Thaw A Turkey

How To Thaw

Safely thawing your frozen turkey is one of the most important steps in your meal prep. Watch Christopher demonstrate our two recommended methods:

Refrigerator thawing is preferred and the least labor-intensive but requires more time.
Cold water thawing takes less time but requires more attention.

Regardless of which method you choose, never thaw a turkey at room temperature. If you’re running low on time, try a Fresh Whole Turkey—they’re just as delicious and require little prep.

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What Not to Thaw

Ways to Thaw

Frozen Whole Turkeys and Frozen Whole Turkey Breasts need to be thawed before cooking. For the best results, follow one of these methods:

Refrigerator Thawing

Thaw 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.
Keep turkey in original wrapper and place on tray.
Use within 4 days after thawing.

Cold Water Thawing

Thaw 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.

How Long to Thaw?

Pounds Of Turkey

Which thaw technique will you use?

You will need:

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days and

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hours

See all Calculators and Conversions

What Not to Thaw

Some Butterball products are made to go from freezer to the oven, skillet or grill without thawing. Be sure not to thaw our:

Frozen Stuffed Whole Turkeys
Frozen Ready to Roast Breast Roasts
Frozen Ready to Roast Boneless Roasts

When to Freeze

For the best flavor, you should use our products by their use-by date. However, if you’re unable to cook the food by then you can save it for later by safely freezing it with these instructions:

Freeze the product before the use-by date.
Thaw using the Refrigerator Thawing or Cold Water method above.
Consume product within 2-4 days of thawing.