Turkey Thawing Calculator
How long a frozen turkey takes to thaw in the refrigerator or in cold water, and the day to start, using USDA’s published rates.
Result
Refrigerator thawing, at 24 hours per 4 lb: 3.8 daysEstimate
USDA gives these rates as approximate and for a refrigerator at 40 °F (4 °C) or below. A turkey thawed in cold water must be cooked straight away.
- Refrigerator thawing, at 24 hours per 5 lb
- 3Estimate
- Cold-water thawing, at 30 minutes per lb
- 07:30:00Estimate
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Results are arithmetic on the figures you enter. Cooking times are estimates: ovens, cuts and starting temperatures vary, so check doneness with a thermometer. Safe temperatures are the USDA's; guidance differs by country, so check your own. Read the full disclaimer
How to use the Turkey Thawing Calculator
- Enter the frozen weight from the turkey's label, in pounds or kilograms.
- Optionally enter the day you plan to cook it to get the latest day to move it from the freezer to the refrigerator.
- Read the refrigerator time as a range of days and the cold-water time in hours. Both are the USDA's published rates, not a measurement of your bird.
Where the figures come from
Every number on this page is the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service’s, from its guidance on thawing a turkey safely. The page applies them to your weight and does no cooking science of its own.
refrigerator days = pounds ÷ 5 to pounds ÷ 4cold water hours = pounds × 30 minutesstart by = cooking day − refrigerator days at 4 lb a day, rounded upThe refrigerator rate assumes a refrigerator at 40 °F (4 °C) or below. The cold-water rate assumes the turkey is sealed in a leak-proof bag, fully submerged and the water changed every 30 minutes, so it stays cold.
The USDA’s thawing table
For whole turkeys the USDA also publishes a table. The rates above reproduce its end points exactly:
| Weight | Refrigerator | Cold water |
|---|---|---|
| 4 to 12 lb | 1 to 3 days | 2 to 6 hours |
| 12 to 16 lb | 3 to 4 days | 6 to 8 hours |
| 16 to 20 lb | 4 to 5 days | 8 to 10 hours |
| 20 to 24 lb | 5 to 6 days | 10 to 12 hours |
The table stops at 24 pounds. For a heavier bird the page keeps applying the same rate, and says so under the weight field.
Planning backwards from the meal
The start day is the cooking day minus the slower refrigerator time, rounded up to whole days, so the turkey should be ready by the morning you need it. Because a thawed turkey keeps for one or two days in the refrigerator, it is safer to start early than late. If the calendar is already too tight, cold water finishes the job in hours, at the cost of changing the water every half hour and cooking the bird straight away.
What the page does not cover
Microwave thawing is left out on purpose: the USDA says to follow the oven manufacturer’s instructions and to cook the turkey immediately afterwards, because parts of it may start to cook. The page also gives no cooking time; the meat cooking time calculator plans the roast, and the USDA’s safe minimum internal temperature for poultry decides when it is done.
With your numbers
- In cold water at 30 minutes per pound, allow about 7.5 hours, changing the water every 30 minutes, and cook it straight away
- To be thawed by the cooking day, put it in the refrigerator on or before November 22, 2026
- 15 lb at 24 hours per 4 to 5 lb takes 3 to 3.8 days in the refrigerator
Quick reference
USDA gives these rates as approximate and for a refrigerator at 40 °F (4 °C) or below. A turkey thawed in cold water must be cooked straight away.
| Example | Refrigerator thawing, at 24 hours per 4 lb |
|---|---|
| 10 lb turkey | 2.5 |
| 12 lb turkey | 3 |
| 15 lb turkey | 3.8 |
| 18 lb turkey | 4.5 |
| 20 lb turkey | 5 |
| 24 lb turkey | 6 |
| 5 kg turkey | 2.8 |
| 8 kg turkey | 4.4 |
Where the numbers come from
The fixed figures this calculator relies on, and the published source each one was checked against. How the calculators are built and checked
1 source
USDA FSIS, Turkey Basics: Safe Thawing (last updated 24 October 2023), https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/poultry/turkey-basics-safe-thawing, read from the Internet Archive capture of 15 January 2025 because the live page refuses automated access: "allow approximately 24 hours for each 4 to 5 pounds in a refrigerator set at 40 °F or below"; cold water: "Allow about 30 minutes per pound."
Used for
- Refrigerator thawing at the slower end of USDA guidance: 24 hours for each 4 lb, in a refrigerator at 40 °F or below.
- Refrigerator thawing at the faster end of USDA guidance: 24 hours for each 5 lb.
- Cold-water thawing in a leak-proof bag, water changed every 30 minutes: about 30 minutes per pound.
Common questions about the Turkey Thawing Calculator
- Can I thaw a turkey on the counter?
- No. The USDA says a frozen turkey left on the counter for more than two hours is not at a safe temperature: the centre may still be frozen while the outer layer sits between 40 and 140 °F, where bacteria multiply quickly. The refrigerator, cold water and the microwave are the three methods it lists as safe.
- How long can a thawed turkey stay in the refrigerator?
- The USDA says one or two days before cooking. That gives some slack: starting a day earlier than the date this page gives is fine. A turkey thawed in cold water or in the microwave is different and must be cooked straight away.
- My turkey is still frozen on the day. What now?
- Finish it in cold water: keep it in a leak-proof bag, submerge it in cold tap water and change the water every 30 minutes, then cook it as soon as it has thawed. At 30 minutes per pound, even the part that is left usually takes hours rather than days.
- Why does the page give two refrigerator figures?
- Because the USDA gives a range, "24 hours for each 4 to 5 pounds". Four pounds a day is the slower end and is what the start day is planned on, since it matches the USDA's own thawing table at every weight from 4 to 24 pounds. Five pounds a day is the quicker end of the same guidance.
- Can I refreeze a turkey after thawing it?
- The USDA says a turkey thawed in the refrigerator can be refrozen without cooking, with some loss of quality. One thawed in cold water or the microwave should be cooked first; after cooking, the meat can be frozen.