Can I safely cook a frozen Thanksgiving turkey without thawing it first?
Yes, you can safely cook a frozen Thanksgiving turkey — but with a few restrictions. Keep these factors in mind when cooking a frozen Thanksgiving turkey: • Cooking method. You can cook the bird in the oven, but don’t grill, smoke, microwave or deep-fry a frozen Thanksgiving turkey. Grilling and deep-frying use higher temperatures that will quickly cook and char the bird on the outside but leave the inside undone or only partially cooked, increasing the risk of foodborne illness. Smoking generally uses temperatures that are too low and take too long for the frozen turkey to fully cook, also increasing the risk of food poisoning. Microwaving also isn’t a safe option because it cooks a frozen bird unevenly. Oven bags aren’t recommended for frozen turkeys because they can be unsafe — at some point you will need to remove the giblets, and contaminated juices may be spilled or scalding steam can burn you. • Cooking time. It takes longer to cook a frozen Thanksgiving turkey. To determine the
Yes, you can safely cook a frozen Thanksgiving turkey — but with a few restrictions. Keep these factors in mind when cooking a frozen Thanksgiving turkey: • Cooking method. You can cook the bird in the oven, but don’t grill, smoke, microwave or deep-fry a frozen Thanksgiving turkey. Grilling and deep-frying use higher temperatures that will quickly cook and char the bird on the outside but leave the inside undone or only partially cooked, increasing the risk of foodborne illness. Smoking generally uses temperatures that are too low and take too long for the frozen turkey to fully cook, also increasing the risk of food poisoning. Microwaving also isn’t a safe option because it cooks a frozen bird unevenly. Oven bags aren’t recommended for frozen turkeys because they can be unsafe — at some point you will need to remove the giblets, and contaminated juices may be spilled or scalding steam can burn you. • Cooking time. It takes longer to cook a frozen Thanksgiving turkey. To determine the
