Defrosting Turkey
Defrosting a Christmas turkey in the fridge is the only recommended defrosting method.
As a turkey is such a large bird, plenty of time needs to be allowed for it to defrost. The defrosting of a turkey can’t be rushed, as it must be thoroughly defrosted all the way through – getting the turkey out of the freezer at 7pm on Christmas Eve will not be early enough!
The temperature of the refrigerator should be kept at 5°C or below, as anything above this may allow the multiplication of bacteria.
Don’t remove the packaging from the bird until fully defrosted. Place the bird on a large dish at the bottom of the fridge and leave until fully defrosted.
Full defrosting can take several days, so use our defrosting guide above to help you calculate how long to defrost for before you can start prepping a delicious Christmas Day meal.
Remember to plan in advance – getting the turkey out at 7pm on Christmas Eve won’t be early enough!
- Never remove the wrapping from the bird throughout defrosting
- Place the bird on a large dish, place in bottom of the fridge
- Leave until fully defrosted – this can take several days
Defrosting a Christmas turkey in the fridge is the only recommended defrosting method.
Want to read more? We’ve created guides on how to defrost chicken, fish, sausages, turkey and mince.