How Long to Thaw a Turkey: Fridge and Cold Water Chart

In the refrigerator, a frozen turkey takes about 24 hours to thaw for every 4 to 5 pounds: 3 to 4 days for a 12- to 16-pound bird and 4 to 5 days for a 16- to 20-pound bird, according to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). In cold water it takes about 30 minutes per pound, or 6 to 8 hours for 12 to 16 pounds. For Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26, 2026, that means a typical 14-pound turkey should move from the freezer to the refrigerator no later than Sunday, November 22.

The tables below give both methods by weight, the exact day to start for this year, and what to do if the bird is still icy on Thanksgiving morning.

Refrigerator thawing times by weight

Refrigerator thawing is the method USDA recommends because the turkey stays at a safe temperature, 40°F or below, the whole time. It is also the only method that lets you wait a day or two before cooking.

Turkey weight	Time in the refrigerator (USDA)
4 to 12 lb	1 to 3 days
12 to 16 lb	3 to 4 days
16 to 20 lb	4 to 5 days
20 to 24 lb	5 to 6 days

Source: USDA FSIS, "Turkey Basics: Safe Thawing." Times assume a refrigerator set at 40°F or below.

Thawing time for specific sizes

Using USDA's rule of 24 hours per 4 to 5 pounds, here is what to expect for the weights people ask about most. When in doubt, use the longer figure. A refrigerator that runs cold, at 34 or 35°F, thaws more slowly than one at 40°F.

Weight	Refrigerator	Cold water
10 lb turkey	2 to 2½ days	5 hours
12 lb turkey	2½ to 3 days	6 hours
14 lb turkey	3 to 3½ days	7 hours
15 lb turkey	3 to 3¾ days	7½ hours
16 lb turkey	3¼ to 4 days	8 hours
18 lb turkey	3½ to 4½ days	9 hours
20 lb turkey	4 to 5 days	10 hours
22 lb turkey	4½ to 5½ days	11 hours
24 lb turkey	5 to 6 days	12 hours

When to take the turkey out of the freezer for Thanksgiving 2026

Thanksgiving 2026 is Thursday, November 26. Counting back from Thursday morning with the long end of each USDA range gives the latest safe start. Because a thawed turkey keeps for 1 to 2 more days in the refrigerator, starting a day earlier costs nothing and removes the risk of a frozen center.

Turkey weight	Latest day to start	Start with a one-day cushion
4 to 12 lb	Monday, November 23	Sunday, November 22
12 to 16 lb	Sunday, November 22	Saturday, November 21
16 to 20 lb	Saturday, November 21	Friday, November 20
20 to 24 lb	Friday, November 20	Thursday, November 19

If you plan to brine, count back further. A dry brine needs 1 to 2 days on a thawed bird and a wet brine 12 to 24 hours, so a 14-pound turkey that will be dry-brined for two days should go into the refrigerator by Friday, November 20. The salt ratios are in turkey brine.

How to thaw a turkey in the refrigerator, step by step

1. Check the fridge temperature. It should be 40°F or below. An appliance thermometer on the middle shelf settles the question.
2. Clear the bottom shelf. A turkey on the lowest shelf cannot drip onto produce or leftovers.
3. Leave the wrapper on. USDA advises keeping the turkey in its original packaging while it thaws.
4. Use a tray or pan. Set the bird breast side up in a rimmed pan to catch the liquid that seeps out as it thaws.
5. Leave it alone. No need to turn it or unwrap it. Count one day for every 4 to 5 pounds.
6. Check the day before. Unwrap it over the pan, reach into the main cavity and the neck cavity, and pull out the giblet bag and the neck. If you feel ice crystals inside or the legs do not move freely, it needs more time or a finish in cold water.

Wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds after handling the raw bird, and wipe down the shelf if any liquid escaped the pan.

Cold water thawing: the faster method

Cold-water thawing is for the day before or the morning of. USDA's guideline is about 30 minutes per pound.

Turkey weight	Time in cold water (USDA)
4 to 12 lb	2 to 6 hours
12 to 16 lb	6 to 8 hours
16 to 20 lb	8 to 10 hours
20 to 24 lb	10 to 12 hours

How to do it safely

1. Seal the turkey. Keep it in its unbroken wrapper or put it in a leak-proof plastic bag. A leak lets bacteria spread to the sink and lets the meat soak up water.
2. Submerge it in cold tap water. A clean sink, a stockpot or a cooler works. Weigh the bird down with a heavy plate if it floats.
3. Change the water every 30 minutes. This is the step people skip. Fresh cold water keeps the surface of the turkey out of the Danger Zone, 40 to 140°F, while the center thaws.
4. Cook it right away. USDA says a turkey thawed in cold water should be cooked immediately. It cannot go back in the fridge for a day, and it should not be refrozen raw.

Do the math before you start. A 16-pound turkey needs about 8 hours and 16 water changes. If dinner is at 4 p.m. and the bird needs 4 hours in the oven plus a 30-minute rest, cold-water thawing would have to start around 3:30 a.m. In that situation, thaw it Wednesday during the day and roast it immediately Wednesday evening, or use the combination method below.

