How Long Should a Turkey Be Thawed Before Cooking?

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Similarly, how long can a thawed turkey stay in the fridge before cooking?

If you're defrosting the turkey in thefridge, you can safely keep it refrigerated for anadditional one or two days after it's fully thawed, says theU.S. Department of Agriculture.

Secondly, how long does it take a 12 pound turkey to thaw out? According to the USDA, when thawing yourturkey in the refrigerator, you'll need to allow 24 hoursfor every four to five pounds. Don't bother with themath–here's a table: 4 to 12 pounds: 1-3 days.12 to 16 pounds: 3-4 days.

Secondly, how long does it take to thaw a 20 pound turkey in the refrigerator?

Thaw It in the Refrigerator Thawing in the refrigerator is the ONLYrecommended way to defrost a frozen turkey. For it towork, however, you'll need plenty of time: 24 hours ofdefrosting time for every 4 to 5 pounds of bird. Alarge turkey, say, 15 to 20 pounds, will need tospend 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator.

How long can uncooked turkey stay in fridge?

Kitchen Fact: Raw ground meats and poultry shouldbe cooked in 2 days, and roasts, steaks, and chops should be cookedin five days. For raw poultry, ground meats, and otherchopped-up cuts of meat, cook them within two days.