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Turkey Timelineby plusbeauxjours

When to start thawing your turkey

16 lb turkey, 4 PM dinner on Thanksgiving: in the fridge by Sun, Nov 22, 11:25 AM.

USDA times About 24 hours for every 4 to 5 lb, in a fridge at 40 °F or below.

Thu, Nov 26. The table updates as you choose.

  • 8 lb turkey

    In the fridge by
    Tue, Nov 24, 12:40 PM
    USDA fridge days
    1½ to 2
    Turkey in
    Thu 12:40 PM
    Cold water
    4 h from Thu 8:40 AM

  • 10 lb turkey

    In the fridge by
    Tue, Nov 24, 12:40 AMor by Mon 9:00 PM the evening before
    USDA fridge days
    2 to 2½
    Turkey in
    Thu 12:40 PM
    Cold water
    5 h from Thu 7:40 AM

  • 12 lb turkey

    In the fridge by
    Mon, Nov 23, 11:55 AM
    USDA fridge days
    2½ to 3
    Turkey in
    Thu 11:55 AM
    Cold water
    6 h from Thu 5:55 AM

  • 14 lb turkey

    In the fridge by
    Sun, Nov 22, 11:25 PMor by Sun 9:00 PM the evening before
    USDA fridge days
    2¾ to 3½
    Turkey in
    Thu 11:25 AM
    Cold water
    7 h from Thu 4:25 AM

  • 16 lb turkey

    In the fridge by
    Sun, Nov 22, 11:25 AM
    USDA fridge days
    3¼ to 4
    Turkey in
    Thu 11:25 AM
    Cold water
    8 h from Thu 3:25 AM

  • 18 lb turkey

    In the fridge by
    Sat, Nov 21, 11:10 PMor by Sat 9:00 PM the evening before
    USDA fridge days
    3½ to 4½
    Turkey in
    Thu 11:10 AM
    Cold water
    9 h from Thu 2:10 AM

  • 20 lb turkey

    In the fridge by
    Sat, Nov 21, 10:40 AM
    USDA fridge days
    4 to 5
    Turkey in
    Thu 10:40 AM
    Cold water
    10 h from Thu 12:40 AM

  • 22 lb turkey

    In the fridge by
    Fri, Nov 20, 10:40 PMor by Fri 9:00 PM the evening before
    USDA fridge days
    4½ to 5½
    Turkey in
    Thu 10:40 AM
    Cold water
    11 h from Wed 11:40 PM

  • 24 lb turkey

    In the fridge by
    Fri, Nov 20, 10:40 AM
    USDA fridge days
    4¾ to 6
    Turkey in
    Thu 10:40 AM
    Cold water
    12 h from Wed 10:40 PM

“In the fridge by” is the latest start on USDA's slower end (4 lb a day). A late-night start can move to the evening before at 9:00 PM when the thawed turkey would still wait no more than 2 days. Cold water: about 30 minutes per lb, changing the water every 30 minutes, then straight into the oven.

Plan the whole day

Your own weight, dinner time, brine and sides, with a calendar file.

How the dates are worked out

We start from dinner, take away 20 minutes for the turkey to stand and the longest roasting time in USDA's 325 °F chart for that weight, and round down to 5 minutes. That's when the turkey goes in. Then we go back 4 lb per day in the fridge (USDA: about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 lb) to get the latest day to start.

The “USDA fridge days” column is what FSIS's own thawing calculator prints for each weight. Our planner reproduces it for every weight from 6 to 36 lb.

Starting earlier is fine up to a point: USDA says a thawed turkey can stay in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 days before cooking. If you brine, add the brine time. The planner checks that wait for you. Sources: Turkey Basics: Safe Thawing (opens in a new tab) and Your Safe Thanksgiving Guide (opens in a new tab).

Questions

When should I start thawing my turkey?

In the fridge, allow about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 lb. For a 4 PM Thanksgiving dinner (unstuffed, no brine): a 16 lb turkey goes in the fridge by Sun, Nov 22, 11:25 AM, a 20 lb turkey by Sat, Nov 21, 10:40 AM. We plan on the slower 4 lb a day.

Can I thaw a turkey on the counter or in cold water?

Not on the counter: after more than 2 hours the outer layer is in the Danger Zone (40 to 140 °F). Cold water works: about 30 minutes per lb, in a leak-proof bag, submerged in cold tap water, changing the water every 30 minutes, and cook it right after.

I forgot to thaw it. Now what?

Use cold water if there's still time. If not, cook it frozen: USDA says that takes at least 50 percent longer, and you remove the giblets with tongs once they come loose. The planner switches for you when the fridge is too late.

How long can a thawed turkey stay in the fridge?

USDA: a thawed turkey can stay in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 days before cooking. Brining counts: brine time is time in the fridge after it's thawed. The planner warns you when the wait could pass 2 days.

Sources

  1. Portions, thawing, roasting, doneness, leftovers

    1 lb of turkey per person (1¼ lb frozen pre-stuffed); fridge and cold-water thawing; a thawed turkey keeps 1 or 2 days; oven no lower than 325 °F; 165 °F in the thigh, wing and breast; stand 20 minutes; cooking from frozen takes at least 50 percent longer; leftovers within 2 hours, use in 3 to 4 days.

    USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: Let's Talk Turkey: A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey (opens in a new tab) · Checked

    Primary source

  2. Roasting timetable at 325 °F

    Unstuffed and stuffed roasting times by weight (breast rows 4 to 6 and 6 to 8 lb); preheating is not necessary; times assume a thawed bird at 40 °F or below.

    USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: Turkey Basics: Safe Cooking (opens in a new tab) · Checked

    Primary source

  3. Thawing: fridge, cold water, never the counter

    About 24 hours for every 4 to 5 lb in a fridge at 40 °F or below; cold water about 30 minutes per lb in a leak-proof bag, change the water every 30 minutes, cook immediately; more than 2 hours on the counter puts the outer layer in the Danger Zone.

    USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: Turkey Basics: Safe Thawing (opens in a new tab) · Checked

    Primary source

  4. Thawing calculator and Hotline

    FSIS's own thawing calculator, which our fridge math reproduces for every weight from 6 to 36 lb; USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-674-6854, open Thanksgiving Day 8 am to 2 pm ET.

    USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: Your Safe Thanksgiving Guide (opens in a new tab) · Checked

    Primary source

  5. Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday in November

    5 U.S.C. 6103 lists “Thanksgiving Day, the fourth Thursday in November” (Thursday, November 26, 2026).

    Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School: 5 U.S. Code § 6103: Holidays (opens in a new tab) · Checked

    Primary source