How to Thaw Turkey (Plus Easy Time Calculators)

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Whether you’re planning to enjoy turkey for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other time of the year, it is important to thaw turkey correctly for optimal safety and flavor.

Today’s article assumes, of course, that you have a frozen raw turkey that you need to thaw. If the turkey was store bought, it should be covered in shrink wrapped plastic. If you’re working with a freshly processed turkey that you froze yourself, it should be in one airtight container or another before thawing (such as these 2 gallon zipper bags). It’s important to keep it in whatever its wrapped in.

How to Thaw Turkey: Refrigerator Method

Thawing in the refrigerator is the easiest and safest method. It takes less “babysitting” on your part and reduces the risk of bacteria.

To thaw the turkey in the fridge, you’ll need to plan ahead. Estimate about 1 day per 4 pounds of turkey. You can use the following calculator to quickly and easily determine how long to thaw your turkey using the refrigerator method:

Keep your store bought turkey in its original plastic packaging or your homegrown turkey in an airtight container (as discussed above).
Place the turkey on a tray, sheet pan, or baking dish breast side up before popping it in the fridge. This prevents it from dripping inside your fridge.
Put the turkey on the bottom shelf of your fridge. The bottom shelf part is optional, but it does reduce the risk of any escapee drips dropping onto things on lower shelves.
Once thawed, cook the turkey within 3 to 4 days.

How to Thaw Turkey: Cold Water Method

While this is not the preferred method for thawing turkey, it is very handy if you have a turkey that you need to thaw quickly.

You will need to thaw the turkey in cold water for approximately 30 minutes per pound. You can use the following calculator to quickly and easily determine how long to thaw your turkey using the cold water method:

Keep your store bought turkey in its original plastic packaging or your homegrown turkey in an airtight bag (as discussed towards the beginning of this article).
Place the frozen turkey in your clean kitchen sink breast side down and cover it completely with COLD tap water (cold is important to prevent bacteria growth). If it is too big to totally cover, then flip it over every time you change the water as described in the next step.
Drain the water and re-cover the turkey with fresh, cold tap water every 30 minutes until thawed. If your turkey is too big to totally cover in water, this is a good time to rotate it as well.
Once thawed, cook the turkey within 3 to 4 days.