Bottom line: Plan ahead, if you could.
Methods For Thawing Turkey
There are three main ways to thaw a turkey (safely).
The drawback is that this method does require some time.
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Cold Water Thawing
Let’s say you forgot to pull the turkey out of the freezer days in advance.
Don’t panic; there’s always the cold water thawing method.
You’ll need to change out the water every 30 minutes.
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Plan for roughly 30 minutes of defrosting time for every pound of meat.
This means you’ll have to get started on the process early in the morning.
It’s also important that you cook the bird immediately after thawing.
No Thawing
According to the USDA, it’s perfectly safe to cook a turkey directly from frozen.
However, if we’re being honest, how many turkeys can really fit in a microwave?
We recommend sticking with one of the methods above.
The thawing method you use also impacts how long the process will be.
While the no thawing method will save you defrosting time, it will significantly increasecook time.
Use this chart to gauge how long it will take to thaw your turkey.
Tips For Safe Thawing
Don’t start thawing that turkey until you’ve read these important tips.
