Submerge your turkey in its original wrapping in cold water in your sink. You want to keep the water at about 40 degrees. This will prevent any cross-contamination and ensure that the bird won’t absorb any extra water during the thawing process. Grab a tape measure right now, and go measure the opening of your microwave. Thanksgiving will be a little different this year. • Place the frozen turkey in the fridge — be sure your refrigerator temperature is set at 40 °F or below. Those invisible bugs could make people horribly sick! And even if you can (i.e. Allow approximately 4 hours per pound to thaw. The fastest way to defrost a turkey breast is in the microwave, using its defrost setting. Now, ring in when you've figured out the problem with using this method... Ding! The big day is coming up fast but let’s face it, hosting Thanksgiving dinner is no easy feat. But one of them is not easy, and the other one is not good—as in, it will do bad things to your turkey, and make you wish you had used a different technique. 43.1k members in the SmallYoutubers community. NOTE: If you're reading this on Thanksgiving morning, it's too late to defrost your turkey properly. Place the bird on a tray or in a pan to collect any juices that leak out. Place the turkey in a large pan to catch any liquid that will melt from the turkey as it thaws. Sit the turkey breast-side up in the microwave. So you'll want to break out the snacks to make sure folks don't start eating the furniture. And that's all there is to it. • You’ll need to allow about 24 hours for each 4 to 5 pounds of frozen turkey you plan to thaw in the fridge. To ensure the bird is totally defrosted, reach one hand into the hollow part and check for ice crystals. Submerge the wrapped turkey in cold tap water. Remove all the packaging and any metal clips, as well as the bag of giblets from the cavity. Change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. But if you haven't got enough time, and don't want to try roasting it while it's still frozen, you can always try the cold water method. It's possible to safely thaw a frozen turkey in a sink full of cold water, but it won't be easy. Refrigerator Thawing. Remove all outside wrapping and place the turkey on a microwave-safe dish to catch any juices that may leak. So, for example, if your turkey is two and a half kg, then it will likely take around 36 hours to thaw. While there are a few different ways to thaw a bird, nearly all of them require starting the process a few days prior to Turkey Day, so it's important to prep accordingly. Don't thaw a turkey on the kitchen countertop where it can become a nesting area for nasty bacteria — or your cat’s midnight snack. If the microwave happens to lack a defrost function, determine how long the bird needs to stay in there based on its weight. Aside from the fact that you have better things to do with your time, the major drawback to this method is that after two or three hours, you'll slack off and stop changing the water, and wind up with a salmonella bomb soaking in your kitchen sink. Thaw turkey in unopened packaging in a pan in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf. It takes up to 6 minutes per pound to thaw this way, though time varies by individual microwave. In either case, check the temperature and cook the turkey until it registers 165°F in both the breast and the thigh. Changing the water will help to ward off any contaminating bacteria. Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks. Thawing in the refrigerator is the ONLY recommended way to defrost a frozen turkey. Every four to five pounds of turkey will require 24-hours of thaw time in the refrigerator, according to the USDA. That means monitoring the temperature with an instant-read thermometer and changing the water every half hour. If it’s 12 to 16 pounds, make sure it's placed in the fridge three to four days before the holiday arrives. It's not the best way to cook a turkey, but it's the only safe option. After it’s thawed, the turkey must be cooked immediately. The best way to thaw frozen turkey. At first, the turkey will chill the water too much and halt the defrosting process. Allow 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds of frozen turkey (see the full chart below). And around 25 percent longer cooking time for a completely frozen turkey in a sink of! 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