Did you know, Roasted Whole Turkey From Frozen is a thing?! Not only can you do this, this post will tell you how to do this. The end result is a deliciously moist and juicy, amber skinned roast that will be front and center of any family get together.
Apparently, I have been deceived! I was always lead to believe, that the most important thing to check before your bird went into the oven, was that it was defrosted! This is one of the best turkey roasting hacks I’ve come across!
Why You Will Like This Post
- This is a safe method how to roast frozen turkey.
- No advance defrosting, so no need to plan ahead. Fridge and sink space are also freed up.
- Included are Alternative Methods of Cooking a Frozen Turkey.
- Differences between the top two best selling turkey producers in the U.S.
- Step by step instructions with minimal preparation.
- A Frozen Turkey Temperature Chart and Approximate Roasting Time to ensure your turkey has reached the sweet spot of being fully cooked but not dry.
- How to confirm the frozen turkey is fully cooked.
- Information on types of roasting pans to use.
- Questions and answers about the best way to roast frozen turkey in the oven.
Safety of Roasting a Turkey From Frozen
Can you cook a Roasted Whole Turkey From Frozen and not get ill from eating it?
Roasting frozen turkey in the oven is not only safe, rather it is the preferred method of cooking by the U.S.D.A.
- The U.S.D.A. do not recommend stuffing a turkey. Good thing – frozen turkeys are impossible to stuff!
- Nor do they recommend washing turkeys before roasting them. Microorganisms in the turkey packaging juice, adhere to the sides of kitchen sinks, where they multiply and risk contaminating dishes and utensils.
- Lastly, the U.S.D.A. do not favor kitchen sinks or countertops for defrosting.
Use this recipe (see recipe card below) if cooking a partially frozen turkey or cooking a frozen precooked turkey. Follow all the steps, but allow for a shorter cook time. Remember the magic number you want to see on a digital thermometer is 165 degrees F. / 74 degrees C.
Alternative Methods of Cooking a Frozen Turkey
As stated above, cook turkey at a temperature of 325 degrees F. / 163 degrees C. or higher. This rules out baking a whole frozen turkey in a slow cooker / crock pot, where the highest cooking temperature is between 290°F and 300°F. Slow cooking causes frozen turkeys to pass through the danger zone for several hours. During this time, microorganisms have a heyday multiplying at an enormous rate. The end result will be meat contaminated with potentially millions of invisible microorganisms.
Crock pot cooking is possible using pieced turkey. Place turkey pieces such as breasts, thighs or legs in the crockpot on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Just remember the magic number to aim for is 165 degrees F. / 74 degrees C.
Roast frozen pieces of turkey in an Instant Pot using the pressure cooking method and not the slow cooking method. The advantage to using an Instant Pot is that the pressurized cooking method allows for a shorter cook time from the usual several hours down to 100 minutes or less, depending on the size of the turkey. The disadvantage of this cooking method, is that only smaller turkeys, 10 lbs (4.5 kg) or less will work as larger turkeys will not fit in the Instant Pot insert.
Butterball® vs JENNIE-O® Turkeys
The two most popular frozen turkeys in the States are Butterball® and JENNIE-O®.
Butterball® Turkeys are raised on American farms without hormones. Each turkey is pre-brined before freezing and injected with water, salt, dextrose, sodium phosphate, carrageenan, and natural flavors to ensure the meat is tender and juicy. These turkeys do not contain butter.
JENNIE-O® Turkeys are not pre-brined but they are guaranteed to be young turkeys. A solution of 9.5% turkey Broth, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Sugar, Flavoring is added for moisture. Some JENNIE-O® Turkeys are sold containing a gravy packet tucked away in the cavity along with the giblets. For this recipe choose a turkey without a gravy packet in it.
How to Roast a Turkey from Frozen Without Thawing
Here is a step-by-step guide for roasting frozen turkey:
I used a frozen JENNIE-O® Turkey. Place aromatics around the roasting tin. I chose fresh herbs – sage, rosemary and thyme, along with some garlic and lemon. These aromatics flavor the turkey juice and make for a delicious gravy.
Baking a frozen turkey is easier than you think:
Note the weight of the turkey on the packaging.
Remove all packaging from the turkey. Place it in an ovenproof roasting pan of your choice. Leave the plastic leg clamp in tact during cooking. I removed mine to allow better air flow. Add the aromatics.
After about 2 hours, the turkey has softened enough to remove giblets (if there are any) and neck. Use tongs to pull them out of the body cavity. Discard them or place them in the roasting pan to roast. They add flavor to the gravy.
This is a good time to season the turkey. I use Celtic sea salt and cracked black pepper.
An internal temperature of 165 degrees F. / 74 degrees C. shows the turkey is ready. Use a digital thermometer, like this one, for accuracy.
