The Greatest Method to Defrost Turkey, In response to Meals Security Specialists

For those who’ve ever cooked a complete turkey for Thanksgiving or one other vacation, you understand how nerve-racking coping with a frozen turkey might be. Whereas a frozen hen is often probably the most extensively obtainable, handy, and reasonably priced choice, having a still-frozen turkey on Thanksgiving morning is the stuff of nightmares for a lot of. And never solely do it’s a must to thaw the factor—you additionally must do it safely, lest you poison a dozen relations and mates. Luckily, it is actually not that tough to correctly and safely defrost a turkey. For steerage, we spoke to 2 meals security specialists and a chef to search out out one of the simplest ways to defrost turkey—and which strategies residence cooks ought to keep away from. 

Why It is Necessary to Defrost Turkey Appropriately

Within the US, Thanksgiving turkeys usually vary from 12 to 16 kilos, with some even exceeding 20 kilos. Due to the hen’s massive measurement, defrosting it nicely—and safely—might be difficult. Relying on the load of your hen and the strategy you select, it might take as much as 5 days to your turkey to completely thaw. And although it could be tempting to let your turkey sit out at room temperature or in a bucket of heat water, this can lead to uneven thawing, with some components of the hen hitting the temperature hazard zone (40 to 140ºF; 4.5 to 60ºC), the temperature at which dangerous micro organism corresponding to Salmonella, clostridium, or campylobacter can multiply shortly and improve your threat of meals poisoning. 

The way you defrost your turkey issues, and to forestall foodborne sicknesses, america Division of Agriculture (USDA) has strict pointers on find out how to safely thaw turkey. There are solely three strategies the group recommends for defrosting turkey: within the fridge, in chilly water, and within the microwave. Beneath, we’ll discover every of those strategies intimately so you may thaw your turkey safely and in a manner that units you up for cooking a juicy, succulent centerpiece of a hen.

How Lengthy Does It Take to Defrost Turkey?

The time it takes to defrost your turkey will rely on its measurement. The USDA estimates that you simply’ll want 24 hours within the fridge for each 4 to 5 kilos of turkey you’re defrosting, however many components can impression thawing time, together with the temperature of your fridge and the way crowded the fridge is. Past the turkey’s measurement, the minimize and form of your turkey may also impression how lengthy it takes to defrost. Jessica Pryles, chef and creator of Hardcore Carnivore, says a complete turkey is basically a “massive, spherical, frozen ball,” and its density means it’s not conducive to fast defrosting. Whereas not generally discovered at conventional grocery shops, spatchcocked turkeys will each freeze and defrost quicker than an intact hen. Complete turkeys which were separated into components after which frozen flat may also thaw quicker than a complete hen.

To offer your self loads of time to correctly thaw and brine your turkey, it’s greatest to start defrosting the hen no less than 5 days earlier than you propose to prepare dinner and serve it. (As Kenji has famous beforehand, there’s no have to brine birds which are labeled as kosher, enhanced, or self-basting, as these have already been handled with salt.)

The Most Frequent Strategies for Thawing Turkey

Defrost Turkey within the Fridge

In response to Meredith Carothers, a meals security specialist with the USDA, and Catherine Nettles Cutter, a professor and meals security specialist in Penn State College’s meals science division, defrosting your turkey within the fridge is one of the simplest ways to thaw it. “It is the simplest and the most secure,” says Carothers, who explains {that a} fridge set to keep up a temperature beneath 40ºF (4ºC) ensures that your turkey won’t ever hit the hazard zone, lowering the danger of food-borne pathogens.

To thaw your turkey within the fridge, Carothers and Cutter advocate maintaining your turkey wrapped and storing it on a big platter or tray, corresponding to a rimmed sheet pan, to gather any juices which will leak. You’ll additionally wish to place it on the lowest attainable level in your fridge to maintain any rogue uncooked poultry juices not caught by the platter from contaminating anything in your fridge. 

This technique is the one one the USDA recommends utilizing in case you plan on dry brining your turkey, as the opposite two USDA-approved strategies—thawing within the microwave and in chilly water—are thought of “fast” and require you to prepare dinner the hen instantly after it thaws. Thawing within the fridge comes with two trade-offs, although: time and house. A 20-pound hen will want about 5 days to defrost, taking over valuable fridge house you can in any other case use to retailer different Thanksgiving elements. Nonetheless, it’s probably the most hands-off technique and is the most secure strategy, as it’s the just one that ensures your turkey can be held at a food-safe temperature the complete time it thaws. (We advocate utilizing a fridge thermometer to make sure your fridge is on the proper temperature.)

TL;DR: Defrosting turkey within the fridge is the most secure and most hands-off technique, and is the one USDA-recommended technique in case you plan on dry brining your turkey. It’s also the slowest technique and requires you to have vital fridge house.

Defrost a Turkey in Chilly Water

For those who’re operating not on time and wish to hurry up the defrosting time of your hen, submerging it in cool water will do the trick. (We advocate maintaining the turkey in its authentic packaging to forestall the meat from turning into waterlogged.) With this technique, it takes about half-hour to defrost per pound of turkey, Pryles says. A ten-pound hen will defrost in about 5 hours, reasonably than the 2 to a few days it could require within the fridge.

As a result of chilly water conducts warmth higher than air, this technique is quicker than thawing within the fridge. This technique, nevertheless, is a little more hands-on than thawing turkey within the fridge. As I wrote in my information to defrosting hen, the USDA says this technique is okay so long as your faucet releases water within the 55 to 65ºF (12.7 to 18.3ºC) vary. You’ll even have to alter the water each half-hour or so to make sure the water stays within the really useful vary; because the frozen turkey defrosts, the water round it turns into cooler, and finally turns into chilly sufficient to forestall the hen from adequately thawing.

