Safely thawing your Thanksgiving turkey: 5 VERIFIED tips

Many people will gobble up turkey during their Thanksgiving feasts this year, but preparing the bird can feel like a daunting task.

Viral Facebook posts share tips for thawing a turkey in the fridge or in water. People online are also searching for information about how long it takes to thaw turkeys based on their weight.

We VERIFY 5 facts on how to safely thaw your Thanksgiving turkey. 

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The USDA recommends thawing your turkey in the refrigerator. It’s the “safest method because the turkey will thaw at a consistent, safe temperature,” the agency says. 

If you use this method, you’ll need to allow about one day for each four to five pounds of turkey, according to the USDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For example, turkeys that weigh 16 pounds will need to thaw in the fridge for about four days. 

Here are refrigerator thawing times for a whole turkey:

• 4 to 12 pounds: 1 to 3 days
• 12 to 16 pounds: 3 to 4 days
• 16 to 20 pounds: 4 to 5 days
• 20 to 24 pounds: 5 to 6 days

Once the turkey is thawed, it is safe in the refrigerator for one to two days before cooking. 

It’s safe to thaw your turkey in cold water, but it needs to be cooked immediately afterward, according to the USDA and CDC.

First, make sure the turkey is in a leak-proof plastic bag. Along with cross-contamination, the bag will prevent the turkey from absorbing water, which could make it runny when cooked.

The turkey should then be completely covered with cold tap water and thawed for about 30 minutes per pound. You should also change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. 

Here are the cold water thawing times for a turkey: 

• 4 to 12 pounds: 2 to 6 hours
• 12 to 16 pounds: 6 to 8 hours
• 16 to 20 pounds: 8 to 10 hours
• 20 to 24 pounds: 10 to 12 hours

If you’re in need of a quick thawing method for a turkey that’s frozen solid, the microwave is a safe option.

All of our sources say you should follow the microwave manufacturer’s instructions for defrosting your turkey. That includes the size of the turkey that will fit in the microwave, the minutes per pound and the power level to use, the USDA adds. 

But, as a general rule, you should allow about six minutes per each pound of turkey when thawing it in the microwave. The USDA also recommends rotating the turkey several times and flipping it during the thawing process. 

If the turkey starts to cook in the microwave instead of just defrosting, the USDA says you can let it rest for about five minutes before you resume thawing. 

The turkey needs to be cooked immediately after it is thawed in the microwave, our sources say. 

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If you forgot to thaw your turkey in time, it’s safe to cook it from its frozen state. But the cook times will be at least 50% longer than those recommended for a fully thawed turkey. 

Foodsafety.gov says you should not use an oven bag when cooking a turkey from its frozen state. 

Here are the cooking times for a frozen turkey from foodsafety.gov:

• 4 to 8 pounds (breast): 2 ¼ to 5 hours
• 8 to 12 pounds: 4 ¼ to 4 ½ hours
• 12 to 14 pounds: 4 ½ to 5 ¾ hours 
• 14 to 18 pounds: 5 ¾ to 6 ½ hours
• 18 to 20 pounds: 6 ½ to 6 ¾ hours
• 20 to 24 pounds: 6 ¾ to 7 ½ hours

The turkey will be ready once it reaches a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees. You should check the temperature in the thickest part of the breast, and the innermost parts of the thigh and wing. 

It is not safe to leave a frozen turkey outside, in the garage or trunk of your car, on the kitchen counter, or any other place where temperatures “cannot be constantly monitored,” according to the USDA.

When a turkey stays out at room temperature for more than two hours, the temperature becomes unsafe even if the center is still frozen, the CDC says. 

Foodborne bacteria can grow rapidly in the temperature “danger zone” between 40 and 140 degrees, our sources say.