For a successful Roasted Whole Turkey From Frozen, allow the turkey to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. Transfer it to wooden board and cover with foil to retain some of the heat.Pour the juices from the roasting pan into a pot as the basis for gravy. Resting the meat after cooking, redistributes the juices throughout the meat, therefore minimizing the amount of juice loss. The muscle fibers of the meat relax, which in turn causes the protein fibers in the meat to reabsorb the juices. The end result is more juicy and tender meat.
Frozen Turkey Temperature Chart & Approximate Roasting Time
How to Check if a Frozen Turkey is Fully Cooked
Always use a digital thermometer when checking the temperature of meat. However, if you don’t have a digital thermometer then use your senses of smell, sight and touch to know if your turkey has finished roasting.
- Your sense of smell will tell you if the turkey is done. You’ll smell the aroma of roasted meat filling the air.
- The bird should be golden brown. The skin will have a crispiness.
- New meat juices expelled by the turkey, should be clear.
- Insert a thin sharp knife through the breast meat. If the entire blade of the knife is hot, then the turkey is ready.
- Lastly, using a sharp knife, make a small incision into the skin where the leg joint is. Pry the leg slightly away from the turkey body. Observe the meat fibers. Are they pink with blood present? Then they are not ready.
- Observe and touch the turkey. Does the meat look cooked and does it feel tender and soft?
Useful Roasting Pans Info When Making Roasted Whole Turkey From Frozen
In the world of Roasted Whole Turkey From Frozen, it would appear that there are several options when choosing what type of roasting container to use. Here are some of the choices available:
Ceramic roasting container with rack, useful also for lasagna, casseroles etc.
Enamel Turkey Roaster that comes with a lid that doubles as an additional roasting pan.
Non stick roasting pan.
- Ceramic container or tray. I do not recommend a tray or sheet pan. Save these for cookies. However, a ceramic roasting pan, like a casserole dish will work.
- Enamel Roasters accommodate larger pieces of meat like turkeys. Sold oftentimes with a lid that doubles as an additional roasting pan.
- Non Stick Roaster, this pan has an FDA compliant, interior and exterior non stick coating that is effective at temperatures up to 450 degrees F. This non stick coating covers a warp resistant steel construction.
Least expensive roasting pan for turkey.
Least expensive ovenproof container.
Cast Iron Dutch oven.
- Roasting pan, made from stainless steel, complete with a roasting rack, is the simplest and least expensive option for turkey roasting. This is what I used.
- Pyrex is an option for roasting a turkey in. Ensure the container is big enough to fit a whole turkey. Make sure the turkey does not touch the sides of the container, allow some space for air flow.
- Cast Iron roaster or Dutch oven is yet another option for roasting turkey. A pre-seasoned Dutch oven with lid will provide even heating and exceptional heat retention.
As you can see, there are a lot of roasting pans to choose from. Take the size of the turkey into consideration, and whether you are roasting frozen whole turkey, or divided into breast, leg or thigh meat. Make sure your roasting container fits the size of your turkey.
A Tip From Me
As you can see, roasting frozen turkey in the oven is as easy as pie. However, if you have a defrosted turkey on your hands – fret not. You can use the same frozen turkey roasting method for thawed turkey. Follow the U.S.D.A. cooking chart for temperature and roasting time. To ensure absolute success regarding moisture and juiciness, then I recommend wet brining the defrosted turkey using this recipe.
Additional Turkey Recipes
Got Questions?
I’ve got answers – hopefully!
No, besides being unsafe from a food safety standpoint, it is impossible as the cavity is typically already filled with the giblets. These giblets are later removed when the roasting procedure is well underway.
If you want to shave some minutes off the roasting time, then cover the turkey with foil once it starts to turn golden brown (about 2 hours into the roasting process.) Also, if available, roast frozen turkey in a convection oven, this will reduce the roasting time by about 25%. Roast the turkey at 300 degrees F./ 149 degrees C.
Do not over roast the turkey. Once it has reached 165 degrees F. / 74 degrees C, then remove the bird from oven and allow it to rest before slicing.
Roasted Whole Turkey From Frozen
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 frozen turkey
- fresh sage leaves
- fresh rosemary sprigs
- 2 lemons
- 1 garlic head
Instructions
- Note the weight of the turkey on the packaging.
- Remove all packaging from the turkey. Place it in an ovenproof roasting pan of your choice. Leave the plastic leg clamp in tact during cooking. I removed mine to allow better air flow. Add the aromatics (herbs, lemon and garlic.)
- After about 2 hours, the Turkey has softened enough to remove giblets (if there are any) and neck. Use tongs to pull them out of the body cavity. Discard them or place them in the roasting pan to roast. They add flavor to the gravy.
- This is a good time to season the Turkey. I use Celtic sea salt and cracked black pepper.
- The Turkey is ready once an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. / 74 degrees C. is reached. Use a digital thermometer, like this one, for accuracy.
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