(NEXSTAR) — Thanksgiving could not be any later this year but have no fear, it’s right around the corner. And if you have a massive turkey taking up space in your freezer, it’s not a moment too soon.
Depending on the size of your turkey, however, your thawing time may be running out.
While a turkey is in the freezer, it is “safe indefinitely” from bacteria, according to the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service. Yes, the freezer part is important — the turkey needs to be kept where the temperature is consistent. That means your back porch, car trunk, basement, cooler, or anywhere else that is not a freezer will likely not do the job.
When it comes time to thaw, it’s important to keep your bird at a safe temperature, the FSIS emphasizes. There are three ways deemed safe for turkey thawing but we’ll get a less-than-ideal method out of the way: leaving it on your counter for an extended period of time.
“A package of frozen meat or poultry left thawing on the counter more than 2 hours is not at a safe temperature,” the FSIS explains. Sure, parts of the turkey may still be frozen, but the outer layer will most likely have entered the “Danger Zone” — between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit — where foodborne bacteria can multiply quickly.
To safely thaw your Thanksgiving dinner, here’s what the FSIS recommends.
How to thaw a turkey in the refrigerator
For refrigerator thawing, you should plan for roughly one whole day for every four to five pounds your bird weighs. So, if you’re planning to enjoy your turkey on Thanksgiving Day, and it’s more than 24 pounds, you need to start the thawing process the Friday before Thanksgiving.
If your turkey is 20 pounds lighter than that, you can wait until Thanksgiving Eve.
The table below, provided by the FSIS, outlines when you need to start thawing your turkey. We’ve added an extra column to show which day you would need to move your bird from the freezer to the fridge if you plan to cook it on Thanksgiving Day.
| Turkey Size | How long to thaw? | When to start thawing |
|---|---|---|
| 4-12 pounds | 1 to 3 days | Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday |
| 12-16 pounds | 3 to 4 days | Sunday or Monday |
| 16 to 20 pounds | 4 to 5 days | Saturday or Sunday |
| 20 to 24 pounds | 5 to 6 days | Friday or Saturday |
There is little harm with putting your turkey in the refrigerator early. According to the FSIS, a thawed turkey can safely stay in the fridge for a day or two before it is cooked. You could also put it back in the freezer but its quality may suffer a bit.
How to thaw a turkey in cold water
Using cold water is much faster than thawing in a refrigerator. The FSIS says to account for about 30 minutes in the water for every pound your turkey weighs.
The table below shows roughly how long it will take to thaw a turkey based on its size using the FSIS’s guidance.
| Turkey Size | How long to thaw? |
|---|---|
| 4-12 pounds | 2-6 hours |
| 12-16 pounds | 6-8 hours |
| 16 to 20 pounds | 8-10 hours |
| 20 to 24 pounds | 10-12 hours |
You’ll want to make sure your bird is in a leak-proof plastic bag and submerged in cold tap water that is changed every 30 minutes until the turkey has thawed. Once you have reached thawed status, the turkey must be cooked immediately.
How to thaw turkey in a microwave oven
Like a turkey thawed in cold water, one thawed in a microwave oven must be cooked immediately.
The FSIS recommends following guidance from your microwave’s manufacturer when it comes to defrosting a turkey. Butterball recommends this method only for some turkey products while whole turkeys should thaw either in the refrigerator or cold water.
What if you did not thaw your turkey?
Let’s say you forgot to take the turkey out of the freezer and your guests are arriving in a few hours. You don’t have to call out for a pizza just yet.
According to the FSIS, frozen turkeys can still be cooked, they just take at least 50% longer than a thawed bird.
When you are cooking your turkey, whether or not it was able to thaw, have a food thermometer handy. Once it reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the innermost part of the thigh and wing, and the thickest part of the breast, it is ready.