Turkey Thawing Guide
Here are my simple tips on how to thaw a frozen turkey using the cold water method. It is very important to safely thaw a frozen turkey for your Thanksgiving meal.
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Servings: 8
Calories: 454
Ingredients
- 1 Turkey
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Instructions
Thaw Quickly
- Fill the large pot (or cooler) with cold water to start thawing the frozen turkey. Be sure the turkey is completely submerged.1 Turkey
- You will see that the frozen bird will have a tendency to want to float. That is because the air pocket of the cavity of the bird will want to make the bird buoyant.
- It is important that the entire bird be submerged in the cold water. If a portion of the bird is out of the water, it will thaw at a different rate and could reach an unsafe temperature.
- So to keep the bird completely submerged, put a lid on the pot.
- Now, set a timer and change out the cold water every 30 minutes or until the turkey is completely thawed.
Thawing Times
- 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
Overnight
- If you are not able to change the water every 30 minutes run a small trickle of water in the pot and allow it to overflow. This will constantly refresh the water, keeping the temperature cold. Just be sure the drain is open! The last thing you want is to come home to a flooded kitchen.
- A turkey thawed by the cold water method should be cooked immediately. After cooking, meat from the turkey can be refrozen.
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Nutrition Facts
Turkey Thawing Guide
Serving Size
8 servings
Amount per Serving
Calories
454
% Daily Value*
Fat
18
g
28
%
Saturated Fat
5
g
31
%
Trans Fat
0.2
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
5
g
Monounsaturated Fat
6
g
Cholesterol
232
mg
77
%
Sodium
361
mg
16
%
Potassium
721
mg
21
%
Sugar
0.2
g
0
%
Protein
70
g
140
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
**Nutritional facts are just estimates. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates.
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