How to Roast a Frozen Turkey

"Because the breast is so much thicker than the legs and thighs, it thaws more slowly, so the breast and lower quarters will reach their (different) done temperatures at the same time. This is an ideal approach for people who have forgotten to thaw the turkey,or who have small refrigerators; it does fill up the oven a lot longer, though. Since there are no juices from the defrosted turkey, there will be no risk of cross-contamination (just be sure to wash your hands well). For a larger (19-20 lb) bird, add 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Adapted from instructions at About.com - http://bit.ly/aVpqM6"
 
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Ready In:
5hrs 30mins
Ingredients:
2
Serves:
12

ingredients

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directions

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F about 6 hours before you want to serve. Line a rimmed cookie sheet (NOT a roasting pan) with foil and place a rack on it. Unwrap the turkey and place it on the rack. (Don't worry about the bag of giblets; you'll remove it later.).
  • Place the turkey into the oven for 2 1/2 hours. By this time, the thighs should be about 100°F, but the breast should still be icy, around 25°F If you have an insert-and-leave-it type of thermometer (dial, or digital probe), insert it into the thickest part of the breast at this time. If not, start checking the temperature of the breast every 30-45 minutes.
  • By 3 1/2 hours, the thighs should be around 150°F and the breast around 50°F Remove the giblets bag at this time (and make stock from it, if desired). If you wish to stuff the turkey, do so at this point; use silicone gloves to protect your hands, as the bottom of the bird will be hot, and preheat the stuffing if possible before spooning it into the cavity. Do not overpack.
  • Between 4 1/2 and 5 hours, the thighs should be done at 175-180°F, the breast should be done (but still moist) at 160-165°F and the skin should be nicely browned. If the bird was stuffed, the temperature in the center of the stuffing must reach 165° for safety.

Questions & Replies

  1. We had a holiday emergency and my wife had to fly out and get a 20lb frozen turkey, as that's all they had left. We are scheduled to eat at 11 tomorrow and it's our first year hosting at our new home. Can anyone help us with temps and times for cooking this big frozen bird? Also if and when we should add stuffing! Thanks!
     
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Reviews

  1. This method seems to be in line with the other recipes I have found in the past for cooking a turkey from frozen. One of the main thing I have found, not having a rack, is to put the pan on the lower rack of the oven (doesn't matter if it's roasting or cookie at that point) and put the turkey on the top rack of the oven (just above the pan to catch drippings). you may want to put a few cups of water in the pan with some onions and carrots and celery cut up-- could make for some yummy gravy with the drippings. This is a great recipe and I only ever cook my turkeys from frozen due to lack of planning/fridge or sink space. Think about basting with olive oil or melted butter when you remove the giblets- makes for a really nice brown turkey.
     
  2. I have to say... this actually worked. I cooked it for two hours. Then removed the giblets, neck. And seasoned with a mixture of lemon juice, soy sauce, and dijon mustard that i poured over the turkey. I also placed a whole onion and a bundle of fresh herbs inside the bird. I basted 2 hours later with pan juices (there were a lot). Once cooked, I let rest for 20, then carved. I was very impressed at how moist this was. I didn't expect it to so good. Probably one of the best turkeys I've ever roasted. Thanks for sharing.
     
  3. I have cooked a frozen turkey before, but did it a bit differently. If your turkey takes 4 hours to cook, you would cook a frozen turkey for 6 hours at about 325 degrees (50% longer). Put the turkey into the oven, whole and frozen and after about 2 hours, start checking to see if the inside is thawed enough to remove the giblets and all of that. Once you can remove all of the "innards", prepare your turkey like you normally would with butter/oil and herbs/spice. Continue with the baking process until tender.
     
  4. This worked perfectly! Thank you so much you saved the day and my turkey too! Basted the breast meat every hour with the pan juices. As others stated, watch timing and don't over cook. I was very impressed at how moist this was. One of the best turkeys I've ever roasted. Thanks for sharing.
     
  5. Thanks for the review. I've done it as well, and it worked perfectly. Do watch the cooking time, though. I've found that it generally cooks faster than estimated, so one of those thermometers-on-a-little-cable is handy. You can let the turkey cool somehat, then slice and keep for a couple of days if you're not interested in showing off a perfectly-roasted bird. Then sprinkle with a little chicken broth and seal in foil to reheat.
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I'm a 48 y/o gay Jewish man in the suburbs immediately north of New York City. I'm a general internist, practicing and teaching at a medical college north of NYC. I also earned a Masters in Public Health degree in 2013. After a Walt Disney World trip in Dec 2006 where I had to rent an electric scooter because I couldn't manage the walking, I decided to have gastric bypass surgery, which was done Feb 28, 2007. I lost 160 lbs (though I've gained back about 60 of that since). I can't eat as much as I used to, so I want every bite to be extra good!
 
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