The Finest Solution to Defrost Turkey, In accordance with Meals Security Specialists

If you happen to’ve ever cooked a complete turkey for Thanksgiving or one other vacation, you understand how demanding coping with a frozen turkey might be. Whereas a frozen chicken is usually essentially the most broadly out there, 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 a must to thaw the factor—you additionally should do it safely, lest you poison a dozen members of the family and associates. Happily, it is actually not that arduous to correctly and safely defrost a turkey. For steering, we spoke to 2 meals security consultants and a chef to seek 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 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 dimension, defrosting it nicely—and safely—might be difficult. Relying on the load of your chicken and the tactic you select, it may well take as much as 5 days on your turkey to completely thaw. And although it might 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 reminiscent of Salmonella, clostridium, or campylobacter can multiply shortly and improve your danger of meals poisoning. 

The way you defrost your turkey issues, and to forestall foodborne diseases, the US Division of Agriculture (USDA) has strict pointers on easy methods 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’ll be able to thaw your turkey safely and in a approach 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 rely upon its dimension. 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 dimension, the reduce 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 sooner than an intact chicken. Complete turkeys which have been separated into elements after which frozen flat may also thaw sooner than a complete chicken.

To offer your self loads of time to correctly thaw and brine your turkey, it’s greatest to start defrosting the chicken at the least 5 days earlier than you propose to cook dinner and serve it. (As Kenji has famous beforehand, there’s no must 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

Methods to Defrost Turkey within the Fridge

In accordance 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 one of the simplest ways to thaw it. “It is the best and the most secure,” says Carothers, who explains {that a} fridge set to keep up a temperature under 40ºF (4ºC) ensures that your turkey won’t ever hit the hazard zone, decreasing the chance 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, reminiscent of a rimmed sheet pan, to gather any juices that will leak. You’ll additionally need to place it on the lowest potential 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 cook dinner the chicken instantly after it thaws. Thawing within the fridge comes with two trade-offs, although: time and house. A 20-pound chicken will want about 5 days to defrost, taking on valuable fridge house you could possibly in any other case use to retailer different Thanksgiving substances. Nonetheless, it’s essentially the most hands-off technique and is the most secure method, as it’s the just one that ensures your turkey might be held at a food-safe temperature all the 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. Additionally it is the slowest technique and requires you to have vital fridge house.

Methods to Defrost a Turkey in Chilly Water

If you happen to’re working not on time and want to hurry up the defrosting time of your chicken, submerging it in cool water will do the trick. (We advocate maintaining the turkey in its authentic packaging to forestall the meat from changing 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, fairly 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 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 useful vary; because the frozen turkey defrosts, the water round it turns into cooler, and finally turns into chilly sufficient to forestall the chicken from adequately thawing.

The opposite drawback 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 hold the temperature extra constant and doubtlessly scale back the variety of instances you want to refill it. Many coolers have spigots on the backside, making it simple 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 need to make it possible for there’s loads of room between the precise turkey and the facet of the bucket so it may well really be immersed within the chilly water,” she says, which can assist thaw the chicken evenly.

When 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. If you happen to plan on defrosting your turkey within the sink or tub, remember to completely clear them to forestall any dust, 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 by way of chilly water is taken into account a rapid-defrost technique, the USDA recommends you cook dinner meals defrosted this manner instantly as soon as it is thawed, which sadly means you received’t be capable of dry brine a turkey defrosted this manner.

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 keep up a temperature of 40ºF (4ºC) or under. Additionally, you will want a big vessel, reminiscent of a cooler or five-gallon bucket, for thawing the turkey. A turkey defrosted this manner should 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 solely not life like for most individuals, as most turkeys are too huge 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 out there. As I discovered in my analysis and testing on easy methods to greatest defrost hen, this technique ends in 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 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 must also rotate and flip the items all through the method to verify it’s defrosting evenly. As a result of that is one other speedy defrosting technique, the turkey must be cooked instantly after it has thawed.  

TL;DR: Most turkeys are too huge to slot in a regular microwave; this technique is greatest for thawing smaller cuts of turkey like thighs or wings. Turkey defrosted this manner can have a drier texture, and we don’t advocate utilizing this technique until it’s the just one out there. As a result of the microwave is a speedy defrosting technique, the turkey should 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 manner, 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. An entire 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 completely thaw, making it vulnerable to bacterial development.

Pryles notes that when you reside in a chilly local weather the place the skin temperature is constantly under 40ºF (4ºC), you could possibly safely defrost the turkey outdoors in your yard or your porch. The USDA, nevertheless, doesn’t advocate thawing turkey this manner, 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 visitors in danger. She additionally warns {that a} porch isn’t as sterilized as your kitchen, and the thawing turkey may entice undesirable Thanksgiving visitors 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’re deep-frying your turkey—during which case the chicken must be 100% thawed and completely dried earlier than taking a dip within the oil—you’ll be able to technically cook 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 all the time going to be extra flavorful and juicy. But when it’s Thanksgiving day and your turkey remains to be a block of ice and cooking it frozen is the one choice left, you’ll be able to, certainly, do that. Simply remember that a frozen turkey will take at the least 50% longer to cook 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’ll be able to head on over to Thermoworks, the place there’s a thorough information on easy methods to cook dinner a frozen turkey.

The Takeaway

For defrosting a complete turkey, our best choice is the fridge. You should definitely begin defrosting at the least 5 days earlier than you propose 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, presumably longer. You should definitely construct in time for prep strategies, like dry brining.