How long does it take to thaw a turkey

Watch Christopher demonstrate our two recommended thawing methods: Refrigerator thawing is preferred and the least labor-intensive but requires more time.

Cold water thawing takes less time but requires more attention. For the best results, follow one of these thawing methods: Refrigerator Thawing Thaw turkey breast side up, in an unopened wrapper on a tray in the fridge 40 degrees F or below. Allow at least 1 day of thawing for every 4 lbs of turkey. Keep turkey in original wrapper and place on tray. Use turkey within 4 days after thawing. Cold Water Thawing Thaw turkey breast side down, in an unopened wrapper, with enough cold water to cover your turkey completely.

Change water every 30 minutes and if turkey cannot be completely covered, rotate every 30 minutes to keep the turkey chilled. According to the USDA, you should allow 30 minutes of soak time for every pound of turkey. The official breakdown:. A turkey defrosted by the cold water method should be cooked immediately after it is thawed. But the sooner the better, right? We're already hungry.

Follow Delish on Instagram. Kitchen Tips and Tools. Delish Shop. United States. You should never thaw a frozen turkey on the counter at room temperature or in hot water. Can You Cook a Frozen Turkey? The USDA recommends that for every four pounds of turkey, you allot 24 hours for defrosting. When thawing your turkey, keep it in the original packaging.

Place it on a rimmed container to catch any juices if you're thawing in the fridge, and breast-side down if you're thawing in water, then follow these estimated thawing times. Water is a better conductor of heat than air so placing your frozen turkey in cool water to thaw works faster than keeping it in the fridge. If you discover your turkey is still frozen on Thanksgiving Day, follow these easy steps to thaw it out quickly and safely:.

No matter how dire the situation, you should never thaw a turkey at room temperature for food safety reasons. The USDA also notes that once you thaw your turkey, you should not refreeze it. By Real Simple Editors July 12, Save FB Tweet More.

Raw thawed Thanksgiving turkey.