Thanksgiving Day is just days away, but let’s face it: Hosting this holiday dinner is no easy feat. From knowing when to start thawing a turkey to how much turkey to make and the perennial question of will I have enough food for my guests, there’s a lot of pressure to make this delicious holiday perfect.
Beyond the chaos involved in preparing a dinner of epic proportions, food safety should be the top priority. After all, friends and family should end the day with leftover pumpkin pie — not food poisoning.
We compiled a few must-follow tips that will make thawing a frozen turkey so much easier. While there are a few different ways to thaw a turkey for Thanksgiving, nearly all of them require starting the process a few days prior to turkey day, so it’s important to prep accordingly and start the process early. Here’s what you need to do you prepare for a safe and delicious feast.
How to thaw a turkey in the refrigerator
First things first: Don’t thaw a turkey on the kitchen countertop. Meat or poultry left thawing on the counter at room temperature can become a nesting area for nasty bacteria. Instead, plan to thaw a turkey in the refrigerator.
Place the turkey on a deep rimmed sheet tray or or a roasting pan lined with a wire rack, which will catch any leaks. Arrange the bird breast side up (the plumpest area in between the wings) and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Place the tray or pan on the lowest shelf in your refrigerator to prevent the risk of foodborne illness. The lowest shelf in your refrigerator should house the food that needs to cook at the highest temperature, like poultry or red meat.
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. So, if the turkey weighs 12 pounds, plan for it to defrost in the fridge for about three days. If 16 pounds or more, make sure it’s placed in the fridge four to five days before the holiday arrives. As a rule of thumb, thawing your turkey the weekend before Thanksgiving will ensure that it’s fully defrosted by the time you need to cook it on Thursday. Plus, this gives you plenty of time to brine it either with a wet brine or dry spice rub.
Thaw times by weight
- 10-pound turkey: 2 days of thawing in the refrigerator
- 12-pound turkey: 2 to 3 days of thawing in the refrigerator
- 14-pound turkey: 2 to 3 days of thawing in the refrigerator
- 16-pound turkey: 3 to 4 days of thawing in the refrigerator
- 18-pound turkey: 3 to 4 days of thawing in the refrigerator
- 20-pound turkey: 4 to 5 days of thawing in the refrigerator
How to thaw a turkey in cold water
If you plan to thaw the turkey in cold water, make sure to seal it in a large, leak-proof plastic bag before submerging it. This will prevent any cross-contamination and ensure that the bird won’t absorb any extra water during the thawing process.
Next, fill a bowl or bucket that’s big enough to fit the bird with cold tap water. Submerge the wrapped turkey in the water and change the water every 30 minutes, which ensures that the bird stays at a safe temperature and wards off any contaminating bacteria.
Allow 30 minutes of thawing time for each pound of turkey, which translates to about six hours for a 12-pound turkey. A 15-pound bird will thaw in eight hours. Adjust the thawing time based on the size of the turkey you purchased.
Still having trouble determining the thaw time of your Thanksgiving turkey? Check out Butterball’s thawing calculator, which will guide you through the process of safely thawing a turkey in the refrigerator or cold water.
Thaw times by weight
- 10-pound turkey: 5 hours of thawing in cold water
- 12-pound turkey: 6 hours of thawing in cold water
- 14-pound turkey: 7 hours of thawing in cold water
- 16-pound turkey: 8 hours of thawing in cold water
- 18-pound turkey: 9 hours of thawing in cold water
- 20-pound turkey: 10 hours of thawing in cold water
How to thaw a turkey in the microwave
Believe it or not, you can thaw a turkey in the microwave, but proceed with caution. Before deciding whether to thaw the Thanksgiving centerpiece in the microwave, make sure it actually fits in there … and has some extra space to spin. If the bird is small enough, remove the plastic wrap and place it in a microwave-safe dish. Push the defrost button, punch in the weight of the bird and let the microwave work its magic.
If your microwave lacks a proper defrosting function, determine how long the bird needs to thaw in there based on its weight. Six minutes per pound is a good rule of thumb. Since microwaves tend to heat things unevenly, make sure to rotate and flip the meat throughout the thawing process.
Thaw times by weight
- 10-pound turkey: 1 hour of thawing in the microwave
- 12-pound turkey: 1 hour, 12 minutes of thawing in the microwave
- 14-pound turkey: 1 hour, 24 minutes of thawing in the microwave
- 16-pound turkey: 1 hour, 36 minutes of thawing in the microwave
- 18-pound turkey: 1 hour, 48 minutes of thawing in the microwave
- 20-pound turkey: 2 hours of thawing in the microwave
Confirm that the bird has thawed completely
To ensure the bird is totally defrosted, reach one hand into the hollow part and check for ice crystals. Then, using a fork, poke the thick parts of the bird and make sure they’re no longer hard or icy. If they are, the turkey definitely needs more time to thaw.
Don’t wait — cook the turkey right away
Once the turkey is fully defrosted, plan to cook it immediately after thawing. The USDA warns that bacteria may begin to grow as soon as the bird is thawed.
Those invisible bugs have the potential to cause salmonella and other bad bacteria, which could make your loved ones sick if consumed. If you overestimated the amount of time the turkey needed to defrost, it’s safe to store the bird in the fridge — just don’t keep it in there for more than three to four days.
