Your Latest Guide to Cooking Fully Frozen Thanksgiving Turkey
You swore it wouldn’t happen again, but oh – something happened, and you still have a giant frozen bird. You don’t have enough time to safely defrost your turkey , so what to do next? Cook it while it is completely frozen. It is possible, safe and delicious.
There is no magic or hack here. The turkey melts when you cook it. And yes, it’s safe if you’re baking your turkey in the oven . Consider the fact that frozen turkey takes 50% longer to cook . Kitchn lists the following approximate cooking times for frozen turkey (based on weight):
- 8 to 12 pounds: 4 to 4.5 hours
- 12 to 14 pounds: 4.5 to 5.75 hours
- 14 to 18 pounds: 5.75 – 6.25 hours
- 18 to 20 pounds: 6.25 – 6.75 hours
- 20 to 24 pounds: 6.75 to 7.5 hours
Place the turkey on a roasting rack, tuck it into the oven preheated to 325 degrees, and follow the cooking times above. Brush the turkey with butter or spices when the skin is thawed halfway through cooking. The wings and legs cook faster, while the meat closer to the bone takes longer. Lightly thawed turkey poults do not take that long to cook, but be sure to use a good thermometer and test 165 degrees in different parts and depths of the bird before dropping it onto the dining table.