The Most secure, Best Technique to Defrost a Turkey, In keeping with Meals Security Professionals

If you happen to’ve ever cooked a complete turkey for Thanksgiving or one other vacation, you know the way tense coping with a frozen turkey will be. Whereas a frozen chicken is usually probably the most extensively accessible, handy, and inexpensive choice, having a still-frozen turkey on Thanksgiving morning is the stuff of nightmares for a lot of. And never solely do it’s important to thaw the factor—you additionally need to do it safely, lest you poison a dozen members of the family and pals. Fortuitously, 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 the easiest way to defrost turkey—and which strategies dwelling cooks ought to keep away from. 

Why It is Necessary to Defrost Turkey Accurately

Within the US, Thanksgiving turkeys sometimes vary from 12 to 16 kilos, with some even exceeding 20 kilos. Due to the chicken’s massive measurement, defrosting it nicely—and safely—will be difficult. Relying on the load of your chicken and the tactic you select, it could take as much as 5 days in your turkey to totally 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 elements of the chicken hitting the temperature hazard zone (40 to 140ºF; 4.5 to 60ºC), the temperature at which dangerous micro organism resembling Salmonella, clostridium, or campylobacter can multiply rapidly and enhance your danger of meals poisoning. 

The way you defrost your turkey issues, and to stop foodborne diseases, america Division of Agriculture (USDA) has strict tips 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. Under, we’ll discover every of those strategies intimately so you may thaw your turkey safely and in a method that units you up for cooking a juicy, succulent centerpiece of a chicken.

How Lengthy Does It Take to Defrost Turkey?

The time it takes to defrost your turkey will depend upon its measurement. The USDA estimates that you just’ll want 24 hours within the fridge for each 4 to 5 kilos of turkey you’re defrosting, however many components can affect thawing time, together with the temperature of your fridge and the way crowded the fridge is. Past the turkey’s measurement, the lower and form of your turkey may also affect how lengthy it takes to defrost. Jessica Pryles, chef and writer of Hardcore Carnivore, says a complete turkey is actually a “huge, 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 chicken. Complete turkeys which were separated into elements after which frozen flat may also thaw quicker than a complete chicken.

To provide your self loads of time to correctly thaw and brine your turkey, it’s finest to start defrosting the chicken no less than 5 days earlier than you intend 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 Widespread Strategies for Thawing Turkey

The right way to Defrost Turkey within the Fridge

In keeping with 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 the easiest way to thaw it. “It is the simplest and the most secure,” says Carothers, who explains {that a} fridge set to take care of a temperature beneath 40ºF (4ºC) ensures that your turkey won’t ever hit the hazard zone, lowering the chance of food-borne pathogens.

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

This technique is the one one the USDA recommends utilizing when 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 “speedy” and require you to prepare dinner the chicken instantly after it thaws. Thawing within the fridge comes with two trade-offs, although: time and area. A 20-pound chicken will want about 5 days to defrost, taking on valuable fridge area you might in any other case use to retailer different Thanksgiving substances. 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 will probably be held at a food-safe temperature the whole 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 when you plan on dry brining your turkey. It is usually the slowest technique and requires you to have vital fridge area.

The right way to Defrost a Turkey in Chilly Water

If you happen to’re operating delayed and wish to hurry up the defrosting time of your chicken, submerging it in cool water will do the trick. (We advocate preserving the turkey in its authentic packaging to stop 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 chicken will defrost in about 5 hours, moderately than the 2 to a few days it will 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, nonetheless, 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 ok 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 helpful vary; because the frozen turkey defrosts, the water round it turns into cooler, and ultimately turns into chilly sufficient to stop the chicken from adequately thawing.

The opposite downside with this technique is discovering a container massive sufficient to carry your turkey. Kenji has really helpful utilizing a massive cooler or tub and altering out the water each hour or so. A cooler, Pryles says, may also assist maintain the temperature extra constant and probably scale back the variety of instances you’ll want to refill it. Many coolers have spigots on the backside, making it straightforward to empty once you’re carried out defrosting. If you happen to 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 aspect of the bucket so it could really be immersed within the chilly water,” she says, which can assist thaw the chicken evenly.

When you’ve got neither a cooler or five-gallon bucket, defrosting your turkey in a clear kitchen sink and even your bathtub can be an choice. If you happen to plan on defrosting your turkey within the sink or tub, you’ll want to totally clear them to stop any dust, micro organism, or dish detergent and residues from bathing or cleansing merchandise from contaminating your poultry. (Though we advocate preserving your turkey within the packaging, there’s a likelihood 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 received’t be capable of 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 ceaselessly to take care of a temperature of 40ºF (4ºC) or beneath. Additionally, you will want a big vessel, resembling 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 received’t be capable of 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 life like for most individuals, as most turkeys are too huge to slot in a typical microwave. This technique is extra appropriate for thawing smaller cuts like drumsticks or wings rapidly, although we don’t advocate it until it’s the solely choice accessible. As I discovered in my analysis and testing on find out how to finest 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 absolutely cooked by the point the middle of the chicken is defrosted. The feel of the meat can be dry and unsightly to eat. 

If you happen to 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 speedy defrosting technique, the turkey needs to be cooked instantly after it has thawed.  

TL;DR: Most turkeys are too huge to slot in a typical microwave; this technique is finest for thawing smaller cuts of turkey like thighs or wings. Turkey defrosted this fashion may have a drier texture, and we don’t advocate utilizing this technique until it’s the just one accessible. As a result of the microwave is a speedy 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 can 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. A complete turkey—which is greater than triple the scale 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 totally thaw, making it liable to bacterial progress.

Pryles notes that when you dwell in a chilly local weather the place the skin temperature is constantly beneath 40ºF (4ºC), you might safely defrost the turkey outdoors in your yard or your porch. The USDA, nonetheless, doesn’t advocate thawing turkey this fashion, whatever the outdoors 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 entice 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 Prepare dinner Frozen Turkey?

Except you might be deep-frying your turkey—during which case the chicken must be 100% thawed and totally dried earlier than taking a dip within the oil—you may technically prepare dinner a turkey from frozen and it’ll nonetheless be meals secure in accordance with the USDA. From a culinary standpoint, we don’t advocate it; a chicken you’ve thawed within the fridge and dry brined is at all times 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 take into account that a frozen turkey will take no less than 50% longer to prepare dinner than a thawed turkey, and simply tossing a frozen chicken within the oven will definitely not lead to a wonderfully cooked, moist chicken 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. Remember to begin defrosting no less than 5 days earlier than you intend on cooking the turkey, and calculate that it’ll want 24 hours within the fridge for each 4 to 5 kilos of turkey you’re defrosting, probably longer. Remember to construct in time for prep strategies, like dry brining.