--- ---  # The Best Way to Defrost a Turkey by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Nov 23, 2015 10:18 PM UTC  Brian Summers—Getty Images/First Light by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Nov 23, 2015 10:18 PM UTC So you’ve figured out how to cook your Thanksgiving [turkey](http://time.com/money/4124279/cheap-thanksgiving-turkey-prices/)—but it’s still in the freezer. Don’t worry. Watch the video above from Southern Living. Test kitchen director Robby Melvin explains that giving yourself enough time to defrost it in the refrigerator is the best way to go—and he’s even got a trick for how much time it needs to stay there. But even if you’re in a hurry, Thanksgiving is not lost. He tells you the safest way to do it in the sink without ruining the bird. Thanksgiving: How to Thaw a Turkey ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4125095/thanksgiving-turkey-thaw-how-to/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4125095/thanksgiving-turkey-thaw-how-to/"},"headline":"The Best Way to Defrost a Turkey","datePublished":"2015-11-23T22:18:12.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:57:32.432Z","description":"A guide to your Thanksgiving thaw","url":"https://time.com/4125095/thanksgiving-turkey-thaw-how-to/","keywords":["Living","Food"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta0c170aa93c0dfcb/6988726a2dce0118c19e6a06/151123_em_whatturkeyshortage.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta0c170aa93c0dfcb/6988726a2dce0118c19e6a06/151123_em_whatturkeyshortage.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"151123_EM_WhatTurkeyShortage","caption":"woman holding turkey in grocery store","creditText":"Brian Summers—Getty Images/First Light","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-living/","name":"Living"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4125095/thanksgiving-turkey-thaw-how-to/","name":"The Best Way to Defrost a Turkey"}}]}] ```