The combination method

If the turkey has had two days in the refrigerator but still has a frozen core, finish it in cold water. A partly thawed bird needs far less than 30 minutes per pound; check the cavity every 30 minutes when you change the water and stop when the ice is gone and the legs move freely. Then cook it immediately.

Microwave thawing

USDA lists the microwave as the third safe method, with conditions. Check the owner's manual for the largest turkey the oven can hold, the minutes per pound and the power level. Remove all packaging, set the bird on a microwave-safe dish, and cook it immediately afterward, because parts of the turkey will have started to warm and cook. In practice the microwave suits a turkey breast or a very small whole bird; USDA notes that 12 to 14 pounds is the most that a typical microwave oven accommodates.

How to thaw a turkey fast

There is no safe shortcut beyond cold water. If you are short on time, these are the real options, fastest first:

• Cook it frozen. USDA says roasting a turkey from the frozen state is safe; it takes at least 50 percent longer than the chart time for a thawed bird. A 12- to 14-pound turkey that would take 3 to 3¾ hours needs about 4½ to 5¾ hours at 325°F. Remove the giblet bag with tongs partway through, when the cavity has loosened.
• Cold water, 30 minutes per pound. About 6 hours for 12 pounds.
• Buy a fresh turkey or a turkey breast. A fresh bird needs no thawing, and a frozen bone-in breast thaws in a fraction of the time. If it is already the holiday, check which stores are open on Thanksgiving.

A frozen or partly frozen turkey must go in the oven. USDA specifically warns against deep-frying, smoking, grilling or microwaving a frozen bird, and against roasting a frozen one in an oven bag. Ice and hot oil are a dangerous combination; see deep-fried turkey for why the bird has to be fully thawed and dry.

How not to thaw a turkey

USDA is direct about this: a package of frozen poultry left on the counter for more than 2 hours is not at a safe temperature. The center may still be solid while the outer inch sits between 40 and 140°F, where bacteria multiply rapidly. The same applies to:

• The kitchen counter overnight
• The garage, the basement, the back porch or the trunk of the car, where the temperature cannot be monitored
• Warm or hot water, which heats the surface into the Danger Zone long before the center thaws
• A cooler of water that is not changed every 30 minutes
• A hair dryer, a dishwasher or a heating pad

Cooking does kill bacteria, but some bacteria produce toxins that heat does not destroy. A turkey that sat out overnight is not rescued by roasting it thoroughly.

How to tell when a turkey is fully thawed

• The breast gives when pressed; it does not feel like a block.
• The legs and wings move loosely in their joints.
• The cavity has no ice crystals, and the giblet bag and neck come out easily.
• A thermometer pushed into the thickest part of the breast reads above 32°F. Still at or below 40°F is what you want.

The cavity is the last part to thaw. A turkey that feels soft on the outside can still have a core of ice, and that ice is what makes the thighs lag behind in the oven.

How long can a thawed turkey stay in the fridge?

One to two days, according to USDA, if it was thawed in the refrigerator. That window is why starting early is safe. A turkey that finishes thawing on Tuesday, November 24, is fine to roast on Thursday. A turkey that has been thawed in the refrigerator for a week is not; raw poultry keeps only 1 to 2 days once thawed, and one that has gone well past that should be discarded.

A turkey thawed in cold water or in the microwave has no holding time. Cook it immediately.

Can you refreeze a thawed turkey?

• Thawed in the refrigerator: yes. USDA says it can be refrozen without cooking, though the texture may suffer.
• Thawed in cold water or the microwave: cook it first. The cooked meat can then be frozen.

How long to thaw a turkey breast

A frozen bone-in turkey breast usually weighs 4 to 8 pounds. By USDA's rule that is 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator, or 2 to 4 hours in cold water at 30 minutes per pound. A 3-pound boneless breast roast thaws in about a day in the refrigerator or about 1½ hours in cold water. Cooking times for both are in turkey breast.

Frozen, fresh or pre-stuffed: what the label means for thawing

• Frozen. Held at 0°F or below. Safe indefinitely in the freezer; USDA suggests cooking within a year for best quality. Needs the full thawing time.
• Fresh. Under USDA labeling rules, "fresh" poultry has never been below 26°F. It needs no thawing, but buy it only 1 to 2 days before cooking. For Thanksgiving 2026 that is Tuesday, November 24, or Wednesday, November 25.
• In between. Turkeys held between 0 and 26°F carry no special label and can feel hard. Give one of these a day in the refrigerator and check the cavity.
• Frozen pre-stuffed. Do not thaw. USDA says to cook these from frozen following the package directions.

After thawing: what to do next

1. Remove the giblets and neck. Check both cavities. Simmer them for gravy or discard them.
2. Do not rinse. USDA advises against washing raw poultry. In its observational study, 60 percent of participants who washed poultry had bacteria in the sink afterward.
3. Pat dry. Dry skin browns better.
4. Roast. A thawed 12- to 14-pound unstuffed turkey takes 3 to 3¾ hours at 325°F. The full chart is in how long to cook a turkey, and the doneness check is in turkey temperature.

Questions on thawing day

The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline, 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854), takes calls on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern in English and Spanish. In recent years, including 2025, it was also open on Thanksgiving Day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern; the 2026 holiday hours had not been posted as of October 14, 2026.