You’ve thawed your turkey for days in the fridge, but wake up Thanksgiving morning to find it still frozen solid. Uh oh, now what? Don’t panic! With the right techniques, you can still cook your frozen bird and save the holiday feast.
Thawing a large turkey takes careful planning. Fridges only defrost about 5 pounds per day. Last minute frozen birds lead to risky quick thaws and uneven cooking. Follow these tips to safely prep and roast your solidly frozen turkey.
Assess the Situation
First, determine if the turkey is completely frozen or just has some icy parts. Carefully check the cavity and thick areas like the breast and thighs. If it’s fully frozen, you’ll need to quickly but safely thaw before roasting.
Look up the size of your turkey and estimate the total defrosting time it needs in the refrigerator. For example, a 15 lb turkey takes about 5 days.
Figure out when you realistically need to serve the meal, This lets you work backwards to see how much thaw time you have
Choose a Quick Thaw Method
With a fully frozen bird, you’ll need to use a quick thawing method to get it ready in time Avoid any techniques that partially cook the turkey to speed things up Here are 2 safe options
Cold Water Thawing
- Submerge wrapped turkey in cold tap water, changing water every 30 minutes.
- Allow 30 minutes thaw time per pound. A 15 lb turkey will need 7-8 hours.
- Keep turkey refrigerated until ready to prep and cook.
Microwave Thawing
- Check manufacturer guidelines for timing instructions.
- Microwave in bursts of 6 minutes per pound, flipping occasionally.
- This can thaw a 15 lb turkey in 1-2 hours.
- Cook immediately after microwaving.
Prep and Roast Turkey
Once thawed, dry turkey inside and out with paper towels. Be sure to remove the giblets from the cavities.
Season or rub the outside of the turkey. Avoid putting seasonings inside the cavities as this can slow cooking.
Roast turkey at 325°F, planning for 15-20 minutes per pound of turkey. Use a meat thermometer to confirm it reaches 165°F at the breast and 180°F in the thighs.
Let rest at least 30 minutes before carving. The juices will redistribute and make the meat extra juicy.
Cook Turkey Pieces Separately
If whole turkey won’t fully thaw in time, break it down into parts. Remove the legs and wings, slice off the breast meat, and carve thighs from the back.
Place turkey pieces in pans and cook at 375°F until 165°F at the breast, 180°F for dark meat. This takes 1-2 hours. Make gravy from the drippings.
What If My Turkey Is Partially Frozen?
- Fridge Thaw – Let turkey continue thawing in the refrigerator if time allows. Ensure temperature is 40°F or below.
- Cold Water Bath – Submerge wrapped turkey to thaw cavity and thick areas.
- Microwave – Use microwave thawing method to defrost problem areas.
- Cook As-Is – Place turkey directly into oven, allow 50% more cooking time. Use a thermometer to confirm temp.
- Deep Fry – Drop turkey carefully into 350°F oil to finish thawing and cook. Monitor oil temp.
Avoid These Risky Thawing Methods
- Room temperature thawing leads to bacterial growth. Don’t leave turkey on the counter overnight.
- Hot water thawing and cooking frozen turkey carry risks of salmonella. Use cold water only.
- Thawing in the sink without running water is unsafe. Bacteria multiply rapidly.
- Thawing stuffed turkey is risky. The stuffing won’t get hot enough. Cook separately.
- Partial thawing and delayed cooking gives bacteria time to grow. Cook thawed turkey immediately.
Cook Safely With a Still Frozen or Partially Frozen Turkey
Here are some additional food safety tips when dealing with frozen turkey:
- Handle raw turkey carefully to avoid cross contamination in the kitchen.
- Use an oven-safe meat thermometer to verify internal temperature.
- Discard any turkey meat not cooked to 165°F. Do not recook.
- Refrigerate all leftovers within 2 hours and use within 3-4 days.
- Wash hands, utensils, sinks, and surfaces that touched raw turkey to avoid illness.
