1. A 15 pound bird will take about 3 days to thaw completely. Pour the cooled brine over the turkey, adding additional cold water as needed to ensure the turkey is completely submerged. So a 12-pound turkey should be completely thawed in 6 hours, and a 16-pounder in 8. Ashlee Clark Thompson. RELATED: The easy way to make healthier comfort foods. Weigh the turkey down with a plate or bowl if it floats. Plot twist: don't thaw your turkey at all! "The quickest and safest way to thaw a turkey is to put it in a bowl with a small stream of cold running water running over it," says Williams. To thaw the turkey, submerge the bag in a … Keep doing this. 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. How long to thaw turkey in the refrigerator: Defrost the turkey for approximately 24 hours for every four pounds, so a 16-pound bird would take about four days. Note: Changing the water every 30 minutes is key for food safety, so be sure to set a reminder. Allow at least 1 day of thawing for every 4 lbs of turkey. A much safer option is the one Alton Brown (of Good Eats) recommends. How to properly defrost a turkey in the refrigerator: Keep the turkey in it’s original, airtight packaging. Here's why you should use your sink, not your microwave to help chicken thaw. (It'll go more quickly if you regularly change the water, since it'll cool very quickly with your frozen turkey.) When the water gets cold, refill the sink with warmer water. It takes up to 6 minutes per pound to thaw this way, though time varies by … Bonus: How to roast a frozen turkey. Submerge the turkey in a large pot or other vessel filled with cool (40 degree) water, changing the water every 30 minutes or continuously running a slow stream of water from the tap. This is the fastest way that I know of to defrost a turkey. Make sure the frozen turkey is in a leak-proof package or plastic bag. How to thaw a Thanksgiving turkey. Never thaw your turkey at room temperature! If you need to know how to thaw a turkey fast, skip ahead to the second point outlined below.But if you want to know why turkey thawing is kind of a … Brine the turkey in the refrigerator or an ice-filled cooler for 12 to 24 hours. Keep turkey in original wrapper and place on tray. The back and bottom of the fridge generally stay the coldest. Instead, use the fridge. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) food safety guidelines state that a whole turkey requires a full day for every 5 pounds, while 1 pound of ground beef typically thaws in one day. 1. Every four to five pounds of turkey will require 24-hours of thaw time in the refrigerator, according to the USDA. The USDA recommends this method, and it's even safe enough that you could re-freeze the thawed turkey if you want to. Refrigerator thawing is the number one most recommended way to thaw a turkey. Im a big procrastinater so this works pretty fast when im in a rush, so since yours is already somewhat defrosted it would defrost even faster. The best way to thaw turkey breast is in the refrigerator. Cold Water Thawing. Refrigerator Thawing (Recommended) The USDA recommends thawing your turkey in the refrigerator. Also, you can hold the thawed turkey in the fridge for up to 2 days before cooking. How it works: Place your turkey (in its original packaging) in the refrigerator on a large platter to catch any drippings. Placing the turkey in the boiling water does not cok the turkey because it is still in the package. Make sure the turkey is totally submerged (use a baking dish to weigh it down if you have to). You can thaw a frozen turkey faster in cold water than in the fridge. "This will quickly bring it up to temperature but won't make it too warm." If your turkey doesn’t fit in your sink or biggest pot, just be sure to flip it frequently. It's possible to safely thaw a frozen turkey in a sink full of cold water, but it won't be easy. How to thaw a Thanksgiving turkey. You also should avoid using warm or hot water to thaw the turkey. When the outside of the turkey is pretty much defrosted, run warm water inside the turkey, after removing the pouch that's inside it. It is dangerous to thaw turkey breast at room temperature, where it would seem to defrost the quickest, because harmful bacteria will start to find the meat once the temperature on the surface rises just a little above freezing. 3 ways to thaw your turkey in time for Thanksgiving. As soon as it begins to thaw, bacteria that may have been present before freezing will begin to grow again. The best way to thaw a turkey is to let it happen naturally in the fridge. While frozen, a turkey is safe indefinitely. Nov. 21, 2018 8:42 a.m. PT. The submersion method will thaw your turkey at a rate of about 30 minutes per pound. How to thaw a frozen turkey in cold water If you don’t have the time to thaw your turkey in the fridge, this is one of the fastest ways. It does take up room in the fridge, but it's the safest way to keep the turkey at a safe temperature for the entire thawing time. The time the turkey takes to thaw will vary based on the temperature of your refrigerator. It just takes some time. Thaw for 1 day per every 4 pounds; This method should be planned well in advance to ensure you’ve given the turkey enough time to thaw. Take your frozen turkey, place it into a 5 gallon bucket, full of cold water. The best fast way to defrost or thaw chicken or poultry safely is easy and quick. "If your turkey weighs 16 pounds, it will take about four days to thaw. Use turkey within 4 days after thawing. Just follow the tips in the latter part of this article. Your turkey should defrost (approximately) at a rate of 2 pounds every 1 hour. Thaw it in the fridge. Defrosting a turkey isn't hard. Even 1 lb (0.45 kg) of ground turkey will take 12-24 hours to thaw. Place the turkey in a large pan to catch any liquid that will melt from the turkey as it thaws. So, for a ten-pound turkey, you’re looking at about five hours of thaw time. Let the turkey sit in the water. However, the thawing process will require a lot more attention on your behalf. Depending on the size of the meat you need to thaw, this method may take a full day or longer. How to Quickly Thaw a Turkey. If you have more time to spare, then go the regular way: thawing turkey in the refrigerator ensures peace of mind. The Best Way to Thaw Turkey. The turkey should … Turkey stay a the correct temperature to prevent proliferation of bacteria, but ensure thawing at the same time. Thaw it in the fridge. Before it's popped in there, lay it on a rimmed tray, which will catch any leaks. The fastest way to defrost a turkey breast is in the microwave, using its defrost setting. This takes some commitment: to thaw a 16 pound turkey will take 8 hours to thaw, allowing 30 minutes of defrosting time per pound. Using this quick thaw method, the turkey will defrost at the rate of 30 minutes for every one pound of bird. Leave the ground turkey in the fridge for up to a day until it thaws. Refrigerator Method: This method of thawing a turkey is the safest, as it keeps the meat cold until it is completely defrosted. Learning how to thaw frozen turkey safely is the first step to deliciously golden brown, perfectly moist Thanksgiving turkey success. Controlling the thawing process using safe methods helps you thaw turkey fast while preventing potentially dangerous bacteria growth. Because of the potential for bacterial growth, you should avoid certain thawing methods, including leaving the turkey breast at room temperature. Place turkey on a tray on a bottom shelf in refrigerator; Allow 5 hours of thawing time per pound (10 hours/kg). There are three safe ways to defrost a turkey: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in a microwave oven. But, as savvy cooks know, microwaves may be quick and convenient, but they often compromise the quality of food as a trade-off. The problem is, you need to allow 30 minutes of thawing time for every pound of frozen bird , and you MUST keep the water 40 F or colder the entire time. If … Count 4 lbs of turkey per 24 hours: 8 to 12 … 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. Keep the turkey in its original wrapping. It should take approximately 30 minutes per pound to completely thaw. Next, make sure your turkey is totally submerged in the water. If you've really forgotten until the last minute, you can stick a rock-hard, frozen turkey straight into the oven. 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