How long will it take to defrost a frozen 20 lb. turkey in a refrigerator?!
Answers: I tried 2 days last year, and it wasn't long enough!
Plan ahead for slow, safe thawing in the refrigerator. A turkey requires at least 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds of weight to thaw in a refrigerator set at 40 degrees F. For an 8-12 lb. turkey allow 1 to 2 days for thawing; for a 12-16 lb. turkey allow 2 to 3 days; for a 16-20 lb. turkey allow 3 to 4 days; and for a 20-24 lb. turkey allow 4 to 5 days.
3 days make sure your temp is not too cold or it will take longer
usually takes about 3 days - might take longer if you tend to set your refrigerator on a colder than average setting.
Thawing turkey takes about 4 hours per pound. After the turkey is thawed, it should stay good for about a week, so if I were you, I would give your 20 pounder 4-5 days to be safe. There are ways to speed it up (safely), too. I did some research on the food safety side of this and posted it as a blog on the site below.
Happy Turkey day!
Tessa Somers
As a rule of thumb, you’ll need 24 hours for every five pounds of bird, so a 20-pound bird will require four full days of defrosting time. Remember to place the turkey in a pan, to catch any drippings—or, if there’s not enough room, situate the pan on the shelf below.
Funny you should ask. I bought a frozen 22 pounder last Thursday and socked it in the fridge. I think it's mostly thawed, so by the day after tomorrow I think it will be totally thawed in time for an early T-day dinner.
i would say 3 days and see if that would work. if not next year, try for 4 days. but i would try and buy the turkey the day before so you won't have to thaw it, you can just put in the fridge.
7 days. I've done it for 5 days and the cavity still had ice in it. 7 days works well. Then you still have 4 to 5 days after the thaw to prepare and cook it.