Enjoy Your Thanksgiving Feast!
A frozen turkey on Thanksgiving morning may cause panic, but don’t worry. With proper thawing techniques and food safety practices, you can still put a delicious meal on the table. Prioritize thawing, allow extra cooking time, use a thermometer, and handle turkey carefully. Even if the bird starts solidly frozen, your holiday feast can still be saved!
What to do if your turkey is still frozen
Updated from an original article written by Beth Waitrovich, Michigan State University Extension.
To avoid the frozen bird disaster, plan ahead. Here are some safe ways of quickly thawing and preparing a frozen turkey.
Photo: Pexels/Monstera.
The turkey is still frozen, and you have a big gathering. It is still possible to safely thaw and prepare the turkey for your event.
First and foremost, do not thaw the turkey at room temperature on the counter! As the frozen turkey begins to thaw, any bacteria present before freezing will still be present after thawing. In addition, thawing the turkey at room temperature allows the bacteria to grow and multiply. This creates an unsafe meal despite being cooked.
According to Michigan State University Extension, it takes 24 hours per four to five pounds of turkey to thaw in the refrigerator. A 20-pound turkey takes four to five days to completely thaw in the fridge.
There are other ways to thaw a turkey, though.
One way is to submerge the turkey in cold water. To do this, leave the turkey in the original package and put it in a properly sanitized sink or container full of cold water under 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Set the timer for 30 minutes. Next, change the water, replacing it with cold water. Changing the cold water every thirty minutes until the turkey is completely thawed. A 20-pound turkey will take up to 10 to 12 hours to thaw, while a four- to 12-pound turkey will take two to six hours.
Once the turkey is thawed, it must be cooked to prevent further bacterial growth.
Check and follow your microwave manufacturer’s instructions for thawing the turkey. Once defrosted, cook the turkey immediately to prevent further bacterial growth. Since microwave ovens do not heat evenly, you may have a partially cooked turkey in one area and still frozen in another.
It is safe to cook a turkey that is frozen. A solidly frozen turkey will take 50% longer to cook than a thawed turkey. If it is only partially frozen, it will still take longer to cook than a thawed one.
Michigan State University Extension recommends using a food thermometer to determine if the turkey has reached a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the innermost portion of the thigh and thickest part of the breast. Only when the turkey has reached that temperature is it ready to serve. The oven should be at a minimum temperature of 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
For more information on safely preparing poultry, check out this Michigan Fresh Poultry factsheet.
What to do if turkey is still frozen?
FAQ
What do I do if my turkey isn’t fully defrosted?
What if my turkey is still a little frozen on the inside?
What to do if you forgot to thaw the turkey?
How do you defrost a frozen turkey?
Check the water’s temperature. Feel or check the temperature of the water with an instant-read thermometer every 30 minutes, and change the water if it’s above 40 degrees. Wait for the turkey to thaw. Allot 30 minutes for every pound of frozen turkey. For a 12-pound bird, that’s about six hours of defrost time. Inspect the packaging.
Can You Thaw a frozen turkey?
The water will need to be changed every 30 minutes and it will take roughly 30 minutes per pound of turkey. Just cook it frozen. It’s perfectly safe to cook a frozen turkey, although it will take about 50% longer to do so. First, let’s talk about what you shouldn’t do when thawing a turkey, no matter how tempted you may be.
Can you submerge a frozen turkey?
Here’s What to Do Submerge the turkey in a cold-water bath. The water will need to be changed every 30 minutes and it will take roughly 30 minutes per pound of turkey. Just cook it frozen. It’s perfectly safe to cook a frozen turkey, although it will take about 50% longer to do so.
Is frozen turkey safe to eat?
The frozen turkey will keep the water from climbing in temp—even though the water is five degrees above the upper end of the danger zone threshold, the meat itself is going to stay well within the safe range for quite a while, and it definitely won’t be in the danger zone for two hours.