Is your turkey still frozen on Thanksgiving morning? Find out what you can still do safely to save your Thanksgiving from being ruined.
Are you finding yourself right now in a nightmare scenario. Your turkey is still in the freezer and it's Thanksgiving morning. Or you put it in the fridge and it's still frozen as you didn't put in the fridge early enough. Yeah I know it sucks and I feel for you. I want to help.
Safety
Whatever you are going to do, is needs to be done safely. Putting it on the counter to finish thawing is not safe. Running hot water over top of it, not a good idea. I have heard of people using a hair dryer to thaw the turkey. Don't do that either!
If there is any time right now before you need to cook, then I would immediately put the turkey into a bucket filled with water. The turkey will thaw quicker in water but it may still take longer than you want, but start the process ASAP. You will need to keep the water below 40 degrees. Use a thermometer to measure the temperature as the turkey sits in the bucket. Add ice if it is going above 40 degrees.
Head over right now to my post on How to Quickly Thaw a Turkey to get my full instruction on how to do this safely and successfully.
Low and Slow
Important! Please Read - Never under any circumstance try to deep fry a frozen turkey. That is extremely dangerous and could cause the frying oil to boil over, creating a risk of injury and fire. If you need to cook a turkey that isn't fully thawed, roasting in the oven is the way you need to go.
If you are going to put a frozen turkey right into the oven without it being fully thawed your biggest issue is that the outside of the turkey is going to be cooked before the inside is done. That is a big problem. You don't want to cut into a turkey and find out it's raw inside.
It's best to accept a later dinner time, then trying to rush this process and do all the work to make a bad turkey you will throw out to just say you did it.
What you want to try is to start the turkey on a lower temperature than you might normally do. A low cooking temperature will help the turkey slowly heat up throughout. Normally I want to cook the turkey as quick as I can in order for to stay moist, but you don't have that option right now.
Start by roasting the frozen turkey in a 325 degree oven (not any higher) for about 2 hours. You still need to remove the necks and giblets since they will be frozen in place, so take the turkey out and see if you can carefully get them out. If not, roast for another 30 minutes.
This is where it's key to have a thermometer to be able to tell when the turkey is at temperature wise. Likely you will have a range of temperatures with the deepest part of the breast being the coldest. This actually can work in your advantage. The challenge with cooking a turkey is to get the white meat done to 165 while the dark meat needs to reach 180 at the same exact time. If the dark meat thaws out first it will be in better shape to arrive at it's higher temperature before the white meat. Any dark meat is more forgiving than white meat if it goes above it's optional temperature without being too dry.
Also note that you shouldn't bother seasoning your turkey while it's still frozen outside and the seasoning won't adhere. Wait until you pull the turkey to remove the neck and giblets to season your turkey as well. I would forgo basting the turkey as it slows down the cooking when you open the oven door frequently and it really doesn't do as much for flavor as you think. A homemade gravy poured on the turkey would be a better option.
To make a simple homemade gravy with turkey or chicken stock or broth while your turkey is cooking:
- For every 2 cups of stock or broth, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium heat.
- Once the butter has melted, add 4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour for every 2 cups of stock you are using. Stir in the flour until it is well combined with the butter.
- Add the stock/broth you are using. Mix well with a whisk to combine.
- Bring to a simmer. Once thickened, reduce the heat to low, and keep on warm until ready to serve.
Cut the Turkey
If you can get the turkey thawed enough to cut the turkey into pieces - breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and wings, then do it. We have done this with parts of the turkey that were still a little stiff. A good, sharp knife and a search on YouTube for a good video on butchering a turkey will help you out. Just be careful. We use a cut resistant glove which helps if you accidentally brush your non-cutting hand with the knife.
If the turkey is in these smaller pieces it will cook faster than trying to do a whole bird that isn't completely thawed. But I definitely wouldn't try cutting up a turkey that is so frozen it's hard as rock. That's just asking for trouble.
To get an idea of how I cooked a turkey cut into pieces, check out this recipe for an Orange-Cranberry Glazed turkey and follow the cooking instruction. Now that it will take longer with frozen parts so again it's why it's important to be able to check the temperature of the individual turkey parts.
Let Me Know How It Goes
I would love to hear how it worked out for you. Put your email address in below and I will personally send you an email after Thanksgiving to see how things went. I will also send you an email with my favorite way to use leftover turkey.
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