How Do You Defrost Ground Turkey?

If there is something I love is cooking for my family. The thought of cooking itself gives me satisfaction and relaxation.

That is why I always love to share my experience in the kitchen with other cooks.

However, recently, I faced a problem when cooking a turkey (you can fry it you know) for thanksgiving dinner and again when defrosting ground turkey.

I know many people have experienced the same problems.

When you want to defrost the ground turkey, you can use either of the three best methods. Regardless of the method you select to defrost our ground turkey (see how to defrost ground beef); it will still prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.

You should select the method more straightforward for you considering the amount of time you have and when you want to prepare your turkey.

Remember that it is also okay to cook ground turkey direct from the freezer on short notice.

Below are some simple ways to defrost your frozen turkey for a lovely evening meal.

Defrosting A Ground Turkey Using A Microwave (My #1 Hack)

Place the ground turkey on a dish or a microwave-safe plate. Start by taking out the packaging material of the turkey, then place it on the microwave bowl.

Ensure that the vessel has enough space to cater for any juice spills when defrosting in the microwave.

Avoid placing the ground turkey in its packaging material as it can catch fire or melt and damage the meat.

Also, you can defrost ground turkey for 2 minutes for every 0.45kgs at 50% power.

Set the microwave to a power of 50%, or you can use the microwave’s defrosting function.

Continue defrosting at an increment of 1 minute if the turkey is not fully thawed in the first 2 minutes.

For longer defrosting, you need to keep on turning the turkey in the microwave for evenly heat distribution since there is a hotter part than others in the microwave.

You should immediately cook it after thawing is complete to avoid bacteria growth.

Defrosting Ground Turkey Using Cold Water

Take out the ground turkey from its initial packaging and place it in a sealable plastic bag.

The important part is to make sure the meat is completely sealed in the bag to prevent water and bacteria from entering.

This defrosting method is faster than defrosting in the fridge, but it requires a lot of attention. Also, defrosting using cold water will make thawing more evenly than microwave defrosting.

Put the turkey-containing bag in a container or bowl filled with cold water. Ensure that the container is large to make the turkey wholly submerged.

Letting the Frozen Turkey Defrost in The Fridge

You can place the frozen turkey in the fridge in a leak-proof dish or its package. Ensure that your ground turkey is in a tight and sealed package to prevent leaking as it defrosts.

You can add an extra plastic bag or dish if the original package leaks.

• Place the ground turkey in a drawer or shelf away from any open food if it leaks.
• Avoid defrosting ground turkey on the counter since bacteria can attack the turkey’s out part as it warms up first.

Also, you can leave the turkey for up to a day in the fridge to defrost. The time taken for a ground turkey to defrost depends mainly on the refrigerator temperature.

For example, 0.45kg of ground turkey can even take 12-24 hours to defrost.
You should cook the defrosted turkey within 24-48 hours after it thaws.

Refreeze the turkey if you cannot cook within the time frame.

All the above methods are great ways to defrost a ground turkey. Therefore, you can either use one to suit your needs.

When using cold water to defrost the ground turkey, you should never replace it with warm or hot water since it will increase the chances of bacteria entering the turkey.

When defrosting turkey using either method, it is essential to set the alarm for defrosting standard time.