How Long Can Thawed Turkey Stay in the Refrigerator

When you hear the word thanksgiving, you’ll probably think of turkey. Turkey is a classic meal that usually brings the family together. And for it to be cooked right, it needed to be thawed right. So, how long can thawed turkey stay in the refrigerator?

The quick down and dirty science answer is, “You could keep a thawed turkey in a refrigerator for one to two days only if it was thawed using a refrigerator.”

If you thawed your turkey using other means, it can’t be refrozen and should be cooked immediately to minimize the growth of harmful bacteria.

🦃 Thawing Turkey

Thawing turkey is as simple as letting it unfreeze, right? We all think “that’s what my gram did so why can’t I?”

Well, there’s so much more to it than that. While a fully frozen turkey is safe, bacteria starts to grow as soon as it thaws.

The key to success is preparation. Make sure you have cleared a space in the refrigerator and have everything you need before you bring the turkey home from the store. Clean out the fridge and make sure you have something large enough to place the turkey in so as it defrosts, it doesn’t leak all over.

This will allow you to store it in your refrigerator immediately. You don’t want to leave your frozen turkey in any place where the temperature isn’t suitable for very long.

Frozen poultry or any meat thawing for more than two hours on a table will begin to grow bacteria. Though the center of the package is still cold, the outer part may be within the “Danger Zone.” Temperatures between 40 and 140°F allow bacteria to multiply at a faster rate.

Pro tip: Bring a cooler with you to the store the day you plan to purchase so you can keep the bird safe, especially if bringing home a fresh turkey.

Three Ways to Safely Thaw Food

Whether you plan to do a simple season and stuff the bird or use a simple brine as we did on our Turkey Cheat Sheet, the three methods below are your safest bets for thawing your bird in time for the big day. Reference our Thanksgiving Planner which has an entire section dedicated to defrosting your bird.

These techniques are the same ones we use for our Air Fryer Turkey Tenderloin, Air Fryer Turkey Breast, Slow Cooker Turkey Legs and even the Air Fryer Whole Chicken. Apply these methods to all your poultry.

Thawing With a Microwave

Before you start thawing with the use of a microwave, you should already have a plan in place to cook it as soon as it thaws. 

You can find the instructions on how to defrost the turkey in its package. So, it’s not difficult to thaw your turkey using a microwave. 

To thaw using a microwave, you’ll need to remove your turkey from its packaging, remove the neck, liver and other organs in the packaging, and place it in a microwave-safe container. Once you’ve made sure the turkey fits the container appropriately, set the microwave to defrost according to your turkey’s weight.

As you start defrosting the turkey, remember to shift its position by rotating or flipping it to ensure it defrosts evenly as much as possible. You can help your turkey thaw faster by separating chunks that are stuck together.  

Keep in mind that using a microwave to defrost your turkey will not only warm the meat, but it may start cooking parts of the bird.

If you’ve managed to fully thaw your turkey, you should know that partially cooked food should immediately go into the oven to finish cooking.

Thawing with Cold Water

This thawing method is faster than using your refrigerator. Thawing in cool water can still take several hours, based on the weight of the turkey. This is a common practice for Thanksgiving morning when the bird didn’t quite get defrosted all the way in the fridge.

Before you thaw using this process, make sure that your meat is in a leak-proof package. This will also prevent the turkey from absorbing the water it’s submerged in.

You should grab a large pot that can accommodate as much water to submerge the meat. 

After you’ve made sure that your meat’s packaging is leak-proof, place it in a container filled with cold water. Make sure that it’s submerged and replace the water every half an hour. 

You should give around 30 minutes per pound to thaw the turkey completely. 

Thawing in a Refrigerator

Thawing your turkey in the refrigerator is the only method that makes refreezing it okay. 

Note that thawing your turkey will result in its juices dripping. This is the reason why you need to place the turkey on a tray while thawing in the refrigerator. Trust me! I have cleaned up that mess a few times.

When you decide to thaw your turkey in the refrigerator, plan your time accordingly, because it takes days to thaw a frozen turkey. It takes around 24 hours for every four to five pounds in a refrigerator set to 40°F.

With this in mind, you should be able to calculate the number of days it would take you to thaw your turkey according to the date you plan to cook it.

⚠️ AVOID Thawing on the Counter

Some people thaw their fish, meat, or poultry by leaving it on the counter. 

You should avoid this as much as possible because raw meats should not be placed at room temperature for more than four hours.

If you leave your turkey or any other meat for more than four hours, plan on it being unsafe and throw it out.

⏲️ Refreezing Thawed Turkey

When you thaw your turkey using a microwave or cold water, it’s no longer recommended to freeze it again, and you should immediately cook it as soon as it’s thawed using these two methods.

On the other hand, if you thaw the turkey in the fridge, it can remain stored for an extra couple of days. And if the situation calls for it, you can refreeze it.

🧑‍🍳 Safe Food Handling Safety Practices

Knowing how to safely handle your turkey will prevent bacteria from ruining the meal. 

1. Before you handle food, make sure to thoroughly wash your hands and dry them as much as you can. This will prevent contaminating the food as you slice parts, rub seasoning, and truss the turkey. 
2. Don’t forget to rewash your hands after handling the bird so that you don’t contaminate other foods you are preparing.
3. Avoid using the same utensils and containers for cooked and raw poultry. Always keep the cooked and raw meat separate.
4. Keep your knives, pots and pans clean. Take note that anything that touches food should always be kept sanitized. If you touch a pan handle with a hand that you just used to truss the turkey, that handle is now infected and needs to be washed.

Leftover Turkey Storage?

After thawing and cooking your turkey, it’s time to store your leftovers in the refrigerator following the safe practices of How Long Can a Turkey Sit Out and How Long to Let Turkey Rest.

Preparing leftover turkey for storage is relatively easy:

1. First, get rid of any stuffing and gravy that has been left out at room temperature for more than two hours. This will include turkey unless you follow the How to Keep Your Turkey Warm practices.
2. Cut the leftover turkey into thin slices or smaller pieces and place them in small Ziploc bags or storage containers.
3. Frozen leftover turkey will stay good fro up to three months. Cut up the turkey and divide into freezer safe containers or Ziploc bags, making sure to press any air out as we talk about in our Freezer Tips 101 {freebie printables}. We love to use our Editable Freezer Labels {freebie printable} to keep track what is in those mystery bags when you do a Freezer Inventory {free printable}.

Stuffing Storage: If you managed to refrigerate some stuffing with the turkey, make sure to eat it within the first three days. Who has a problem doing that, right?

Gravy Storage: Be sure to eat the gravy within one or two days.

Conclusion

If you want to get the best out of your turkey, remember to keep it stored properly until it is time to cook it. 

The main concern is how to store your turkey properly because this minimizes the chances that it will go bad. By keeping your turkey in the freezer, you’re preventing bacteria from multiplying. You’d also be eliminating other germs that can’t live below-freezing temperatures.

Before cooking, you will need to thaw it out using any of the three methods mentioned in this article.

I hope you have a safe and enjoyable holiday!

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