Need Turkey Help!!!

[toledo13]

Hi all! My DMIL bought a frozen 20 lb turkey on SUNDAY MORNING. It has been in her fridge since then. We're planning on eating THURSDAY at 4:30pm, which means it needs to be in its oven bag by 2pm that day. I'm afraid that the turkey is NOT going to be thawed by that point, and here's my question:

Can I take the turkey out of the fridge and do a water thaw on WEDNESDAY evening for a few hours, then put it back in the fridge to defrost the rest of the way?

I've never cooked a turkey before, and if it was up to me, I would have gotten the turkey on Friday or Saturday, not waited until Sunday... but that's neither here nor there...

 

[welovedisneyx4]

I always finish thawing my turkey on Wednesday evening in the sink in water. Then I just put it back in the fridge until Thursday.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

Put the turkey on cold water and let it thaw that way, I always do that on Wed before I go to bed.

 

[corndog]

Take it back and buy a fresh turkey!

 

[hiwaygal]

I put my 17lb turkey in the refrigerator to thaw last night...on Wednesday I'll thaw it in water for awhile before I soak it in a brine solution overnight. It will be fine for Thursday.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I always take mine out 2 days before to jump start the thaw in the cold water bath.

I make turkey broth the day before so I have to be able to get the innards out on Wed.

 

[NMAmy]

I'm sorry, I'm so focused on your cooking time that I can't worry about defrosting it. Can you really cook a 20 lb turkey in 2.5 hours?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I'm sorry, I'm so focused on your cooking time that I can't worry about defrosting it. Can you really cook a 20 lb turkey in 2.5 hours?

Oh yea...no way your turkey will cook in 2hrs OP. You need to have it in the oven sooner.

Need over 4hrs to cook. Plus the 20min sit time for a juicy turkey.

 

[stashbin]

I always prepare my dressing and stuff my bird the night before and put it in the fridge over night. (I have one of those roasters) Thursday morning I get up at 6 am and turn it on and it is usually done by 12 or 1pm. So if it's not thawed the Wednesday evening before, it goes in the water.

 

[NMAmy]

Oh yea...no way your turkey will cook in 2hrs OP. You need to have it in the oven sooner.

Need over 4hrs to cook. Plus the 20min sit time for a juicy turkey.

I was actually a little excited that maybe there was some new technology besides deep frying available that I was unaware of that would allow you to do this.

 

[rabx5]

I'm sorry, I'm so focused on your cooking time that I can't worry about defrosting it. Can you really cook a 20 lb turkey in 2.5 hours?

I was thinking the same thing.

As for the defrosting, I too do a cold water bath on Wednesday evening when I prepare some of the make ahead dishes.

 

[jsaem]

Actually the Reynolds oven bags cut down the cooking time on a turkey considerably. You can cook a 20lb turkey in about 3 hours. I always use them and the turkey always comes out very moist. I wouldn't cook a turkey any other way.

 

[toledo13]

Actually the Reynolds oven bags cut down the cooking time on a turkey considerably. You can cook a 20lb turkey in about 3 hours. I always use them and the turkey always comes out very moist. I wouldn't cook a turkey any other way.

Yep, I was just about to post that after getting all of the questions. It'll probably take closer 2.75-3 hours in the Reynolds Bag. So it's safe to keep it in the fridge, then put it in cold water on wednesday night for a while, then put it back in the fridge to cook on thursday?

 

[toledo13]

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/418405/cut_turkeyroasting_time_in_half_with.html

Here's Reynolds Roasting Bag info-

 

[Jennifer S]

I always prepare my dressing and stuff my bird the night before and put it in the fridge over night. (I have one of those roasters) Thursday morning I get up at 6 am and turn it on and it is usually done by 12 or 1pm. So if it's not thawed the Wednesday evening before, it goes in the water.

I read it's not safe to stuff the bird until it's time to go into the oven. Bacteria could grow.

I use those Reynolds bags too - cut cooking time and keeps it moist.

 

[DLSuperVet]

I'm sorry, I'm so focused on your cooking time that I can't worry about defrosting it. Can you really cook a 20 lb turkey in 2.5 hours?

Without stuffing you can have a 20lb bird cooked in about 4 hours at 350. If you're going to stuff it add another hour.

If you don't plan on bagging it don't forget to baste.