how soon should i start thawing a turkey

You should usually start thawing a turkey in the fridge about 4–6 days before you plan to cook it, depending on the bird’s weight.

Quick Scoop

• In the refrigerator, allow about 1 day for every 4–5 lb of turkey.

• A common rule of thumb:
  • 8–12 lb turkey → start thawing 2–3 days before cooking.

* 12–16 lb → **3–4 days before**.

* 16–20 lb → **4–5 days before**.

* 20–24 lb → **5–6 days before**.

Once thawed in the fridge, the turkey is usually safe up to 1–2 days before you cook it, so you can finish thawing a little early without trouble.

If you’re short on time, you can use cold-water thawing , which takes about 30 minutes per pound , but then you must cook the turkey immediately after it’s thawed.

Safe-thawing mini tips

• Keep the turkey in its original wrapping on a tray on the bottom shelf in the fridge to catch drips.

• For cold-water thawing, keep it sealed, fully submerged in cold water, and change the water every 30 minutes.

• Never thaw a turkey on the counter at room temperature; that can let bacteria grow on the surface while the inside is still frozen.

In forum discussions and holiday “latest news” guides, most people planning big Thanksgiving or Christmas meals are told to circle the date on the calendar and start thawing their turkey the prior Friday or Saturday if they’re cooking a large bird for a Thursday feast.

TL;DR: For a typical 12–16 lb turkey, start thawing in the fridge 3–4 days before you cook; for a very big bird (20+ lb), aim for about 5–6 days ahead to be safe.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.