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Oct 16, 2023 · How Long to Thaw a Turkey on One Easy-to-Use Chart. Whether still frozen on Thanksgiving morning or you're planning a week ahead, we'll help you determine how long to safely thaw your turkey.
- The Safest Way to Thaw A Turkey
- How Long to Thaw Turkey in The Refrigerator
- Thawing A Turkey in Water
- Thawing A Turkey in The Microwave
- How to Cook A Totally Frozen Turkey
- Never Thaw A Turkey at Room Temperature
Without a doubt, the safest and easiest way to thaw a turkey is in the refrigerator. Why? As a turkey thaws, bacteria that may have been present before the turkey was frozen can spring back to life and multiply, like the undead in a horror movie. In the fridge, the turkey stays at a steady temperature, one that keeps it out of that bacteria-happy d...
Allow 1 day for every 4 pounds. By that logic, a 12-pound turkey will take 3 days to thaw in the fridge. The bigger the bird, the longer the thawing time. Weight of turkey ÷ 4 = Number of days takes to thaw in the refrigerator Need another example? A 22-pound turkey will take over 5 days to thaw (5 1/2, for those who did the math).
This works, but it’s not preferable. One reason is you wind up with a big tub of salmonella-laced water to deal with. So, if you can help, it, use a large, clean tub (like a 5-gallon bucket) and not your kitchen sink. Completely cover the turkey (in its original packaging) with coldwater. Dump the water every 30 minutes and add fresh cold water. It...
Although it’s safe, we don’t recommend thawing in the microwave. Parts of the turkey may start to cook before others even defrost. Besides, the turkey needs to fit in the microwave in the first place. If it does, unwrap it and set it on a rimmed, microwave-safe platter to catch any juice, and then follow your microwave’s instructions to use the def...
Last straw? Panicked because your turkey is a giant ice cube? You can cook the whole thing frozen. Put it in the oven at 325°F and know it’ll take 50 percent longer to cook than a thawed turkey will at the same oven temp.
Pretty please, do not sit a turkey out a room temperature to thaw. It creates ideal conditions for dangerous bacteria to multiply. Don’t play crapshoot with the safety of those coming to your gathering. It’s safer to put a frozen turkey in the oven, as we describe above.
Nov 15, 2023 · The easiest, safest way to thaw a turkey is in the refrigerator—but this method will also take a few days for the average-size bird. According to the USDA, the formula for defrosting a turkey in the fridge is as follows: Allow for at least 24 hours for every four to five pounds.
- Cory Fernandez
- 1 min
Nov 16, 2023 · If you're thawing a turkey in the sink, plan on 2 to 3 hours for every 5 pounds of frozen turkey. In other words, for that same 20-pound turkey, you'll need 8 to 12 hours in the sink.
- Food Network Kitchen
- Thaw it in the fridge. 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.
- Wrap the turkey when thawing it in cold water. If you plan to thaw the bird in cold water, make sure to seal it in a large, leak-proof plastic bag before submerging it.
- Consider thawing the turkey using a 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.
- Always 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.
Oct 25, 2023 · Place the turkey in the cold water, and then change the water every 30 minutes. This is an important step. Keep refreshing the water, making sure it’s cold, until it’s fully thawed (use the chart above to time it). When it’s done, unwrap it, remove the giblets, and cook immediately (you don’t want to let it sit thawed for too long).
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Nov 14, 2023 · It takes 24 hours for every four to five pounds of weight for a turkey to thaw in the refrigerator (a 15-pound turkey will take three days to thaw in your refrigerator). A completely thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for one or two days before cooking.
