It’s best to thaw a turkey in the refrigerator. Leave the frozen bird in its original container and put it in a pan to catch any leaks. The frozen turkey will take about 5 hours per pound to defrost completely. This means an average 14-19 pound turkey will take up to four days to defrost completely in the refrigerator.

You can also defrost the turkey in the sink by filling the sink with cold water and leaving the turkey to soak in its original package. Change the water every 30 minutes and plan to leave the turkey in the cold water 30 minutes for every pound of turkey. Most turkeys are defrosted in this method in 5- 10 hours.

It is not recommended to microwave a turkey or to leave it on the counter to defrost.