Don't forget about defrosting your turkey just because you have a million other things to accomplish before your Thanksgiving feast. Here's how to thaw a turkey!
When planning ahead, this is our recommended method for defrosting a frozen turkey because it is simple and requires little effort.
The USDA endorses the rule of thumb that it takes around 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds of turkey. Thus, a 25-pound bird may require longer than six days to fully defrost.
The safest way to defrost a turkey in the fridge is to turn it down to 40 degrees or lower and create room for it on the lowest shelf so that the juices don't spill everywhere.
If you don't have time to defrost your turkey in the fridge, use cold water in a sink or bucket. This strategy is easy, but requires labor and monitoring.
Frozen turkey, on average, needs 30 minutes per pound to defrost. According to these calculations, thawing a 25-pound turkey will take roughly 13.5 hours.
Keep the turkey in its original packaging and place it in a large plastic bag to thaw it in a sink or bucket. Submerge the turkey in a sink or bucket of cold water.
We don't advocate thawing meat in the microwave since the texture may degrade. If you neglected to thaw your turkey or didn't have time, use the microwave.
Follow your microwave's handbook and set it to defrost mode to thaw a frozen turkey in the microwave. Remove the turkey from its packing and remove all tags.
Place the turkey on a microwavable dish. To ensure that the turkey thaws evenly, microwave it in intervals, rotating and flipping it in between.