When it comes to thawing your bird this Thanksgiving, make sure you do it right. Keep the bird in its unopened wrapping on a tray in the refrigerator. Allow thaw time of four hours per pound. Here is a chart to help you calculate thaw time for your turkey:
Turkey Weight Days To Allow For Thawing
8 – 10 Pounds 2 to 3 Days
10 – 16 Pounds 3 to 4 Days
16 – 20 Pounds 4 to 5 Days
20 – 24 Pounds 5 to 6 Days
Need that Turkey oven-ready in a hurry?
You can use cold water to speed up the process of thawing the bird. Submerge it into cold water (still in the original wrapping), changing the water every half hour to keep cold. Then follow this chart for Cold Water Turkey Thawing Time:
Turkey Weight Hours To Allow For Thawing
8 – 10 Pounds 3 to 4 Hours
12 – 16 Pounds 4 to 5 Hours
16 – 20 Pounds 4 to 6 Hours
20 – 24 Pounds 5 to 6 Hours
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