This article was co-authored by JoAnna Minneci and by wikiHow staff writer, Kyle Hall. JoAnna Minneci is a Professional Chef based in the Nashville, Tennessee area. With more than 18 years of experience, Chef JoAnna specializes in teaching others how to cook through private cooking lessons, team-building events, and wellness and nutrition classes. She has also appeared in numerous television shows on networks such as Bravo and Food Network. Chef JoAnna received Culinary Arts training from the Art Institute of California at Los Angeles. She is also certified in sanitation, nutrition, kitchen management, and cost control.
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If it’s Thanksgiving day and you’ve forgotten to defrost the turkey in your freezer, don’t panic. It’s totally possible to cook a frozen turkey in the oven and have it turn out delicious and safe for you and your family to eat.
Steps
Thawing the Turkey in the Oven
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1Take your turkey out of the freezer and unwrap it. Use scissors to cut the netting and plastic off the turkey. Leave the bag of giblets inside the turkey for now.[1]
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2Put the turkey on a roasting rack inside of a roasting pan. The turkey should be breast-side up on the rack in the pan.[2]
- It's important that you use a roasting rack so the heat in the oven can circulate around the entire turkey.
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3Preheat the oven to 325 °F (163 °C). If there are multiple racks in the oven, remove all of them except for the one that's in the bottom third of the oven. That way there will be enough room for the turkey.[3]
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4Place the frozen turkey in the oven and let it thaw for 2 and a half hours. Avoid opening the oven during this time so heat doesn’t escape. After 2 and a half hours, the turkey should be mostly thawed and have a golden brown color.[4]
- Don’t worry about seasoning your turkey yet — seasoning won’t stick to a frozen turkey. You can season the turkey later after it thaws for a couple of hours in the oven.
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5Use a meat thermometer to check the turkey’s temperature after it’s thawed. Stick the thermometer in the breast or thighs and give it a few seconds to read the temperature. At this point, the turkey should be around 100–125 °F (38–52 °C).[5]
- If the temperature is lower than 100–125 °F (38–52 °C), let the turkey continue to roast and check on it periodically until it’s up to temperature.
Basting and Seasoning the Turkey
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1Take the bag of giblets out of the neck of the turkey. The giblets are the organs of the turkey that are bagged and stuffed in the turkey’s neck by the butcher. Now that the turkey is partially thawed, you should be able to pull the giblets out so you can discard them (or make gravy with them).[6]
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2Brush 1⁄2 cup (120 mL) of melted butter onto the turkey with a basting brush. Coating the turkey with butter will make it more flavorful. If you don't have butter, you can use olive oil instead.[7]
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3Season the turkey with salt and pepper. Start with 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of salt and pepper and gradually add more if it's not enough to cover the whole turkey. Sprinkle the seasonings onto the top of the turkey and then gently rub them in with your fingers. [8]
- You can also use other kinds of seasonings, like rosemary, thyme, and sage.
Roasting the Turkey
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1Roast the turkey for 1.5-5 more hours depending on its weight. The more your turkey weighs, the longer you’ll need to roast it for. You can find out how much your turkey weighs by checking the plastic wrapping that it came in.[9]
- 8–12 pounds (3.6–5.4 kg): roast for 1.5-2 more hours.
- 12–14 pounds (5.4–6.4 kg): roast for 2-3 more hours.
- 14–20 pounds (6.4–9.1 kg): roast for 3-4 more hours.
- 20–24 pounds (9.1–10.9 kg): roast for 4-5 more hours.
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2Check on the turkey every hour. When you check on the turkey, check its temperature with the thermometer to make sure it’s going up. You can also brush on more melted butter or oil to give it more flavor. If the turkey looks like it’s burning or getting too crisp, cover the top with aluminum foil.[10]
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3Take the turkey out of the oven once it reaches 165 °F (74 °C). Your turkey will be fully cooked and safe to eat at this temperature. Check the temperature with the thermometer at multiple depths in different places to make sure the whole turkey is cooked through.[11]
- Check the center of the turkey with the thermometer since it will take the longest to cook.
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4Let the turkey cool for 30 minutes before serving. After 30 minutes, your turkey should be cool enough to carve and serve. Carve the turkey and serve it with stuffing, mashed potatoes, or your other favorite sides.[12]
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do I cook a frozen turkey breast in a slow cooker?
Community AnswerPlace the turkey breast in the slow cooker, add water to cover it, add 2 tablespoons of butter, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hrs. Remove the breast and place the broth in a pan on the stove and make gravy. -
QuestionCan I cook a frozen turkey on the BBQ grill?
Community AnswerNo, you would need to thaw it first. -
QuestionIs it possible to stuff a turkey when it is partially cooked?
Community AnswerYes, it is. It's harder, but it's still possible.
Warnings
- Never attempt to grill or deep fry a frozen turkey. Cooking a frozen turkey in an oven is the only safe way to prepare it without thawing it beforehand.[13]⧼thumbs_response⧽
Things You’ll Need
- Oven
- Roasting rack
- Roasting pan
- Meat thermometer
- Basting brush
- Seasoning
References
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-a-completely-frozen-turkey-for-thanksgiving-225796
- ↑ https://www.munatycooking.com/2017/11/roasting-frozen-turkey.html
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-a-completely-frozen-turkey-for-thanksgiving-225796
- ↑ https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-cook-a-frozen-turkey-article
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-a-completely-frozen-turkey-for-thanksgiving-225796
- ↑ https://www.munatycooking.com/2017/11/roasting-frozen-turkey.html
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-a-completely-frozen-turkey-for-thanksgiving-225796
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-a-completely-frozen-turkey-for-thanksgiving-225796
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-a-completely-frozen-turkey-for-thanksgiving-225796
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-a-completely-frozen-turkey-for-thanksgiving-225796
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-a-completely-frozen-turkey-for-thanksgiving-225796
- ↑ https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-cook-a-frozen-turkey-article
- ↑ https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-cook-a-frozen-turkey-article
About This Article
To cook a frozen turkey, first remove the packaging and preheat your oven to 325 ° F (160 °C). Then, place a roasting rack inside of a roasting pan, put the turkey on top of the rack, and put it in the oven. Let the turkey thaw in the oven for 2 ½ hours, or until its internal temperature is between 100 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit (40 and 50 °C). Once it’s thawed, take the giblets and neck out of the body cavity, and season the turkey with butter, salt, pepper, and your favorite herbs, like sage, rosemary, or thyme. Finally, roast the turkey in the oven for 1 more hour per 5 pounds (2 ½ kilograms) of meat. Brush the turkey with more melted butter as it's cooking if you'd like. You'll know the turkey is done when its internal temperature is 165 ° F (75 ° C). For more information, including how to correctly position your frozen turkey in the roasting pan, scroll down!
