We Asked The Experts How To Safely Thaw Turkey So You Don't Die

If you're reading this now, it's NOT too late.

If you're cooking turkey for the holidays, then you're probably buying a frozen turkey.

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And if you're going the frozen turkey route, then, like me, you're probably thinking of how to defrost it between now and Thanksgiving.

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I've heard of all the different ways to defrost a turkey, but I wanted to know: Which one is the safest or quickest? Also, what are my options if I'm stupid and waited until the last minute to thaw my turkey?

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To get to the bottom of this, I turned to three experts: Archie Magoulas, a USDA rep, Kelly Reynolds, a germ expert and health professor at the University of Arizona, and Zachary Waters, head chef of The Spaniard who handles and cooks poultry on a daily basis.

According to all three experts, the safest way to defrost a turkey is over time, in a fridge.

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As Magoulas — who works at the USDA's Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Education — says and the other two experts echo, you should allow 24 hours in the fridge for every 4-5 pounds of raw turkey. You should also store the thawing turkey in a container to prevent juices from leaking onto other foods and fridge surfaces.

The QUICKEST way to thaw a frozen turkey, on the other hand, is by using a microwave, but that's pretty impractical since most turkeys won't fit into a standard microwave.

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If you CAN fit into a microwave though, "following your particular microwave oven instructions is critical, since microwaves vary in power," says germ expert Reynolds. Now we can't advise on individual microwave usage, but it's safe to say you should check on it regularly to make sure every part of the turkey is being thawed properly, and don't use any materials, like aluminum, that might melt or catch on fire.

When your turkey is thawed, finish it in the oven as soon as possible, cooking it until it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF. That's the magic number, USDA Magoulas says.

The second quickest way is by placing the frozen turkey in a super cold water bath, draining the bath every 30 minutes and making sure the water NEVER gets warm.

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According to Magoulas, if you do your due diligence and make sure the turkey never gets into the danger zone (the temperature zone between 40°F and 140°F, when the turkey is especially vulnerable to quickly multiplying bacteria), then this is a safe method to thaw it quickly and the method should take you about 30 minutes per pound. Here's more info on that strategy.

What if I want to thaw my turkey at room temperature? I do that all the time with other foods and I'm still alive so it can't be too dangerous. 😅

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Do NOT thaw turkey at room temperature. According to germ expert Reynolds, thawing turkey at room temperature allows for harmful bacteria to grow. In just two hours bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella can rapidly multiply, she says.

Hold on, though. Wouldn't cooking the turkey for two hours kill any bacteria anyway? Nope, says the USDA.

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In addition to the other bacteria that might breed at any point while the turkey rests at room temperature, according to Magoulas, when bacteria hang out in the danger zone (again, that's anywhere between 40°F and 140°F) for longer than two hours, they start multiplying much quicker and start releasing dangerous toxins which CANNOT be destroyed by cooking and heat. Not to mention that handling a large turkey means to a larger risk of cross contamination to other foods, utensils, kitchen prep areas.

And if you waited until the absolute very last minute to thaw your turkey, here's what you can do:

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If you’re under extreme time constraints, "you can portion the turkey into smaller pieces so it will roast more quickly," says Chef Waters of The Spaniard. Remember that cutting frozen meat is very dangerous, though — it’s easy to slip and cut yourself — so you want to thaw it under running cold water as much as you can first.

Using a boning knife (or whatever sharp knife you're using to carve the turkey at the table), cut it into six pieces: two breasts, two thighs, and two legs. A whole roast turkey might take around six hours to roast, depending on its size, but breaking it down into pieces will cut that time down to around two hours.

And finally, make sure the meat is cooked to a proper 165 degrees.

And FYI, this video will teach you all you need to know about deboning and roasting the perfect turkey.

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You can check out all of Tasty's guides and recipes for the perfect Thanksgiving feast here.