Help Me Decide When (& How) to Thaw a Holiday Turkey Good Questions

Q: The hubs and I are driving north next week to spend Christmas with his family, and we're bringing a frozen 12-pound turkey that wasn't thawed or cooked during Thanksgiving. The trip will take 9 to 11 hours. I know the turkey should thaw in a fridge for about 3 days, but here's my question: We don't have a cooler and I haven't found one in stores that will fit the turkey.

What should we do? I was thinking about traveling with the frozen turkey on ice in a lined tub (then getting it into the fridge at our destination), or should we thaw the turkey first, then travel with it on ice? I would love to know what readers think and thanks in advance.

Sent by Mis P.

Editor: Readers, what would you suggest to Mis P and her turkey dilemma?

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Comments (11)

A 12 pound turkey can't be that big that you can't find a cooler someplace. Have you tried liquor stores or sporting goods stores or a large deli or catering company? They usually have big coolers. Do you have a rental place in your town. Rent one if you can. I wouldn't thaw it and then try to keep it cold. If you can't find a cooler then wrap it in foil, lots of newspapers put it in a big garbage bag and then in a large plastic tub with lots of ice and replenish the ice along the way. Better saft than sorry. OR Cook the turkey, take the meat off the bone and you should be able to find a cooler that all the meat will fit in. Good luck.

I think putting the frozen turkey in a tub of ice will be just fine.

You can't find a cooler to fit a 12lb turkey? Where are you shopping? Get yourself to Target or Walmart, a 12lb bird is not big, get yourself a medium sized cooler and be done with it.

Or just buy a turkey "up north."

You might want to see if there is one of those sports drink upright kooler/dispensers laying around your house or a friends. I remember Alton Brown pulling his turkey out of one of those, so they might have more room than a regular rectangular cooler.

I definitely wouldn't thaw it before travelling with it. Your chances of contamination will go up exponentially. If you really can't find a cooler (or just really don't want to buy one), make sure you put some ice bags on top and try to keep it covered up. I'd be worried that the tub would sweat all over the back seat, though. Wrap some towels around it for sure (which would also help with temp control).

Maybe I'm living dangerously here, but I, and my family for as long as I can remember, thaw our turkeys in the sink the day before. Room temp. We haven't died yet. I know that's not how they say to do it, but it works for us. I thaw chicken breasts in the sink while at work for dinner as well. Have some in there wrapped up now!
It's a personal safety preference, but for a 9-11 hr drive, I'd just wrap it in a towel or 2, straight from the freezer, and drive on up to your family.

Just did this at Thanksgiving. Fully frozen bird, 13 hour drive. I got one of those soft sided freezer bags (usually available at any grocery store for about 3 bucks) and lined it with a trash bag, added ice, turkey, more ice, and then zipped it up. Still frozen when I got there. Good luck!

I brined our 13-lb. turkey in a cooler; you should be able to find one that fits.

If it's cold outside, I'd just put it in the trunk, which ought to be the coldest part of the car. Personally, I wouldn't mess with coolers and bags of ice; if you put it in there frozen, it should be fine.

I'm with jmorri26.. we always defrost our meat in the sink or on the counter (on a plate). Again, I leave it to defrost while I'm at work. It's still really cold when I get in as well. I don't think you are being too risky to drive up with it wrapped in towels/ put in something. It's not going to defrost that much in that amount of time.

we always defrost our meet in the sink too and none of us have died or gotten sick yet. if it were me, id wrap it in plastic and towels and throw it in the trunk frozen!