The Basic Bird
There are three ways to thaw a frozen, unstuffed turkey. An evenly thawed turkey may be held in the refrigerator for up to two days before roasting. Do not refreeze an uncooked turkey after it has been thawed.
Refrigerator Method--The best, although slowest, way of thawing. Place the bird on a tray in its original wrapping and put it in the refrigerator until it’s thawed. When it’s partially thawed, remove the bag of giblets from the body cavity and reserve in the refrigerator for making gravy or stuffing.
Turkey Weight: Approximate Thawing Time
4 to 12 pounds: 1 to 2 days
12 to 20 pounds: 2 to 3 days
20 to 24 pound: 3 to 4 days
Quick-Thaw Method--Leave the turkey in its original wrap, place it in a large kettle and cover with cold water. Change the water frequently to speed thawing. Thaw until the bird is pliable.
Turkey Weight: Approximate Thawing Time
12 pounds: 4 to 6 hours
12 to 20 pounds: 6 to 8 hours
20 to 24 pounds: 8 to 12 hours
Microwave Method--If your microwave is large enough to accommodate a turkey, thaw it in a glass baking dish, following manufacturer’s directions. It may take 1 to 1 1/2 hours on defrost cycle.
Preparing for Oven
Be sure the giblet bag is removed. Rinse the turkey and pat dry. Check both cavities for extra parts. Here are methods for preparing stuffed and unstuffed turkeys.
Stuffed--Save time by measuring, preparing and refrigerating stuffing ingredients the night before cooking, but wait to assemble and stuff the turkey until just before placing it in the oven. Never stuff the turkey ahead of time, since the bird’s cavity remains warm long enough for bacteria that cause food poisoning to multiply.
If you’re making a traditionally stuffed turkey, the stuffing should be loosely packed into neck and body cavities. Do not overstuff--stuffing expands as it cooks. After stuffing the turkey, skewer the neck skin to the back to hold the stuffing in place. Tuck the drumsticks back into a clamp or skin band, or tie with kitchen twine and twist the wings akimbo.
Allow 1/2 to 3/4 cup stuffing per pound of turkey. If the recipe makes more stuffing than the bird will hold, wrap the remaining mixture in foil and bake alongside the bird during the last half hour of roasting.
Unstuffed--Rub salt generously into the cavities and, if desired, insert pieces of celery, carrot and onion to improve the flavor. Fold the neck skin to the back and fasten it with a skewer. Fasten the legs down by tying or tucking them under a clamp or skin band.
Determining Doneness--There are 2 ways to insert a thermometer into a turkey or other large bird. If the bird is stuffed, insert the thermometer through the carcass to the center of the stuffing. If unstuffed, insert it through the large, meaty muscle of the inside of the thigh without touching the bone. If no thermometer is used, test by hand--the thickest part of the drumstick should feel tender when pressed with thumb and forefinger, and drumstick or thigh should move easily.