Thanksgiving is a prominent occasion that demands a turkey. The best option is to have a turkey at home a few days prior and thaw it when needed. Nobody wants to wake up on Thanksgiving day to a frozen turkey.
That’s because the process of then defrosting it would take another day which would delay the delight of having a turkey on the day you need it.
Defrosting a turkey is quite a laborious process, given the procedure you may need to follow if you want it fresh and smooth. Taking that extra step to keep your turkey safe ensures a grand celebration without any miss.
However, knowing the time taken to thaw a turkey helps you ease this process to a large extent. You have to be a little bit more calculative before thawing a turkey.
The turkey’s weight is proportional to how long the meat has to be thawed. While buying, make sure you look at its weight and then calculate the total number of days.
For example, 4 pounds of meat would require a day to be thawed in the fridge. After the turkey is fully thawed, it can last in the fridge for four days before it can be brined.
Let us now delve into this document to fully understand how long it takes to thaw a turkey in the fridge and other methods. Each step might take a different process or different proceedings that one needs to be familiar with.
Let us quickly first zone into the steps involved in thawing a turkey using the fridge.
How Long Does It Take To Thaw A Turkey In The Fridge?
Here is a quick rundown of how you can thaw your turkey in your fridge. Give it a read!
How To Thaw The Turkey In The Fridge?
Thawing a turkey in the fridge requires original packaging or a roasting pan to place the meat. It would be kept in the fridge by covering the meat potions in a cover with no leakage.
Duration
Four pounds of turkey meat would take a day, which is proportional to that.
- 8 pounds takes 2 days
- 12 pounds take 3 days
- 16 pounds take 4 days
- 20 pounds take 5 days
The above approximate timelines can be amended according to the space and time you have at your disposal. Defrosting an entire turkey may take some amount of time, and you have to be sure that all pieces of the meat are equally defrosted.
How Long Does It Take To Thaw A Turkey In Cold Water?
This is another effective method of thawing a turkey and is very reliable for larger pieces. This method requires constant attention, and the water also needs a periodical change once every 30 minutes to avoid spoilage.
How To Thaw A Turkey In Cold Water?
The turkey must be covered in the original packaging or wrapped in a plastic cover without any possible gaps. Then the package is submerged in cold water with a baking dish or a pan to seal it closed.
You have to be particular about the fact that the water has to be changed every 30 minutes without fail.
Once the water loses its coolness, the turkey is prone to turn bad. Hence checking the water every 30 minutes would keep it safe and steady without a miss.
Duration
For 15 to 16-pound birds, it will take about 8 hours and 16 changes of water. We have to make sure that it takes that amount of time to thaw a turkey fully.
If you want to brine the turkey or reheat it, it will take that amount of time.
Can You Leave A Turkey Out To Thaw?
This is not allowed according to USDA standards, as it is considered too dangerous to leave a turkey outside for a long time. The outside layers will get thawed soon, leaving a vulnerable space for all the bacteria to breed in a large amount.
The thawed turkey can be kept out for a maximum of 2 hours and not more than that. Keeping it out warrants cooking or reheating it immediately.
Last-Minute Turkey Thawing Options
It is Thanksgiving day, and you only have a frozen turkey in your freezer. This is a critical situation. The best remedy to solve this is to find a quick-fire way to thaw it and cook it to an immediate effect.
How To Thaw A Turkey In An Oven?
This turkey would not be the best of what you have or will have. If this situation presents itself, then it is definitely safe to rely on the oven or microwave.
Let us quickly get into the way of roasting the frozen turkey and cooking it. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and cook it at a lower temperature for a longer time
Duration
More cooking time is required to cook a frozen turkey. If a thawed turkey requires 15 to 20 minutes per pound, then a 20-pound turkey would require approximately 6 hours. It might even take more depending on the density of the meat.
It would totally take around 7 ½ or 9 ½ hours to thaw a frozen turkey completely in this method.
How Is It Done?
Unwrap the turkey, keep it in a roasting pan, and start roasting it continuously for 2 ½ hours or more. All the melted liquid would just come off, which has to be eliminated intermittently.
This process would go for more than 7 ½ hours. Make sure the meat’s deepest or densest part is thawed completely.
How To Thaw A Turkey In The Microwave?
This last-resort option works when you need it urgently—a one-shot solution for an immediate turkey on a Thanksgiving day. Suppose a turkey has been sitting in the freezer for a long time. It has to be taken out and microwaved to be thawed to perfection.
Though microwaving the turkey is a slightly faster way to thaw the turkey. We need to keep up the time properly.
Duration
1. 4lbs of turkey requires 24 minutes, and 8lbs require 48 minutes; hence the list goes on as per the calculations.
2. Hence 20lbs of turkey would completely take 2 hours to thaw fully.
Conclusion
Thawing turkey is a laborious process that takes time, depending on the size of the turkey. The methods also vary a lot, and the time is quite relative to that.
Knowing the timelines for each method will determine how fast the turkey will get thawed. A nicely thawed turkey can be used to reheat and cook it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long does it take to thaw a turkey in the fridge?
Thawing a turkey in the fridge is very conventional. It takes 2 days for 8 pounds of turkey to be thawed.
How long does it take to thaw a turkey in cold water?
It will take about 8 hours to thaw a 16 pound turkey in the cold water. It will also take 16 times changing of water to retain its freshness.
How long does it take to thaw a turkey in the microwave?
4lbs of turkey requires 24 minutes, and 8lbs require 48 minutes; hence the list goes on as per the calculations. Hence 20lbs will require 2 hours totally.
Can you leave a turkey out to thaw?
This is not allowed according to USDA standards, as it is considered too dangerous to leave a turkey outside for a long time. The outside layers will get thawed soon, leaving a vulnerable space for all the bacteria to breed in a large amount.
What is the last minute thawing option?
The emergency thawing option is by using an oven or a microwave. In oven, more cooking time is required to cook a frozen turkey. If a thawed turkey requires 15 to 20 minutes per pound, then a 20-pound turkey would require approximately 6 hours. It might even take more depending on the density of the meat.
