If it’s Thanksgiving morning and you’re reading this with a frozen turkey on the counter, let me put your fears to rest: Yes, you can cook a frozen turkey. And yes, it will taste just as delicious as the thawed turkey you’d use for any traditional Thanksgiving turkey recipe.

You may still have time to defrost the turkey. But by this point, don’t you just want a fully cooked and delicious turkey on the table? Cooking the turkey without thawing it doesn’t sacrifice flavor, so why not just go for it?

I can teach you how to cook a frozen turkey! I’ve done it—and it’s not as hard as it sounds.

Cooking Times for Frozen Turkey

How long to cook a turkey really depends on its size. However, you should plan to roast a frozen turkey for about 50% longer than a thawed turkey.

Here’s how long it takes to cook a frozen turkey based on USDA guidelines:

  • 8- to 12-pound turkey: 4 hours to 4 hours and 30 minutes
  • 12- to 14-pound turkey: 4 hours and 30 minutes to 5 hours and 45 minutes
  • 14- to 18-pound turkey: 6 hours to 6 hours and 45 minutes
  • 18- to 20-pound turkey: 6 hours and 45 minutes to 7 hours and 30 minutes
  • 20- to 24-pound turkey: 7 hours and 30 minutes to 7 hours and 45 minutes

Is it safe to cook a frozen turkey?

It’s safe to roast a frozen turkey in the oven, but you shouldn’t try to fry one. The frozen bird will release liquid as the ice melts, which can lead to a dangerous boil-over situation. We also don’t recommend trying to make a stuffed turkey unless the bird is thawed first. Stuffing slows the cooking process, and a frozen turkey already takes longer than a thawed turkey.

When roasting frozen turkey, you’ll want to make sure the breast meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, and the legs and thighs reach 170° to 175° (the same temperature as cooked chicken). The other important temperature is inside the cavity. It also needs to reach 165°, or you’ll risk contaminating the rest of the bird when you carve it.

How to Cook a Frozen Turkey

Ingredients

  • 1 frozen turkey (12 to 14 pounds)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper

Tools

Directions

Step 1: Thaw the turkey in the oven

To start, unwrap the frozen turkey and place it on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Don’t worry about pulling out the bag of giblets; we’ll discuss that later. If you don’t have a roasting pan with a rack, use something like a cooling rack to elevate the bird. That way, hot air can circulate around it as it cooks.

Set the oven to 325° and pop the bird in for two hours. Don’t even think about peeking!

Step 2: Season and continue to cook

After the turkey has cooked for two hours, check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer. To do this, insert the pin of the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh (or drumstick or breast), being careful not to come into contact with the bone. The drumsticks and thighs should read around 100°. The breast should be thawed about an inch or so but will still be frozen past that.

You can also season the turkey now. Brush the outside with half of the oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Feel free to add dried herbs if you like. Place the turkey back in the oven and continue roasting for another 30 minutes, or longer if you have a larger bird.

Step 3: Remove the giblets

At this point, check to see if you can remove the bag of giblets from the turkey’s cavity. The bird will still be partially frozen, so don’t try to force the bag out. Continue to cook the turkey in 10-minute increments until the bag is easily removed. You can also remove any liquid or ice in the cavity but don’t pour it over the turkey. Instead, reserve it for making from-scratch gravy.

After removing the giblets, return the turkey to the oven and let it cook for one more hour.

Step 4: Brush with oil

By now, the legs and thighs should be around 130° to 150°, and the breast meat will be around 50° to 60°. Brush the turkey with the remaining oil before returning it to the oven for another 60 to 90 minutes.

Step 5: Check the temperature

Most 12- to 14-pound turkeys will take 4 hours and 30 minutes to 5 hours from start to finish. Larger birds will take longer to cook, so use a thermometer to measure the turkey’s internal temperature. Remove it from the oven when the breast meat and cavity reach 165°, and the legs and thighs reach 170° to 175°.

Step 6: Let it rest

thanksgiving turkey plated on a tableTaste Recipes

Like any large cut of meat, the turkey should rest after it’s roasted. This will allow the juices to redistribute through the turkey. The resting time depends on how large it is—the heavier the turkey, the longer it should sit.

I like to let my turkey rest for 30 minutes before carving. The slices are much juicier and easier to cut after the bird has rested. And don’t worry—the turkey will still be hot when it gets to the table! You don’t need to cover it with foil while it rests, either. That will trap steam inside and make the skin soggy.

Step 7: Carve the turkey

Once the turkey has rested, carve it and position the slices on your largest serving platter. Need help slicing your juicy, golden spoils? Check out our best turkey carving tips.

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