Is Thawing A Turkey At Room Temperature A Good Idea

That s why you never thaw a frozen turkey at room temperature on your kitchen counter or in hot water.

Is thawing a turkey at room temperature a good idea.

Besides the fact that it is let us say unseemly to defrost a thanksgiving turkey in some random bedroom to say nothing of the bathroom thawing a turkey at room temperature is a terrible practice. If the turkey is frozen there are safe ways to thaw it. Refrigerator thawing is preferred and the least labor intensive but requires more time. Thawing a turkey on the counter overnight at room temperature is not recommended by the usda or us your friendly test kitchen helpers.

Uncooked meat or poultry including frozen shouldn t be left at room temperature for more than two hours. As soon as a frozen turkey begins to thaw bacteria that may. If the turkey is fresh leave it in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it. This is the safest method because the turkey will thaw at a consistent safe temperature.

This method takes some time so allow one day for each 4 5 pounds of weight. It s important to keep the whole turkey at a safe temperature throughout the thawing process to prevent bacterial growth that can lead to foodborne illness. We cannot over emphasize food safety when it comes to thawing turkey. Cold water thawing takes less time but requires more attention.

If you re running low on time try a fresh whole turkey they re just as delicious and require little prep.