The Top 5 Questions the Butterball Turkey Hotline Gets Every Year

For most people, Thanksgiving isn’t complete without a whole roasted turkey. Golden brown and glistening, it’s often the centerpiece of the meal. And, if done right, it can be — dare we say it — the most delicious part of your feast. But for many, cooking a 15-pound bird isn’t an everyday exercise. In fact, if you’ve never done it before, it can be downright intimidating. Maybe you reach out to a parent or your culinary-inclined friend for help. But if you need a pro who won’t judge you, you can join the millions of people who call the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. 

The turkey company’s hotline started in 1981 as a holiday service to ease the stress of Thanksgiving. “Most people call us in a panic,” says Andrea Balitewicz, a culinary professional and Butterball Talk-Line supervisor who has answered hotline phone calls for eight years. “They’re standing in the grocery store or they’re staring at a very frozen bird they’ve put out in the snow that hasn’t thawed. We’re here to help them.” 

Balitewicz is one of 50 turkey pros who are on call from November 1 to December 24. From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST in November and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST in December, you can call 1-800-Butterball and someone will answer the phone. “People often ask if we are real people,” says Balitewicz with a laugh. “We are real people and we experience the same challenges when cooking too.” 

If you are feeling phone shy, you can also text, email, or contact Butterball through its social media channels. And if you want to skip an interaction altogether, we collected the answers to the top five most-asked questions the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line receives each year. 

How and when do you thaw a turkey?

This is the number one question the Butterball turkey hotline receives. “There are two safe ways to thaw a turkey,” Balitewicz says. “The best method is to thaw it in your fridge. For every full day in the fridge, four pounds of turkey will thaw.” This means that a 16-pound turkey, which is the most commonly purchased size, will need at least four days in the fridge to thaw.

“Most people don’t have the fridge space for the turkey and all the other ingredients they need for Thanksgiving dinner,” Balitewicz adds. “I always suggest getting out a cooler and storing the less perishable condiments with some ice. It’s always best for the turkey to thaw in a temperature-controlled environment. Once thawed, the [raw] turkey is good for four days. This is why we recommend starting to thaw your turkey a week before Thanksgiving.”

If you didn’t plan that far ahead, there’s another safe method to thaw your bird. “Cold water thawing is the other safe way to thaw your turkey,” she says. “Place the turkey in a bucket of cold water and refresh the cold water every 30 minutes. For every one pound of turkey, it’ll need about 30 minutes to thaw.”

“Whatever you do, don’t use hot water,” Balitewicz warns. “We’ve definitely had people ask if they can use their bathtub, but if you’re really that far behind, go buy a fresh turkey.”     

How much turkey do you need per person?

Butterball suggests one-and-a-half to two pounds of turkey per person, which will allow for each guest to have more than enough meat at the dinner table, plus a sufficient amount for leftovers. That means if you are serving 10 people, Butterball suggests buying a 15- to 20-pound turkey. If this sounds like a lot of turkey, remember that leftover-centric dishes like turkey soup, turkey tetrazzini, turkey a la king, turkey ramen, and turkey sandwiches are an integral part of Thanksgiving too. 

How do you cook a turkey?

Balitewicz says the calls that stick with her most are from newlyweds and new parents who are cooking a turkey for the first time. “They just want to get it right,” Balitewicz says. So, how can first-time Thanksgiving cooks nail the bird? 

If you’ve purchased a Butterball turkey, know that it comes pre-seasoned and pre-brined. When it’s time to cook your turkey, Butterball suggests the open roasting pan method, which calls for placing the turkey on a rack in the roasting pan. “The rack lifts up the turkey to allow heat to flow underneath,” Balitewicz explains. 

If you don't have a roasting rack, Balitewicz recommends that you “create a coil of foil,” a ring you form out of aluminum foil, to replicate a rack and lift the turkey up from the bottom of the pan. Then, roast the turkey breast-side up at 325°F. “Don’t open the door to baste or anything,” Balitewicz says “[There’s] no need to start at 425°F and reduce the temperature. Just [cook] straight at 325°F, which for a 15- to 16-pound bird, should take three to three-and-a-half-hours to roast.” 

“To check for doneness, we always recommend a meat thermometer,” Balitwiciz adds. Butterball suggests a temperature of 170°F in the breast, 180°F in the thigh, and 165°F in the stuffing (if you’ve chosen to cook your stuffing inside the bird). 

And if you don’t have a pre-seasoned and pre-brined bird from Butterball, here is how we suggest you brine, roast, spatchcock, smoke, or grill your turkey.) 

Is resting the turkey important? 

“Resting the turkey is important for the redistribution of juices,” Balitewicz says. “If you carve right away then the meat shreds instead of cutting into perfect slices.” Don’t worry about the turkey getting cold — it will stay warm, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, and up to an hour if you tent it with foil, according to Balitewicz. She suggests you use the resting period time to make your gravy and reheat your sides. 

Can you brine a Butterball turkey? 

Butterball turkeys are already brined. “You can brine a Butterball turkey, but the juices and drippings can be a little saltier so be conscious when making your gravy,” Balitewicz says. If you are going to brine it, Butterball suggests a dry herb and citrus rub that doesn’t have salt. 

These aren’t the only questions that Butterball fields. “More recently, we’ve been getting a lot of questions on how to grill, smoke, deep-fry, and spatchcock your turkey,” Balitewicz says. 

If you give the Butterball hotline a call this year, don’t forget to let them know how it all went. “Some of my favorite calls are the people who contact us after Thanksgiving to tell us how their bird came out,” Balitewicz says. “There’s nothing better than knowing we helped them feed their family.”