How to Thaw a Turkey
If you want a great turkey, you have to thaw it right. No other preparation, no seasoning, will make up for an improperly thawed bird. Here, we’ll give you the safe techniques and tools you need to thaw it right so you can have a delicious turkey dinner.
⚠ Never Cook a Partially Frozen Turkey
Know this first of all: You can’t cook a partially frozen bird in a way that is both safe and delicious.
You can actually cook a fully frozen turkey (which ends up pretty good, all things considered). And of course you can cook a fully thawed turkey. But if the turkey meat is not at a relatively uniform temperature before you cook it on Thanksgiving morning, you’re asking for disaster.
The steep temperature gradients that exist in a partially frozen turkey—from a cold icy center up to the perfectly thawed exterior—will cause the turkey to cook unevenly. By the time that cold center is fully cooked, the outer layers of the breast will be dry and overdone.
Turkey must be kept at a safe temperature during “the big thaw.” While frozen, a turkey is safe indefinitely. However, as soon as it begins to thaw, any bacteria that may have been present before freezing can begin to grow again.
—Kathy Bernard for the USDA, “The Big Thaw For Thanksgiving”
The Best Way to Thaw a Turkey: in the Fridge
The best way to thaw a turkey is to place it in the refrigerator (set to 37°F [3°C]) on a sheet pan with the breast side up. Put it on the bottom shelf of your fridge (so that if anything drips off of it, you don’t get cross-contamination) until you’re ready to cook. Your turkey will thaw gently and evenly.
How long will it take to thaw a turkey in the refrigerator? 24 hours for every 4–5 pounds (1.8–2.3 kg). That means a 16-pound turkey will take about 4 days to thaw in the fridge. This method requires the least hands-on labor, but it does take the longest.
Turkey Thaw Day
All this is why we at ThermoWorks call the Saturday before Thanksgiving “Turkey Thaw Day.” If you put your turkey in the refrigerator on this day, it should be thawed to perfection by the time you need to cook it. And don’t worry about it thawing too soon. It can stay in the fridge, thawed, for 3–4 days without any problem. (We can text you a reminder to take your turkey out of the freezer. Sign up for the reminder here.)
The Fastest Way to Thaw a Turkey: a Cold Water Bath
Of course, if you don’t get your turkey in time, you can use the speed method.
Because of its greater molecular density, water is better at transferring heat to and from things than air is. If you need to thaw your turkey faster than in the fridge, you can thaw it for about least 30 minutes per pound. (A 20-pound [9.1 kg] turkey takes as little as 10 hours to thaw like this.)
Thawing a turkey in a cooler or bucket
- Put your wrapped turkey breast-side down in a cooler or large bucket. And fill it with cold water to cover it. It will probably float.
- Put the probe of an alarm thermometer (like ChefAlarm®) in the water, with the high-alarm set to 41°F (5°C). Leave the cooler lid closed unless your alarm alerts you to the need for more ice. If it does, ice it!
- If you don’t have a leave-in probe thermometer, spot-check the water temp every half hour with an instant-red thermometer like Thermapen® ONE. Again, add ice if the temperature gets over 40°F (4.4°C).
- This process can easily take 1–2 bags of ice, so have it ready on hand in case the temperature gets too high. A rise above 40°F (4.4°C) can allow growth of potentially pathogenic bacteria.
- A 20-pound (9.1 kg) turkey will take 10 hours to thaw using the cold water method.
- If you have an extra refrigerator, you can put the turkey bucket with water in the fridge to maintain a proper water temperature.
Thawing a turkey in the sink
Can you thaw your turkey in a kitchen sink? Yes, but with great care.
- Thawing in a sink is like thawing in a bucket. You must keep the water cold by feeding it ice and monitoring it with ChefAlarm or Thermapen ONE. Don’t let it get above 40°F (4.4°C). Drain some water and add ice if the temp creeps above that mark. (Tip: make this process easier withthe Pro Series® Waterproof Needle Probe. Just connect it and toss it in the sink.)
- You have to be very careful not to let any icy turkey-water splash onto any other work surfaces. Use anti-bacterial wipes or cleaner to take care of any splashes, and use a disinfecting cleaner in the sink after you drain it.
Again, if you don’t have a leave-in probe thermometer, you can check the temperature of the water every half hour with a Thermapen. This can be a bother, but if you didn’t thaw your turkey in time, but it’s better than having an improperly cooked turkey!
Verifying A Proper Thaw for Your Turkey
To make sure your turkey is properly thawed, take its temperature. Stick the tip of your Thermapen right through the wrapper and deep into the breast in several places. Look for a temperature no lower than 30°F (-1.1°C) and no higher than 40°F (4.4°C).
Watch the display as you move the probe tip through the turkey meat: the lowest reading is the most important for the thaw.
➤If you find a temperature lower than 30°F (-1.1°C), keep thawing!
Check your turkey thaw with an instant-read thermometer
So, you’ve thawed the bird. But are you sure?. Make sure your turkey is thawed through before cooking. Use an instant-read thermometer, like Thermapen® ONE, to verify your turkey’s internal temperature in multiple locations before putting it in the oven. It should be above 32°F (0°C). That’s right, you measure the temperature of your turkey before you cook it!
⚠How Not to Thaw a Turkey
Do not thaw your turkey by leaving it on the counter, on your porch, or in your garage overnight. Leaving your turkey to thaw in this manner will leave the outer layers of the meat exposed to the Temperature Danger Zone (40–140°F [4.4-60°C]) for periods that are long enough to encourage a lot of bacterial growth. Don’t do it.
There’s More to Turkey Cooking Than You Might Think!
Thawing is but the first step in turkey cookery! For more, check out some of our other posts on important turkey tips:
For basically everything on turkey cooking, check this one out. Master the critical turkey temperatures and be your family’s Thanksgiving hero.
Should you brine your turkey? There’s more to that question than you might think! Dry brining is the way to go.
Smoke ’em if you got ’em: get the DL on smoking a turkey
It’s your dinner, you can fry if you want to—learn how to fry a turkey without burning your house down.
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I have the M4k Thermapen and the Chef Alarm, and I seem to use them more and more every day, and I am thinking they might be perfect for a couple of Christmas stockings! I enjoyed reading your Turkey Tips 1 & 2 however I was disappointed to realise that those of us in Canada would not have the benefit of your remaining tips in time for our Thanksgiving holiday which was on October 10 this year.
Raymond,
So glad to hear your Mk4 and ChefAlarm are treating you well. We apologize for the oversight of our Canadian customers’ Thanksgiving holiday. Rest assured we’ll be more on top of things next year. I hope your Thanksgiving dinner was delicious!
-Kim
Your article above teased about cooking a frozen turkey, saying “more on that later” but there was never anything about it! Or did I miss it? I would love to know how this is done!
Jane,
We have a future blog post scheduled that goes over roasting a frozen turkey. Keep track of all our holiday content in November.
Thanks!
-Kim
I bought a frozen (10 lb.) turkey this past Friday, and thanks for letting me know how long I have to let it thaw, in the ‘fridge. (My 4 dogs and I will be eating turkey forever).
11.5 lb frozen turkey purchased afternoon of November 21. Placed in fridge to thaw. Removed November 26 to brine. Temp at breast 42 and 41 at thigh. Will brine overnite and air dry 24 hours. Will this be safe to cook and eat?
Yes, it should be fine. I’m sorry I didn’t reply sooner!