The opposite downside with this technique is discovering a container massive sufficient to carry your turkey. Kenji has really useful utilizing a massive cooler or tub and altering out the water each hour or so. A cooler, Pryles says, may also assist preserve the temperature extra constant and doubtlessly cut back the variety of occasions it is advisable to refill it. Many coolers have spigots on the backside, making it straightforward to empty once you’re executed defrosting. For those who don’t have a big sufficient cooler, Pryles suggests utilizing a five-gallon bucket. “You simply wish to ensure that there’s loads of room between the precise turkey and the facet of the bucket so it might truly be immersed within the chilly water,” she says, which is able to assist thaw the hen evenly.

If in case you have neither a cooler or five-gallon bucket, defrosting your turkey in a clear kitchen sink and even your bathtub can be an choice. For those who plan on defrosting your turkey within the sink or tub, you should definitely completely clear them to forestall any grime, micro organism, or dish detergent and residues from bathing or cleansing merchandise from contaminating your poultry. (Though we advocate maintaining your turkey within the packaging, there’s a probability of it being breached.)

As a result of defrosting through chilly water is taken into account a rapid-defrost technique, the USDA recommends you prepare dinner meals defrosted this fashion instantly as soon as it is thawed, which sadly means you gained’t be capable to dry brine a turkey defrosted this fashion.

TL;DR: Defrosting a turkey in chilly water is quicker than thawing within the fridge, however it’s barely extra hands-on because it requires you to alter the water often to keep up a temperature of 40ºF (4ºC) or beneath. Additionally, you will want a big vessel, corresponding to a cooler or five-gallon bucket, for thawing the turkey. A turkey defrosted this fashion have to be cooked instantly after thawing, which implies you gained’t be capable to dry brine it.

What About Defrosting a Turkey within the Microwave?

Regardless of being endorsed by the USDA, defrosting a complete turkey within the microwave is just not reasonable for most individuals, as most turkeys are too massive to slot in a regular microwave. This technique is extra appropriate for thawing smaller cuts like drumsticks or wings shortly, although we don’t advocate it until it’s the solely choice obtainable. As I discovered in my analysis and testing on find out how to greatest defrost hen, this technique leads to inconsistently thawed meat; as a result of the microwave jumpstarts the cooking course of, the outer edges of the poultry could also be totally cooked by the point the middle of the hen is defrosted. The feel of the meat can be dry and ugly to eat. 

For those who insist on thawing cuts of turkey within the microwave, the USDA recommends utilizing your microwave’s poultry defrost setting to take action, and planning on it taking about six minutes per pound. You also needs to rotate and flip the items all through the method to ensure it’s defrosting evenly. As a result of that is one other fast defrosting technique, the turkey needs to be cooked instantly after it has thawed.  

TL;DR: Most turkeys are too massive to slot in a regular microwave; this technique is greatest for thawing smaller cuts of turkey like thighs or wings. Turkey defrosted this fashion could have a drier texture, and we don’t advocate utilizing this technique until it’s the just one obtainable. As a result of the microwave is a fast defrosting technique, the turkey have to be cooked instantly after it has thawed.

Why You Ought to By no means Defrost a Turkey at Room Temperature

Leaving a complete frozen turkey out at room temperature is the riskiest defrosting technique, and the USDA doesn’t advocate thawing turkey this fashion, nor will we. Give it some thought: Even weeknight-friendly cuts of poultry like hen breasts, which generally weigh about one to 2 kilos, can take a number of hours to thaw at room temperature. An entire turkey—which is greater than triple the dimensions of these cuts—will take for much longer. Because the turkey sits at room temperature, its exterior will thaw first, and certain hit the temperature hazard zone whereas the inside has but to completely thaw, making it vulnerable to bacterial development.

Pryles notes that in case you stay in a chilly local weather the place the surface temperature is constantly beneath 40ºF (4ºC), you can safely defrost the turkey exterior in your yard or your porch. The USDA, nevertheless, doesn’t advocate thawing turkey this fashion, whatever the exterior temperature. If the turkey occurs to be in direct daylight or if the temperature fluctuates all through the day above 40ºF (4ºC), Carothers says, you’re placing your friends in danger. She additionally warns {that a} porch isn’t as sterilized as your kitchen, and the thawing turkey might appeal to undesirable Thanksgiving friends within the type of native wildlife and neighborhood pets. For these causes, we don’t advocate this technique both. 

TL;DR: Thawing your turkey at room temperature is the riskiest defrosting technique. We don’t advocate utilizing this technique.

Can You Cook dinner Frozen Turkey?

Until you might be deep-frying your turkey—wherein case the hen must be 100% thawed and completely dried earlier than taking a dip within the oil—you may technically prepare dinner a turkey from frozen and it’ll nonetheless be meals protected in line with the USDA. From a culinary standpoint, we don’t advocate it; a hen you’ve thawed within the fridge and dry brined is all the time going to be extra flavorful and juicy. But when it’s Thanksgiving day and your turkey continues to be a block of ice and cooking it frozen is the one choice left, you may, certainly, do that. Simply remember the fact that a frozen turkey will take no less than 50% longer to prepare dinner than a thawed turkey, and simply tossing a frozen hen within the oven will definitely not lead to a superbly cooked, moist hen with crisp pores and skin. We aren’t going to supply directions for it right here, however you may head on over to Thermoworks, the place there’s a thorough information on find out how to prepare dinner a frozen turkey.

The Takeaway

For defrosting a complete turkey, our best choice is the fridge. Make sure you begin defrosting no less than 5 days earlier than you propose on cooking the turkey, and calculate that it’s going to want 24 hours within the fridge for each 4 to 5 kilos of turkey you’re defrosting, probably longer. Make sure you construct in time for prep strategies, like dry brining.