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Even the most well-seasoned cooks have experienced the dread of the turkey still being frozen or half frozen on Thanksgiving morning<\/a>. Maybe you decided to host last minute, or your fridge was so packed with holiday meal prep, that big bird in your fridge just did not thaw. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Don\u2019t panic \u2014 whether you\u2019re 24 hours out from roasting the turkey<\/a> or your family is arrive later in the afternoon, you\u2019ve got options. This handy guide will walk you through what to avoid, as well as how to thaw or roast your turkey depending on its near frozen state. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The risk of giving you and your guests food poisoning is just too great.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n So, why can\u2019t you do any of these things? Besides looking silly with a hair dryer, if any part of the turkey is within the temperature \u201cdanger zone\u201d of 40\u00b0F to 140\u00b0F for longer than two hours, the likelihood increases that it has developed unsafe levels of bacteria and related toxins. This means that even if the inside of your turkey is still frozen, once the outside thaws to above 40\u00b0F, it\u2019s in the danger zone. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Even cooking your turkey thoroughly in the oven doesn\u2019t guarantee that the turkey is safe to eat \u2014 most bacteria will be destroyed, but the illness-causing toxins remain. There are times when you can bend the food safety rules and times when you shouldn\u2019t. This is just one of those times when it\u2019s not worth the risk. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The best way to thaw a turkey<\/a> is to leave it in the fridge for a few days, but if you\u2019re reading this, then that option has probably passed you by. Not to worry \u2014 you can also thaw your turkey more quickly by submerging it in cold water. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Thawed this way in cold water, estimate roughly 30 minutes for every pound of turkey (so, an 8-pound turkey will take 4 hours to thaw using this method). This can of course take a while for a large turkey, so be sure to plan the rest of your meal \u2014 and the dinner bell \u2014 accordingly. Personally, I like this method the best if my turkey has already done some thawing in the fridge but is still partially frozen. The cold water helps it finish thawing the rest of the way time for dinner. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n If you\u2019re up against the clock and have no time left for even the \u201cquick\u201d cold-water thaw, then just cook the turkey frozen<\/a>. It\u2019s perfectly safe to cook a frozen or partially frozen turkey in the oven \u2014 you just need to allow some extra cooking time, according to the USDA<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Estimate 50 percent longer cooking time for a completely frozen turkey and around 25 percent longer for a partially frozen turkey. (For example, a completely thawed unstuffed turkey that\u2019s 18 pounds will take roughly 4 hours to cook, and a frozen turkey will take around 6 hours). In either case, check the temperature<\/a> and cook the turkey until it registers 165\u00b0F in both the breast and the thigh. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The advantage of cooking a frozen turkey is that you still get to sit down to dinner in a timely manner with none the wiser for your turkey snafu earlier in the day. The disadvantage is that you\u2019re stuck with a fairly basic roast turkey \u2014 no brining, deep-frying, or any other fancy turkey techniques here. You can, however, brush the turkey with butter and rub it with salt, pepper, and spices partway through cooking to give it some color and flavor. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n But even when cooking a frozen turkey, you can still count on plenty of crispy skin and tender meat, and most importantly, Thanksgiving is saved. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nMistakes to Avoid When Quick-Thawing Your Turkey <\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
If You Have a Few Hours to Spare<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
If There\u2019s No Time to Thaw<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n