Turkey Defrost Time Calculator

Your details

The total frozen weight of your turkey.
lb
Refrigerator thawing is the hands-off option. Cold water is roughly 10x faster but requires changing the water every 30 minutes. Microwave thawing varies too much by model to calculate precisely.
How many hours from now you plan to start cooking. If entered, the calculator will tell you when to begin thawing.
hrs from now
Refrigerator thaw timeAverage turkey - plan ahead
3 days 13 hrs

Total time needed in the fridge (USDA: 24 hr per 4-5 lb)

Cold water thaw time8 hrs
Fridge hours (raw)85.3
Cold water hours (raw)8
Weight (lb)16
Fridge (hr)85.3
Cold water (hr)8

A 16 lb turkey takes 3 days 13 hrs in the fridge or 8 hrs in cold water.

  • In the refrigerator, your 16 lb turkey needs approximately 3 days 13 hrs of thaw time (3.6 days).
  • In cold water (changed every 30 minutes), it takes approximately 8 hrs.
  • The cold water method is about 10 times faster than refrigerator thawing.

Next stepPlace the turkey on a tray on the lowest refrigerator shelf to catch drips. Keep the original wrapper on to avoid contaminating other foods.

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