I'll be honest, since I discovered how to cook a frozen chicken, I don't even bother thawing my fowl before cooking it! That goes for the big turkey too!
Since I'm the one who normally makes Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, this is a great recipe for me as it allows me to save counter and fridge space for other holiday recipes, instead of requiring me to thaw the turkey for days in advance.
With this recipe for how to cook a frozen turkey, I can simply take the turkey out of the freezer and have it straight into the oven within just a few minutes!
How to Cook a Frozen Turkey
No matter what the reason, whether intentional or not, if you have a frozen turkey and a fast approaching dinner, then you need to get the turkey cooked quickly!
Not to worry! It's super easy to cook a frozen turkey without thawing it first! There are no tricks, it's just a straightforward recipe that results in a delicious oven roasted turkey!
Step One:
Remove all packaging from the outside of the turkey and place breast-side up onto a roasting pan.
Step Two:
Pre-heat the oven to 325° and move the middle rack down to the bottom one-third of the oven.
Step Three:
Roast turkey for 1-2 hours* (depending on the size), remove from oven and remove giblets from turkey. At this time also remove any plastic holding the legs together. You can tie them with twine at this point if desired.
*Remove once turkey is lightly golden brown.
Step Four:
Mix 1/4 cup of butter with seasoning of your choice. We use salt, pepper, garlic, and parsley.
Brush the butter mix onto the turkey as thoroughly as you can. Put it back in the oven.
Step Five:
Bake turkey for another 2 hours, or until dark golden brown. Check multiple points with a meat thermometer to ensure turkey is 165° through the thickest portions.
If any part is not fully cooked, continue baking until 165° is reached throughout.
NOTE: I have found that when cooking a frozen turkey, the total cook time is about 25% longer than normal. Keep this in mind when planning your dinner.
General Cook Times for A Frozen Turkey (total):
- 8- to 12-pound turkey: 4 to 4 1/2 hours
- 12- to 14-pound turkey: 4 1/2 to 5 3/4 hours
- 14- to 18-pound turkey: 5 3/4 to 6 1/4 hours
- 18- to 20-pound turkey: 6 1/4 to 6 3/4 hours
- 20- to 24-pound turkey: 6 3/4 to 7 1/2 hours
How to Cook a Frozen Turkey FAQ
Is is safe to cook a frozen turkey without thawing it first?
Absolutely! Since you will be roasting this very quickly, the bacteria growth range temperature will be exceeded quickly and before any bacteria can set in.
Do you need to use a thermometer or can you just go based on timing?
Since each turkey and oven is different, it really is crucial to use a thermometer while oven roasting a turkey; especially from frozen.
You need to be able to check multiple points of the turkey quickly to make sure that every part of the bird is at least 165°F before calling it ready.
Can I brine this turkey before cooking?
Brining and dry rubs cannot be done on a frozen turkey. You can however do a seasoned butter rub that is absolutely delicious!
However, if you have a traditional flavor that you are seeking to achieve, then you will likely want to plan on thawing your turkey before roasting.
Can I stuff the turkey if it's frozen?
For this type of oven roasted turkey, the cook time would be too long for the stuffing to really survive well. Also, the stuffing will actually slow down the turkey cooking process, causing the turkey to dry out before it fully reaches the safe temperature.
I recommend baking the stuffing separately and serving it on the side.
Does a frozen turkey actually taste good after it's cooked?
Yes! It's really delicious and the skin is nice and crispy, just like cooking it if it was thawed first.
Downsides to cooking a frozen turkey?
There are only 2 downsides that I can see:
1. If you normally use a rub or brine, you won't be able to with this method.
2. You can't tuck the wings under for that quintessential "gorgeous" turkey photo. However, that's not a huge deal-breaker for me!
How to Cook a Frozen Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 Frozen Turkey
- 1/4 cup butter
- seasonings of choice
Instructions
- Remove all packaging from the outside of the turkey and place breast-side up onto a roasting pan.
- Pre-heat the oven to 325° and move the middle rack down to the bottom one-third of the oven.
- Roast turkey for 1-2 hours* (depending on the size), remove from oven and remove giblets from turkey. At this time also remove any plastic holding the legs together. You can tie them with twine at this point if desired.*Remove once turkey is lightly golden brown.
- Mix 1/4 cup of butter with seasoning of your choice. We use salt, pepper, garlic, and parsley.
Brush the butter mix onto the turkey as thoroughly as you can. Put it back in the oven. - Bake turkey for another 2 hours, or until dark golden brown. Check multiple points with a meat thermometer to ensure turkey is 165° through the thickest portions.
- If any part is not fully cooked, continue baking until 165° is reached throughout.
Notes
- 8- to 12-pound turkey: 4 to 4 1/2 hours
- 12- to 14-pound turkey: 4 1/2 to 5 3/4 hours
- 14- to 18-pound turkey: 5 3/4 to 6 1/4 hours
- 18- to 20-pound turkey: 6 1/4 to 6 3/4 hours
- 20- to 24-pound turkey: 6 3/4 to 7 1/2 hours
Lacey says
Do you put a cover on or wrap in ten foil?
Victoria says
Hi Lacey! No cover or foil required :-)
Lacey says
Awesome!! Thank you. :)
Victoria says
You’re welcome!
Dawn says
Can you use this recipe with a Turkey roaster?
Victoria says
Hi Dawn!
I have only tested it in the oven, so I’m not sure how it would work in a roaster. You might check the temperatures for each setting and then pair them up with the recipe temps and see if they match (or can be made to match).
If you try it, please let me know how it goes!
Gale says
Hi Victoria
I’m wondering if roasting a frozen turkey in a convection oven would work well or even improve the cooking time and flavor?
Victoria says
Hi Gale, I’m so sorry for the delay! I had a few comments get stuck in the spam folder :-(
I don’t have a convection oven, so I wouldn’t want to guess. But I sure to love the turkey cooked in the manner described here! We had it this way again for Thanksgiving with a huge 22 pound organic free-range turkey. So delicious!
Judy says
I just used this recipe for a turkey I got on sale after Thanksgiving. I had no time to defrost the turkey so I searched and found this recipe. It was perfect and delicious!! I never dreamed you could roast a frozen turkey. Anyone afraid to try this method can rest assured that it works!
Victoria says
Hi Judy! I’m so glad to hear this! We did the same thing just a few weeks ago, delicious!
Amy says
I tried this recipe because I hate waiting for a frozen turkey to defrost. The turkey was 13lbs. It took 3 hrs in the oven for the turkey to thaw enough for me to finally get the giblets out. After 9 hrs the internal temp in multiple spots still said 155-160F, meanwhile, the legs were 200F and the superficial breast meat was 185F. I took the legs off at the 7 hr mark because I didn’t want to ruin the meat, but it was too late. They were dry and tough. Not sure why the middle of my turkey wouldn’t cook, but it’s going in the trash now.
Victoria says
I’m so sorry to hear that! We did a 17 pound turkey at Christmas with this method and it turned out wonderfully as always.
Wish I could help you troubleshoot, but I’m not quite sure what the issue might have been :-(
Nancy says
Check your oven temp, might be lower than what you set..