You can safely thaw a frozen turkey in two ways: In cold water or in the refrigerator. The cold water approach is faster, but requires a large container of cold water and that's probably your sink. If you have enough space in your fridge and enough time, using the refrigerator may be the way to go since it keeps the turkey out your way, and away from any curious and hungry pets.
This chart gives thawing times for both methods.
| Turkey Size | In Refrigerator (about 24 hours per 4 to 5 pounds | In Cold Water (About 30 minutes per pound) |
| 4 to 12 pounds (Serves 3 to 8 people) |
1 to 3 days | 2 to 6 hours |
| 12 to 16 pounds (Serves 8 to 11 people) |
3 to 4 days | 6 to 8 hours |
| 16 to 20 pounds (Serves 11 to 14 people) |
4 to 5 days | 8 to 10 hours |
| 20 to 24 pounds (Serves 14 to 16 people) |
5 to 6 days | 10 to 12 hours |
Be sure to also check out our Turkey Roast Calculator for more thaw times, cook times, and more.
