How to Thaw a Turkey

Making a healthy Thanksgiving Turkey is more involved than just using the right ingredients. During the holiday season, an increase in food poisoning is usually seen in part because most people don't know how to properly thaw a turkey. If done improperly, bacteria can multiply very quickly and cause your closest friends and family to get sick.

Thawing starts with the type of turkey you buy from the store. As far as thawing is concerned, there are two different types of turkeys you can buy: fresh or frozen. Fresh turkeys have never been frozen so no thawing is necessary. Fresh turkeys go directly from the store, into your refrigerator and finally, your oven. Frozen turkeys however, do need proper thawing.

If you go with a fresh turkey, only buy it 1-2 days before you'll be cooking it. If you buy it earlier than that, leaving it in the refrigerator will cause it to spoil. When you place the turkey in the refrigerator, put it in a pan. This will prevent any other foods in your fridge from becoming contaminated from the juices. Don't buy fresh turkeys that have been pre stuffed. Mishandling can cause bacteria to multiply rapidly inside the stuffing.

Frozen turkeys can be bought well in advance of cooking as long as they are stored in a freezer. Technically, frozen turkeys can last indefinitely in a freezer but for the best quality, you should cook it within an year of buying.

Refrigerator

There are three ways you can thaw a frozen turkey: in the refrigerator, in cold water or in a microwave. For every 4-5 pounds, allow 24 hours to thaw. Use the table below or the Turkey Thaw Time - Calculator.

When you place the turkey in the refrigerator, put it in a pan to catch all the juices that will leak out. This will prevent other foods nearby from getting contaminated. You should leave the turkey in its original wrapper. Once it has been thawed, it can safely stay in the fridge for 1-2 days. If you thaw a turkey properly, you can refreeze it if you decide you don't need to cook it anymore.

Cold Water

If you are pressed on time, you can also thaw your turkey in cold water. This method can be just as safe as thawing it in the fridge but takes some more effort. Put the turkey in a pot that is big enough so that when you fill it with cold water, the turkey is completely covered. Wrap the turkey tightly so that water won't be able to get through. Fill the pot with cold tap water and change the it out every 30 minutes. Cold water thawing takes about 30 minutes per pound. Use the table below or the Turkey Thaw Time - Calculator for some guidelines.

If you use the cold water method, you need to cook the turkey immediately after it is thawed. You can't store it in the fridge and then cook it later. You also can't refreeze the turkey like you would be able to with refrigerator thawing. Never thaw a turkey at room temperature without cold water. This will cause bacteria to grow rapidly which won't be killed during the cooking process.

Microwave

You can also thaw a turkey in your microwave oven. Because all ovens are different, it's impossible to list times. Check your owner's manual for thawing times and power levels.

After thawing, remove the giblets and cook them separately.

Planning ahead of time is necessary to keep all your guests safe from harmful bacteria. You might be tempted to take some shortcuts, but doing so can put the ones you love in danger. Saving a few hours isn't worth the pain it'll cause. Now that you know how to properly thaw, learn how to safely cook a turkey.