Growing up as a kid I loved Thanksgiving.

My mom who was a nurse would work at the hospital to make some extra money so we would spend the day with our dad his side of the family. After we finished eating a delicious meal and watching the Detroit Lions game we would say goodbye and head over to my dad's friend's house for round number two. Every year we left stuffed like the turkey we had just had.

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Now being an "Adult" in my mid-thirties I have no clue what to do when it comes to making a turkey. Thankfully for me and anyone else that finds themself in this position, Butterball has great advice for anyone in charge of the turkey this year.

How To Thaw A Frozen Turkey

Safely thawing your frozen turkey is one of the most important steps in your meal prep. Watch Christopher demonstrate our two recommended thawing methods:

-Refrigerator thawing is preferred and the least labor-intensive but requires more time.

-Cold water thawing takes less time but requires more attention

Regardless of which turkey thawing method you choose, never thaw a turkey at room temperature. If you’re running low on time, try a Fresh Whole Turkey. They’re just as delicious and require little prep.

 

Refrigerator Thawing

-Thaw turkey breast side up, in an unopened wrapper on a tray in the fridge (40 degrees F or below).

-Allow at least 1 day of thawing for every 4 lbs of turkey.

-Keep the turkey in original wrapper and place on a tray

-Use turkey within 4 days after thawing.

Cold Water Thawing

-Thaw turkey breast side down, in an unopened wrapper, with enough cold water to cover your turkey completely.

-Change water every 30 minutes and if the turkey cannot be completely covered, rotate every 30 minutes to keep the turkey chilled.

-Estimate a minimum thawing time of 30 minutes per lb of turkey.

Butterball has a convenient calculator that by entering just a few pieces of info can help you figure out how much turkey you will need for the number of people expected, how long to that the turkey, how long to cook the turkey, and much more.

If it's too late to thaw the turkey or you want something different check these ideas out.

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