How long does it take to thaw a 20-pound turkey in the refrigerator?

Make some room in the bottom of your fridge and have a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan nearby. Here’s the calculation: plan on 24 hours of fridge thawing for every 5 pounds of frozen turkey (for example: budget 4 full days of thawing in the fridge for a 20-pound turkey).

When should I start thawing my turkey?

The easiest and safest way to defrost your turkey is in the refrigerator (kept at 40°F). The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends one day of thawing in the refrigerator for every 5 pounds. So if you have a 15-pound bird, you’ll need to start defrosting at least three days in advance.

Can a turkey thaw for 7 days?

A thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. If necessary, a turkey that has been properly thawed in the refrigerator may be refrozen.
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Thawing Your Turkey.
Thawing in the refrigerator Time to thaw (allow 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds)
16 to 20 pounds 4 to 5 days
20 to 24 pounds 5 to 6 days

How many days does it take to thaw a 15-pound turkey?

Slow: Thaw in the Refrigerator

How long it takes: Allow approximately 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey. A 15-pound bird will take about 3 days to thaw completely.

Can a turkey stay in the fridge for a week?

Fresh turkey should keep in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. If you wait any longer, the meat might begin to show signs of spoilage. Store the bird in the coldest section of the fridge, and freeze it if you aren’t going to be able to cook it off within 48 hours.

How long does it take to thaw a 12 pound turkey in the refrigerator?

So, if the turkey weighs 4 to 12 pounds, plan for it to defrost in the fridge for one to three days. If it’s 12 to 16 pounds, make sure it’s placed in the fridge three to four days before the holiday arrives.

How long do you cook a 13 lbs turkey?

10. Calculate turkey cooking time and temperature. The simplest way to figure out turkey roasting times is to calculate 13 minutes per pound at 350°F for an unstuffed turkey (that’s about 3 hours for a 12- to 14-lb. turkey), or 15 minutes per pound for a stuffed turkey.

Can you thaw a turkey in 2 days?

The USDA recommends thawing your turkey in the refrigerator. … If your turkey weighs 16 pounds, it will take about four days to thaw. Once thawed, the turkey is safe for another two days, so you can start thawing it six days before thanksgiving (the Friday before Thanksgiving).

How long should a 20lb turkey cook?

Unsure how long you’re supposed to leave the bird in the oven? If you’re baking it at 325°F (the lowest temperature the USDA recommends), you’ll need to bake a 20-lb turkey in the oven for 4 to 5 hours if it’s unstuffed, and 4 ¼ to 5 ¼ hours if it’s stuffed.

Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350?

Roast the turkey uncovered at a temperature ranging from 325°F to 350°F. Higher temperatures may cause the meat to dry out, but this is preferable to temperatures that are too low which may not allow the interior of the turkey to cook to a safe temperature.

Is it better to cook a turkey covered or uncovered?

To achieve that balance, the ideal is to let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered: We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out, then removing the cover for the last 30 minutes or so to allow the skin to crisp.

Should a turkey be cooked upside down?

Here are her three keys to cooking a perfect turkey: Cook the turkey breast side down. While the turkey roasts, the juices fall down towards the breast, resulting in the most succulent meat. The breast is also more protected from the heat, which helps keep it from getting too dried out.

Do you put butter on turkey before cooking?

Don’t butter your bird

Placing butter under the skin won’t make the meat juicier, though it might help the skin brown faster. However, butter is about 17 percent water, and it will make your bird splotchy, says López-Alt. Instead, rub the skin with vegetable oil before you roast.

How often should you baste your turkey?

How often to baste a turkey. Most recipes will tell you to baste your turkey every thirty minutes. But our rule of thumb is actually every forty minutes, and here’s why. You don’t want to open the oven too many times, or else the whole bird will take much long to cook, and that’s a huge inconvenience.

Can you buy a 30 pound turkey?

Butterball 28-30 Pounds Frozen Grade A Whole Turkey.

Should you wash your turkey?

According to a study by the food safety experts at the USDA, washing or rinsing raw turkey can put you at risk of foodborne illness. There’s only one time you should wash a raw turkey, and that is after brining. Otherwise, do not wash a turkey before cooking.

Do you rub turkey with butter or oil?

Once you’ve carefully dried off the skin, the next step you can take to guarantee perfectly crispy turkey skin is to rub it with a fat, like butter or oil. Oil will yield a crispier skin than butter because butter is at least 20 percent water, while oil contains no water.

What oil do you use to rub a turkey?

Instead of basting, rub fat (butter, olive oil or coconut oil, for example) all over the bird just before you tuck it into the oven.

How do you clean a turkey before cooking it?

Do you put salt on a turkey?

We recommend brining or salting a turkey to make it moist and flavorful. … Salting turkey in advance is one way to season the meat and keep it juicy. When salt is applied to raw poultry, juices inside are drawn to the surface.

What do you put inside a turkey for flavor?

The secret to adding extra flavor to your Thanksgiving turkey is to season it liberally. To make sure that your favorite herbs permeate every bit of your bird, stuff a small bundle into the turkey cavity. Thyme, sage, parsley and a bit of rosemary are a great combination—but feel free to customize to your taste.

Do you clean the inside of a turkey?

The turkey should be washed thoroughly inside and out with cold water and then patted dry. … The raw turkey, giblets, and their juices should not be allowed to come in contact with any other food item. After handling the raw turkey, your hands will be contaminated.

How do you season a turkey?

Stir your favorite spices and fresh herbs into softened butter, then rub it all over the turkey and under the skin. Try a combo of lemon zest and garlic with paprika and ground coriander, or something more traditional like folding chopped parsley, sage and rosemary into the butter.