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Is it time to thaw your Thanksgiving turkey?
According to the experts at Butterball, safely thawing your frozen turkey is one of the most important steps in your meal prep and they recommend two techniques.
Wednesday, November 17th 2021, 1:45 PM EST
Updated:

We are one week away from Thanksgiving Day, this means it's time to begin thinking about preparations for your Thanksgiving meal.
According to the experts at Butterball, safely thawing your frozen turkey is one of the most important steps in your meal prep and they recommend two techniques:
- Refrigerator thawing
- Cold water thawing
But, they warn to never thaw a turkey at room temperature.
Refrigerator Thawing
- Thaw turkey breast side up, in an unopened wrapper on a tray in the fridge (40 degrees F or below).
- Allow at least 1 day of thawing for every 4 lbs of turkey.
- Keep turkey in original wrapper and place on tray.
- Use turkey within 4 days after thawing.
Cold Water Thawing
- Thaw turkey breast side down, in an unopened wrapper, with enough cold water to cover your turkey completely.
- Change water every 30 minutes and if turkey cannot be completely covered, rotate every 30 minutes to keep the turkey chilled.
- Estimate a minimum thawing time of 30 minutes per lb of turkey.
For more on safely thawing a turkey this holiday season, click here.
