Dinner can still happen. You have two safe paths: thaw it in cold water, at 30 minutes per pound, or cook it from frozen. Never the counter, and never warm water.
Cold water takes 30 minutes per pound. The bird must be thawed by the time it should go in the oven. For a 5 PM dinner today, Thursday, November 26, 2026, start by:
| Weight | Cold water time | Start by |
|---|---|---|
| 12 lb | 6 hours | Thu, Nov 26, 7:47 AM |
| 16 lb | 8 hours | Thu, Nov 26, 4:40 AM |
| 20 lb | 10 hours | Thu, Nov 26, 2:17 AM |
| 24 lb | 12 hours | Wed, Nov 25, 11:55 PM |
Seal the bird in a leak-proof plastic bag. Submerge it in cold tap water. Change the water every 30 minutes. Cook it right after it thaws. Full steps: thawing a turkey in cold water.
Partly thawed already? These hours are for a rock frozen bird. Yours finishes sooner. Reading this at breakfast with a 20 lb bird? Cold water cannot finish in time. Path 2 is your dinner.
USDA says cooking a frozen turkey is safe. Roast it at 325 F. It takes at least half again as long as a thawed bird.
| Weight | Time from frozen, at 325 F |
|---|---|
| 12 lb | 4 hours 15 minutes to 4 hours 30 minutes |
| 16 lb | 5 hours 45 minutes to 6 hours 30 minutes |
| 20 lb | 6 hours 30 minutes to 6 hours 45 minutes |
| 24 lb | 6 hours 45 minutes to 7 hours 30 minutes |
Two rules that matter: no oven bag, and pull the giblet packet out with tongs once the outside softens. The thermometer decides: 165 F. Full steps: cooking a turkey from frozen.
USDA's third safe way is the microwave: follow your oven manual for size and timing, and cook the turkey right after it thaws. Never thaw a turkey on the counter. The outside warms up hours before the inside thaws. Bacteria grow in that warm layer.
The calculator stamps your oven time for either path, for your weight and your dinner hour. Or ask in your own words: "Frozen 16 lb turkey, dinner at 5 today."