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How to safely thaw a frozen turkey in the refrigerator or with cold water in time for Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n Prep<\/span>2 hours to 72 hours<\/span><\/p>\n <\/a><\/div>\n We independently select these products\u2014if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n For the vast majority of us, the turkey we buy for Thanksgiving and other holidays will be frozen when we bring it home. And good golly, is that turkey frozen solid<\/em>. Unfortunately, many of us have heard stories about the turkey still being frozen<\/a> on Thanksgiving morning (although you can actually cook it frozen<\/a>!), but with a little know-how you can easily avoid that situation (and cope with it if you find yourself in it). Here\u2019s how to thaw a turkey and still be on-schedule\u00a0for your holiday meal. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n A note on brining:<\/strong> If you\u2019re planning to brine your turkey<\/a>, either in a brine solution or with a dry-brine<\/a>, you can start this while it\u2019s still partially frozen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n If you\u2019re running short on time, you can speed up the thawing process with the cold water method: Simply submerge the frozen turkey, still in its packaging, in cold tap water, allowing about 30 minutes for every pound of turkey<\/strong>. Here\u2019s how to do it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n You should never leave your turkey on the counter to thaw<\/strong>, or try thawing your turkey in warm water<\/a>, or heating it with a hair dryer, or any other shortcuts, per the USDA<\/a>. All of these methods bring the turkey\u2019s temperature to the \u201cdanger zone\u201d of 40\u00b0F to 140\u00b0F, which drastically increases your risk of food poisoning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nMethod 1: How to Thaw a Turkey in the Refrigerator<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
How Long to Thaw a Turkey in the Refrigerator<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Method 2: How to Thaw a Turkey in Cold Water<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
How Long to Thaw a Turkey in Cold Water <\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
How to Tell When Your Turkey Is Thawed<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Why You Shouldn\u2019t Thaw a Turkey on the Countertop<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n