# Thawing Turkey Fast? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 27, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thawing-turkey-fast/642314 "2012-11-27T21:54:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thawing-turkey-fast/642314/1 "2012-11-27T21:54:51Z")
Argh!!! The turkey has been in the fridge for four days now, and it’s still frozen solid. I mean rock hard. I don’t want to turn down the temp on the whole fridge and wait three more days. . . nor do I want to get up every half hour all night to change water in the sink. Is there any way to thaw it in the microwave? I’ve done chickens from frozen in the NuWave, can I do that with the turkey and just wrassle the giblets out halfway through? . . . while visions of Celtling spew danced through her head. . . Is there any way that is both **safe** and quicker than nine hours in constantly changed water, or turning down the fridge temp for a few days? Thanks for any advice you can share. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thawing-turkey-fast/642314/2 "2012-11-27T22:01:53Z")
Bucket just big enough for turkey. Place in sink or bathtub, slow trickle of water. Make sure drain is not blocked. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thawing-turkey-fast/642314/3 "2012-11-27T22:02:11Z")
I was recently instructed by my mother that five days was required for the fridge to bring a frozen turkey to non-frozen status. Keep us posted. ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thawing-turkey-fast/642314/4 "2012-11-27T22:13:55Z")
The fastest safe method is a trickle of cold water, see **runner pat** ’s suggestion. Cold water so you’re staying under the safe temp, but constantly carrying off the extra cold (that’s not technically correct, but ya know what I mean). You’d probably want to turn it about every so often, to get full coverage. Thawing a turkey in the microwave would be difficult, unless you’re willing to hack it up as you go. A turkey is just big. Lots of turning and waiting, and you’ll probably have cooked spots and raw spots. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thawing-turkey-fast/642314/5 "2012-11-28T00:22:18Z")
In my experience, once it starts to thaw (in the fridge), it will thaw quickly. So it’ll still feel rock hard after three/four days and you’ll think it’s never gonna thaw, but another day goes by and it’s thawed. It’s the starting that takes the longest. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thawing-turkey-fast/642314/6 "2012-11-28T03:29:16Z")
I took mine out 8 days in advance and there was still ice in the cavity. I brine so it was fully thawed during the overnight in the brine bucket. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thawing-turkey-fast/642314/7 "2012-11-28T03:40:01Z")
You can cook a turkey from frozen. It just takes longer. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thawing-turkey-fast/642314/8 "2012-11-28T14:12:26Z")
The plastic bag of innards is often frozen solid even when the rest of the turkey is thawed, don’t worry. When you are able to grab the bag and pull it out, you’re just about there - soak the empty bird in cold water another half hour, tops, and then you’re good to go. It’s thawed! Cook the thing and when the thermometer inserted in the thigh registers the proper temperature, it’s done. (I just rely on the drumstick test, the white meat is always overcooked and someone maybe nibbles on the drumstick. The thigh meat is always, frozen turkey or not, underdone compared to the breast, and if we eat it the next day, it’s reheated in boiling hot gravy. So far none of us have gotten ill or died.)