So we are now a day before the big day. Is your turkey still a solid block?

Under no circumstance do you want to place a frozen turkey in the oven. So if you are in a hurry there is something you can do.

But first I must tell you that NEVER, EVER, EVER leave a turkey to thaw at room temperature. This is a good way to miss those great Black Friday sales because you are too busy visiting your toilet.

How to Quickly Thaw a Turkey

A much safer option is the one Alton Brown (of Good Eats) recommends. Take your frozen turkey, place it into a 5 gallon bucket, full of cold water. Your turkey should defrost (approximately) at a rate of 2 pounds every 1 hour. If you are concerned let it go an extra hour. Sometimes I find that I think it’s fully defrosting, only to find a little ice in the cavity.

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Approximate Defrosting Times



Turkey Size Time 10 pounds 5 hours 11 pounds 5 1/2 hours 12 pounds 6 hours 13 pounds 6 1/2 hours 14 pounds 7 hours 15 pounds 7 1/2 hours 16 pounds 8 hours 17 pounds 8 1/2 hours 18 pounds 9 hours 19 pounds 9 1/2 hours 20 pounds 10 hours 21 pounds 10 1/2 hours 22 pounds 11 hours

If Your Turkey Floats…

Every turkey I placed in a 5 gallon bucket has wanted to float on me. All you need to do is weigh it down. Use a pot or a clean brick.

Why this Method is Better

This method is faster than doing it in the fridge and safer than doing it at room temperature. What happens when you do this in the process of conduction. The turkey and the water want to be at the same temperature. The outer part of the turkey will defrost before the inner part, so it’s important to always keep the whole turkey below 40 degrees, so bacteria doesn’t show up. This is why defrosting at room temperature is such a no-no.

Some final notes: Make sure when you do this to keep the turkey in it’s packaging as well as to change the water every 3 hours. It’s easiest to do this in a bath tub where it will be easier to change the water, then trying to get water into a 5 gallon bucket in your kitchen sink.

Also check out these other Thanksgiving-related topics: What is a Self-Basted Turkey?, Essential Thanksgiving Kitchen Tools, Pop-Up Timers, Pumpkin Recipes, Why Should I Brine my Turkey?.