Turkey from frozen to oven
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EmailYou can take your turkey from the freezer to the oven and have it ready for dinner.
Holidays are hectic in the kitchen. You are busy planning the menu, making the pies, peeling potatoes and preparing the green bean casserole. Then you realize the turkey did not get out of the freezer in time for proper thawing in the refrigerator. Well, there are a couple things you can do to get caught up and get that turkey in the oven on time.
One way is to place the frozen turkey in a large bowl, set the bowl in the sink and let water run over the turkey. The temperature of the water should be 70 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. You will have to turn the turkey so it thaws evenly.
Another way to get the turkey cooking is to remove all plastic wrapping, put it in a roasting pan and place it in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven. Don’t put a frozen turkey in a cooking bag because you will eventually need to remove the bag of giblets and the neck. After about one and one half hours, open the oven and remove the bag of giblets and the neck. If the giblets are in a plastic package be sure the bag has not melted. Plastic can contaminate the turkey if it melts while it is roasting. If that happens you will have to through the turkey out.
So, just how long does it take to cook a frozen turkey? The USDA recommends adding half the amount of time that you would normally use to cook your turkey. Here is an example that the Mayo Clinic uses: If your thawed turkey cooks for 5 hours, a frozen turkey would have to cook for 7.5 hours.
Michigan State University recommends using a thermometer when cooking a turkey. Always check the temperature to identify if the turkey is cooked thoroughly. Turkey should reach 165 F internally, that includes cooking a frozen stuffed turkey. Be sure to check it in three different places, the thickest part of the breast, between the thigh and the leg and between the breast and the wing.
