When I first started hosting Thanksgiving, I had NO IDEA that it took a turkey basically half a year to thaw. Seriously, it never occurred to me. That first Thanksgiving I was stuck standing there in the kitchen asking myself can you cook a frozen turkey!? I’ve gotten wiser {at a much slower pace than I care to admit}, but that first Thanksgiving has always stuck with me.
So if you find yourself in a similar boat–or for whatever reason, you need to thaw your turkey in a flash, here’s a couple of tips for getting it thawed and in the oven before your mother-in-law ever realizes you’ve blundered:
Cook it while it is still frozen.
Yes, it can be done. It will take quite a bit longer, but, still the job will get done. Lower your roasting temperature a bit and get the internal temperature to 165-185 degrees.
If you have a couple of days:
The best method is to throw the bird into the refrigerator and forget about it. It will take 2-5 days {at least} to thaw, so this is one of those pre-planning methods.
Thaw it in ice-water.
Leaving your bird to thaw on the counter will get the job done quicker, but it will also potentially provide your guests with the opportunity to visit the emergency room with a case of food poisoning.
Immerse your turkey in ice-water that you change every 30 minutes or so. Doing this until the bird has thawed will protect the bird from bacteria by keeping it just cold enough. You can use a big cooler to do the thawing, so that you don’t take up valuable sink space. Plan on this to take anywhere from 4 to 12 hours depending on the size of your bird.
Pop out and buy a fresh turkey.
It’s going to cost you, seriously cost you, but Thanksgiving and your pride will remain intact.
So there you have it. The simple answer to can you cook a frozen turkey? Have you ever forgotten to thaw your turkey in time for the big day? How did you make sure the show went on?
~Mavis
Brianna says
My frozen turkey I bought will stay in the freezer. The hubby informed me after I bought it and planned our meal that he absolutely hates turkey, always has, and doesn’t want it. We had a three day debate and finally I caved and bought a ham. I guess all those years I have been making turkey he has been nice and choking it down. He finally decided enough after 20 years. The turkey will make an appearance out of the freezer when he is gone for work for the kids and I to eat. I am sure he will inadvertently eat turkey in something I make with it all, but I probably won’t tell him. I am sure he has turkey hound skills to figure it out.
Meg C says
My bio-dad HATED turkey and they always had either ham or roast beef/pot roast for Thanksgiving. All the same sides (which I always thought was weird with the ham but ok with the beef). He didn’t even like turkey gravy!
Kudos to your hubby for choking it down for 20 years. Maybe, if you really want it or miss the turkey you could pop into a honey baked ham shop and get a pound of their roasted turkey breast? It’s delicious!
Karen W says
Totally agree …love the smoked version of the honey roasted turkey breast. A bit pricey it totally worth not having to roast a turkey
Ramona says
I’m curious if your husband likes chicken?
Pat says
I’ve never tried cooking a frozen turkey, but I’ve certainly tried quick-thawing at the last moment. My biggest problem this year has been finding a turkey large enough – I typically buy a 20-22 pound turkey but this year, after 4 visits to a total of 3 different stores, I had to settle on a 16-pound turkey. I had the same problem last year. We’ll manage, but it’s going to put a crimp in my after-Thanksgiving leftovers.
Linda says
My first turkey, baked when I was a mother of two under two was baked frozen. No one died. I have thawed turkeys in ice water. I have left others in the refrigerator for the right amount of time and still had a half-frozen turkey to contend with. I have thawed turkeys in ice water in sink.
This year, I have a turkey sitting upright in a tall pot in the refrigerator because there was no room to lie it down in a baking pan. The only hard thing about turkey is I am having trouble lifting one. Practical Parsimony
Bec in the PNW says
I (hopefully!) got our turkey in the fridge early enough this year to have it fully defrosted. This made me laugh and think back to a Thanksgiving in my early 20s when I lived with a bunch of roommates in a house with a tiny fridge. We put the turkey in a cooler outside to brine overnight. It was a delicious dinner!
Margo says
I have a son who doesn’t like turkey. We used to host large groups for the holiday and usually had a super big bird or a smaller bird and a ham. Made the mistake of asking him what he would like as a second option. He asked for corned beef and cabbage. I did make it, but my house smelled more like St. Patrick’s Day than Thanksgiving!
Amy says
That’s what we’re making this year (and no turkey)! My son and I are both agreed to take a break from turkey and see if we miss it.
Sarah Geertsema says
HA! The timing of this! Just cooked a stuffed butterball turkey yesterday. Instructions on the packaging specifically instructed to cook from frozen. Took all day, but turned out great.
Dianne says
Wow, that is interesting. All my life I have been told never to cook a frozen Turkey. I love that you posted that!
Bonnie from GA says
My only comment about cooking frozen is. Usually turkeys have a bag on the inside with the turkey neck, innards and sometimes a bag of Gravy. You have to make sure it is out of the cavity. (?). Lol.
Norma says
I was thinking the same thing.
Janet says
it won’t kill anyone if you cook the turkey with the bag of stuff inside. My first 3 years of marriage, I forgot to take out every year. I did thaw ahead of cooking though.
🙂
SueD says
My dad didn’t like turkey, so for the first 12 years of my life, we had chicken for Thanksgiving. He won a turkey when I was 13; it was the first year I was in charge of making the dinner. Cornish game hen for him, and the rest of us feasted on turkey. This year I’m making a 26 lb turkey. Lots of leftovers-yum!
Katherine says
We decided two years ago to forgo the huge Thanksgiving meal for a sandwich “bar” with all the fixings, and two hot sides, this year is roasted potatoes and broccoli which are simple to prepare. But we still have the traditional pumpkin and key lime pies.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Mary says
I usually cook my turkeys a day ahead with white wine and seasonings, rip it apart, put the meat in a 9 by 13 and pour pan juices over it, cover with foil and refrigerate. Then I just reheat it the day of the feast with the other oven things. I put the carcass in a crockpot and set it on low all night or until I get back to it. It has taken so much work out of the holiday for me. I hated getting up from a big meal and see that turkey waiting to be finished up. Some of my other relatives now do it this way. It still tastes great.
Jeanine says
Good idea!
Mona R McGinnis says
A friend debones the turkey, then rolls & ties it before roasting producing a boneless presentation. I’ve done it a few times & am still mastering the deboning process around the limbs. The way I see it, you will fuss with the carcass before or after cooking. Another friend (honestly, it wasn’t me!), totally unfamiliar with a turkey’s anatomy, opened the cavity & mistook the turkey’s neck for a penis the first time she cooked one. She could laugh at herself. I have mistakenly left the giblet bag intact in the bird with no problem; it’s like parchment paper.
Mary says
oh my goodness, we laughed so hard about the turkey neck.
Gigi says
My favorite part of the turkey is after dinner. When the carcass is still in the roast pan on the stove, I have a second meal eating all the parts that fell into the juices.
Liz G says
I defrost my turkey in a cooler. It takes about 30 minutes per pound, and it’s safer than leaving it out on the counter. I put a few ice packs in the cooler, check the temp with a thermometer, and rotate the turkey a few times to make sure it’s thawing evenly. Works like a charm and doesn’t take up half the fridge for days.