How Long to Defrost a Turkey

The traditional food for Thanksgiving in the United States and for Christmas in Britain is turkey. Therefore, it is not uncommon to see people booking their bird in advance, so as to avoid disappointment later on. Although fresh turkey is said to be the best, it is often more expensive as compared to a frozen bird. If you have bought a frozen turkey or have frozen the turkey after buying it, you would want to know how long to defrost it, before you can use it in a turkey recipe. Along with the time, it is also important you use the proper technique to thaw turkey. If the turkey is frozen at the center, the chances of food poisoning increase manifold. Let's find an answer to the question how long does it take to defrost a turkey, but before that we will also read on how to defrost a turkey.

How to Defrost a Turkey

For defrosting, keep the frozen turkey at the bottom of a refrigerator. The temperature in the bottom shelf of the refrigerator is the appropriate temperature for the bird to defrost without being infected with bacteria. This method can take several days. However, if you are running short of time, then you would want to know a quicker method to defrost a turkey. Unwrap the turkey and place it under lightly running cool water. If you cannot place the bird under running water, then place the bird in a big container and change water every 30 to 45 minutes. In a bid to defrost quickly, do not use hot water at any cost. It can be dangerous, as hot water will encourage bacterial growth on the skin of the turkey. Likewise, do not place the turkey in the microwave or a roaster to thaw. Like is the case with hot water, it may also lead to bacteria growth. Do not try to thaw turkey at room temperature, this is also a dangerous method.

How Long to Defrost a Turkey ...

We will see the time requires to defrost a turkey both in the refrigerator as well as under running cold water. We will first see the defrosting time required for turkey breast, before we turn towards defrosting a whole bird.

... Breast
For defrosting turkey breast in the refrigerator, place the breast along with the wrapper in the refrigerator, such that the breast side is up. It will take approximately 1 day to defrost 4 to 5 pounds of turkey. If you are going to use cold water method, then place the unopened wrapper in cold water, but this time breast side down. If you are using the cold water method, make sure you continue to change water more frequently.

... in the Fridge
Defrosting turkey in the fridge is the best method, you can use to defrost turkey. However, the disadvantage of this method is that you will have to start a few days in advance itself. So that you have a perfectly defrosted bird, before grilling or cooking. The approximate time required for thawing turkey in the refrigerator is 25 hours for every 5 pounds.

Weight	Time Required
8 to 12 lbs	1 to 2 days
12 to 16 lbs	2 to 3 days
16 to 20 lbs	3 to 4 days
20 to 24 lbs	4 to 5 days

... Under Water
When time is short, one can defrost the turkey under cold water. If you think, this is going to defrost the turkey instantly, then you are mistaken. This method although may not take as long as the refrigerator method, yet you will have to spend 10 to 12 hours to get a perfectly defrosted bird. The average time required to defrost one pound of turkey is 30 minutes using this method.

Weight	Time Required
8 to 12 lbs	4 to 6 hours
12 to 16 lbs	6 to 8 hours
16 to 20 lbs	8 to 10 hours
20 to 24 lbs	10 to 12 hours

Now that you know the time required to defrost a turkey, you will ask me how long will a perfectly defrosted bird last. A perfectly defrosted bird can last for about 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator. If you have a large bird, then you may consider cooking the bird in advance. In such a case, remember to debone the bird, before you place it in the refrigerator. For reheating, it will take about 10 minutes per pound. You can make use of meat drippings, broth or gravy, so that the bird does not dry out.